Asus Zenfone 2 launches at half the price of other phones

Asus Zenfone 2 price
Asus Zenfone 2 price

The Asus Zenfone 2 may send you into a zen-seeking reflection on Android phone prices now that it is launching in the US at half the cost of other phones.

It's just $300 for the flagship model that packs a large 5.5-inch 1080p display, Intel Atom Z3580 quad-core processor clocked at 2.3GHz and 4GB of RAM.

That's the unlock, contract-free price too. You won't have to enroll in a binding two-year agreement with a carrier like AT&T or Verizon to take this phablet journey.

The Asus Zenfone 2 price contrasts with most flagships, like the Samsung Galaxy S6 that cost $600 and iPhone 6 Plus at $650 for full retail price.

Asus Zenfone 2

More Asus Zenfone specs

Asus Zenfone 2 also includes Android 5.0 Lollipop, which makes it an easy way to users with older phones to upgrade to Google's new operating system.

Around back, it has a 13-megapixel rear camera and front-facing 5-megapixel selfie snapper, and inside there's a second micro SIM card slot for an additional phone number.

In addition to the mighty Zenfone 2 with its 2.3GHz quad-core system-on-a-chip and 2GB of RAM, there's also a cheaper version.

The $200 base-level variant also comes with a quad-core chip, but at a slower 1.8GHz clock speed and 2GB. The Asus Zenfone 2 is available starting May 19.

Matt Swider