Android 6.0 Marshmallow comes to ZenPad S 8.0 (Z580CA and Z580C) models

September 13, 2016 Categories: News, Software Updates, Z580C, Z580CA, ZenPad S 8.0 by 105 Comments

People have seemed discouraged about Asus tablets not getting the Marshmallow 6.0 Android update. Well, be sad no more! Asus has brought this update to your ZenPad S 8.0 tablet and it’s available now! (big thanks to our reader/visitor Jeff for the tip)

Firmware Version: V5.4.3.0

This update needs to be done MANUALLY. It will not update over the air. The reason? You need to take some precautions before going ahead with this update.

Now be aware of some substantial changes with this update. You NEED TO PREPARE for this update. Asus has listed these details here.

Before you update to Android 6.0 Marshmallow, follow this check list:

  1. Software update to Android 6.0 Marshmallow. Internal storage will decrease slightly after update, suggest backing up data and relocating media file (pictures & video clip) to SD card to reserve enough storage before starting the software update.
  2. The battery life of device has to be more that 50%. It suggest plug ASUS adapter in order to avoid upgrading failed.
  3. Android Marshmallow won’t support APP2SD. Please move apps to internal storage before system upgrade
  4. Multi-user function won’t be supported if the account is deleted. Please keep your account to continue usage

There are other assorted notes which we have listed below. Notice the number of apps that will no longer be pre-loaded!

  • The following apps will not be pre-installed after the update: Clean Master, Data Transfer, Dr. Booster, Dr. Safety, Free Games, Game Center (TW SKU Only), iReader, Mirror, Omlet, PC Link, PhotoFrame, Puffin Browser, Remote Link, TripAdvisor, What’s next, Yahoo Shopping, ZenCircle, Zinio
  • Add new features and new apps: Google Calendar, Facebook Messenger
  • Remove Asus Email, Asus Calendar, ASUS Music ,ASUS Browser after Factory Reset. You can use Gmail, Google Calendar, Google play music and Chrome for relevant services
  • Integrate Power Saver and Auto-Start Manager into ASUS Mobile Manager
  • Add Singapore time zone
  • Update ASUS Support to ZenPad Care
  • Several Apps update

How to manually update your ZenPad to Android 6.0 Marshmallow:

Asus is top tablet seller in Taiwan

September 13, 2016 Categories: News, Shopping and Deals, Z500M, Z581KL, ZenPad 3 8.0, ZenPad 3S 10 by 0 Comments

Say what you want about the slumping tablet market, but the reality is that Asus is doing quite fine in the Taiwan market. A recent story has come out indicating that Asus is leading the market in Taiwan with a 34% share.

If anyone is wondering why the Taiwan market got the ZenPad 3S 10 (Z500M) before anyone else, this might explain it. A company is going to provide for their best market before other markets. This is how business works. Also helping Asus in the Taiwan market has been the release of the new ZenPad 3 8.0 (Z581KL) which is an affordable, yet solid Android tablet.

If you live outside of Taiwan, be assured both the ZenPad 3S 10 (Z500M) and ZenPad 3 8.0 (Z581KL) are coming soon. In fact we have spotted a number of countries already with pre order opportunities.

[source: FocusTaiwan.tw]

 

Pre order ZenPad 3S 10 (Z500M) now! Full details. Where to Buy!

September 9, 2016 Categories: Pre Order, Shopping and Deals, Z500M, ZenPad 3S 10 by 3 Comments

This is exciting. It appears your chance to get the new premium 9.7-inch ZenPad 3S 10 (Z500M) is starting! We have full pre order listings below for all parts of the world, now including Europe countries! As countries begin their pre orders, we will update our list below.

Germany: Pre Order Now – Germany – Amazon.de

Italy: Available Now – Italy – Amazon.it

France: Pre Order – France – Amazon.fr

UK: Order Now – ZenPad 3S 10 – Amazon.co.uk

Spain: Shop Now – Spain – Amazon.es

(update in progress…)

What will the price of the ZenPad 3S 10 (Z500M) be in the US?

September 1, 2016 Categories: Shopping and Deals by 0 Comments

We love to speculate! The top question we get is regarding prices. Release dates are about equally as important, but for now let’s look at some price comparisons.

The challenge here is that this tablet comes in a 32GB or 64GB version. So far at IFA 2016, we’ve been shown a price of € 349. That’s all we have to work with. Our guess would be the € 349 is for the 32GB model because Asus likely want to show the lowest price available. The question then becomes though whether the US will have one or both storage options available.

We done some number crunching and here is the price that we are expecting (likely a $50 difference between the 32GB and 64GB models).

$329 USD to $379 USD (estimate only)

If the 64GB is available in the US, expect the price to be around $50 USD more expensive, around $379 or $399. We’ve looked at the Taiwan price of the Z500M and the Euro price of the Z500M for this comparison. These estimations are never just a matter of a simple conversion. The US will get the best price.

We feel at $329 USD (unofficial) our price may even be a bit too high. We say this because the price in Taiwan with a straight conversion is $346 USD. The price should be cheaper in the US but obviously currencies fluxuate. This is not an exact science!

Stay tuned for the official US pricing which we hope to see very soon!!

asus-zenpad-3s-10-z500-tablet-10

New video released for ZenPad 3S 10 (Z500M) – It’s a beauty!

September 1, 2016 Categories: Video, Z500M, ZenPad 3S 10 by 0 Comments

Things are moving along rather nicely regarding the newly announced ZenPad 3S 10 tablet. This video is more of a light overview but you can get some real looks at the build quality and design. From our perspective, this is a darn nice looking tablet.

We are a bit puzzled why Asus isn’t selling the thinness aspect of the Z500M because from our brief investigation, we can’t find a thinner tablet out there. The bezel is the narrowest of any tablet of this size, but isn’t thin just as desirable? Take our word for it. This tablet is super thin!

I think for 2016 it’s safe to say this model is the flagship or hero tablet from Asus. The ZenPad 3 (Z581KL) is nice as well, but it’s not in the same class in terms of build quality. It seems that Asus is testing the waters of the market to see the response. Will people be more interested in a slightly more expensive but top notch model vs. a good tablet with slightly less build quality. It’s quite possible that the ZenPad 3S series will see an 8-inch model in the future, but at this point we are a bit confused as to the strategy moving forward.

Release date wise, we did some digging around and realized that this tablet has hit the FCC in late June. From that information, we hope that availability is very near!

Check out the video and see if you agree that this tablet looks impressive!

Asus shows some ZenPad love at IFA 2016 with ZenPad 3S 10 (Z500M)

August 31, 2016 Categories: IFA, Z500M, ZenPad 3S 10 by 1 Comment

Asus has been quite modest with their tablet offerings here in 2016. Thankfully at IFA 2016, Asus took the wraps off the ZenPad 3S 10 (Z500M) for the English speaking audience. Up until now, Taiwan has been the only market with details and promotion.

So the first question on most people’s mind is, how much does it cost and when is it available to buy? First, it’s costs € 379 EUR which puts it at a price below the Samsung Galaxy S2 flagship tablet. Certainly Asus is putting out a premium tablet and the price is going to be higher than their ZenPad 10 models.

Release date wise, we haven’t heard much. Expect this to be hitting store shelves in the next couple of months depending on where you’re located. We need to see this at the FCC before we can be accurate regarding a US and Canada release date.

official-slide-euro-price

Asus has come to the conclusion that the marketplace desires more premium tablets. This tablet addresses those demands. You are getting top end build quality along with some top end hardware. Asus didn’t skimp on materials or hardware on this tablet. Is this what you’ve been waiting for?

There are a few key features of the ZenPad 3S 10 (Z500M) that need mentioning. Asus states this tablet has the world’s narrowest bezel. It has a finger print sensor on the front of the tablet (home button). It also has Z Stylus support and compatibility. It also features Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 which will be handy on a regular basis.

We will break down more details in the coming day! For more, see our dedicated page here.

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