ASUS ZenFone V makes its debut (Update: on sale at Verizon)

Update (10/4): Verizon Wireless has now started selling the ASUS ZenFone V online and in its stores. As we reported before, the price for the phone is $384 without a contract, or you can get it on a 24-month payment plan for $16 a month.

Original post (9/18): ASUS has quietly unveiled a new smartphone that will be exclusive to Verizon. The ZenFone V (V520KL), as it’s called, offers high-end specs but isn’t quite up there with the likes of the Galaxy Note 8, LG V30, and other flagships.

The device comes with a 5.2-inch Full HD AMOLED display and is powered by the Snapdragon 820 chipset, which is also found in devices such as last year’s Galaxy S7 Edge and LG G5. It has 4 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage that you can expand with a microSD card (up to 256 GB).

It’s equipped with a 23 MP camera with Sony’s IMX318 sensor, an f/2.0 aperture, and optical as well as electronic image stabilization. The camera also features what ASUS calls TriTech technology that combines laser, phase-detection, and subject-tracking auto-focus into one integrated system that’s capable of focusing in just 0.03 seconds.

The ZenFone V packs a 3,000 mAh battery with support for fast charging that gets it up to 60 percent in less than 40 minutes. It also comes with an NXP Smart AMP that should improve the audio experience on the device. Other features worth mentioning are an 8 MP selfie snapper, a fingerprint scanner located on the front, and Android 7.0 Nougat with ASUS’ ZenUI on top.

The device is already listed on Verizon’s website with a price tag of $384. It’s isn’t available for purchase yet, but the carrier says that it’s “coming soon” — an exact time frame was not specified.

If you want to get your hands on an ASUS device but aren’t a fan of the ZenFone V for some reason, you have quite a few other options available. The company took the wraps off six smartphones last month, which you can check out here.