Asus’ $149 ZenFone Live (L1) is coming to Canada by end of Q2 2018

Yet another budget 18:9 display Asus offering is coming to Canada.

Asus has announced that its planning to bring the entertainment-focused ZenFone Live (L1) to Canada within the second quarter of 2018 for $149 CAD.

The inexpensive device features a 5.5-inch Full View display with a lengthy 18:9 aspect ratio. Asus notes it can reach up to 400 nits of brightness and states that the ultra-slim bezels keeps the device “pocket-friendly.”

It stocks a 3,000mAh battery, which should provide for over a day of use, if the performance of past Asus budget handsets is any indication. Asus promises up to 18 hours of Wi-Fi web browsing or 42 days of 4G standby.

Specs

Asus ZenFone Live (L1)

Asus ZenFone Max Plus M1

Asus ZenFone 5

Asus ZenFone 5Z

Display

5.5-inch IPS LCD display, 2246×1080 pixels, 18:9 aspect ratio

5.7-inch IPS display, 2160 x 1080 pixel, 18:9 aspect ratio

6.2-inch, IPS display, 1440 x 2160 pixels, 19:9 aspect ratio

6.2-inch, IPS display, 1080 x 2246 pixels, 18:7:9 aspect ratio

Processor

Snapdragon 425

MediaTek MT6750T

Snapdragon 636

Snapdragon 845

RAM

2GB of RAM

3GB of RAM

4GB or 6GB of RAM

6GB of RAM

Storage

16GB (expandable up to 2TB)

32GB (expandable up to 256GB)

64GB (expandable up to 2TB)

64GB (expandable up to 2TB)

Dimensions

147.3 x 71.8 x 8.2mm

73 x 152.6 x 8.8mm

153 x 75.7 x 7.9mm

Weight

140g

160g

155g

165g

Rear Facing Camera

13-megapixel (PDAF, f/2.0)

16-megapixel (f/2.0) + 8-megapixel (f/2.0 +120-degree wide-angle lens)

12-megapixel (f/1.8) + (120-degree wide-angle lens)

12-megapixel (f/1.8) + (120-degree wide-angle lens)

Front Facing Camera

5-megapixel (f/2.4)

16-megapixel (f/2.0)

8-megapixel (f/2.0)

8-megapixel (f/2.0)

OS

Android 8.0 Oreo

Android 7.0 Nougat

Android 8.0, Asus ZenUI 5.0

Android 8.0 Oreo

Battery

3,000mAh

4130mAh battery

3300mAh capacity

3300mAh capacity

Network Connectivity

GSM/HSPA/LTE

GSM/HSPA/LTE

GSM/HSPA/LTE

GSM/HSPA/LTE

Sensors

Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass

Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer

Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, heart rate, SpO2

Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, heart rate, SpO2

SIM Type

Dual SIM

Dual Nano SIM

Dual SIM

Dual Nano SIM

Launch Date

June 30, 2018

February 26, 2018

February 27, 2018

February 27, 2018

Misc

Colours: Midnight Black, Shimmer Gold, Rose Pink, Space Blue | Micro-USB, supports up to 2TB microSD, 3.5mm audio jack, Face Unlock

Colours: Moonlight Black, Azure Silver | Face Unlock, Dual 5-magnet speakers, Micro USB

Colour: Midnight Blue, Meteor Silver | AI Photo Learning, Face Unlock, Dual 5-magnet speakers

Colour: Midnight Blue, Meteor Silver | AI Photo Learning, Face Unlock, Dual 5-magnet speakers, USB Type-C

Additionally, the smartphone comes with face unlock, a 13-megapixel rear camera with 0.3-second phase detection autofocus and a triple-slot SIM tray with room for two SIM cards and a MicroSD card up to a theoretical 2TB.

But among the highlights are some appropriately budget lowlights — think 2GB RAM, 16GB of storage and a Snapdragon 425 chipset, which first debuted in 2015.

As for software, the device comes out of the box with Android Oreo and Asus’ ZenUI 5 skin.

Retailers and Canadian colour choices haven’t been revealed yet.

For those interested in Asus’ budget fare, the manufacturer brought the ZenFone Max Plus M1 to Canada for $300 not long ago.