Asus ZenFone 9

The Asus ZenFone 9 is one of the few, if not the only, high-end smartphone with a screen smaller than 6 inches. Such phones have become a rarity, which gives that this ZenFone 9 already has an edge. But does it manage to convince us? Has Asus really added everything to get a complete phone? Time to find out.

Small screen, but still not the smallest

First, some hard numbers. The ZenFone 9 features a high-quality Samsung display, with a smooth 120Hz screen refresh, a 50MP main camera with 8K video, 12MP ultra-wide angle, a 12MP selfie shooter, dual speakers with Dirac HD sound, a powerful Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor, at least 8GB of RAM memory and optionally even 16GB. Powerful yes, but certainly not unique. There is only one thing that makes the ZenFone 9 special and that is that the screen size comes out to 5.9 inches. That's small by today's standards. It also makes the ZenFone 9 itself a compact phone. Although everything is relative. For example, while Samsung's Galaxy S22 has a larger 6.1-inch screen, its smaller screen bezels make it smaller.

Camera with Gimbal

Still, the ZenFone 9 is a very quirky phone, in part because of the two large round cameras on the back. The main camera is a 50-megapixel Sony IMX766 measuring 1/1.56" and with an f/1.9 lens. Its stabilization is provided by a true Gimbal. Stabilizing movement on six axes creates crisp images in the dark and smooth-looking videos. Furthermore, Asus has given the camera some additional features such as Light Trail where the shutter speed is extremely slowed down and you can capture light trails of cars, for example. The other cameras are a 12MP with 113 degrees of ultra-wide angle at the back and a 12MP selfie shooter at the front.

Main Asus ZenFone 9 specifications

• Manual 5.9-inch Super AMOLED screen with smooth 120Hz display
• 50+12MP camera with wide angle but no telephoto zoom
• 12MP selfie camera in top left corner screen
• Powerful Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor with 5G support
• 8/128GB or 16/256GB of working/storage memory
• Waterproof and dust-resistant IP65/IP68 housing
• Stereo speakers with Dirac HD Sound support
• Built-in 4300 mAh battery with 30W fast charging (wired only)

Lots of memory in small phone

Inside is a modest 4300mAh battery with a neat 30W fast charge. Unfortunately, there is no wireless charging included for the ZenFone 9. However, there is 5G support thanks to Qualcomm's powerful Snapdragon 8+ Gen1 processor. This is a high-end one found in many other flagships. It is also great for gaming. In this regard, the amount of RAM memory also helps. Because with 8GB it can be called a lot. And it even starts there. Because there is also a variant with 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM memory available. With the latter you get 256GB of UFS3.1 storage memory, with the former it is 128GB. Memory is not expandable so you can't put a card in it. What you can put in the ZenFone 9, however, is headphones. Thanks to the 3.5mm audio jack port.

Pro and cons Asus ZenFone 9

• Compact design
• Gimbal video stabilization
• Powerful performance
• Colorful 120Hz screen

• Small but not the smallest