latest
Google Pixel 8 Pro vs. Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra: Can't beat the classics
Is the new big-screen Asus a contender, or just a pretender?
The much-talked-about Google Pixel 8 Pro took home countless end-of-year awards, with consistently great cameras, improved performance and efficiency, and increasingly useful AI tools driving most of the arguments. The Pixel 7 Pro's few faults shrunk considerably with the new generation, leaving experts and average users impressed at the flagship's complete hardware and software package.
Is the Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra waterproof?
Learn the difference between water-resistant, waterproof, and safe from water jets
The Zenfone 11 Ultra is a new addition to Asus' excellent small phone selection, alongside its ROG gaming phone and (hopefully) its small-form-factor Zenfone 10. It has impressive hardware, an excellent display, a big battery, and lightning-fast charging, among other powerful and convenient features. One surprising thing is this flagship's rare headphone jack. Additional ports can theoretically make a phone vulnerable to moisture, which raises a question. How well does the Zenfone 11 Ultra resist water?
The Pixel 9 Pro could be the premium compact Android phone we've been waiting for
A more-than-worthy competitor to the iPhone 16 Pro
We’re still months away from the launch of the Pixel 9 series, but you know how it goes with Google: it’s never too early for leaks. Unsurprisingly, we already know a great deal about the company’s next flagship smartphone — including the fact that we are likely to see three models this year in the lineup instead of the usual two. And that new third Pixel 9 device has the potential to be the premium compact Android smartphone of our dreams.
The Asus Zenfone 9, released last year, is a testament to the fact that top-tier smartphone performance isn’t always associated with the visual heft of a giant smartphone, making it one of our favorite small phones of the year. Now, we are looking forward to the Zenfone 10’s debut, and just days ago, we caught a glimpse of the device in leaks resembling press renders. Now we have more images, revealing all the color variations in all the angles.
When Asus introduced the Zenfone 8, it was a modest-looking phone packing a beast of a flagship processor — the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888. The sticker price wasn’t astonishingly high either, making it a great bang-for-the-buck purchase. Since its launch in May 2021 running ZenUI 8 based on Android 11, the phone has then been bumped up to Android 12. The latest good news for Zenfone 8 users is that it is also releasing an Android 13 OTA update.
Asus Zenfone 9 pre-orders are open, but it’s complicated to buy one
We explain everything you need to know about how to buy yours
Read update
The Asus Zenfone 9 was revealed in July, but those in the US may have to wait until October to get their hands on the phone. Asus opened pre-orders for the phone at the end of last week and it’s a remarkably complicated if not confusing situation to get your hands on one of these new phones. Fortunately, the bottom line is that you can reserve the phone and claim a bonus perk right now on Amazon.
Asus's Zenfone 9 is the latest phone to get an Android 13 beta program
It'll be super-easy to sign up to be a tester
With Google releasing Android 13 to AOSP, Android manufacturers have stepped up their efforts and are working behind the scenes to bring the update to their devices. Samsung is already running its One UI 5 beta program for the Galaxy S22 series, while OnePlus has so far seeded two beta builds of Android 12-based OxygenOS 13 for the OnePlus 10 Pro. Not to be left behind, Asus is also jumping on the bandwagon and has started accepting members for the ZenFone 9's Android 13 beta build.
Asus releases Zenfone 9 bootloader unlock tool and kernel code
All it needs now is the attention of LineageOS or Paranoid Android
Asus is a brand generally associated with laptops, but its smartphones definitely set their own pace. Its latest phone — the Asus Zenfone 9 — packs the formidable Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC and efficient power management. Although the Taiwanese company's ZenUI software skin can compete with stock Android, users who want more options will be able to get them. To facilitate the creation and installation of custom ROMs, Asus is opening up the Zenfone 9's bootloader for unlocking and is releasing its kernel source code.
ASUS accidentally spills the beans on the Zenfone 9 with early video teaser
Expect photography-focused flagship-tier specs and hardware
Earlier this week, ASUS made a big splash with the ROG Phone 6 for gamers. The premium flagship pairs the latest silicon with all the bells and whistles a gamer could ask for, wrapped up in the outlandish styling ROG hardware is known for. If your smartphone tastes are a little more traditional, though, the upcoming Zenfone 9 might be right up your alley, and today we get an early preview thanks to what seems to be an accidentally published YouTube video.
Asus' Android 12 update offers an early look at the ZenFone 9 and ROG Phone 6
Along with the hint of a back-panel tap gesture in the future
Whenever a company releases a new update for its phones, especially when it comes to operating systems, there are bound to be some hiccups. Sometimes features are missing or things don’t behave the way you expect them to. But it’s not often that details of future phones are included in your update. That’s what happened to owners of the Asus ZenFone 8 and 8 Flip when they received their Android 12 upgrade.
The only "small" Snapdragon 888 phone is now available in the US
The Zenfone 8 is a compact powerhouse with an affordable price
Asus may not be spoken about in the same breath as Google, Samsung, and Apple, but it's quietly had an excellent first half of the year. The ROG Phone 5 is one of the fastest Android devices you can buy today — with a price tag to match — while the mainline Zenfone 8 offers a compact body without any loss in power. If you've been waiting for the latest Zenfone to reach the United States, you're in luck. Asus has made the device available on its storefront, providing a high-end experience at an affordable price.
Leaked ASUS ZenFone 7 photos suggest that the motorized flip camera is here to stay
Another leak reveals most of its key specifications
ASUS’s big flagship launch for the year is just around the corner. But two days before the company will officially take the wraps off its ZenFone 7 series, a couple of leaks have popped up to reveal what at least one of the upcoming models is going to look like. That nifty flip-up camera from last year’s ZenFone 6 looks set to make an appearance once again to give the phone a clean, notch-less front.
Read update
Asus announced the ZenFone 5Z all the way back in February. It's very much a 2018 Android device: it's got a Snapdragon 845, six or eight gigs of RAM, two cameras, and of course, that notch. Months later, the 5Z is now available for pre-order. You can reserve one now for the low price of $499.99.The company touts the 5Z's display notch as being "26 percent smaller" than the iPhone X's, although that's not particularly impressive. After hands-on time with it, Ryne said he felt the notch was still too large. He was impressed with the phone's feel in the hand, though.If the ZenFone 5Z sounds like your jam, you won't have to wait long for it; pre-ordered phones are expected to arrive a week from today on August 6.
ASUS isn't always the best with updates. The company often releases phones with already-outdated software, like the ZenFone 3 Zoom that came with Marshmallow. In a similar vein, the ZenWatch 2 and 3 were some of the last watches to get Android Wear 2.0. But at the ZenFone 4 launch event, ASUS promised that the entire ZenFone 3 and 4 lineup would get Android O.
It wasn’t long ago that ASUS, while beloved by many on the desktop computing scene, was hardly a player when it came to smartphones. Some early Android tablet adopters will remember their Transformer books, but the ZenFone line is relatively new and has been the most serious attempt by ASUS to break into phones. It would be easy to overstate the popularity of the ZenFone, especially in western markets, but there’s no doubt that lovers of Android now have ASUS on their radar.
ASUS has been getting more invested into the smartphone market, both in the US—where we recently talked about the ZenFone 2 Laser and ZenFone 2—and in their closer-to-home markets in the Eastern Hemisphere. This review will focus on two models that will not make it to the US, but should be of interest to those in Taiwan, China, Japan, Korea, and elsewhere. The main focus will be on the ZenFone Selfie, which is much like the familiar ZenFone 2 and ZenFone 2 Laser but with a high-quality front-facing camera sensor. I will also discuss the ZE550KL model of the ZenFone 2 Laser, which is available in some non-US markets.
Read update
ASUS in the recent past has been pushing harder into Western markets and into smartphones in general with the ZenFone product line and its associated ZenUI software layer. Those who remember the Transformer tablets of yesteryear may be surprised at the non-geeky, colorful, feature-filled approach of these devices. Now well into the second generation of ZenFones, ASUS has announced the ZenFone 2 Laser for wide release, including the USA.
We just got back from a meeting at ASUS's CES suite, and we had a chance to go hands-on with the full portfolio of the company's new Android products (apart from Padfone X, which sadly sat walled off in a glass case). Of great interest to some of you, no doubt, are the company's new ZenFone handsets. Johnny Shih, ASUS's enthusiastic chairman, announced the ZenFone 4, 5, and 6, would be priced at $99, $149, and $199, respectively. With all three phones utilizing dual-core Intel Ivy Trail+ chipsets and powered by Android 4.3, that's certainly an attractive proposition. Were there any immediately apparent downsides, though?