Skip to main content

Asus launches LTE version of the ZenPad 3S 10 with an improved processor, battery

IFA 2024
This story is part of our coverage of IFA Berlin 2024

ZenPad 3S 10
Image used with permission by copyright holder
The Asus ZenPad 3S 10 was first formally unveiled at a press event in Taiwan in August, after which it was shown off at a press conference at IFA in Berlin, Germany.

Now, a new version of the tablet has been unveiled, called the ZenPad 3S 10 LTE, meaning that customers have a few options for the tablet they want to buy, if they want to buy a ZenPad.

Recommended Videos

Asus launches the ZenPad 3S 10 LTE

The new variant of the tablet offers quite a few different specs compared to the original tablet. As the name suggests, the device boasts LTE support, and it has the model number Z500KL. Apart from that, however, the tablet packs a new Snapdragon 650 processor, along with a 9.7-inch display and a pixel resolution of 1,536 x 2,048. The tablet also boasts 4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

The tablet offers an 8MP rear-facing camera and a 5MP front-facing shooter. On top of that it boasts a whopping 7,800mAh battery, which really improves on the original, and it runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow. The Asus ZenPad 3S 10 LTE comes in Slate Grey, and is available in Malaysia with a price tag of RM1,799, or $405.

Of course, the new ZenPad 3S 10 LTE isn’t the only version of the ZenPad 3S 10.

The original Asus ZenPad 3S 10

Asus reintroduced the ZenPad 3S 10, an Android-based tablet which the firm formally unveiled at an event in Taiwan in early August, but it also showed the tablet off at IFA in September. The specifications, as you might expect, didn’t change in the intervening weeks.

The Asus ZenPad 3S 10 leans somewhat toward the larger end of the Android tablet spectrum at 9.7 inches. But unlike some of the plastic competition (I’m looking at you, Samsung Galaxy Tab S2), it features a unibody of sandblasted aluminum, curved edges, a matte texture, and diamond-cut chamfered sides. All the more impressive? It’s a mere 5.8mm thick — thinner than both Apple’s iPad Pro 9.7 (6.1mm) and Google’s Pixel C (7mm). Asus’s is targeting the premium market, and it shows.

On the hardware end of things, the ZenPad 10 doesn’t disappoint. It sports a high-resolution, 9.7-inch QXGA 2,048 x 1,536-pixel screen with a wraparound, 5.3 mm-thin bezel that Asus claims is the “thinnest” and “most compact” on a tablet of the ZenPad 10’s size. Internally, a MediaTek processor and 4GB of RAM juggle all the software tasks and 64GB of onboard memory handles storage. There’s a MicroSD Card in tow that supports cards up to 128GB in capacity, and a fingerprint sensor, too — an Asus tablet first.

The ZenPad 10’s other highlight is high-end audio. The tablet’s stereo system packs two five-magnet speakers paired with a built-in NXP amplifier that Asus said provides protection against the “distortion” and “long-term … damage” that sometimes occurs at high volumes. A separate Hi-Res Audio (HRA) component supports 24-bit, 192kHz audio — “4x the quality of CD audio,” Asus said — and, when you’re using headphones, delivers optional virtual surround sound (courtesy DTS Headphone:X) that mimics a 7.1 setup.

Powering the ZenPad 10 is a 5,900mAh battery that Asus said last around 10 hours if you watch movies and shows all day, or 12 if you limit usage to browsing the web on Wi-Fi. And it supports Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0 — the electronics maker said you can expect a full recharge in about three hours, give or take a few minutes.

The ZenPad 3S 10 ships running Android Marshmallow 6.0 — no word on when to expect Nougat, unfortunately. One facet of software worth mentioning, though, is system-level stylus support: the ZenPad 10 works with the Asus’s Z Stylus. Another is Asus’s Tru2Life, proprietary tech that the firm said automatically optimizes the “sharpness,” “color,” “brightness,” and “contrast” of video content by analyzing each frame. It’s not new, per say — it’s been a staple on Asus’s Android tablets since at least last year — but the company claims it’s been improved substantially since then. We’ll put that to the test when we manage to get our hands on a test unit.

Asus has yet to announce global availability or pricing, but if the latter is in line with the sticker price in Asus’ home market of Taiwan (TWD 11,000), we’re expecting somewhere around $350. That’s put it within striking distance of Samsung’s Tab S2 — the 9.7-inch model starts at $400.

We do know, though, that the ZenPad 10 will ship in two color configurations: silver and grey. We’ve reached out to Asus for all the juicy additional details.

Updated on 01-26-2017 by Christian de Looper: Added news of ZenPad 3S 10 LTE launch.

Kyle Wiggers
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kyle Wiggers is a writer, Web designer, and podcaster with an acute interest in all things tech. When not reviewing gadgets…
A native Android Apple TV app is now in the Google Play store
The Apple TV app on a Samsung Android phone.

It's been five years since the Apple TV app was launched, and we're now getting a version for Android devices -- built from the ground up for native Android integration -- in the Google Play store that will have the same Apple TV+ functionality as the Apple ecosystem version. The new app means users with Android OS 10 or later will finally have the ability to sign up for Apple TV+ on their Android-based phones and tablets to watch shows and movies like Severance, Silo, Killers of the Flower Moon, and CODA. There will be no difference in pricing on Android compared to Apple.

This should enable seamless interactivity across platforms for features such as Continue Watching -- which keeps track of where you are in a show or movie and allows you to pick up from that spot when you return, regardless of the device you watch on. Customer's Watchlist will be kept up to date across devices as well, and since purchases are linked to your Apple account, all the content you own will be accessible on any device with the new updated app. One thing missing at launch, though, will be the ability to cast Apple TV content from your Android device.

Read more
Why do health apps fail? Research bursts the hype with clear evidence
Someone holding an iPhone with the Apple Fitness app open, showing the Custom Plans feature.

Earlier today, Apple announced plans for its next health study that aims to connect information collected by wearables with all major types of wellness markers. The idea is to build atop the massive corpus of data provided by users and develop new digital health tools, covering both sensor and software-based solutions.

But are we relying too much on these digital health tools, despite not getting any meaningful benefits? Experts at the Technical University of Munich have just published their findings in a research paper, and it says the positive impact of telemedicine and exercise apps is minimal for at-risk people.

Read more
Samsung Galaxy S25 vs. iPhone 16
Samsung Galaxy S25 vs Apple iPhone 16.

There’s little doubt that Apple and Samsung are two of the biggest rivals in the world of flagship smartphones. Every February and September brings a new smartphone that tries to leapfrog ahead of its main competitor. This year, that’s Samsung’s Galaxy S25 coming on the heels of September’s iPhone 16.

With few design changes, the Galaxy S25 doesn’t look much different from last year’s Galaxy S24, but Samsung has packed a lot of new technology and software improvements under the hood to produce an AI-forward smartphone that’s ready for prime time. With Galaxy AI in its second generation and the Gemini now front and center, the Galaxy S25 promises to usher the company’s flagships into a new era of AI smartphones.

Read more