Windows 10 — everywhere and on every device. That's what Satya Nadella's new re-focused Microsoft is shooting for. Specifically, Microsoft wants Windows 10 — every iteration — running on 1 billion devices within the next two to three years.

Asus, the fifth-largest PC vendor, which launched its ZenFone 2 Android smartphone on Tuesday in North America, isn't drinking Microsoft's Kool-Aid, though.

"The advantage of Windows is productivity and entertainment at the same time," Asus chairman Jonney Shih told Mashable. "The advantage [of Windows on phones] is not that much [when compared to iOS and Android], frankly speaking."

While Shih believes Microsoft is undergoing a transformation internally under Nadella, he doesn't feel there's a compelling enough reason to support Windows 10 Mobile with phones just yet.

ZenFones are pretty popular in Asia and Brazil pic.twitter.com/E0VwWSPIHf — Raymond Wong (@raywongy) May 18, 2015

For Shih and Asus, they're skating to where there are tons of potential customers — those who want a powerful smartphone and don't want to pay a a lot: Android.

According to IDC, Android smartphone sales topped 289.1 million in Q4 2014, giving Google's mobile operating system a 74.5% of the smartphone marketshare. In comparison, Windows Phone sales were a measly 10.7 million in Q4 2014, giving Microsoft a 2.8% marketshare.

Laptops, two-in-ones and desktops are better suited for Windows, Shih said. "The screen size [of a the 10-inch Transformer Chi] is big enough to be worth it to really drive [multitasking]."

But what about Continuum, the Windows 10 feature that automatically adapts to different screen sizes when connected to larger displays? At Build 2015, Microsoft demoed how an app like PowerPoint could expand from a cramped phone interface to one with extra menus and navigation options on a tablet and computer monitor.

Continuum could help differentiate Windows 10 Mobile devices from iOS and Android, and really bring out the productivity nature of Windows, but we won't know until the operating system launches.

"I think it's achievable" Shih said, suggesting it could be just the thing Microsoft needs.

Continuum will allow Windows phones to run apps on external displays as if they were full PC apps. Image: Jeff Chiu/Associated Press

Shih didn't rule out supporting Windows 10 Mobile entirely, but from the sound of it, it's not high on his company's list of priorities. Generating momentum for the ZenFone 2 in North America is.

Asus isn't the only company trying to win the low end in North America. Startups like OnePlus, Huawei and Alcatel are all selling fantastic smartphones at ridiculously inexpensive off-contract prices.

Both the OnePlus One and the Alcatel Onetouch Idol 3 are winners for smartphones that cost $250 and $300, respectively.

And now comes Asus with the ZenFone 2, which starts at $199, to shake things up even more. How does a company with virtually no smartphone presence in North America plant a flag in the ground?

By focusing on the experience and crushing the competition with high-performance specs.

"We always think about the experience first," Shih told Mashable. "Performance — we always want to have the highest performance."

Going with the 2.3GHz Intel Atom Z3580 processor and 4GB of RAM (on the $299 model) gives the ZenFone 2 the spec boost over its competition. Asus says the processor is 2.1x faster than phones in the same price range that mostly build system on chip (SoC) designs around ARM's Cortex A53 octa-core processor.

The Intel Atom processor also means web browsing is potentially 3.4x faster than devices with the A53 chip.

Talking to Shih, it's very apparent he believes the ZenFone 2 will find success where Asus's PadFone failed miserably. Shih's gentle voice, unlike the forcibly enthusiastic one he always has when announcing pricing for products, bears lessons learned. Everything was carefully considered on the ZenFone 2.

"You want to have it very thin, but you also want to make it very beautiful and have a lot of battery," Shih said. "If everything is metal and everything is so thin, I think that it'll be very expensive. There is no free lunch. Physics is physics."

As excited for the ZenPhone 2 as Shih is, he's also realistic about the competitive challenges the company faces. Shih knows the ZenPhone 2 won't put Asus on the smartphone map overnight. "I think it will still take time."

The ZenFone 2's North American debut comes off the phone's international success. The phone was released earlier this year in Asia and Europe and has already proven to be a hit. Asus didn't break down the exact numbers for the ZenFone 2 specifically, but it says it's shipped 10 million ZenFones (including the first-gen model) since April 2014.

If the ZenPhone 2 sells well in North America — however small or big that is — it paves the way for the ZenFone 3, 4, 5, etc. Asus's "slow and steady wins the race" strategy may appear humble, but it's obvious the company is not fooling around. The company has the likes of OnePlus and Alcatel in its sights and it's coming for them — fast.