After being unveiled at MWC 2018 back in February, the Asus ZenFone 5 has officially launched and is now available to pre-order. 

The ZenFone 5 is actually a mid-range device, with a flagship 5Z due for launch later this year, but that's by no means any reason to disregard it. Asus has employed some clever tech within the phone, which sports a 6.2-inch notched Full HD+ display. The overall size of the phone is similar to those with 5.5-inch screens, and that's because Asus has managed to achieve a 90 per cent screen-to-body ratio.

Inside there's a Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor - the flagship 5Z will get the SD845 - with 4GB RAM and 64GB of expandable storage. You also get Bluetooth 5 with aptX, NFC for Google Pay and USB-C charging. 

But the main selling point Asus is keen to advertise is AI, the buzzword of 2018 it seems. AI technology comes into effect when using the dual-lens rear camera (comprising a 12-megapixel Sony sensor and a 120-degree wide-angle lens) which is able to detect the type of scene you're trying to take a picture of and adjust the settings accordingly. A front-facing camera lets you use a Face Unlock feature, but there's also a fingerprint sensor on the back as a fail safe option. 

We've been able to spend some time with the ZenFone 5 and we liked it a lot. For a and mid-range phone, we think the design is excellent and from our time with it, it performed more than admirably. 

You can pre-order the Asus ZenFone 5 now from the Asus eStore. It will have a normal selling price of £400, but pre-orders before 8 July will receive a £50 discount, the phone will then ship from 9 July.