The initial batch of phones running Android Go has been… not great. As it turns out, hardware that wouldn’t be out of place in 2010 doesn’t make for a great smartphone experience in 2018. Seemingly out of nowhere, ASUS announced its first Android Go phone today, and it appears to be a decent product – at least on paper.
The ZenFone Live is powered by a Snapdragon 425 processor, which is slightly faster than the low-end MediaTek chips that most Go devices have been using. There’s still only 1GB of RAM, since that’s the maximum for using Android Go. Other specifications include a 5.5-inch 18:9 720p IPS screen, 16GB of expandable storage, a 3,000mAh battery, an 8MP back camera, a 5MP front camera, and dual-SIM support. It’s running Android 8.1 Go Edition, but with ASUS ZenUI on top (ugh).
The ZenFone Live is available right now from Best Buy’s website, for the low price of $109.99. ASUS says it will be sold at select Best Buy stores at a later date.
