Asus Zenfone 9 review

Small telephones don’t promote. Or so goes the accepted knowledge, particularly in a 12 months when it appears to be like possible that Apple will drop the Mini from the iPhone 14 sequence, and Sony killed off its diminutive Xperia 5 line. 

No-one instructed Asus that although, so it’s bringing again its compact Zenfone flagship – and actually the Zenfone 9 is even smaller and shorter than final 12 months’s Zenfone 8. 

To be honest, the corporate’s not alone. Whereas Apple and Sony could also be transferring away from one-handed handsets, Asus itself factors out that it’s going through renewed competitors from the Samsung Galaxy S22 and Xiaomi 12, each of that are smaller than their predecessors. 

The Zenfone 9 is smaller than both although, and due to Asus’s efforts to nonetheless squeeze in flagship specs this might be the go-to small cellphone for Android customers – right here’s why. 

Design and construct 

• Compact and light-weight 
• Grippy plastic end 
• IP68 score 

There’s lots to love about the best way the Zenfone 9 appears to be like. The plain beginning place is the scale – because of utilizing a small 5.9in show this can be a small cellphone by trendy requirements, and at 169g it’s additionally impressively light-weight. 

At 9.1mm thick it’s not the thinnest cellphone round, however you’d definitely not name it chunky, and that very slight further thickness feels irrelevant when you consider how compact the cellphone is total. 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

The design is novel in different respects too although. The end, for one. Asus has used a brand new polymer end for the rear of the Zenfone 9, which it says is extra scratch-resistant than typical cellphone plastics.  

Out there in 4 colors – black, blue, crimson, and an off-white – it additionally boasts a grippy, textured end. To be trustworthy, I didn’t like this at first; I believed the cellphone felt low cost and nearly like paper, although I’ve principally come round to the feeling, and definitely recognize the truth that it feels safe and durable. It’s totally different to most telephones although, and you could wish to test it out in particular person earlier than committing to the cellphone. 

I’ve additionally had some issues with the end throughout my evaluation. Asus first despatched me a white mannequin of the cellphone, which I discovered picked up delicate yellow-ish stains inside a number of days. The corporate says that I acquired certainly one of a small batch of white fashions that by no means acquired the ultimate protecting coating throughout manufacture, and the blue substitute I used to be despatched hasn’t had the identical concern – however I’d nonetheless be cautious about shopping for it in white. 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

To finish on a great be aware, the protecting requirements listed below are high notch too. The show is coated in Gorilla Glass Victus, the most recent commonplace, and the cellphone as a complete has an IP68 score for mud and water-resistance. 

Show and audio 

• Punchy 120Hz AMOLED display screen 
• Headphone jack 
• Disappointing stereo audio system 

The important thing to the Zenfone 9’s dimension is the choice to make use of a 5.9in show. That’s far smaller than most flagships – a lot of that are pushing near 7in now – and extra compact than even the likes of the Galaxy S22, Xiaomi 12, or iPhone 13 (although it nonetheless dwarfs the 5.4in iPhone 13 Mini). 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Regardless of the scale, the Zenfone 9’s display screen isn’t quick on specs. It’s an AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh charge and a Full HD+ decision, and it additionally helps HDR10+ content material. It’s shiny too – 1100nits peak brightness based on Asus, which in apply was sufficient to make it comfy to make use of even in shiny daylight. 

Basically, that is the perfect small display screen round, with no actual compromises other than its dimension. The one spec lacking is LTPO refresh charge scaling that may enhance battery life, however I can’t say I actually missed it. 

As for audio, the standout function is the inclusion of a 3.5mm headphone jack – particularly spectacular in a cellphone that’s each this small and waterproof, the 2 widespread excuses for dropping the jack. 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Sadly, the cellphone’s stereo audio system impressed me much less. That’s slightly odd, since Asus usually handles audio nicely and even partnered with Dirac to tune the cellphone, however I discovered it weak and tinny it doesn’t matter what I performed. A lot of that’s possible all the way down to the sheer dimension – larger telephones match larger audio system – however it’s nonetheless a slight disappointment. 

Specs and efficiency 

• Leading edge Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip 
• Cooling limits efficiency considerably 
• As much as 16GB RAM 

Maybe the strangest factor in regards to the Zenfone 9 is the specs you’ll discover inside. 

Asus selected to equip the cellphone not solely with a flagship chipset, however particularly the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 – a mid-cycle refresh chip with overclocked efficiency, principally present in gaming telephones and efficiency flagships. 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Mix that with the choice to spec the cellphone with as much as 16GB RAM and 256GB storage, and you’ve got a cellphone that’s not simply highly effective for its dimension, however a downright powerhouse in its personal proper. 

There’s a giant caveat to that although: cooling. Chips run sizzling, and cooling tech takes up loads of area. That’s difficult in small cellphone, and though Asus tells me that the cellphone’s thermals are 230% bigger than within the earlier mannequin, it’s nonetheless not sufficient.  

In benchmarks the Zenfone 9 is clearly highly effective, however lags considerably behind Asus’s personal 8+ Gen 1-powered ROG Cellphone 6 Professional (and even, at instances, final 12 months’s Zenfone 8), particularly on the CPU-heavy Geekbench 5 benchmark – although admittedly, that’s a gaming cellphone with extra dedicated cooling. 

That’s to not say the Zenfone is a slouch – simply don’t count on a high-end gaming gadget (although few players are more likely to be drawn to the dinky show anyway). In common day-to-day use the cellphone flies, with no lag or stutter, and along with the 120Hz show it feels exceptionally responsive. 

Naturally it helps 5G, although US readers ought to be aware that it doesn’t assist mmWave, so gained’t deal with 5G on each service. Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, and NFC spherical out the connectivity, and it additionally helps dual-SIM – although there’s no choice to increase storage with a microSD card. 

Battery and charging 

• Over a day’s battery life 
• Wonderful longevity for the scale 
• 30W wired charging 

Small telephones have small batteries, and thus small telephones have quick battery lives. 

Or do they? Regardless of the cellphone itself being a contact smaller, the Zenfone 9’s battery is greater than earlier than, with a complete capability of 4300mAh.  

That’s nonetheless small by flagship cellphone requirements (although a lot bigger than the Galaxy S22’s, for what it’s price) however paired with the 8+ Gen 1’s energy effectivity enhancements the result’s a battery that comfortably lasts greater than a day. 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

I sometimes discovered I’d have round half the battery left once I went to mattress, and sufficient remaining by morning to final till midday or so. You’ll nonetheless have to cost the cellphone day by day then, however gained’t have to fret about working out earlier than mattress – a uncommon factor in a cellphone this dimension. 

Charging is slightly restricted. There’s no wi-fi charging assist, and wired charging is at 30W. I discovered it restored 56% of the battery in half an hour, that means a full cost will take an hour or so. Not unhealthy, however there’s undoubtedly higher on the market. 

Digicam and video 

• Twin rear cameras 
• Gimbal-stabilised major lens 
• First rate selfie digital camera 

If there’s one space the place the Zenfone 9 arguably falls behind its flagship competitors it’s the digital camera spec, although it actually relies upon the place your priorities lay. 

Asus has included simply two rear lenses right here: a 50Mp major digital camera, and a 12Mp ultrawide. There’s no telephoto or periscope, neither is there a devoted macro digital camera, much like the lens choice on the Pixel 6 and iPhone 13.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

The upshot is that further effort has been put into making that major digital camera sing. It makes use of the Sony IMX766 sensor, which we’ve seen this 12 months in telephones starting from the mid-range Nothing Cellphone (1) all the best way as much as the uber flagship Oppo Discover X5 Professional.  

Asus has differentiated issues by supplementing the sensor’s built-in optical picture stabilisation (OIS) with a six-axis gimbal system for additional improved stability. That’s a trick Vivo has used to nice impact in its personal current flagships, and is a giant a part of why we reckon the Vivo X80 Professional has among the best cellphone cameras round. 

The gimbal helps in a number of methods. For one, it stabilises video, supplying you with ultra-steady footage from the rear digital camera. However it additionally kicks in for stills, particularly in low mild, serving to the cellphone keep regular between the a number of pictures taken to energy HDR and evening mode.

The result’s improved element, particularly at evening, alongside enhancements to dynamic vary and publicity – appropriately exposing shiny mild sources reasonably than blowing them out, for instance. These are a few of the greatest evening mode pictures I’ve seen from a cellphone at this worth, and low mild images is among the cellphone’s key strengths.

(PC customers might must swipe to navigate the slideshow beneath.)

It’s not excellent although. The IMX766 isn’t the most important sensor round, so some rival telephones will be capable of deliver in additional mild and element. The shutter can also be slightly sluggish, so I struggled to get good pictures of transferring canine, and it clearly struggles in very shiny environments, with some pictures affected by glare and others from lack of element and even some visible artifacting. 

The 12Mp ultrawide doesn’t have the gimbal stabilisation (nor any OIS, for that matter) however it’s nonetheless an honest shooter. It gained’t fairly match the primary digital camera on element or dynamic vary, however the color tuning is impressively shut, so pictures out of each cameras do at the very least look constant. 

On the entrance, there’s a 12Mp selfie digital camera, which for essentially the most half impresses. Colors are punchy, publicity is balanced, and element is sweet, although this digital camera did throw out the shot with the worst visible glitching I’ve seen, the place the turquoise of my shirt extends as much as my neck and the shirt itself is closely artifacted. 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

The front-facing digital camera can document video at as much as 4K@30fps, whereas the rear digital camera can go as excessive as 8K@24fps. That’s with out the gimbal although, and if you would like the additional stabilisation to work its magic then high quality caps at 1080@60. 

Software program and updates 

• Runs Android 12 with Zen UI 
• Software program tweaks for one-handed use 
• Solely assured two Android updates 

The Zenfone 9 ships with Android 12, and runs Asus’s Zen UI on high. It is a fairly barebones pores and skin although, and for essentially the most half the cellphone appears to be like and appears like ‘inventory’ Android. 

It additionally makes use of Google’s personal core apps for nearly every thing, with just one or two extra Asus apps pre-installed. 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Despite the fact that the cellphone is already small, Asus has labored to optimise it even additional to swimsuit one-handed use. The most effective side of that is the side-mounted fingerprint sensor, which doubles as a button dubbed ‘ZenTouch’. 

By default, swiping down on this pulls down your notification tray, although when you favor you should utilize it to refresh pages, scroll rapidly, or management media playback. It’s a small contact, however one I naturally discovered myself utilizing lots for notification entry, because it saves the hand adjustment wanted to achieve the highest of the display screen. 

Equally, a tiny swipe down proper on the backside of the show prompts a devoted one-handed mode for the cellphone, whereas swiping down anyplace within the digital camera app brings these settings to the centre of the display screen. Once more, small touches designed to avoid wasting you from stretching and straining whereas utilizing the cellphone. 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

The draw back to all that is Asus’s long-term assist. The corporate solely guarantees two Android model updates – so Android 13 and 14 – and “at the very least two” years of safety patches. With the equally priced and sized Galaxy S22 providing double that, Asus actually must do higher right here. 

Worth and availability 

The Zenfone 9’s flagship specs do sadly imply flagship costs, and this cellphone prices slightly greater than final 12 months’s. It’s accessible in three variations direct from Asus: 

• 8GB RAM + 128GB storage: $699/£699/€799 
• 8GB RAM + 256GB storage: $749/€849 
• 16GB RAM + 256GB storage: $799/£749/€899 

Nonetheless, the cellphone is slightly cheaper than the Galaxy S22 or Xiaomi 12, and the highest spec 16+256GB mannequin is very aggressively priced – nicely well worth the improve contemplating that in any other case the storage isn’t expandable. 

Try our rating of the perfect small telephones for extra diminutive choices, or our round-ups of the perfect telephones and greatest Android telephones for different flagship alternate options. 

Verdict 

The Zenfone 9 is a full-force flagship in a small dimension, and with remarkably few compromises for it. 

The 5.9in show makes this one of many smallest telephones in the marketplace, particularly on the Android aspect, and comfortably the smallest with specs this robust. 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 and as much as 16GB of RAM mark this as a severe efficiency cellphone, although cooling issues do depart that energy barely throttled. The 8+ Gen 1 can also be partly to thank for the superb battery life nevertheless, which places different compact smartphones to disgrace. 

The gimbal-stabilised major digital camera impresses, particularly at evening, although with a number of visible glitches and points in shiny environments it’s clear Asus has some software program tuning to do. Some may additionally miss the variability supplied by rivals, particularly the shortage of a telephoto lens right here. 

Given the cellphone is so good, it’s irritating that Asus is just promising two years of assist, so this can solely swimsuit those that know they’re on a daily improve schedule. The general expertise is great although, with good software program and welcome touches just like the IP68 score and headphone jack. 

Specs 

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 
• 8/16GB LPDDR5 RAM 
• 128/256GB UFS 3.1 storage 
• 5.9in 120Hz AMOLED show 
• Digicam: 
  • 50Mp, f/1.9 Sony IMX766 major digital camera with OIS & gimbal-stabilisation 
  • 12Mp, f/2.2 Sony IMX363 ultrawide digital camera 
  • 12Mp, f/2.45 Sony IMX663 front-facing digital camera 
• 4300mAh battery 
• 30W wired charging 
• Twin stereo audio system with Dirac HD Sound 
• USB-C 
• Headphone jack 
• Wi-Fi 6/6E 
• Bluetooth 5.2 
• Twin-SIM 
• Sub-6GHz 5G 
• IP68 score 
• Gorilla Glass Victus show 
• 146.5 x 68.1 x 9.1 mm 
• 169g 
• Android 12 with Zen UI