Asus Zenfone 9 review


Channel: GSMArena Official
Uploaded by GSMArena Official on 20220728
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The Asus Zenfone 9 has just been announced but we've been enjoying its company for a while now. It's shaping up as a great compact flagship option - a segment that's been a bit sidelined by most manufacturers. Check out our video review to learn ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW about the Zenfone 9's top features, build and screen quality, batt

Here is a detailed breakdown of the GSMArena review for the Asus Zenfone 9:

Design & Build Quality

Compact Form Factor: The Zenfone 9 continues Asus's focus on compact flagships, offering a pocket-friendly device [00:46] weighing 169 grams [00:57].

Materials: It features flat aluminum sides and a unique polymer back panel with a rubbery texture (resembling a school eraser) [01:05]. Asus claims this material provides better scratch resistance than plastic while retaini

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ng shatter resistance [01:25].

Durability: The phone comes with IP68 dust and water resistance, and the front is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus [01:32].

Display

Specifications: A 5.9-inch AMOLED display with a 1080p resolution, 445 ppi, and a 120Hz refresh rate (which scales down to 60Hz) [01:39].

Performance: Offers HDR10+ support, excellent contrast, and high peak brightness reaching up to 830 nits with auto-brightness enabled [01:48]. It also includes a 240Hz to

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uch sampling rate [02:08].

Audio & Biometrics

Audio Features: Retains the traditional 3.5mm headphone jack and features Dirac-tuned stereo speakers (using the earpiece as the second speaker) that deliver clear vocals and nice treble [02:46].

Fingerprint Reader: Moved from under the display to a side-mounted position [02:22]. It also functions as a smart key, supporting shortcuts via double presses, long presses, and swipes [02:34].

Software & Performance

Software: Run

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s ZenUI 9 on top of Android 12 [03:16], offering useful additions like customizable back-tap shortcuts, an edge tool panel [03:35], a one-handed mode [03:48], and Game Genie [03:54]. Asus promises two major Android updates and two years of security patches [04:02].

Hardware: Powered by the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset, delivering top-tier benchmark scores [04:14].

Thermals: Features an advanced passive cooling system [04:34]; while sustained CPU performance is respecta

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ble, graphics tests show significant thermal throttling over time [04:46].

Battery Life & Charging

Battery: Equipped with a larger 4,300 mAh battery [04:58], achieving an impressive endurance rating of 108 hours in tests [05:06].

Charging: Supports 30W fast charging (reaching 57% in 30 minutes), but lacks wireless charging [05:12].

Cameras

Main Camera: Features a 50MP Sony IMX 766 sensor with advanced autofocus and a 6-axis gimbal stabilization system where the entire

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camera module moves rather than just the lens [05:24]. Photos show good colors and dynamic range, though fine details can look slightly over-processed [05:51].

Ultrawide Camera: A 12MP sensor with autofocus, delivering natural detail, solid dynamic range, and close-up macro capabilities [06:32].

Selfie Camera: A 12MP front-facing shooter with autofocus that produces sharp, well-saturated images [07:43].

Video Recording: Supports up to 8K at 24fps, though 4K video is

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where the phone shines with high detail and exceptional gimbal stabilization that smooths out walking footage [08:05].

Verdict

The Zenfone 9 successfully packs flagship performance into a tiny body, offering improvements in battery life, chipset performance, and camera stabilization, though the absence of a telephoto lens and wireless charging are notable omissions [09:08].

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InyHG0WE37g

Asus Zenfone 9 review

GSMArena Official · 424K views

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Viewer Discussion & Comments

@souvlaki4982
2 OS upgrades is fine for me, but only 2 years of guaranteed security updates is a dealbreaker. 4 years should be the minimum nowadays.
@abdulrhmankhalid2481
It's a good phone, but the software support two years that's not good for a flagship phone, at least 3 major updates and 4 years of security updates since it's a flagship phone.
@GFourGadget
Refreshing to see something so small yet so good. Great job Asus!
@chroniccivil8563
The only problems are the price and the 2-year OS support. Otherwise, this is the best compact smartphone. Great engineering from Asus. They somehow managed to fit a 4300mah battery & a headphone jack when others couldn't... cough Apple, Pixel, Samsung . Asus did great job. 👏🔥
@jimsta131
I want the Asus Zenfone 9, but my last 2 phones lasted me 4 years each so the Zenfone's two years of updates is a deal breaker for me. Such a shame. Add one more year and I am sold. I hope Asus is reading the comments and do something about it
@aimanfitri0iv
i love the look of zenfone 9 it's gorgeous in all colours
@frosty9085
Small phones are my thing. This is gonna be my next phone replacing my Galaxy S10. I'm excited!
@blainegoodwin6365
If they had more guaranteed OS updates, this would be a nearly perfect phone
@jerrychao5772
Zenfone 9 is just so perfect, the best compact phone I've ever seen.
@nicojimenez9614
THIS is how you do an all-rounder phone even with a smaller body in the current market (whether that's a bonus or a hindrance, pick your poison). Although I personally miss the "oooohhh" feeling from the 7 Pro, it's simply undeniable that the 9 is just checking all the categories.
@KremsonKhan
This might be the dream phone we all been waiting! Almost all of the things checks out!
@alwaysleadguruster
No sd card is a deal breaker, i was almost happy i found my next phone.
@chavezchavo
I hope compact-sized phones are a normal alternative in the near future. Hopefully other phone brands will also come up with compact versions of their line of phones.
@peter_parkour
Would buy this solely for the headphone jack but the compactness is actually something I was looking for. Great phone from Asus IMO
@barbarosa13
Very good offering, however the only 2 year guarantee for updates is a dealbreaker when you pay over 700 euros/dollars for a phone.