The BEST Compact Android - Asus Zenfone 9 - Worth it in 2023? (Real World Review)
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- Опубліковано 29 чер 2024
- The Asus Zenfone 9 is the only non ROG phone that Asus made and honestly, it’s pretty amazing. The size is small, but the specs are huge.
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Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:27 The Screen
2:00 The Hardware
6:01 The Cameras
8:54 The Best
10:45 Final Thoughts
12:16 Outro - Наука та технологія
I bought this phone back in September and can say it's been the best phone I've ever had. I really like what Asus is doing.
Edit: I'm super impressed, this is the most thorough review I've seen on this phone. Really well done
Is it smooth any stutter or lag
I sold mine after a year and got the S23
@@salymzs It's super snappy. No lag whatsoever. It's a power horse.
@@alb.4089you like the s23 more? i'm probably gonna go with zf9 over s23 but idk it's a difficult decision
Hi,i want to buy it in 2024,it s still worth?
When I'm out and about, pocket space actually matters. It would be a dream come true if all manufacturers made compact phones with flagship specs.
ikrrrr and the battry life is better than many bigger phones too i have the zenfone 10 and it rocks like actually
I have a Razer Phone 2 (upgraded from an iphone 6 in 2018) seeing as the Razer phones are now no longer receiving security updates, I am thinking about switching to the Zenfone 9 but I have heard that they are planning for only 2 years of software support. That is the only reason I am not pulling the trigger on this buy, that and the lower resolution screen. If they had promised 3-4 years of software support I would have this phone in my pocket right now.
This is the most refreshing device I've ever paid full price for. The shortcut are practical and amazing, reminds me of htc 11 squeeze features. The phone is great. The biggest downside is the type c lack of HDMI output
Great review as usual! Phone looks good as hell, really tempted to get one.
I REALLY wish I had this phone. I ended up going with a pixel 6a mainly because it was drastically cheaper (got it on sale, was able to apply a $100 coupon, received $100 Google store credit after the purchase and was able to get $75 for a trade in phone making it an absolute steal) but I still want the Zenfone 9. It has almost all the features I want in an Android phone. Shame it doesn't get more attention 😞
Same
What a great and chill review. Some very nice every-day user experience insights. Thanks for the review vid.
lol love the choreography in the hand modelling when holding the phone. gj
fr
If only Samsung had the intelligence to do like Asus by thickening its standard a little bit to be able to accommodate a battery of at least 4200 mAh 🤦🏽♂️
90% are 5000mah already tho
@@LumixeZ Yes, but only the expensive and massive 6.5 + inch screen models are running that size of battery.
@@neverquit2923 check Xperia 5 iv 6” screen with 5000mah prob is cost and availability
agree. atleast 4300mah. whats the point of having the best processor and camera if battery is weak
I paid 350 for my 5000mah battery. Idk what Samsung phones you guys are talking too expensive
Best review in this phone yet! Digging your style and choice of words, subscribed!
I really appreciate your reviews,you analyze and think like I do.
I am currently using a Moto Z2 Force with a 128GB sdcard and the battery backpack.
Looking to replace with something better as my screen has lines on it and the battery life has become very poor and the phone seizes in certain scenarios. But would much prefer something smaller.
Narrowed it down to basically Zenfone 9 (too expensive) Pixel 7 (seems to have a camera glass issue) and Samsung S22 (too big n battery life issues)
I'm kinda outta ideas at this point.
Thinking about holding out for a while until Zenfone 9 drops in price, I can afford it right now but cant justify the price for what it is.
very comprehensive review thank you
phones really hit a plateau... i use to check every week for new phones, but a few years back they kinda stopped getting much better each year.
the regressions frustrated me enough to completely stop following and looking at all the new phones coming out. newest phone I have now is an xz1 compact lmao
Great in-depth review
Great review. I think this video has sold me on this phone.
Thanks for this. This is the best phone review video I've ever seen. I'm sold.
This is going to be my S10e replacement. I don't care about wireless charging and I do care about a head phone jack and a smaller phone.
I upgraded from the S10 (my favorite phone of all time) and upgraded to the Zenfone 9. Best upgrade I ever did and no complaints. Very snappy and the battery life can last me a day and a half.
the fact is they listen to their customers:
the 2 year updates is the only bottleneck...otherwise everything else is 10/10.
Been debating whether I should get this phone cause of the price, this video helps a lot.
This is one the phone that i felt they made it the way users been hoping for.
Great review. Seriously considering buying this phone. Question - what game were you playing at 4:53?
that is Genshin Impact
@@postrich4071 Thank you!
Beauty phone sad that don't have wireless charging...I'm Seriously looking for a compact android under 6.0 Screen size... Currently my daily is a S21 Base model and idk still feel quite big. Hopefully Asus add wireless charging on the next model and keep the same screen size and a 1440p display would be a Plus for sure 👌
I have an a13 i had to get cuz i needed a quick replacement for my s10e that died, and that was the best i could afford at the time, honestly I'd be looking to get an s22 cuz it's plenty small enough but I'm a wired headphone enjoyer and really do need me a headphone jack
Does the side scroll thing let you scroll universally?
where can I get that screen protector? The glass I have right now is of some other phone marketed as zenfone 9's
Yes I love compact phone thanks for this review.
Could consider buying this if price drops a bit, currently running iPhone 12 Mini, I was thinking the iPhone 13 Mini, but it's such a bummer that Apple maintain the same thickness across their whole lineup, and therefor the 12 and 13 Mini's just come out way to short on battery life. No wonder sales were dissapointing and they stopped doing Minis, they should just have made them a tiny bit thicker. Anyways glad to see Asus doing it. Would be nice to get back to Android, used to have XZ1 Compact and S10e.
The mini battery life isn’t that bad, but the Zenfone battery life is better, but also in line with the 12/13/14 size wise
@@RealWorldReview I need to charge half way through the day.. it was ok at 100 battery health though, but now 2-years later with 81% health, I can drain it in 3 hrs if I watch UA-cam.
Iphone mini battery sucks
@@AponTechy ye because they retain same thickness as the bigger models, they should have same battery as the normal model, by increasing thickness.
Might have to get one soon, my xz1 compact is starting to have issues, and I had to try LineageOS just to get volte support. It doesn't even work properly most of the time. My main gripe with the zenfone9 is the lack of an SD card slot. I have a 500GB sd card just for my music, gonna suck learning to live without one.
Also, does the included software feel like bloatware, or was it OK?
Did you end up buying Zenfone 9? Zenfone 10 is out and there's the 16GB RAM / 512GB ROM. Is the XZ1 Compact usable with a custom ROM?
@@MegaXtc11 I ended up getting the zenfone 9, way overkill since I'm not really a power user when it comes to phones, but all the premium features are nice.
The LOS XZ1c rom might be usable for some people. WiFi kept getting shut off for me. I couldn't figure out why, but it's possible the newer versions of the xz1 compact rom would've fixed it.
In terms of ui/other usability related things, I remember liking the extra features, but it's been a while since I used it, so I don't remember any specifics.
@@kahahabahaha Thanks for your reply. I've been keeping an eye on the Unihertz Jelly mini smartphones , it's irritating how big phones have become these days.
@@MegaXtc11 Agreed, the Zenfone is quite a bit bigger, but it has a similar width so the switch wasn't too bad. I guess having all those premium features "eases the pain" of not having the same dimensions lol
What's that little Hot Air Balloon icon? Can't seem to find the answer anywhere.
Thanks, Kim
You might be thinking of the icon for location
@@RealWorldReview It's not location. It's only visible occasionally on the aod. It disappears when i press something.
Does it have bypass charging features?
would be perfect with only 1 camera but with wireless charging option
Can you answer this question for me. I tried the Pixel 7, but ultimately was unhappy with it due to the google bar being locked in place on the home screen and the time on the upper part of the same home screen. That’s a good quarter of the screen being taken up by two things I don’t want to use, but can’t remove them without resorting to a third party launcher, which I DON’T want to HAVE to do to renove those. In short, I’m returning the Pixel and am open to getting the Zenfone 9 instead.
So my question is, can you remove the google bar from the home screen on the Zenfone 9 and are you able to use all of the screen as you see fit?
I am getting mine tomorrow so if you don't get an answer I will answer you if I don't forget.
@@Ficohaker Thanks. I'm basically hinging whether or not I get it on if the screen is fully customizable.
@@kevinphoenix2007 amazon just delayed the delivery to Wednesday 😭😭
You can remove everything from the home screen including the search bar
@@Ficohaker That's okay. Just let me know then. Thanks!
I want this phone so badly😢😢, but it didn't launched in INDIA, ASUS should settle legal issues here so we can get this amazing phone
It's perfect, although I really wish it had micro sd support. Sadly it's a trend in premium and maybe in the mid range to exclude it. I don't want files trapped in the phone in case it dies for some reason, and I'm not a fan of cloud storage.
It’s the bottlenecking of devices that move away from the SD card. I wish there was progress, but when you have built in storage working at 1500mb/s+, while an SD is 100mb/s, you get why they moved away from it. Still kinda annoying though
Why when you have online storage?
Definitely had my eye on this phone. Only just recently has it fallen below $1200 NZD (I'm in New Zealand), which seems insane for the size. Also looking at the Oneplus 11 and Xiaomi 12.
fact that the phone size is that small, and that powerful is insane to me! really good phone, wish it was on sale tho
Will this phone be worth it in the long run? I love everything about it but im kind of sketched about support overtime. I've had a pixel 4xl since its release and the consistent support is the reason I haven't gotten rid of it. Now the screen is shattered so im looking for a new phone. I'm also considering the S23, cause android, and iPhone 13 mini, cause smol, but S23 over iPhone since I haven't had and apple product. Any input would be appreciated!
It only gets 2 years of os updates. Vs samsung's 4 so unless you're flashing a custom rom, samsung would be better. Better chip, better camera too
I'm still on my Pixel 3a and looking to upgrade to this, before the Pixel I had a Zenfone 2 and that one was really solid for the entire duration I used it. You're probably gonna have to flash a custom ROM at some point after your warranty and OS updates run out though. :)
@@bread3613 I sold my Zenfone 9 because of this. It's great phone but I sold it. I need something that can last me for 5 years and still receive consistent updates so I went with the S23
Sad story is that this phone cost the same as S22 Ultra as of today 100-200 difference, 6th Feb (at least in my country). I need more powerful phone for photo and video editing but screen is as just as my current Samsung s20 a.k.a. small 🙄
4:12 MATE, I know, right!? The new naming is such a mouthful. I boycot that naming and just call them SD81, SD81+, SD82, SD72+ etc xD
Really really really wish pixel will come out with a mini or at least make their standard phones smaller. Ridiculous you can't even find a decent small sized android these days, this is like the only one. Even iPhone has a good small sized standard phone then their big phone. Makes no sense for Google to come out with two massive phones, make one small and one big, what they did was make one massive phone, and one slightly less massive phone. Stupid marketing, people who want a smaller more compact phone want a SMALL PHONE. That's the only reason people don't get the larger models.
Best compact phone of 2022 no doubt
Fantastic phone in every aspect. Ultra fast response and a hell of a camera. The colours and picture quality is better and way more balanced than anything else I've seen in that category. Battery easily 2 days of good use. In general Asus hits the spot with this device and is probably the best near 6" out there.
Will not let you down in a price around 600.
Nice! I'm thinking on buying it, what else can you say about it? How is it now after some use and abuse?
How is the camera with capturing moving subjects? My kid never stops moving 🤷
Fantastic!
If its were yellow look like a Minion with those deep spectacle looking cameras 😅
Does this phone work for Verizon ???
I've read some people complaining about overheating issues with this phone, is this accurate?
Overheat? Never. It gets warm when playing games, but not to the point where it burns or changes the phone. It is winter time, but still doesn't overheat in my tests
I own it and i Love it
The phone is just a few months old. I know they don't have a very long update window but seems premature to even be posing this question.
I'm getting this sucka, thanks mate.
Guys, help needed. I'm struggling to pick a new phone between zenfone 9 vs Xiaomi 13.
Help needed :)
Which compact phone would you recommend with ir blaster?
None really. Gotta go Xiaomi to get that in a quality phone
@@RealWorldReview or huawei / honor
Thinking about this phone since before its release. Got the Pixel 6 last year, but it's my worst Android experience ever. Since Google won't return to making the good phones anytime soon which they were known for, I'm looking for a new compact product. Unfortunately, my favorite OnePlus has become another manufacturer of massive devices with no small alternatives. I'm waiting for the Galaxy S23 announcement now to decide between the Zenfone 9 or S23 because I'm sick of my buggy disaster of a phone.
HEADPHONE JACK
HEADPHONE JACK
HEADPHONE JACK!!!!
I really want to buy this but its not available here in India😔
The headphone jack👍
I'll wait two years more, so I can afford that beautiful smartphone, greetings from Bolivia.
Does Zenfone 10 will be arriving soon
29 June
What is more important for a phone t be used for a long time: OS- and security updates or just the quality of the chip?
Security update
Asus suck with updates
OS update for sure. Security updates help prevent hacking, but also almost never happen wirelessly. You would hear more about it if it did because some people love to have super old phones for no reason
I don't understand why security updates are a big deal. My phone's last security update was in 1 May 2021 and I didn't run into any problems. Maybe I am just lucky.
@@Pikasatupu75 you run the risk of being hacked, but truly I have no idea how often that even happens. I have never heard of people legitimately getting their phone hacked, rather just some online accounts (which have nothing to do with the phone)
Wich screen protector r you using??
amzn.to/3J79AhA (affiliate link)
Sana magkaroon dito sa pinas ng zenfone 9
I would like to give this phone a shot. But I heard it’s not the greatest on T-Mobile, and it’s not being offered by the carrier is also a hit against it for me
I’m back to using it and I got T-Mobile. Matches the service I normally get on other phones
Is there an asus with a bigger screen?
Just the ROG models. The 9 came in this one size
Does it have NFC?
Yup!
I still use s10e, but I would like a one of those.
Besides the SD card and wireless charging, this is definitely the S10e replacement
Also updated to the zenphone from my s10E
@@jayden4912 How is it going so far? I might just do the exact same upgrade
@@gregjones2472 I've had it for around 6 weeks now, used every day and people are getting annoyed because I keep telling them how good it is. It feels very similar the s10e but the user interface is just sooo smooth and enjoyable to use, battery life is crazy good also. I personally haven't found a problem let. Definitely worth it in my opinion 👌
@jayden smith That is cool to hear. What do you think of the speakers, at least as good as the s10e?
If only the software update is longer
It's called a headphone jack, not a headset jack.
amazing phone, hard to find compact phones anymore. Why USB2.0 ? its going take ages to trasnfer data, specially becuase there is no microSD support. So hard find the perfect phone.
India me launch ho ga ya nahi batao
Waiting for it here in India......😢😢
great phone
This or the pixel 7. Can't decide
This easily
Great phone just missing mSD/USB 3.2
Yeah I'm more disappointed in SD more than the USB 2.0. It's just weird to see on the type of phone, but not uncommon from Asus though.
@@RealWorldReview apple also giving usb 2.0....
My only concern are software updates. Already on Android 13, I heard it will get only 1 more udpate
My reason, other than the $200 hike from zenfone8, not to buy this phone outright. Software and security support are super important!
I have the Zenfone 9 and because of this I'm selling it. I had this phone a year now and it's amazing especially the battery life but overall security support is my main concern.
Very important
Looks like I'm going to get one - this Asus ticks all the boxes for me..
yes
asus software looks like a well developed stock custom rom with customization
And it feels like that. I bought the Zenfone 9 to release and the software is imho the best of all.
I don't know if this is a standard thing, but I really like that u can go to the next song/prev/pause with simple gestures when the display is off. Just a example.
why samsung doesnt release any phones n 5.8-6" compact form?. All phones are 6.5"+ and with low resolution too..
They do, people just forget the S20-S23 exist lol
@@RealWorldReview just one true compact phone per year out of 50?
Sadly yeah. That and the Zenfone 8/9, though nothing gets iphone mini sized
What about gaming???
Little small, but I’m getting the same performance that my Redmagic 6S Pro gave me.
Couldn't the smaller Pixel 7 be considered "compact" compared to most phones, too?
Pixel 6A is relatively small but still quite a bit bigger than 5.9 in. The Pixel 4a was the last phone that was comparable in size to the ZenFone 9. Pixel 6A is actually bigger than the s22 base model as well. Which is strange since they're both listed as having a 6.1 in screen. But I compared them head to head at Best buy and 6a was a good quarter inch taller.
@@michaelcorcoran8768 Good to know! I guess I underestimated how small the Z9 actually is. I haven't seen one in person yet, nor the Pixel 7.
Why should that be a Polycarbonate at the back?! This does not look like actual "Polycarbonate". Do you mean "plastic"?
Have you experienced software bugs?
Surprisingly no. The power button is a little low, so having that for swiping down is annoying, but surprising the phone is pretty stable
I had this phone and had to sell it. Problem was picture quality and it doesn't recognize call ID when in roaming unless you save the number with international code
It looks like a Nord N20
Can we get this in India
If a phone battery lasts multiple days and can be charged fully in under an hour there is no point in wireless charging. People with a bunch of wireless charging crap are just mad it is being made obsolete already. Kipple wear. Sorry.
You are using 2 hands. 😊
S23 vs zenfone9🤔
Hard to say, value id say S23. Person choice, Zenfone
@@RealWorldReview 👍
S23. I sold my Zenfone 9 and got the S23
Its got s10e bezels... unfortunate since the pixel 3 is a better phones and its from 2019. Waiting on the zenfone 10
I pre-ordered it (the highest spec) before it came out. That was a mistake. Software is buggy. Camera SUCKS which is hilarious since that's sort of the key selling point. Can't notice any major effect of the huge RAM etc... It really is a quite shitty phone. And for the money it's REALLY BAD. A Buy something for 1/4 of the price and you'll be much happier. Also, there are sites and apps that simply doesn't work due to the screen size. Not really their fault and I appreciate everything they've done to make a phone that is different (e.g. screen size). But it doesn't take away that it's a shitty phone.
Everyone is crying about couple of years of updates. Who cares about that? I think that's stupid. Just get phone and use it. Latest update will be the greatest update and that's it - you are set for some time.
In most cases updates just ruins the phones functionality. Most of my friends hate Android updates - they are sick of it. And I was too. I hade Poco F3 - (fingers crossed) never ever Poco phones - those useless Google/Android updates drove me crazy even I turned them off. 🤦
I've look for a long time and am yet to find real cases of people's phones being hacked. Everything is about fixing the exploit, but never the exploit being used
S23 killed small android market. Nothing touches it
No headphone jack, underscreen fingerprint reader, and double the price. No thanks.
@@1CommonView double the price? Barely any difference where I live. No jack is bad but have dongle already (still bad). Fingerprint scanner works great, had one on the side in s10e but actually under the screen is more convenient especially when the phone lays flat on the table
Usb2 = ffs
Rog 6 pro 18gb rom the best
A little big lol
Yes, take s23 for yourself and don’t sweat your brain!
I sold my Zenfone 9 and got an S23.
Only thing it needs is Separate app volume slider like Samsung has.
That's a thing?
This phone is good but with only 2 years of updates is kinda dumb lol
You say that, but the Pixel 7 software support ends in 2 years and 8 months from now. That’s 1 year and 1 month longer than what Asus promises (it’s possible they continue security patches or actual android version updates, as google promises security updates only until 2027, not the 2025 of the android version updates. Google has never made updates to the android version after their promised time, whereas Asus could if they want to). Either way, the Zenfone 9 has 1 year and 7 months left
Lacks type c 3.1
Apparently it’s a common thing for Asus, but still, most companies were off USB 2.0 after 2019
@@RealWorldReview sucks because I'm using a Zenfone 9 now and only read about the type c 2.0 only after the purchase. Super snappy phone though and the battery is incredible!
Everything is fast except large file transfers lol
@@RealWorldReview what would you prefer, I downgrade to a OnePlus 7 pro and wait for the Zenfone 10 or just stick with the Zenfone 9?
Yeah that's a little disappointing. I think that should be standard. As it is, seems like 50/50 these days as one plus, Google and Xiaomi do not have USBC output typically either.
Phone is a waste of rare earth metals, at least for me. No sim cards ever work for it
Might be your carrier
No since they are only promising 2 years of security updates...
Show me when a security update cause a real life hacking. I’m yet to see someone’s phone get hacked wirelessly (without it being from someone’s email account)
Very worthful smartphone
I have a quick question, why does Asus get the software experience so right. Why are Xiaomi and Poco's software so horrific. It's so confusing and disorganized. I loved the hardware but omg it was terrible experience with Xiaomi/poco