There aren't many options in the compact flagship segment but the newly announced Zenfone 9 from Asus is certainly one to consider with its Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset, up to 16GB RAM, a 120Hz AMOLED display, and a 50MP main camera which has gimbal stabilization and OIS. All this with a price tag starting from €800/£699/$699, and you'll even get a wall charger included in the box.
Updated September 5: The Asus ZenFone 9 is officially on sale in the US at Amazon with the 8/128GB base model priced at $699 with the 16/256GB variant costing $799, which isn't unreasonable considering that you get double the RAM and storage. The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1-powered smartphone is probably the most powerful compact handset on the market, so those of you who love the smaller form factor should be interested in the ZenFone 9 from Asus.
Specifications ReCap:
- 5.92″ FHD+ 120Hz AMOLED Display (2400×1080) with 1ms response time for silky-smooth scrolling and crispy clear visuals
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen1
- 8/16GB of RAM and 128/256GB of storage
- Certified IP68 water and dust resistance
- 4300mAh Battery with 30W HyperCharge adapter.
- Dual-camera with flagship Sony IMX766 sensor: 50M wide-angle and a 12MP ultrawide-angle Camera
- 12MP front camera
Weighing in a a positively svelte 169g compared to other flagship phones, the Zenfone 9 has dimensions of 146.5 x 68.1 x 9.1mm. Worried about the battery? Don't be, there's a 4,300mAh battery which supports 30W wired fast-charging, There's IP68 water and dust resistance and a headphone jack present, unlike some other flagship smartphones.
Under the hood you'll find Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset which is supported by 8/16GB of RAM and 128/256GB of UFS 3.1 storage. The 5.9-inch AMOLED display sports FHD+ resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, 240Hz touch sampling rate, and 800 nits peak brightness.
While the Zenfone 9 only features a dual rear camera setup, the good thing is that you won't find those 2MP sensors seen on so many other smartphones that are only there to make up the numbers. Instead, Asus has included the popular 50MP Sony IMX766 sensor which is capable of 4K UHD recording at 30-120FPS and boasts a 6-axis Hybrid Gimbal Stablizer, OIS, and PDAF, along with a 12MP ultra-wide lens that supports dual PDAF and also takes care of the macro photography duties. There's a 16MP front-facing camera which is housed in the punch-hole cutout on the top left of the display.
The fingerprint sensor is located on the right-hand-side of the phone, and in terms of connectivity, the Zenfone supports NFC, Bluetooth 5.2, and WiFi 6E.
Available in Sunset Red, Moonlight White, Starry Blue, and Midnight Black, the Zenfone is priced as follows:
- 8/128GB: $699/€799/£699
- 8/256GB: €849
- 16/256GB: €899/£749
