Asus Zenfone 9

Small footprint ; Top-tier processor ; Very high quality camera hardware ; Has a headphone jack

The finish does not seem hard-wearing ; Charging is a little slow ; Camera image processing lags behind the best

Still the best small-sized phone on the market in 2023, the Asus Zenfone 9 delivers excellent performance and highly capable camera hardware. However, there are a few minor gripes that let it down, including charging speed, image processing, and its...

Seriously powerful ; Smart Key is useful ; Has a headphone jack ; Great selfie camera

Fabric-style back could stain ; Pretty thick for a small phone ; Main camera is seldom great ; No zoom camera

The Asus Zenfone 9 is very close to being a world-class, compact flagship smartphone, but its camera falls short of excellence and it misses out on wireless charging. Despite those drawbacks, it’s still an incredibly powerful, stable, compact Android...

Easy to use one-handed ; Neat navigation tricks ; 3.5mm headphone jack

Price too high ; Only two rear cameras ; Unnecessarily high-end specs

The Asus Zenfone 9 has a lot to like, but it’s ultimately disappointing. It has an easy-to-use small form factor and 3.5mm headphone jack, but its screen is too small to justify the powerful processor, the camera experience is mixed and the price is...

Compact build ; Waterproofing ; 3.5mm headphone socket ; 30W charger included ; Great performance ; Few compromises in going small

No telephoto camera ; Only two years of software support ; Software bloat is irksome

The Asus Zenfone 9 is the compact phone of choice, making few compromises to deliver a flagship experience in a smaller package. There's plenty of power and performance, with good cameras only marred by the lack of telephoto. The design is attractive...

Compact, premium design ; Gaming phone-grade power ; Impressive battery life

Misses out on wireless charging ; Aggressive camera processing ; No telephoto camera

An impressive, compact, powerful smartphone that crams in a huge amount for the price, despite missing out on wireless charging and a best-in-class camera.

Standout styling, IP68 rating.

No wireless charging.

In the end, the Zenfone 9 presents a compelling compact flagship offering. It would have gotten a raving recommendation if it was priced at €700, and it may eventually get there, but even at MSRP on launch day, we'd say it's well worth it.

Compact and easy to handle Powerful processor Neat, lightweight design Strong audio features Main cameras take good photos

Gimbal disappoints Screen doesn’t get bright enough No wireless charging

“The Asus Zenfone 9 is small enough to be used with one hand, but still has all the power of a massive flagship phone. While this compromises battery life and camera features, it'll be an acceptable trade-off for some.”

Pocket-sized design

The Zenfone 9’s new design is a welcome improvement, the camera is a bit better, and there’s more performance on offer than the previous model. If that’s what you’re looking for in a compact package, then the Zenfone 9 might tick just enough boxes to...