CES 2015: Asus unveils Intel-powered ZenFone 2 Android Lollipop smartphone

Takes on Microsoft Lumia and Apple iPhone in cameraphone arena

Asus has unveiled its first Android 5.0 Lollipop smartphone in a bid to wrestle control of the top-end handset market from competitors.

The ZenFone 2 was unveiled at CES and comes with a number of top-notch hardware and software features.

The inclusion of a heavily customised version of Android 5.0 Lollipop will prove a key selling point for business buyers.

Lollipop was launched at the end of 2014 and comes with a wealth of under-the-hood technical upgrades designed to boost the software's enterprise appeal.

Key features include a completely reimagined Material design, support for 64-bit processors, new camera API, integrated battery saver mode and increased encryption powers.

Asus has bolstered the ZenFone 2's security by integrating Trend Micro's defence technologies into the handset's native browser via the addition of its custom ZenUI skin.

Asus has taken advantage of Lollipop's enhanced chip support to add a 2.3GHz 64-bit Intel Atom processor and 4GB RAM.

The chip makes the ZenFone 2 one of a select few smartphones to use an Intel chip, as many competitors still favour Qualcomm's Snapdragon range of processors.

The ZenFone 2 also comes with some advanced camera technology and features a 13MP rear camera with an f/2.0 wide-aperture lens, and a 5MP PixelMaster front camera.

PixelMaster is a custom technology designed to improve the ZenFone's imaging performance by adjusting the pixel size and image-processing algorithms to "improve low light performance by 400 percent" and "enhance noise reduction and colour contrast by up to 200 percent".

The ZenFone 2 will also feature an upgraded camera application that allows the manual adjustment of settings like ISO and shutter speed.

The improved camera technology puts the ZenFone 2 in direct competition with smartphones such as the Apple iPhone 6 Plus, Microsoft Lumia 930 and Google Nexus 6, which feature equivalently highly specced rear cameras.

The ZenFone 2 is set to feature a sizeable 5.5in Full HD, 403ppi, IPS display, 4G/LTE connectivity, and a 3000mAh battery which Asus claims will offer "more than a full day of use on a single charge".

The battery will also feature fast-charge technology, similar to that seen on the Nexus 6, that enables it to recharge to 60 percent in 39 minutes.

There is currently no word on when the ZenFone 2 will arrive in the UK or how much it will cost. Check back with V3 later for a review of the ZenFone 2.