There are many important things about this small phone: the Asus Zenfone 9 is actually a little smaller than the Zenfone 8, but it offers a bigger camera sensor, a bigger battery, a big VC for the chipset and so on. .
The 9 series phone measures 146.6 x 68.2 x 9.5mm and weighs 165g, making it one of the smallest Android flagships. It’s not a mini, but it has a nice punch. It’s powered by the new Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset, and Asus has replaced the Zenfone 8’s heat pipe with a large vapor chamber to keep it cool.
Three memory configurations are available: 8 / 128GB, 8 / 256G2B and 16 / 256GB (LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 memory). There is no microSD card slot (there wasn’t even one last year). The phone launches with Android 12 almost stock and will receive 2 major OS updates and at least 2 years of security patches.
Returning a little to the body, the central frame is made of aluminum. The back is made of a more scratch-resistant polymer material than plastic and more shatterproof than glass. The phone is IP68 rated for dust and water resistance, the front is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus.
The 5.9 “display uses a Samsung HDR10 + OLED panel with 1,080 x 2,400 px resolution (20: 9, 445ppi). It has a 120 Hz refresh rate (with 90 and 60 Hz options) and a sample rate touch of 240 Hz. It is a bright display, peaking at 1,100 nits and offering 800 nits at 100% APL (ie a full white display).
Asus has calibrated the display at two different brightness levels to always guarantee a high quality image (average deltaE
The Zenfone 9 uses three Sony sensors for its cameras. The main module on the back is equipped with the 50MP (1 / 1.56 ”, 1.0µm pixel) IMX766. This module has a 6-axis hybrid gimbal stabilizer which is three times more effective than regular OIS. There is no telephoto lens on this phone, but the IMX766 can do 2x lossless zoom (with a resolution of 16MP).
The secondary camera is a 113 ° ultra wide module based on the 12 MP IMX363 (1 / 2.55 “, 1.4 µm). This also has autofocus so it can take macro photos (at 4 cm) and it also has advanced EIS for hyperSteady stabilization. The main cam can record video at 8K 24fps with EIS and 4K at 60fps with EIS. The 12MP front camera (IMX663, 1 / 2.93 “, 1.22µm) also has autofocus, in fact Dual PDAF, so it can capture sharp selfies and 4K video at 30fps (or 1080p at 60fps).
Asus takes audio seriously, so it has combined Qualcomm hardware with Dirac optimization. There are two speakers on board. The lower one has a 7-magnet design (12x16mm), the upper one is a 3-magnet speaker (10x12mm). Each has a Qualcomm Aqstic amplifier (WSA8835). There’s a 3.5mm headphone jack on board, but if you prefer wireless, aptX HD and Adaptive are supported, as well as LDAC and AAC. You have access to four Dirac audio styles and a 10-band equalizer. Custom configuration data is available for most Asus headphones so you can get the best sound from your phone and headphones.
As promised, the battery is quite large, with 4,300mAh it has 300mAh more in its tank than the Zenfone 8’s battery (moreover, the similarly sized Galaxy S22 has a 3,700mAh battery). This gives you the freedom not to use it all – you can set the maximum charge to 90% or 80%. The latter will reduce battery degradation, only by 7% after 500 cycles instead of 15% if you charge it fully.
There’s more you can do for the drums. The phone comes with a 30W HyperCharger (supports USB Power Delivery 3.0 PPS), but you can activate Steady and Ultra Steady modes, which limit the charging power to 18W and 10W respectively. This lowers the temperatures and stretches further battery life. Asus promises nearly 2 days of battery life and this with many phone calls (90 mins), hundreds of text messages, streaming music for over an hour, watching YouTube and TikTok videos, gaming for an hour, taking photos and recording video every day.
The Zenfone 9 moves the fingerprint reader from under the display to the side of the phone. This allows it to act as a smart button. For example, you can scroll up or down by swiping up or down. You can also set custom actions for a double press or a long press.
The phone takes a page from the ROG playbook with Game Genie. It allows you to block notifications, but also allows you to have any floating app in the game if you need to reply or check something. The Genie can show game FPS, estimated remaining battery life, system temperatures, and more. It can also delete background apps from RAM if needed. It has a built-in screen recorder to capture your gameplay and can also help you with a macro function that can automate a complex sequence of touch actions. If you’re really stuck, you can also do an internet search or browse YouTube for guidance, all without leaving the game.
Asus has put together an above average retail package. You get the 30W HyperCharge adapter and cable, plus a bumper case. The packaging is made from recycled paper with soy ink and uses a non-adhesive design.
Okay, how much? The Asus Zenfone 8 will start at € 800 for the 8/128 GB model (exact price depends on local VAT). It will be available first in Europe, Hong Kong and Taiwan, then head to North America, Japan, Indonesia and parts of South America.
Asus Zenfone 9 in Midnight Black, Moonlight White, Starry Blue and Sunset Red
There is no Flip model, at least not yet: if you want something bigger, there’s always the ROG Phone 6.
Before wrapping up, Asus also unveiled a series of cases dubbed the Connex accessory set. These allow you to connect accessories, such as a kickstand that is programmed to automatically launch YouTube when opened (you can switch to a different app from the settings). There is also the Connex Card Holder, which holds business cards.
There is also the smart backpack holder. This attaches to the shoulder strap of your backpack and keeps the phone steady (thanks to a magnetic base) so you can use it as an action camera. If you need to check the map or something, the phone is on a retractable lanyard, so you can pull it, use it and let it go back to your shoulder.
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