The Asus Zenpad 3 will include a slightly smaller screen and improved hardware, while still retaining several features of its predecessor.
Asus has launched a follow-up to the excellent ZenPad 2 8.0, a tablet that we’ve personally included in this years What Mobile Awards due to it’s excellent value for money. The Asus ZenPad 3 8.0 is another slimline and attractive portable tablet, featuring a 7.9-inch screen and QXGA resolution of 1536 x 2048. It’s keeps things slim and sleek much like the predecessor, with a slightly improved textured back for enhanced grip. There’s also some new buttons on the ZenPad 3, which we’re pretty happy about as the previous version struggled with a dodgy power switch. Asus has also carried across the pair of front-facing speakers with DTS HD Premium audio, making this excellent for watching films on the go. This includes support for aptX, DTS headphone:X, and Sonic Master Technology.
For processing capabilities, Asus has thrown in a hexa-core Snapdragon 650, a chip which is comparable to the last generation 808. RAM is 2GB on the base model alongside 16GB internal storage; if you opt for the higher spec version you’ll get 4GB RAM and 32GB internal storage. Battery life has also seen an improvement over the original, with a 4,680 mAh cell replacing the 4,000 mAh one found in the ZenPad 2. Asus claim this will provide up to 11 hours of battery life.
Other notable features include a 2-megapixel front-facing camera and 8-megapixel rear camera, Bluetooth 4.2 and low energy support, Miracast, 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, 3G and 4G LTE support and USB-C.
Currently, Asus has not released any pricing and availability information for the ZenPad 3. With it’s predecessor costing around £169.99 at release, it’s safe to say that the newer ZenPad 3 will be aiming for a similar pricepoint.
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