Asus Zenfone 9 review

Competition

Fitting the whole flagship smartphone experience into a compact form-factor is a tall order, so for a while there weren't an awful lot of options. There's been somewhat of a shift recently, however, and there's no shortage of alternatives to the Zenfone 9.

A rather obvious one is the Galaxy S22. Samsung's smallest-size top model may be 2mm wider, but it's 2mm thinner than the Zenfone, and it's a tangible difference. The Galaxy also packs a 3x zoom camera, and even though it's not the best one out there, it's better than none. A small victory for display quality also goes in the S22's favor. The Zenfone does have better battery life, a more powerful chipset, nicer speakers and a headphone jack, so it's anything but an easy win for Samsung. However, a base S22 can be had for €700, maybe even less, and the €100 savings compared to a similarly-specced 8GB/128GB Zenfone 9 aren't negligible.

The value proposition of the Xiaomi 12 is even better, with reputable retailers listing 12GB/256GB versions at as low as €600. One notable downside to the 12 is the lack of an IP rating, and its camera system is a little less competent (no AF on the UW and selfie cameras), but it does add a fairly useful 5MP close-up shooter to the mix. The Xiaomi is no match for the Zenfone's battery life, though it sort of makes up for it with quicker charging. Some folks may hate on the Xiaomi 12's curved screen, others might appreciate it for its slimmer bezels and overall 'fanciness'. But yes, ultimately, it's the €200 that is key.

On the opposite end of the price spectrum of Zenfone 9 potential rivals is the iPhone 13. This one is €100 pricier, but aside from the brand's perceived status value, it has a few objective advantages like even better water protection and a superior display. The iPhone's chipset is also more powerful, as usual. This particular iPhone's camera system is no match for the one on the Zenfone 9, however, and the Asus lasts longer and charges faster, too.

Samsung Galaxy S22 5G • Xiaomi 12 • Apple iPhone 13

Moving past these fairly logical alternatives, there's always the foldables, when pocketability is paramount. Why not a Huawei P50 Pocket then? For one, because it lacks Google services. There's also a rather poor battery life. A price of over €1000 doesn't help either, admittedly. However, the Pocket does have competitive conventional cameras, plus a unique UV one, and the fact that it folds in two is both cool and useful - we're after compactness here, after all.

The Galaxy Z Flip3 addresses at least a couple of the Pocket's imperfections - namely the Google support and the price (offers hover around €700); plus it does have IPX8-rated water protection, unlike the Huawei. Battery life is still pretty bad, however, and the Flip's cameras aren't as good as the Pocket's, or the ones on the Zenfone.

Huawei P50 Pocket • Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G

Verdict

Setting out to make a proper flagship in a tiny body, Asus did a lot of things right with the Zenfone 9, with only minimal compromise. If we have to point out its missteps, those will include the lack of wireless charging (all the bar phones above have it, and so does the Flip) and the missing telephoto camera. These are both more or less understandable omissions, given how both take up valuable space. The rather slow Night mode implementation had to be mentioned, but it's more of a niggle in the absence of other flaws and one that could potentially be fixed in an update.

The rest of the Zenfone 9 is actually pretty great, starting with the water-resistant build and eye-catching design. The large circles on the back aren't just for show, and camera performance is respectable with autofocus across all lenses and a particularly impressive video stabilization capability. The latest top-end Qualcomm chipset delivers excellent performance and is also decently efficient, which results in class-leading longevity when coupled with the YoY increase in battery capacity. The audio department isn't neglected either, and the loud and clear speakers and headphone jack... speak for themselves.

In the end, the Zenfone 9 presents a compelling compact flagship offering. It would have gotten a raving recommendation if it was priced at €700, and it may eventually get there, but even at MSRP on launch day, we'd say it's well worth it.

Pros

• Standout styling, IP68 rating.
• Class-leading battery life, wide battery care feature set.
• Headphone jack, properly great speakers.
• Fastest Android chipset on the market, solid sustained performance as these go.
• Autofocus on all cameras, ultrawide and selfie included.
• Wonderful video stabilization.

Cons

• No wireless charging.
• No telephoto camera.
• Night camera mode is a little sluggish.