Asus Zenfone 9 with compact 5.9-inch display, two rear cameras launched

Asus has unveiled its latest Zenfone smartphone in select global markets. The phone succeeds the Zenfone 8 from last year, and it features a compact build. The Zenfone also features a new design and two large sensors on the back. It packs Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset, which also powers its new ROG Phone line-up. It has the same display size as the Zenfone 8Z in India, which is 5.9 inches. Other key features include a 50-megapixel primary camera and a 4,300mAh battery.

Asus Zenfone 9 price

The Asus Zenfone 9's full prices remains unclear. The company has said that customers will get to choose between three storage models - 8GB RAM + 128GB, 8GB RAM + 256G2B, and 16GB RAM + 256GB (LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage).

The price of the base model is set at EUR 800, which is roughly Rs 65,000. In the initial stage, the Asus Zenfone 9 will roll out in Europe (select markets), Hong Kong and Taiwan. It will head to North America, Japan, Indonesia and parts of South America. The India-specific availability of the phone remains unclear.

To recall, the Asus Zenfone 8z - the rebranded Asus Zenfone 8, came to India very late (nearly six months after launch), and it currently costs Rs 42,999.

Asus Zenfone 9 specifications

As mentioned, the Asus Zenfone 9 looks quite different from its predecessor. It measures 146.6 x 68.2 x 9.5mm and weighs 165g, which makes it one of the smallest Android flagships in the market. One can say it is the equivalent of an iPhone 13 mini that comes with a 5.42-inch screen. However, data shows that iPhone mini models do not meet enough demand and Apple is even rumoured to ditch the model.

Specifications-wise, it comes with a 5.9-inch HDR10+ OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and 1,100 nits peak brightness. The display has 112 per cent DCI-P3 and 151.9 per cent sRGB coverage. On the back, Asus is taking a cue from Nothing and has only two sensors. There's a 50-megapixel Sony IMX766 sensor with 6-axis OIS. The same camera sensor features on some premium devices such as the Nothing Phone 1, Oppo Reno 8 Pro, Realme GT Neo 3, and more. The primary camera sits above the 12-megapixel Sony IMX363, such as the Google Pixel 5. On the front, there’s a 12-megapixel camera with PDAF.

Other key features include a 4,300mAh battery and Asus promises two-day battery life. There's an under-display fingerprint scanner and support for ROG playbook with Game Genie to enhance the gaming experience.