However, its battery life is not up to the mark, and the lack of 5G connectivity might be an issue for some. But overall, It is one of the best compact smartphones you can buy right now.
Design
The Asus Zenfone 9 would resemble a generic ‘chocolate-bar’ type smartphone if it weren’t smaller than the majority of Android phones on the market. This makes it incredibly easy to use with one hand, especially when compared to other mega-mobiles available for the same price. The phone features both a USB-C connector and a 3.5mm headphone jack; wired music enthusiasts will be thrilled. On the right edge, there is a volume button and a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, which works 9 times out of 10, which is superior to some other phones. A distinguishing characteristic is the enormous rear camera array, with each of the two lenses having its own enormous round bump. The Zenfone, unlike many comparable-priced phones, features a plastic casing rather than a glass exterior. However, it has a textured grip that makes it comfortable to grasp. It is available in four colors; we tested the black version, but it also comes in red, blue, and white. The phone has an IP68 rating against dust and water, so it should withstand a fall into water or dirt.
Display
The display of the Asus Zenfone 9 measures 5.9 inches, making it one of the few Android phones released in 2022 with a screen size below 6 inches. It boasts an FHD+ display, 1100nits of maximum brightness, and a 120Hz refresh rate, which is about what you’d expect for the price, although there are a few devices with a higher resolution at this price point. The display has previously been described as “fine,” and it is difficult to find a more apt term. It has a resolution that matches the outputs of most programs and a refresh rate that makes motion appear smooth, but it does nothing better than other smartphones.
Camera
The Asus Zenfone 9’s two rear-facing cameras cannot compete with those of many similarly-priced smartphones. The 50MP primary camera utilizes the Sony IMX766 sensor, which has low-light capability and works admirably. The 12MP sensor of the ultra-wide camera boasts a 113-degree field of view. This performs similarly to the majority of shorter-focal-length lenses, with minor edge distortion. To go closer to a subject, you must use digital zoom or cropping as there is no zoom camera, despite the fact that many competitors at the same price point have them. If you zoom in too far, this rarely looks well and results in blurry photographs very soon. The front selfie camera is 12 megapixels and functions well, capturing images with sufficient information and illumination. Even in low-light circumstances, it performs fairly well, albeit Portrait mode can produce a lot of erroneous artificial background blur. Numerous smartphones allow video recording at up to 4K resolution and 60 frames per second. Additionally, it enables Pro Video mode, a feature that few devices own. This is similar to Pro Photo, but allows you to modify the shutter speed, ISO, white balance, and other settings for video recording, allowing you a great deal of creative control over the films you create. Other modes include light trails, slow-mo, panorama, and time-lapse, but none of them are very distinctive.
Battery
Despite the fact that the Zenfone’s 4,300mAh battery may be on the tiny side compared to other smartphones, its little display makes this a non-issue. In spite of this, the Asus’s battery life is decidedly average. In the majority of cases, the battery life of the phone is sufficient for a full day of usage, and only falters during intensive use. Charging occurs at 30W, which is somewhat slow for a premium phone, but neither Apple nor Samsung have embraced fast charging, so we can’t be too disappointed. That does mean, though, that this is an overnight-charging phone. Asus provides a number of battery health measures to prevent overcharging, including the ability to select the time when the phone should be fully charged each morning. This technique ensures that the phone will live longer before the battery dies.
Performance
The Asus Zenfone 9 is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 processor. This is the most powerful chip currently used in Android smartphones, making it ideal for intense tasks such as gaming and video editing. With a 5.9-inch display, the Zenfone is not intended for gaming. Sure, it’s powerful, but there’s simply not enough functional screen area - with your hands in place, you can hardly watch the action because you’re covering half the screen. Likewise, the screen renders video editing too inaccurate to be worthwhile. The phone comes with two storage options: 16GB RAM and 256GB of storage, or 8GB RAM and 128GB of storage.
ASUS ZENFONE 9: SPECS
Price: Starting at $699/€799 Android version: 12, ZenUI 9 Display: 5.9-inch AMOLED (2400 x 1080) Refresh rate: 120Hz (adaptive) CPU: Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 RAM: 8GB, 16GB Storage / Expandable: 128GB, 256GB / No Rear cameras: 50MP (f/1.9) main, 12MP (f/2.2) ultrawide Front camera: 12MP (f/2.45) Video: Up to 8K 24 fps Battery: 4,300 mAh Battery life (Hrs:Mins): 13:13 (adaptive), 12:52 (120Hz), 13:20 (60Hz) Charging: 30W, charger included Size: 5.8 x 2.7 x 0.4 inches (146.5 x 68.1 x 9.1 mm) Weight: 6 ounces (169 g) Colors: Midnight Black, Moonlight White, Starry Blue, Sunset Red
Price and Availability
The 8GB RAM and 128GB model of the Asus Zenfone 9 costs £699 (about $840, AU$1,210) and the 16GB RAM/256GB model costs £749 (approximately $900, AU$1,300). In reference, the Samsung Galaxy S22 begins at $799 / £769 / AU$1,249 and the iPhone 13 begins at $799 / £779 / AU$1,349. Asus is in the same general pricing range as the Samsung and Apple devices, which makes comparisons natural, despite the fact that it somewhat undercuts both. However, it is significantly more expensive than the $599/£599/AU$999 Google Pixel 6. The phone was released at the end of July 2022, which was significantly later than the debut of the Zenfone 8 in May 2021. Currently, we only have pricing information for the United Kingdom, but it’s probable that the product will be released in other regions as well.
Software
You enjoy a good, clean experience with Google’s built-in apps and the personalization benefits of this version of Android because the Asus Zenfone 9 utilizes stock Android 12 without many Asus customizations to it. This is because Asus did not make many changes to it.
Should I Buy It?
The Asus Zenfone 9 is one of the best compact smartphones you can buy right now. It has a gorgeous design, an excellent display, a great camera that offers the best video experience in its price range and flagship-grade specs. However, there are some things that you should know before purchasing it:
You’ll have to pay more than $600 for the device if you want 64GB of storage or 128GB of storage instead of 32GB or 64GB respectively. The phone also lacks wireless charging support so make sure to bring your own charger with you wherever you go! There’s no fingerprint scanner on this device so keep in mind that both Apple and Samsung are offering such features now - they’re not exclusive anymore!
The Asus Zenfone 9 is an interesting device that offers some impressive features for a reasonable price. It has a gorgeous design, an excellent display, a great camera that offers the best video experience in its price range and flagship-grade specs. However, its battery life is not up to the mark and the lack of 5G connectivity might be an issue for some. But overall, It is one of the best compact smartphones you can buy right now. If you are looking for a good Android phone at this price range then this phone should be on top of your list because it offers everything that one would need from their handset at this price point including:
A beautiful design with plenty of screen real estate thanks to its 6.6-inch display (19:9 aspect ratio). A notchless display which helps save space without compromising any important information like notifications or app icons etc., as well as providing users with more immersive viewing experience due to less black bars around each side edge when viewed from above or below; This also makes watching videos easier than ever before since there’s no black bar interrupting them anymore!
Verdict
Overall, the ZenFone 9 is a great device for those who want something that’s easy to use and doesn’t take up too much space in their pocket. It has a gorgeous design, excellent display with pleasing colors and good brightness levels, an excellent camera with plenty of features and options for manual controls if you want them (and if you don’t, then this phone does not need them). However, its battery life isn’t up to the mark, but it should be enough for most people who use smartphones regularly. The price range right now is high because there weren’t any major changes made after launching their last generation models but they still managed to improve on some aspects while keeping things as affordable as possible! This content reflects the personal opinions of the author. It is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and should not be substituted for impartial fact or advice in legal, political, or personal matters.
