ASUS is banned from using ZenFone branding in India, so it’s renaming the ZenFone 6 to ASUS 6Z.
What you need to know
- ASUS is renaming the ZenFone 6 to ASUS 6Z in India.
- The manufacturer was found to infringe on an already existing trademark for Zen branding.
- The ASUS 6Z is slated to make its debut in India on June 19.
ASUS is facing an unexpected issue ahead of the launch of the ZenFone 6. A company called Telecare Network has petitioned the Delhi High Court stating that ASUS infringed on its ZenMobile trademark, and the court sided with Telecare, banning ASUS from using ZenFone branding in India.
As a result, ASUS is renaming the ZenFone 6 to ASUS 6Z, with the phone slated to make its debut on June 19. That’s just three days after the originally scheduled launch date, so the trademark issue hasn’t derailed ASUS’ plans by a huge margin. But it will undoubtedly put a dent in ASUS’ marketing efforts, as the Taiwanese manufacturer now has to start from scratch with the promo materials for the device.
Aside from the name change to ASUS 6Z, the phone itself is unchanged from the standard version of the ZenFone 6. You still get the same Snapdragon 855 chipset along with a rotating camera with a 48MP sensor, 5000mAh battery, and the same version of ZenUI (although ASUS will have to change that name as well).
The final hearing in the case is scheduled for July 10, so it’ll be interesting to see if ASUS will be able to get a stay on the order. Otherwise, it will have to come up with an entirely new moniker for its devices in India.
