Asus ZenFone 3 Rumors: Device Out In May, Sporting A Fingerprint Scanner

Asus' next flagship device, the ZenFone 3 is rumored to be arriving in May 2016, according to a report in Tech Times and it is also described to be one of the first mid-range smartphones that will be equipped with a fingerprint scanner. The Tech Times report points to a source among the supply chain makers, which indicated that the company is considering adopting fingerprint recognition support which was developed by Taiwan-based Elan Microelectronics and China-based Goodix.

If these reports are true, the smartphone market may welcome the successor of the popular ZenFone 2 by May 2016. This is also made possible by the fact that producing the components that are needed for fingerprint recognition support has become cheaper because of the entry of other players in the field. Asus is said to be taking advantage of this development.

This new development also means better uptake on the use of fingerprint recognition among manufacturers. If Asus is indeed the first manufacturer to bring this security feature to the mid-range market, it will spell better sales in all the markets it has already penetrated. Currently, if a consumer wants the added benefit of fingerprint recognition, a high-end and expensive smartphone is in order.

In another report in Techno Buffalo, the ZenFone 2 is celebrating its first year since its release in January. While most consumers are hoping that its successor will be arriving around that time, this recent report may mean that Asus is not celebrating the end of year one with the release of a new flagship. Instead of hearing an announcement or unveiling at the CES 2016 in January, consumers may need to wait for a few more months for the ZenFone 3.

Another anticipated feature of the device is the USB Type-C port, which has already graced some of Asus' tablets. This new port is supposed to bring about faster charging, as well as bi-directional power.