Asus Zenfone 10 review

introduction

Asus is keeping the flame alive – otherwise hungry for options, lovers of compact phones are getting another installment in the Zenfone range. The Zenfone 10 makes minimal physical changes to what was already a well-received design, while a mandatory annual chipset refresh and a few subtle touches inside help the 10 keep pace with the times.

Just like on the outside, changes on the inside might be hard to spot. The refresh rate boost from 120Hz to 144Hz is only there for you in gaming and even then, it’s hardly a game-changing development. In addition to the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, you also get faster memory than the last generation, and the top-spec Zenfone 10 now comes with 16GB or RAM and 512GB of storage (up from 256GB on the 9).

A more tangible change, and one we wouldn’t call a positive, is the ultrawide camera’s lack of autofocus – the Zenfone 9’s ultrawide had that capability, while this new one doesn’t. The AF support on the selfie camera has also disappeared, a 32 MP unit that replaces the 12 MP one of the old model. With that in mind, the fact that the main camera remains the same seems good. Okay, not quite the same: gimbal stabilization has been improved for this generation, says Asus.

Against this backdrop of minor upgrades and workarounds/downgrades, there’s one more important addition to this year’s spec sheet: it now has wireless charging. This seems like the main culprit for the 3g increase in weight and the added 0.3mm thickness, but it’s not like the Zenfone has become a chonker for it, so the development is welcome.

The specifications of the Asus Zenfone 10 at a glance:

• Body: 146.5×68.1×9.4mm, 172g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), plastic back, aluminum frame; IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30min).
• Screen: 5.9″ Super AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1100 nits (peak), 1080x2400px resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, 445ppi.
• chipsets: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4nm): Octa-core (1×3.2GHz Cortex-X3 & 2×2.8GHz Cortex-A715 & 2×2.8GHz Cortex-A710 & 3×2.0GHz Cortex-A510); Adreno 740.
• Memory: 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 16GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM.
• Operating system/software: Android 13.
• Rear camera: Broad (main): 50 MP, f/1.9, 24mm, 1/1.56″, 1.0µm, multidirectional PDAF, gimbal OIS; Ultra wide angle: 13 MP, f/2.2, 120°, 1/3.06″, 1.12µm, fixed focus.
• Front camera: 32 MP, f/2.5, 1/3.2″, 0.7µm, fixed focus.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60/120fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps; Gyro EIS, HDR; Front camera: 1080p@30fps.
• Drums: 4300mAh; 30W wired, PD3.0, PPS, QC4, 15W wireless.
• Connectivity: 5G; Dual SIM; WiFi 6e; BT 5.3; NFC; 3.5mm jack.
• Various: Fingerprint reader (side-mounted); stereo speakers.

Asus Zenfone 10 unboxing

The Zenfone 10 doesn’t change much in presentation from last year’s model: it’s the same full-size box, albeit in a different shade of gray and with this year’s signature triangular logos.

Inside the box, you’ll find the usual 30W Asus adapter that the Zenfones have had since the 7, and a USB-C cable to match. Also included is a protective snap-on case that causes the phone to take up significantly more room in your pockets, yet offers what appears to be a lot of protection.