yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Zenfone 2 Laser General] floridaman:
I'm not sure what having an unlocked phone has anything to do with VoLTE, whether the phone is locked or unlocked it can still be capable of VoLTE and there are plenty of unlocked phones out there that are. Eventually all phones will have to be VoLTE capable whether they want to or not, locked or unlocked.

In order to use TMobile's band 12 the phone must be VoLTE and E911 enabled certified by TMobile. TMobile issued a release on the already back in the summer. This phone will still work the TMobile system just fine as I'm using the Zenfone on both AT&T and TMobile and never had an issue hitting TMobile at all as it has the other bands TMobile uses.

I'm also aware as I stated above in my previous post that the phone can only use 1 sim at a time for data, however there are already dual sim phones that do not downgrade the second sim to 2/3G for voice/text it keeps it at 4G LTE with very little noticeable battery loss at all. Those phones and I had a Siswoo, was the same exact way in the OS that you tell it which sim you wish to use for data, this is not something new and has been around for quite some time. A lot of battery loss as to do with how well a company keeps up their firmware and OS on the phone to make sure the patches are done. To say nothing of how the actual end user uses the device itself.

The problem with downgrading the second sim to 2G would amount to the same issue I'm running into now with the Zenfone, it's completely useless as a dual sim phone as 2G is being shut down.

Thank you for your response but it still doesn't answer any of the conflicting responses from Asus.
[Zenfone 2 Laser General] xtermmin:
Unlocked devices typically do not go through carrier VoLTE certification, the exception being the Nexus 6 that was offered by carriers directly (and Apple devices but that's an entirely different beast), which is why it has Band 12 enabled. The new set of Nexus' and the Moto X Pure, which are not sold by carriers, have not gone through carrier VoLTE certification yet, so despite their hardware supporting Band 12, it's currently disabled. However, VoLTE is not a requirement yet, as no networks are planning on shutting down both their 2G and 3G signals anytime soon. Considering this phone will probably never be certified for VoLTE by AT&T/TMO (none of ASUS' other US devices have VoLTE certifications), there is no reason for both SIM slots to have 4G access at the same time. Since both slots support simultaneous 2G/3G, when AT&T/TMO get around to shutting down their 2G networks, the second SIM will continue to function normally and do calls/texts over the 3G network.

I don't know if only 1 SIM being able to access LTE is a hardware or software issue/limitation, but since carriers won't VoLTE certify it, it's a non-issue. The only difference is that MMS on the second SIM might take a second longer to download over 3G vs 4G.
[Zenfone 2 Laser General] floridaman:
TMobile is the only carrier I think requiring certification, AT&T doesn't require anything. If your phone is equipped with VoLTE all you have to do is turn it on inside your phone with AT&T, TMobile requires you to call them and have it added to your account. Either way a phone still could be VoLTE whether unlocked or locked. certified or uncertified. AT&T rolled out VoLTE 2 years ago and TMobile is still in the beginning stages of a rollout. You're comparing Walmart with Macy's here, which is one of the reasons I ditched TMobile years ago. So I really don't care what TMobile does or doesn't do since they are not my main provider, AT&T is, so the fact band 12 isn't there has zero affect on my use. Regardless VoLTE has zero bearing on the what Asus is doing with the 2 sim modems in this phone. Since a dual active phone has 2 modems, my guess it is a software issue not a hardware issue.

AT&T has already started shutting down 2G in different areas and has stated by the end of 2016 all 2G will be shut down across the U.S. I'm in Florida and 2G is already down in certain areas. So yes, they have started shutting down 2G already. In fact my other sim from Three UK doesn't even offer 2G signal when in the UK, they don't have it at all on their spectrum.

Once again though, I still have conflicting information from 2 different Asus reps and nothing is being stated by them as to why and which one is the correct one.
[Zenfone 2 Laser General] babsk:
This highlights the poor performance SIM 2 issue I went through on the ZF2 because of the 2G slot. It proved out because I have a new dual SIM phone now that gets LTE in both slots. I went through a terrible time unable to get calls in my house on the ZF2's second SIM. I'm able to on my new phone. I thought I was going to have issues at first, but my reception and SIM 2 availability have been consistent now. I can make and receive calls in my house just fine. I had minor issues at first, and it's fine now. My phone is provisioned to my new phone with my carrier on both slots. So that's what Asus needs to guarantee it can provide in that second slot; call reception that works! Too late for me. I found another product.
[Zenfone 2 Laser General] floridaman:
Exactly Babsk. 2 days now and still no response as to what is the correct information from Asus. The rep on their own forum said he didn't know if an update to M would even be available, they're still working Lollipop. Really? Still working on Lollipop 5.0. I wish I could get that phone you got, but not enough bands for me are turned on.
[Zenfone 2 Laser General] babsk:
floridaman: That's truly a shame. I had to research the bands thing too. I have AT&T and fortunately the missing LTE Band 5 is not a concern. My area is using Band 17 all the time and the Pure XL picks it up just fine. I did an LTE band check before I got this phone and then figured I would also test it after purchase. My speed tests show I get LTE and my display says it too.

I hope you can get an answer from Asus. It would be great if the Laser could work out for you.
[Zenfone 2 Laser General] heywheelie:
I have the octacore snapdragon and it supports fast charge
[Zenfone 2 Laser General] floridaman:
I noticed that as well in the specs on Qualcomm website's that this processor does have quickcharge. It's becoming clear that Asus goes in and firmware blocks things, for what reason is anyones guess.
[Zenfone 2 Laser General] Frankenberrie:
If this phone had fast charge I would buy it and keep my zen2 as a backup
[Zenfone 2 Laser General] jose makalolot:
I'm looking into buying this since my ZE551ML has broken LCD. But, I'm confused with what the CS told me and what is advertised. CS told me that sim2 is only 2G/3G and not 2G/3G/4G as advertised.

Also, no root yet.

Posted using my phone.
[Zenfone 2 Laser General] floridaman:
Jose I asked the same question about the sims and got 2 different answers from Asus reps. Their documentation says one thing and you get different responses from the reps. Apparently they don't even know their own equipment when asked about simple things they should know.

Both sims should be able to get 4G at all times for calls/text but using only 1 sim for data at a time. Obviously they are software blocking it for some unknown reason. Someone said to conserve battery, but that does very very little to conserve any battery life. I've had a dual 4G phone prior and actually had better battery life then I get on the ZF2, because the OS was kept up to date.

I was also considering this phone, but with no real clear answers I'm going to have to pass. I really don't understand what this company is doing at all. If they would just come out with a phone 4G on both sims dual active, NFC, quick charge with an updated OS people would buy it. That is what so many are asking for. This phone could have quick charge it is supported by the processor yet they firmware blocked it. Adding NFC would have cost at most about dollar to the price. I'd sooner then come out with a phone for $20.00 higher and make it good then give us this piecemeal nonsense where they do things half done.
[Zenfone 2 Laser General] jose makalolot:
Is there any phone that supports dual LTE/data on both sims that supports US carriers bands?

I really need such phone.

I need a phone that supports LTE for sim1 for hotspot and MMS for sim2.

Posted using my phone.
[Zenfone 2 Laser General] floridaman:
Yes there are many you just have to do a search for them and see if it offers all the things you want. Another poster here is very happy with the Blu Pure XL and he is using AT&T.
[Zenfone 2 Laser General] babsk:
I have the Blu Pure XL for the very reasons you cite, and so far, so good. I had a doomed experience with the 2G slot of the Zenfone2, so I would have still been leery with the Laser but in the meantime, the Pure XL came out. I went from not getting any cellular call reception in my own home on SIM 2 to being fine now. I had some minor issues at first, but they resolved, and I also had both my SIM cards provisioned to the carrier. But when I first put the SIM cards in, I started with SIM 2 on purpose and by itself just to see, and it had a very strong signal. This was before I designated which SIM is the one that is the data one. This was literally the beginning. So I knew obviously it is higher than 2G by default because the ZF2 never worked inside my house even for calls on SIM 2. All I know is, I can get calls now on SIM 2 at home and I couldn't on that 2G slot of the ZF2. Blu Pure XL will run on AT&T, T-Mobile, so I assume that would include Cricket and Metro PCS with them too, but others can correct me if I'm wrong.
[Zenfone 2 Laser General] jose makalolot:
Wow, very nice phone. And very good reviews. Only issue for me is it is beyond my 5.5" screen size limit. :(

Posted using my phone.
[Zenfone 2 Laser General] Akopps:
Based on what I have read in many reviews, the Snapdragon 615 SoC is basically a meh mid-range SoC performance-wise. Going from Zenfone 2 to this would be a downgrade in terms of performance. What about battery life? If ZE551KL does not give a massively better battery performance than ZF2, it seems there will be little reason not to buy a Zenfone 2 instead?
[Zenfone 2 Laser General] heywheelie:
I have a ZE550KL which has the Snapdragon 615 octo-core. Because of the combination of the octacore processor + low res screen + adreno 406 graphics processor + 3000 Mah battery battery life is great. Admittedly i am not a heavy user and I don't play games but I get almost a week between charges.

I don't anticipate the ZE551KL would be as good on battery because of the hi-res screen but it should still be better than the zenfone 2 which has average battery life at best. The 3GB of RAM should make performance very snappy as well as being future proof for further versions of android.
[Zenfone 2 Laser General] babsk:
Yes, it's a 6 inch screen which I actually prefer and was a bonus to me by luck. Hard to explain, but you do get used to it while at the same time being aware of the larger screen real estate benefits and all. But if it's too large for you, yeah, you have to go with what works with your preferences.
[Zenfone 2 Laser General] dexter20082001:
So I noticed some people were saying that this phone doesn't have quick charging, but the 615 has Qualcomm QuickCharge 2.0 so is it somehow missing from this phone?

Also to anyone comparing the ZF2 to the ZF2L: That is a bit of an unfair comparison due to their price differences. If you were to compare them you should look at the low end model of the ZF2 that cost the same as the ZF2L. You will see that performance will be similar in some aspects. It should also be noted that the Intel processor, while good on paper and many benchmarks, doesn't have good real world use at times. Its main downfall is the PowerVR graphics. I think it is is important to keep the expectations of the phone in check. This is closer to where Asus wishes to go with their market which is making affordable quality phones. The ZF3 would be the successor but the ZF2L is a stepping stone to where they want to go which involves using Qualcomm processors. They have made a qualtiy phone with near identical specs to the Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3. The only difference is that it doesn't have NFC or dual speakers, but this phone also cost 50 dollars less, comes with laser autofocus, 1GB more of ram, and a good chance at an Android 6.0 OTA.
[Zenfone 2 Laser General] sagematt:
This phone (ZE551KL) just launched in Colombia, I should be getting mine next week. Since it was launched in USA too I'm hoping it gets more attention from devs and we're able to get custom bootloader/root/cfw working eventually.
[Zenfone 2 Laser General] HampTheToker:
Hopefully, the ZF2L will see this Android Chrome OS hybrid I've heard about, if not anything passed MM.
[Zenfone 2 Laser General] floridaman:
I agree with you on the Intel processor, however I disagree that we shouldn't compare the two phones. Asus themselves touted this as an "upgrade", that is how their advertisement went out and is listed on their own website.

Yes the phone does cost $50 less, however adding in NFC cost maybe a $1.00. I'd sooner they raise the price of the phone $5.00 and actually give you the things people want over a phone with only half the things at very minimal savings comparable.

Yes, you are also correct that the processor used does support quick charge and other low end phones using the same processor have quick charge. However once again Asus decided to block quick charge for what reason I'm not really quite sure.

As for any OS upgrade on this phone I would not count on it. The reps at Asus on their own forum when asked about an upgrade to M stated that the company is focused on giving the best experience to its users with Lollipop 5.0.

Also on this phone you choose 1 sim for LTE even though both sims can handle LTE, the other sim then reverts to 2G. Asus states this is a hardware issue, however it is not it is a firmware and OS issue. Because Asus refuses to upgrade the OS with dual sim support to 5.1 in addition to whatever else they are putting in their firmware, they are once again touting a phone with using 2G as a dual sim phone which in reality is really a single sim since 2G is phasing out.

I"m waiting to see what they put into the ZF3 besides a USB charger port. Has that appears to be the only thing in the specs they've even released as a most definite. What I would like is to see true dual sim dual active LTE support for both sims all the time. Get rid of this Intel processor as clearly it isn't ready for prime time. Get their camera quality under control and actually work. Most of all, stop with the constant firmware updates to only fix the last update where they messed everything up and actually give true updates. They must also keep up with the OS updates. They must also stop firmware blocking things that should not be tinkered with on an unlocked phone. Many of the issues people experience with the ZF2 would be solved going to the 5.1 update, Asus just keeps repeating the same mantra for months, we're working on it. Sorry, but this is not how to keep customers. I don't expect a company to update a phone forever, but I do expect some updates, going from 5.0 to 5.1 is not by any means an unreasonable expectation.

That's just my opinion. If I don't see these things I'll be getting a new phone from a new company who will keep up.
[Zenfone 2 Laser General] babsk:
Yes. I have that app LOL. When I switch data to SIM 2 temporarily, LTE shows same as SIM 1. I had tested that out early on to be sure. I love that app! It was pivotal in helping me be able to get this phone. However, I do think it tests the second SIM as well. On my Note 3 it would show GSM which was on the second side of the app. But that is only a single SIM phone of course so I wasn't sure what that was measuring. But since I do have two SIMS now, is that GSM now meaning, GSM for the second SIM, now that I don't know. So if you have the app, you know what I am saying. Under the Signals section it shows LTE on the left and GSM on the right. The GSM side is congruent with the signal strength I am getting with SIM 2. If I could test with a non AT&T SIM, that might tell me.

I also like that app as it

also shows the band your area is using which was pivotal in my being able to buy the phone I got. Ha! Now to consider a change in carriers for the second line I'd have to see that I don't run into a band issue with T-Mobile! My carrier AT&T doesn't use the missing Band 5 in my area for my phone but Band 12 is missing on T-Mobile so on it I would just have to verify that would not be an issue. Agreed--just add enough bands by default! But for now I am getting reception so I'm not switching a thing.
[Zenfone 2 Laser General] dexter20082001:
Asus did nothing of the sort. The page and ads for the laser never even mention the original. They are listed with each other under the ZenFone2 series branch. The model names would even suggest that as the ZF2 is ZE551ML and the laser is ZE551KL. It is not fair to compare them because they were not designed fore the same price bracket or necessarily the same users. And as for the NFC, everyone seems to underestimate the cost of it. for them it would more likely cost them 5 dollars at least to put it in and cost us 20 dollars more. I mention the higher likelihood of updates due to the history the older zenfones have had with updates.

---------- Post added at 03:51 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:19 PM ----------

Can anyone confirm whether or not Qualcomm Quick Charge will work? According to Qualcomm, the SoC supports it.
[Zenfone 2 Laser General] sagematt:
The phones belong to different segments. The original Zenfone 2 ZE551ML is ASUS' flagship, and the other SKUs after that (Laser, Selfie, Max, Go, etc.) are all meant to diversify the medium segment.

You could always get the ZE551ML which does have NFC. Or just buy from another brand. There's plenty of phones to choose from.

ASUS confirmed during their Colombia launch that there's planned upgrade to Android L.

Why do you want to run LTE running on both SIMs at the same time? That would be a waste of battery. You can only use Cellular internet from a single SIM at any given point in time anyway.

You can check benchmarks for the ZE551ML here:

http://www.gsmarena.com/asus_zenfone_2_ze551ml-review-1240p5.php

CPU performance is slightly higher than a Snapdragon 801, while the GPU is much better than anything that's not at least a Snapdragon 805. This is really good for a phone that only costs 249 USD.

And this is a problem... how?

This was a necessity since the phone was developed for 5.0 in the first place. Dual SIM still works just fine. I mean, if it wasn't working properly I would understand your complaint but it actually works so I don't see how "rigging" dual SIM functionality is an issue. How do you think phone makers shipped dual SIM on pre-5.1 phones anyway? Should we fault them for this "rigged" functionality as you say?

The phone doesn't support VoLTE anyway (as confirmed by ASUS on its support forums) wanting to use LTE on the second SIM for voice on this phone is moot. Also why do you want LTE for text anyway lol it's just text man ahahahhaa.

EDIT: Ok for this last part it makes sense if you are in an area where LTE has been deployed before GSM. It's not often this happens and but I guess this will be more common over time, so it is a valid complaint... only if you are frequently in places where this applies.
[Zenfone 2 Laser General] babsk:
Well, I think LTE Discovery only does one SIM at a time. I downloaded a similar app called Signal Check Lite which also shows the same so the GSM designation I am seeing is not the second SIM. On that app, the developer outright says the app cannot do dual SIM due to Android limitation. (It was a reply to a comment in the reviews).So I can't see what both SIM cards are receiving concurrently. That's the big question. All I know is, if it's 2G, then wow, why am I getting reception? So I have to wonder. I wish there was a way I could test both SIM cards at the same time but this is allegedly not able to be done. But I continue to get a signal on SIM 2. So if it's defaulting to 2G, why is it suddenly working in my house when a 2G slot Zenfone2 was unusable.
[Zenfone 2 Laser General] babsk:
This is the whole reason I'm on this thread. Having 2G in that second SIM slot on a Zenfone2 was a nightmare for me and I now have another dual SIM phone as a result. I also have AT&T and when I had the ZF2, SIM 2 was literally unusable in my house, and it was crappy reception in my general area too. The slot would just disappear when I was home. All I need it for is calls, but obviously 2G for calls doesn't cut it for some of us with AT&T. This is why LTE has become such an issue for us. I personally would probably be fine with HSPA on a second SIM so long as I am getting cellular phone reception for phone and text but they may as well just let both be able to be LTE while they're at it IMHO. In my case, I have a phone that DOES allow it but apparently not with a SIM card with the same carrier in each slot supposedly, (my situation) although I'm getting reception anyway so I'm not sure what the deal is. Allegedly my second SIM is defaulting to 2G because it is the same carrier as SIM 1 which is the slot designated for data, but I get reception in my house on SIM 2 whereas on the Zenfone2, not a chance, so I don't get how this can really be 2G I'm getting. I also get a full 4 bars like a mile from my house, on BOTH SIM slots. Go figure.
[Zenfone 2 Laser General] suhridkhan:
I see a lot of arguments going on in this thread... Did anyone here actually buy it, and can share their experience with this phone?

I ordered one from newegg, they are offering some free accessories with the 32gb model.

I don't care about dual sim lte connectivity though.
[Zenfone 2 Laser General] jose makalolot:
5.0 is Android L

MMS

Benchmarks has lesser impact to end users.

Again, fast MMS downloads.

No has not been deployed by ATT for about 4 or 5yrs now and most sites deployed are UMTS or LTE or both. Same goes for T-Mobile.

Posted using my phone.
[Zenfone 2 Laser General] babsk:
Well just to clarify, my posts here are not meant to be of an argument nature. I'm genuinely interested in the Laser even though I have a different phone based on having had a Zenfone2 and I explained my own history with it. I see this just more as a discussion. I think everyone has been fine. I would be interested in hearing too from someone who has a Laser, but I also would like the added benefit if they are using both SIM slots though as I am a dual SIM user. I would love to know if it performs for people as a dual SIM.