The Asus Zenfone has a very specific reputation: it’s a small flagship. Well, it’s not much smaller than a Galaxy S23, but that doesn’t usually stop Zenfone supporters. The company unveiled the newest member of the family this week, although one has to look closely to see that it’s not the Zenfone 9.
The Asus Zenfone 10 has the same exterior as its predecessor (except the decals have been toned down). That’s not a bad thing, the 9 was a nice phone. The main dimensions have been retained – the 5.9” display, the width and height – but the new model is slightly thicker.
Go from 9.1mm to 9.4mm (and weight increased from 3g to 172g), thanks to the addition of wireless charging support (15W). This is one of the big updates this year. The rest of the battery specs are the same as before: 4,300mAh capacity and 30W wired charging.
Going back to the display for a moment, the 5.9″ AMOLED panel still has FHD+ (20:9) resolution, but the refresh rate has been increased to 144Hz. However, you will only feel the difference in games, as the rest of the software still runs at 120Hz.
Asus has equipped its small flagship with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 with up to 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage space. The microSD slot hasn’t returned, but at least there’s now an option for more storage (the Zenfone 9 has topped 256GB).
Some other key differences include ultra wide angle and selfie cameras losing auto focus features. They also have new sensors, 13MP for UW and 32MP (up from 12MP) for the selfie module. The main module is basically the same, except that the Gimbal stabilization has been updated to v2.0.
The Asus Zenfone 10 will start at €800 in Europe for the 8/128GB model, the 8/256GB and 16/256GB ones will be €850 and €930 respectively (no word on the 512GB option).
Check out our review for more details on the Zenfone 10.
Let’s compare it to some rivals. The Galaxy S23 is about 3mm wider than the Zenfone 10, but it’s nearly 2mm thinner. Part of that is the smaller battery (3,900mAh) with comparable fast charging support (25W wired, 15W wireless). This one also has a 3x 10MP camera.
The 6.1″ display runs at 120Hz, but again the 144Hz mode on the Zenfone is only for gaming. Also, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip is the overclocked version (both CPU and GPU), however you can’t get more than 8GB of RAM.You can get an 8/128GB S23 for around $700, depending on store discounts.
For a suitably small phone, the Apple iPhone 13 mini is tangibly smaller than the Zenfone (15mm shorter, 4mm narrower, and about 30g lighter). The 5.4″ display has similar sharpness but only runs at 60Hz. The Apple A15 chipset is still quite fast, even if it’s not quite on par with the Snapdragon. The iPhone 13 mini with 128GB of storage can be found for less than €700.
Samsung Galaxy S23 • Apple iPhone 13 mini
If compactness is a consideration, we should include flip phones as well. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 will be replaced at the end of August, but the old model can easily be found under €700 for a 128GB model. This phone uses the older Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset and has a large 6.7″ 120Hz AMOLED display inside. However, it folds down to 84.9 x 71.9 x 15.9-17.1mm. the Zenfone, lacks a camera and the main module uses a relatively small 12MP sensor.At 3,700mAh the battery is even smaller than the S23, charging is the same (25W wired, 15W wireless).
The Motorola Razr 40 should cost 800 euros in Europe, but it’s not yet available. It uses the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 chipset, which cannot compete with the 8 Gen 2, however the internal display is a 6.9″ 144Hz LTPO panel that will give the Zenfone a hard time. When folded, the Razr measures 88, 2 x 74 x 15.8mm. No cameras here either, just a 64+13MP setup with small sensors. The battery is nearly as large at 4,200mAh, and it supports 30W wired and 5W wireless charging.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 • Motorola Razr 40
Time to vote: Thinking about buying an Asus Zenfone 10 as your next phone? Are you upgrading from an older Zenfone or not?
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