ASUS Zenfone 9: the only, true top of the pocket range is here

Lorenzo Delli

Lorenzo Delli

ASUS Zenfone 9, the new top of the range from the famous Taiwanese manufacturer, will literally delight compact smartphone lovers. Unlike last year, there is only one representative of the Zenfone 9 series. ASUS therefore abandons the flip camera, focusing instead on improving all that was good in Zenfone 8. Let’s find out what it’s made of.

Technical features

  • Screen: 5.9 “full HD + (1,080 x 2,400 pixels) Samsung AMOLED 120 Hz, 445 ppi, 1,100 peak nits, Gorilla Glass Victus, HDR
  • Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1
  • RAM: up to 16GB LPDDR5
  • Memory internal: up to 256GB UFS 3.1
  • Cameras rear:
    • Sony IMX766, 50 megapixel, 1 / 1.56 “, f / 1.9, 6 axis gimbal stabilizer with autofocus. F1.9 aperture, 2×2 OCL PDAF
    • 12 megapixel ultrawide SonyIMX363 1 / 2.55 “, f / 2.2, 113 °
  • Camera front: 12 megapixel Sony IMX663, f / 2.45
  • Battery: 4.300 mAh, 30W charging (power supply included in the package)
  • Audio: 2 x super linear speaker, 3.5 mm Hi-Res Audio 192k Hz / 24-bit audio jack, Qualcomm APTX Lossless, Qualcomm APTX Adaptive, HDR audio recording
  • Connectivity: WiFi 6 / 6E 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac / ax, NFC, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS, GALILEO, QZSS, GNSS
  • Sensor biometric: fingerprint reader integrated in the power button
  • Other: Smart Key, IP68 certification
  • Colors: black, red, blue, white
  • Dimensions: 146.5 x 68.1 x 9.1 mm
  • Weight: 169 g

Zenfone 9 is one compact smartphone to all effects. You can understand this from the 5.9 “display, a beautiful one Super AMOLED full HD + at 120 Hz, and small in size. The look and feel of the materials is very different from the 2019 edition. The lines are more squared, and it is not just a simple design choice: according to ASUS, drier corners and less rounded lines have made it possible to increase the internal volume without upsetting the final size, which in fact are down by 2% compared to last year. More internal volume allowed the installation of a slightly larger battery (4,300 mAh instead of 4,000) and a dissipation system which takes inspiration from the ROG Phone line, therefore equipped with vapor chamber, heat pipe, various additional layers of materials useful to further dissipate. All this, explained ASUS in a closed-door event, also allows you to record videos in 4K at 60 fps longer, avoiding excessive overheating.

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The rear is also drastically different. The variant in black color boasts a cover in style Sandstone Black from OnePlus One which makes it original, while ensuring excellent grip. And above all, there are the two rear cameras that certainly do not go unnoticed. We will be back shortly. The whole profile is made of metal. On the upper side we find a 3.5 mm audio jack, confirming that if the producers want the space to put it, they will find it; on the lower one we find the USB-C port, trolley for the SIM and one of the two speakers (the other is in the ear capsule); on the right side instead the volume rocker and “special” Zentouch button. The power button is indeed a button all-rounder: it also acts as a fingerprint reader and smart key, which can be customized with various gestures to call up the notification bar, open specific apps or activate voice assistants.

The main sensor is a Sony IMX766 50 megapixel22% larger than the one supplied with the Zenfone of 2021. And there’s more: it is equipped with a 6-axis gimbal with autofocus, which also uses the smartphone’s gyroscope to keep shooting as stable as possible. The whole module moves, to compensate for movement directly across the camera. The other sensor is a 15 megapixel ultrawide. Too bad for the absence of an optical zoom, but probably the small size have limited the choice in this regard. Among the novelties at the software level is the mode Light Between Mode which allows you to take classic photos with light trails while keeping the shot still for a few seconds.

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Even at the hardware level the new ASUS Zenfone 9 you really don’t miss anything. In fact, we can label it as a top of the range in all respects: Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, up to 16 GB of LPDDR5 RAM, up to 256GB of UFS 3.1 memory. And the audio sector is not far behind: two front speakers powerful enough to vibrate the entire structure of the smartphone with their bass, audio jack and microphones with HDR recording and wind-noise reduction. As for the software, there are also some precautions designed to make one-handed use even easier, such as the gesture to call up the mode One Hand UI (which halves the screen) and lo instrument Edge to add useful shortcuts to be recalled with a swipe on the edge of the smartphone.

Output and prices

ASUS Zenfone 9 will be available for pre-order starting today, July 28th. In the first two weeks there will be a pretty good pre-order that will see the final price of the base model discounted by 70 €. Three variants are available, here are the expected prices:

  • Zenfone 9 8/128 GB: € 799
  • Zenfone 9 8 / 256GB: € 849
  • Zenfone 9 16 / 256GB: € 899

The smartphone, as per ASUS tradition, will be on sale on the brand’s e-shop (full details here), in ASUS Gold Store and Unieuro. Alongside the smartphone, a whole series of accessories will also debut, including covers with rear kick-stand. Here is the box for the purchase:

Unboxing

ASUS Zenfone 9 – Live Photos


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