Asus Zenfone Go: A 3G Budget Contender in an Emerging 4G Era (2015)

In September 2015, Asus launched the Zenfone Go in India, entering the cutthroat sub-Rs 8,000 smartphone segment. Priced at Rs 7,999 across Flipkart, Asus exclusive outlets, and offline retail channels, the device aimed to bring Asus's sleek industrial design to first-time smartphone buyers.

Hardware Specifications

Display	5.0-inch HD (1280x720) IPS LCD
Processor	MediaTek MT6580 quad-core (1.3 GHz)
Memory & Storage	2 GB RAM / 8 GB internal (microSD up to 64 GB)
Cameras	8 MP rear with LED flash, 2 MP front
Battery	2,070 mAh
Operating System	Android 5.1 Lollipop with ZenUI
Connectivity	Dual SIM, 3G / 2G, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0

The Market Dilemma

The Zenfone Go competed directly against popular budget rivals such as the Xiaomi Redmi 2 Prime, Lenovo A6000 Plus, YU Yuphoria, and the second-generation Moto E. Although Asus bundled 100 GB of free Google Drive cloud storage for two years to sweeten the deal, the Zenfone Go had one critical disadvantage: it lacked 4G LTE support at a moment when Indian telecom networks were rapidly preparing for high-speed 4G rollouts.