If you're a fan of small phones — like many of the writers here at Android Police are — you're probably anticipating the launch of the Zenfone 9. The next non-gaming phone from Asus promises to be one of the only compact Android flagships to launch this year, a rarity in this world of phablets and foldables. The company has already sent out invites to the global Zenfone 9 launch event, but if you're unwilling to wait that long for an official reveal, some leaked renders might be enough to tide you over.
These images come from Twitter leaker SnoopyTech, providing us with shots of the phone from every angle imaginable. Previous leaks already gave us an in-depth look at what the Zenfone 9 looks like, but these renders make it easier to focus on the device itself without the distraction of Asus's marketing.
Overall, it's a super clean design, the complete opposite of the ROG Phone series in terms of build and style. A flat edge-to-edge display with minimal borders and a hole-punch camera make up the front, while the back sports two massive camera lenses, all led by that 50MP Sony IMX 766 sensor. It looks like the rear is made up of some sleek textured material, giving the phone some style beyond the usual black colorway. The side rail is completely flat, similar to modern iPhones and the recent Nothing Phone 1.
Personally, I think these renders look incredible. Although I enjoy my daily driver Pixel 6, the idea of swapping to a smaller phone — either through a foldable like the Galaxy Z Flip4 or something more traditional like this — has seriously tempted me over the last six months. It's been a long time since I've used a device I'd call "pocketable," and once you count in some of the recent spec leaks for this thing — including a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1+ and a relatively massive 4300mAh battery — it could be enough to win me over.
Asus is set to launch the Zenfone 9 at a simulcast event out of New York, Berlin, and Taipei. With any luck, it won't be long until we can get our hands on this phone ourselves — after all, it's not every day a small Android flagship arrives on the scene.