Despite some impressive tablet, laptop, and combination devices, ASUS has left its smartphones mostly in the budget and mid-range end of the pool. That changes with the Zenfone 2 announcement at CES: while the new device probably won't set the world on fire, it's a definite competitor to offerings from the likes of HTC, Samsung, and LG at an amazing price. The ZenFone 2 is the first phone anywhere to be equipped with 4GB of dual-channel RAM (on the high-end model), and the rest of the specs are no slouch either.

The phone is impressively styled, with a brushed metal body that tapers to just 3.9mm on the edges, not unlike the Moto X. The metal body is reminiscent of an HTC design, but the rear-mounted power and volume buttons look more like an LG affectation. That said, the textured metal is similar to ASUS' own high-end tablets. There's no denying that the ZenFone 2 is a looker.

https://youtu.be/2Exajbk4psY

The phone's other specs are impressive, if not class-leading. Its 5.5-inch screen is a mid-range 1080p IPS panel, plus ASUS' proprietary TruVivid technology. Underneath is a 64-bit Intel z3580 processor (probably thanks to ASUS' close relationship with Intel on the desktop side). The 3000mAh battery uses a proprietary fast-charging technology that gets you 60% juice in just 39 minutes, on par with Qualcomm's Quick Charge. The LTE-Category 4 phone features dual SIM slots on at least some models, a big draw for budget markets. The rear camera is a 13MP shooter with a decent F/2.0 lens, and its software suite includes a host of photo-improving tools.

Speaking of software, the ZenFone 2 is running Lollipop. That's the good news - it's also running an updated version of ASUS ZenUI software layer. Depending on your confidence in the company's software skills, that could be a good thing or a bad thing.

So what will it cost you to get a hold of the ZenFone 2? It starts at $199 USD, with a launch planned in March. That $199 model may not include that amazing 4GB of RAM, but even so it's an impressive bit of design. We'll have a hands-on with the ZenFone 2, hopefully with more concrete specification information, later on at CES.