The ASUS ZenFone 2 is one of the more interesting devices to hit the HotHardware reviews desk in some time. We spent a bit of time previewing it earlier this month, and now we've assembled a full review after using it more regularly as our daily dialer. The higher-end model, which is what we're testing here, is available widely for just $299 unlocked.

To put that in perspective, most flagship Android phones retail for upwards of $599 unlocked.

This ASUS smartphone is one of the few phones to ship this year with an Intel Atom chip inside. Intel is surely looking to get its label onto more handsets as time marches on, but it'll be tough to oust platform players like Qualcomm and Samsung that already have a firm grip. On paper, the ZenFone 2 looks like a mid-to-high range phone, but again, it's the $299 price point that keeps everything in focus.

Can ASUS' latest (now finally available in the US as well) come close to matching the performance of phones that cost twice as much? We'll find out in the pages ahead.