Last month, Asus officially revealed the Zenfone 9 as the latest flagship smartphone from the company. The Taiwanese tech giant powers the latest Asus Zenfone 9 with the new flagship Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1. Furthermore, this mobile phone features a compact display with a hole punch and a 120Hz refresh rate. Overall, the device comes with a significant design upgrade. FYI, the newly launched Asus ZenFone 9 succeeded the highly popular Asus ZenFone 8.
The handset packs a dual rear camera setup headlined by a 50MP primary sensor. A 4300mAh battery powers the complete hardware on the latest flagship smartphone. Additionally, the Asus 9Z gets dual stereo speakers with Dirac HD Sound. Furthermore, this compact mobile phone packs up to 16GB RAM and 256GB of onboard storage.
Asus ZenFone 9 price
The Asus ZenFone 9 price in global markets starts at EUR 799, roughly Rs 64800 for the base variant with 8GB RAM and 128GB onboard storage. The flagship Asus smartphone also gets an 8GB RAM and 256GB onboard storage model and a 16GB RAM and 256GB storage options. Also Read: Asus ZenFone 8 Flip leaks, to feature Flip camera, ZenFone 8 gets punch-hole camera
The Taiwanese tech giant is offering the flagship Asus Zenfone 9 in four distinct color options – Midnight Black, Moonlight White, Sunset Red, and Starry Blue. Initially, only the base variant of Zenfone 9 was available in Taiwan. The other two variants are available for pre-orders. The pricing and availability in another global market will be revealed in the coming days.
Asus 9Z in India
The all-new Asus ZenFone 9 could launch in India with the Asus 9Z moniker. According to a famous YouTuber in India, the Asus 9Z could launch around early September in India. If you remember, Asus could not launch its phones with the Zenfone moniker due to trademark issues. Also Read: Huawei Mate X2 Foldable Smartphone Launch Set for February 22
Henceforth, the new handset may launch in India as Asus 9Z. The latest flagship smartphone is available in a few international markets with two RAM/ Storage options. Also Read: Will Zenfone Mini sparks off the affordable smartphone segment?
Asus ZenFone 9 specifications
The newly launched Asus ZenFone 9 is a dual-SIM Nano smartphone running on Android 12 out-of-the-box. Along with Android 12, the handset boots on Zen UI. It sports a compact 5.9-inch Full-HD+ Samsung AMOLED display. Furthermore, this display gets a screen resolution of 1080*2400 pixels and a 120Hz refresh rate. It also gets a 20:9 aspect ratio.
Display
The Taiwanese tech giant claims this display can reach a peak brightness of 1100 nits. Additionally, it features 112 percent coverage of the DCI-P3 color gamut. Moreover, this FULL-HD+ display is HDR10 and HDR 10+ certified. Being an AMOLED panel, the handset also sports always-on-display functionality. This display comes with screen protection of Corning Gorilla Glass Victus.
Hardware
Under the hood, the latest flagship Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC powers the newly launched compact Asus ZenFone 9 smartphone. This chipset comes along with up to 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM. Additionally, it gets an integrated Adreno 730 GPU. Also Read: Oppo F19 Pro, F19 Pro+ teased ahead of India launch
The Taiwanese tech giant offers up to 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage on this latest Asus ZenFone 9 handset. The device comes with a 1727.17mm² vapor chamber for heat dissipation, which is helpful during intense gaming sessions. Also Read: Upcoming Asus ZenFone smartphones with IP68 rating
Camera
As for the optics, the latest Asus ZenFone 9 gets the dual rear camera setup. The 50MP Sony IMX766 primary sensor comes with an F/1.9 aperture. The secondary camera is a 12MP Sony IMX363 sensor with an f/2.2 ultra-wide-angle lens. Furthermore, this secondary lens gets a 113-degree field-of-view. The primary camera sensor comes with six-axis gimbal stabilization.
For selfies and video calling, the newly launched Asus ZenFone 9 sports a 12MP Sony IMX663 camera at the front and an f/2.45 aperture lens. The camera app on the latest Asus handset comes preloaded with many camera modes and filters. These camera modes include Pro Video, Slow Motion, Light Trail, Panorama, Night Photography, and time-lapse photography. Also Read: Asus ZenFone 8 series specifications leak, Snapdragon 888 hinted
Connectivity
Regarding connectivity options, the newly launched Asus ZenFone 9 includes 5G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 6/ 6E, Bluetooth v5.2, GPS/ A-GPS/ NavIC, NFC, FM radio, and USB Type-C. Interestingly, the compact phone also gets a 3.5mm headphone jack. Also Read: Poco X3 Pro in India with Qualcomm Snapdragon 860 SoC
Similarly, for sensors on board, the Asus handset gets an accelerometer, ambient light sensor, e-compass, gyroscope, hall sensor, magnetometer, and proximity sensor. Furthermore, for device security, there is also a side mounted fingerprint sensor for authentication.
The all-new Asus ZenFone 9 is IP68 rated for dust and water resistance. The Taiwanese tech giant has packed dual microphones with OZO Audio Noise Reduction Technology. This technology allows boosting the audio recording capabilities of the ZenFone 9. Moreover, this compact mobile phone also gets a dual stereo speaker with Dirac HD Sound.
Battery
Asus ZenFone 9 packs a 4300mAh battery along with 30W Fast Charging support. This is a 300mAh increase over the predecessor’s 4,000mAh cell. The tech giant claims this battery can deliver up to 18.5 hours of video playback time. Moreover, it can deliver up to 8 hours of gaming time on a single charge. The newly launched Asus Zen Fone 9 measures 146.5×68.1×9.1mm and weighs 169 grams.
Asus ZenFone History
Asus ZenFone series is a top-rated smartphone series from the Taiwanese smartphone brand. A couple of years back, Asus launched the ZenFone 7 and ZenFone 7 Pro with a massive 6.7-inch display and dozens of Android features. Also Read: Deals on iPhone 14: Apple iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus available with up to Rs 12,000 discount on Flipkart: Check out this deal
Last year, the company launched the Asus ZenFone 8. This phone comes with a compact design and can be used easily with one hand. Although, due to intense competition in the market, the small Android phone could not make it to the masses due to its high price point and less marketing.
Being a compact Android phone, the ZenFone 8 had no remarkable features. It ran on the same chipset as any other Flagship Android phone. The smartphone comes with mediocre cameras and one of the plainest and most generic designs. Due to these shortcomings, the smartphone could not reach the masses.
Asus ZenFone 9: Initial Impressions
Almost after one year, the Taiwanese tech giant brought a new smartphone named ZenFone 9. The new handset is visually striking and offers a great in-hand feel. The company has tried to improve the camera configuration, especially by adding a miniature gimbal stabilization on the primary camera.
Other key highlights include a new flagship Snapdragon SoC, a bigger battery than its predecessor. Also Read: OnePlus 9 series to come with ColorOS 11 confirmed officially, will replace HydrogenOS in China
The device will go live on sale in the US, Canada, UK, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, with a starting price of USD 699. While in Europe, the same handset starts at EUR 799 for the base variant. From the price point, the new ZenFone is still on the higher side. Consumers looking for a compact smartphone with a flagship processor can look at this newly launched Asus ZenFone 9 smartphone.
Asus ZenFone 9: The Compact Phone
With a 5.9-inch display, the Asus ZenFone 9 is a compact, easy-to-use smartphone. Earlier, consumers complained that smartphone companies always save the flagship hardware for large phones and leave the compact phone segment. Also Read: Google Pixel 5a 5G will launch later in 2021, Google confirms
During the launch event, an Asus spokesperson revealed that making compact flagship smartphones is much more difficult nowadays. It is because the flagship mobile components have increased drastically in size. Also Read: Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite appears on Google Play Console, specs leaked
For instance, the size of the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC powering the ZenFone 9 is 10 percent larger than the Snapdragon 888, which powers the ZenFone 8 last year. The improved camera hardware on the ZenFone 9 is 40 percent larger than the ZenFone 8’s camera module. Even the battery and thermal systems are more prominent on the latest flagship ZenFone 9.
Despite these factors, Asus managed to maintain the ZenFone 9’s overall size and weight the same as the ZenFone 8. According to reports, the Asus ZenFone 9 is the smallest flagship smartphone for 2022. Also Read: Google Chrome OS 88 launched
Asus ZenFone 9: Design
With this compact design, the small hand users can easily reach the other side of the screen with their thumb, though it still needs to be stretched a bit to reach the top corners. As mentioned above, with its compact size, the Asus ZenFone 9 is about the same size as the ZenFone 8. There is a slight shift in body design. The flagship ZenFone 9 comes with curved edges at the back.
Back Panel Design
On the rear side, the Asus ZenFone 9 features two huge camera lenses, which makes it stand out from the previous versions. The rear material is different. This time, Asus ditched the glass back design. The Taiwanese tech giant uses a composite material that offers a soft touch texture. This makes the handset strikable and easy to grip in hand for a more extended period. The complete rear design is unique, making it stay away from fingerprints and smudges. The rear panel is non-reflective.
Power Button functionality
The rest of the design of the Asus ZenFone 8 is more interestingly simple. The camera module is scribed on the back panel. On the right edge, we get the power button, which offers significant changes. This time Asus has ditched the in-display fingerprint scanner. Also Read: Google Chrome for Android will now allow users to preview a page before clicking the link
The Taiwanese tech giant has opted to put the fingerprint scanner inside the power button. Thus, the power button serves both the fingerprint scanner and the power on/off functionality. The fingerprint functionality is perfect. Furthermore, the power button also offers swipe functionality.
The bottom edge of the other connectivity ports and buttons gets the dual SIM tray slot along with a USB Type-C port for data transfer and fast charging. The volume rocker sits above the power button on the right edge.
Asus ZenFone 9: Display
As mentioned already, the display size of the Asus ZenFone 9 is almost the same as the previous edition of this smartphone. The Taiwanese tech giant sticks with a 5.9-inch Full-HD+ display. With the addition of AMOLED technology, this display is plenty sharp and offers a pixel density of 446ppi. The colors are natural and punchy on this Full-HD+ display.
Furthermore, the newly launched Asus ZenFone 9 offers a 120Hz screen refresh rate, the same as the predecessor ZenFone 8. With this arrangement, users can switch between 60Hz, 90Hz, or 120Hz or leave it at Auto to let the compact phone choose the best refresh rate for the content.
The flagship smartphone also gets HDR10 and HDR10+ support. With this functionality, we get the best performance while streaming online content. With this compact size, it is difficult to spot the difference between the HDR and non-HDR content.
Asus ZenFone 9: Performance
The all-new Asus ZenFone 9 packs the latest version of Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, the flagship processor. Although, this isn’t a massive advancement over the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. But the new processor will bring incremental improvements. The latest flagship processor also improves over the older Snapdragon 888 in Zenfone 8.
Overall, the performance delivered on the ZenFone 9 is the same as any other flagship phone. The ZenUI on Asus ZenFone 9 is smooth and fast. The only difference between the ZenFone 9 and the other flagship smartphones is that it is much more compact.
RAM and Storage options
The newly launched Asus ZenFone 9 comes with 8GB and 16GB RAM options along with 128GB or 256GB of internal storage. Unfortunately, there is no place for a microSD card slot on the latest Asus handset. But, the ZenFone 9 does get dual SIM support. With flagship-grade hardware, the Asus ZenFone 9 offers flagship-level performance.
Vapor Chamber on Zenfone 9
Even with flagship hardware, the ZenFone 9 does not get hot, thanks to its vapor chamber for cooling. To recall, the biggest issue with ZenFone 8 is that it ran a little hot if used for long hours. The vapor chamber on Zenfone 9 helps to keep things more relaxed. Furthermore, the gaming experience is decent on the latest flagship from the Taiwanese tech giant. I experienced long gaming sessions on Zenfone 9 without any problem. Although, I felt a little cramped with the smaller display.
Asus ZenFone 9: Camera
The latest flagship compact smartphone comes with a dual rear camera setup. Here, the primary camera employs the 6-axis gimbal to offer a smooth experience. This could be one of the main reasons the camera lenses are so big. Also worth noting, the primary camera protrudes a little more than the ultra-wide camera. I believe that the part of this could be to offer gimbal support.
Besides the main and the ultrawide sensor, there is no arrangement for a telephoto lens. With the missing telephoto lens, the newly launched Asus ZenFone 9 cannot compete with other flagship models with that dedicated lens. Regarding camera quality, the primary camera with Sony IMX776 sensor can click some fantastic, consistent shots in most conditions.
Main Camera
The main camera images come out with accurate colors and plenty of details. The colors are natural; the dynamic range is excellent on the primary camera sensor. Even the low-light photography is pretty good. In some shots, I did notice some noise creeping in and the subject appearing softer.
Front Camera
The Front camera can click some decent selfies. The edge detection is accurate through portrait mode. Furthermore, this mode offers a nicely blurred background. Although it does struggle in low light conditions. In a low-light situation, the photos start to lose details. Most of the low-light selfies are a hit or miss. But using autofocus can offer slightly sharper images. The Autofocus mode will always remain an advantage over the fixed focus front cameras.
Asus ZenFone 9: Videography
In terms of videography, the newly launched ZenFone 9 has a broad set of options. The flagship grade compact smartphone offers a HyperSteady Stabilization feature. This feature is limited up to 1080p. Henceforth, we cannot access this feature while capturing a 4K or 8K video. In my experience, I found that the videos are super steady at 1080p resolution.
These videos are sharp and rich in detail. The colors, accuracy, and video output come with fluid stability while using HyperSteady. Although, I observed some increase in noise as the light condition degraded. Overall, the camera on the Asus ZenFone9 performs excellently. It is hard to point out any particular flaw in the dual rear and front cameras. Asus ZenFone 9 could be a perfect point-and-shoot phone with excellent camera features. As mentioned, the camera app comes with additional modes and options.
Asus ZenFone 9: Software
Regarding software, the compact smartphone, Asus ZenFone 9, runs on Android 12 out-of-the-box. This operating system boots on ZenUI along with some Asus customizations. These additional tweaks and changes offer a decent software experience to the users. The only visual difference a user can notice could be around the areas like Settings and Menu. Apart from this, the software experience is nearly stock-like.
ZenUI on ZenFone 9
One of the plus points of the ZenUI is it has a toggle for Wi-Fi in quick settings. This feature will be helpful for those who regularly switch between Wi-Fi and Cellular Data. Asus ZenFone 9 also gets Google’s core apps like Phone, Messages, Contacts, Calculator, and Clock. We can’t remove these apps. Also Read: Asus 8Z Flip price in India, could launch in India soon
Besides this, the overall ZenUI is fast and fluid. For gamers, the Zen UI also gets Game Genie. It is a dashboard where we can control essential features like navigation blocking while in-game. Asus’ ROG Phone series takes this feature from the gaming phone.
Talking about the software and security updates, the Taiwanese tech giant has promised to offer only two years of Android OS updates and two years of security updates. This is well behind the likes of Google or Samsung, offering around four years of updates. Also Read: Asus ZenFone 8 launch in India, Asus ZenFone 8 Flip price in India available on Asus India official website
Asus Zenfone 9: Charging
The all-new Zenfone 9 gets a 30W Hypercharge charger inside the box. This kind of charger is rarely found inside the box these days. But this charger can quickly recharge the 4300mAh battery inside the ZenFone handset. Also Read: Asus ZenFone 8 Mini and ZenFone Pad Mini, the compact phone, specs and other details
Even though it is not the fastest charger, it can still get the work done. Moreover, there is no wireless charging support. We have to rely on wired charging only. Overall, the battery life is decent. The compact phone can quickly get you throughout the day with light usage. Although, I have to keep my ZenFone 9 on charging at bedtime.
Asus ZenFone 9: Audio Quality
Despite being a compact smartphone, Asus still offers stereo speakers and a 3.5mm headphone jack on the ZenFone 9. For wireless functionality, the device gets Hi-Res music support from AptX Adaptive and LDAC. Furthermore, these stereo speakers offer decent audio output. They sound great; there is a fair amount of vibration through the back of the smartphone at the highest settings. Overall, the Asus ZenFone is an excellent handset for music lovers. The complete unit is wrapped into a package that offers IP68 waterproofing.
Final Verdict
The all-new Asus ZenFone 9 is an excellent-looking compact phone. With few compromises, the handset delivers flagship-grade performance in a smaller package. Meanwhile, the latest flagship, Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, offers plenty of power to the device. With suitable camera hardware, the handset still misses the telephoto lens. The design and built quality are attractive, including the waterproofing. Although, the lack of decent software support could be a bummer for most consumers.
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