Asus ZenFone 3 release date, specs rumors: Handset to launch in mid-2016 and come with VR, AR features?

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

Asus has reportedly hit a goldmine in its ZenFone flagship lineups and will continue with a new iteration this year. Speculations say the upcoming ZenFone 3 will come in the middle of the year and that the upcoming flagship will have new, cutting-edge features such as virtual and augmented reality support.

According to Android Community, while not directly confirming the upcoming lineup, the ZenFone 3 will definitely come out. In the recent investor conference by the Taiwan-based manufacturer, the financial earnings underscored the significant contribution of the ZenFone lineup to the Asus coffers.

This means that as one of the frontrunners of the company, Asus will more likely release a new addition to the successful ZenFone series. However, although it is expected that a new iteration may come out early in the year – to keep up with flagship releases from competitors – supposed presentation documents that were highlighted in the investor conference reportedly stated that Asus will be launching the ZenFone 3 in the middle of the year, unveiling the new flagship lineups by May or June.

The industry follower added that while maintaining a budget-friendly price range (one of the ZenFone's selling points), the ZenFone 3 is said to introduce new features that clearly mark the iteration with above-average specs. Allegedly, the upcoming ZenFone will feature virtual and augmented reality support. However, aside from the "phone-based AR/VR" tag seen in the documents, it is unclear how Asus will go about integrating these features.

Since the ZenFone 3 is still months away from being unveiled, Asus is keeping silent on the upcoming iteration's specs and features. However, the company has already stated in the past that some of the confirmed features of the ZenFone 3 are USB Type-C connectivity and fingerprint sensors, which will give it a sleeker, slimmer profile and above-average biometrics security option.