Asus ZenFone 3 release date, specs, features rumor: New flagship follow-up to be announced end of June?

Asus ZenFone 2 (ZE551ML). Rumor has it that its follow-up, the ZenFone 3, will appear by mid-2016.[Photo credit: Asus]

Due to the success of the ZenFone 2 lineup, fans already expect Asus to come out with a follow-up. Reports of the ZenFone 3 series have already surfaced as early as last year. Now, speculations suggest that Asus will be unveiling its latest flagship by the end of June.

According to Softpedia, the rumor has reportedly been confirmed by Nick Wu, Director of Finance at Asus. Allegedly, the much-awaited ZenFone 3 will be revealed mid-2016. Wu said, "We hope to introduce a new flagship smartphone at the end of June and start producing mass in July."

Meanwhile, although it can be expected that the ZenFone 3 will have a global release, the industry observer noted that Asus will first make sure to saturate the Southeast Asian markets. This means that fans around the globe will have to wait, as the upcoming flagship can be expected to release first in India, Indonesia, Malaysia; Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.

While the mid-2016 unveiling remains unconfirmed pending an official statement from Asus, rumors of supposed leaks about the specs sheet and design of the flagship have already appeared online. Android Headlines said that as per an alleged benchmark website sighting, the ZenFone 3 can be expected to carry at least a Snapdragon 625 processor paired with 3 GB of RAM. The list also showcases the flagship as having a 5.5-inch display with 1080p resolution. There is also a reported 8-MP camera onboard, but it is unclear if this is the main one at the back or a front camera, as the website only listed it as a "selfie snapper." The ZenFone 3 is also said to feature Android 6.0.1 right out of the box.

Meanwhile, fans expect that Asus will be improving the design of the ZenFone 3. The next flagship may feature a slimmer profile than its predecessor, as it has been confirmed that the ZenFone 3 will be using USB Type-C port.