ASUS Zenfone 9 debuts with 50MP dual cameras, 120Hz display
ASUS has unveiled its latest flagship smartphone, Zenfone 9, globally. The handset boasts top-of-the-line Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC along with an AMOLED display, dual rear cameras, and a 4,300mAh battery with 30W fast-charging support. The device starts at €800 (nearly Rs. 65,000) for the base 8GB/128GB model. It will be rolled out in Europe, Hong Kong, and Taiwan first.
Why does this story matter?
The Zenfone 9 bears a lot within its compact body. Notably, it is even smaller than its predecessor, Zenfone 8. However, it houses better camera hardware, a bigger battery, and a larger Vapor Chamber for enhanced heat dissipation. The device has been introduced with near-stock Android 12 and it will receive two significant OS updates and at least two years of security patches.
The phone bears a 120Hz OLED display
The Zenfone 9 features a left-aligned punch-hole cut-out, slim bezels, aluminium frame, and a side-mounted fingerprint sensor. The device boasts an IP68-rated body with Gorilla Glass Victus protection on the front. It offers a 5.9-inch Full-HD+ (1080x2400 pixels) OLED panel sourced from Samsung. The screen has a 120Hz refresh rate, DC dimming, HDR10+ support, 240Hz touch sampling rate, 1,100-nits peak brightness, and Always-On mode.
It has a 50MP main snapper with gimbal OIS
The Zenfone 9 boasts dual rear cameras including a 50MP IMX766 (f/1.9) primary sensor with gimbal OIS, which is touted to be six times more effective than standard OIS. There is also a 12MP (f/2.2) 113-degree ultra-wide camera. For selfies, there's a 12MP (f/2.45) shooter.
A Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC powers the device
The Zenfone 9 draws power from a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC, paired with up to 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage. The phone boots Android 12-based ZenUI. It packs a 4,300mAh battery with support for 30W fast-charging technology. Connectivity options include 5G, dual-SIMs, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS, NFC, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a Type-C port.
ASUS Zenfone 9: Pricing and availability
The Zenfone 9 starts at €800 (around Rs. 65,000) for the base 8GB/128GB configuration. It will soon be available in Europe, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, followed by North America, Japan, Indonesia, and parts of South America. The device's India availability is yet to be confirmed.
