It’s that time of year again, folks! The Computex show is on again, and ASUS is first out of the blocks with its press conference. Get in here and follow it all as it happens!
All times in AEST
12:30pm
Welcome!
12:35pm
The ASUS press conference kicks off at 4pm AEST today. Bookmark this page and join us again in a few hours for all the action as it happens!
12:40
What do you want to see from ASUS this year? Let us know in the comments!
12:45
Remember: you can also stream the press conference live! Click here to check that out.
2:00
So here’s a fun story.
I’m using the new 2015 MacBook to cover Computex. It’s so goddamn light that I didn’t realise it wasn’t in my laptop bag when I left my hotel room.
Cut to 20 minutes later when I’m seated at the Asus press conference, and I realise my laptop isn’t where it’s meant to be in my bag with just 10 minutes before the press conference starts.
God. Dammit.
So I ask some kind folk from CNET to mind my seat for my while I sprint through Taipei to get back to my hotel, grab my laptop and get back to the press conference before it starts. Thanks to me going back to the gym, I was able to do the round trip in 9 minutes and 30 seconds. It’s a Computex miracle!
2:05
On with the show!
2:10
Asus is a bit late starting the presser, but we’re seated and ready to bring you the action as it happens.
2:11
We’ve just had a peek around some curtains and seen a big sign for the “Zenpad”. We’ll see how that one goes.
In the meantime, looks like Asus has leaked its press conference info early: we’re waiting on a ZenWatch 2 and a new Transformer with USB-C to emerge officially.
2:14
Lights down, we’re underway!
2:15
Johnny Shih, Chairman of Asus is up.
And we’ve already got our first product: the Zen AiO. It’s an all-in-one that looks suspiciously like an iMac, only packing way better specs.
It has an Intel Core i7, quad-core processor, NVIDIA GTX 960M graphics card, 512GB SSD and 32GB of RAM.
It also has Intel RealSense cameras for biometric login, packs in USB Type-C and it’s Windows 10 ready.
2:21
Here’s the head of Asus’ design centre to tell us about some new monitors.
There’s a new 4K Asus ProArt Monitor, and an immersive frameless 32-inch 4K 3840×2160 monitor.
2:23
Now, onto Zenfone. Asus isn’t wasting any time!
Asus is saying that you carry your phone everywhere and you want it to be representative of your personality.
“You want your phone to say something about you.”
All I want my phone to say is “I have all-day battery life”.
2:25
Here’s the new product: the Zenfone Selfie.
2:26
It comes in Chic Pink, Aqua Blue and Pure White. It carries the Asus spinline design on the front and a brushed metal-look finish on the back. It’s also an arc design so it’s easier to hold.
You also get a 13-megapixel front and rear camera with dual LED flash and laser auto-focus for the rear-facing unit.
2:3o
It’s packing a super-sharp 1080p, 5.5-inch screen with 403ppi. You also get the Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor.
2:36
Asus loves a bit of glam, so there’s a fashion parade going on right now, complete with what we assume is the new ZenPad.
2:37
Yep! Introducing the new ZenPad series. “Luxury on your terms”. Whatever that means.
Asus is all about the screen and the design of this one. It has Tru2Life+ motion blur smoothing, TV HDR and contrast optimisation technologies under the panel, as well as a new diamond cross finish design.
2:40
Holy crap. Asus has made a cover for the new ZenPad complete with six speakers and a sub-woofer. That cover has six hours of battery life, and it’s certified with BTS HD premium sound. That’s super impressive.
2:42
Under the hood, the entry-model will pack in the Intel Atom x3 processor, while the ZenPad S will feature 64-bit Intel Atom Z3580 processors.
Intel’s Kirk B Skaugen is up talking about the Asus and Intel partnership.
2:46
Uh oh. There are some problems with the slides.
2:47
There we go: back on track. We’re talking about tablet customisations. You get to choose from lots of accessories, that’s why Asus is calling it “the world’s first customisable tablet”. Hmm.
There’s also a new accessory called the Zen Stylus, with a 1.5mm tip and 150 hours of battery life.
2:50
And that’s all she wrote folks! We’re heading in to get some hands on time right now. Check back soon for more photos and hands on impressions!
2:51
Thanks for joining us!