Asus Zenfone 9 | Unboxing & One Week Review
Vložit
- čas přidán 25. 06. 2024
- Unboxing Asus' Zenfone 9 flagship smartphone and reviewing the camera tech, gaming performance on Genshin Impact, battery life and other bits. I've been using the Asus Zenfone 9 as my full-time phone for a week so here's my early verdict on one of the best compact mobiles - and simply one of my favourite smartphones - of 2022.
UPDATE: The UK price is £699 for the 8/128GB model, £749 for double the RAM and storage.
Okay, the camera tech isn't quite as pro as the Oppo Find X5 series, while there's no wireless battery charging or microSD support. However, the Zenfone 9 is smartly designed, boasts strong media chops, and gamers will adore the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 performance, capable cooling and dedicated gaming mode. Battery life is also incredible for a mini smartphone, beating the Xiaomi 12, Pixel 6 and other rivals.
The Asus Zenfone 9 can still capture great looking photos and up to 8K resolution video using that IMX766 camera sensor. It'll certainly suit most users, with plenty of bonus modes on board. Plus the ZenUI launcher is nice and light, while adding some nifty gesture support and other extra tools.
Asus Zenfone 9 Unboxing and Review Chapters:
0:00 - Oh, woe, Zenfone 8
0:59 - What's in the box?
1:41 - Design
3:57 - ZenUI & features
7:38 - Display & audio
9:59 - Performance & gaming
12:42 - Battery life
13:57 - Cameras
18:07 - Byyyeeeeee - Věda a technologie
Thanks for checking out my unboxing/review of the Zenfone 9, hoping to spend a lot more time with it in the coming weeks and bring you a full longer term verdict. So far though, it's a proper cracker. What do you reckon, tempted?
WHERE DO U GET UR WALLPAPERS I HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR SO LONG
@@cool_bug_facts yeah i dont think thats neccesary...zenfone 9 wins easily
With the flagship hardware crapped into a manageable size and a jack on it I am already sold, but ASUS just tickles my marshmallows with this. Launch event done and dusted but nowhere to buy this damn thing - Asus website has no mentioning about it other then a link to the launch event. is this now launched or they just started tickling?
@@caspyberry4951 yes me too! Have the same question! Please respond!!
I was really looking forward to this phone, but it just doesn't do it for me, them cameras just look cheap and tacky, I will give it a miss this time round, I was so close to getting the Zenfone 8 but ended up with the s21 sd, but great review..
Probably the best phone that came in years and certainly a phone of the year. Bravo Asus!
I want it so bad just for the design and form factor
It's gonna be on my top five of the year list, easy - unless some serious heavyweights come along!
@@TechSpurt Even from Motorola ? 😏
the camera seems like a weak point compared to the Pixel
zenfon 8 its better camera!
The hype for the headphone jack is well deserved
Ha, never sure how many people still care, but I love to see some jack!
@@TechSpurt Trust me there are many and options are always better when you need them
The disappointment for the lack of expandable storage is well deserved.
3.5mm has still better audio quality than Bluetooth...
As someone who works in media, a jack is key! I bloody hate dodgy dongles.
This could be the one to dethrone my Pixel 5 🤔. Nothing wrong with a 'plastic' back. I really don't see why anyone would want an easily breakable rear as well as the front. As the guy says '...Glass is glass, and glass breaks'. Great Review Uncle Spurty 👌
Cheers, and it's definitely a worthy Pixel 5 dethroner 😉
But $800 🙁
I agree... 4 years and I would have bought it to replace my S10.
Glass helps with dissipating heat
If you are ready to compromise completely on camera go for it 😄
I don't even care what devices this guy reviews, I'd still watch his videos. I just love his commentary and jokes here and there. He's a man of culture as well.
I can't tell how much i love the overall size,built and design of this phone...it literally looks the perfect size for a smartphone which no other companies make these days...
Except for Samsung have the S22 and Apple have the iPhone 13. Both of those are so dimensionally similar in height that it's 0.? of a mm difference between them.
I think ASUS have missed a trick here - small screen but only because of bezel around edge..
iPhone 13 mini is the best compact phone on the market
Xperia 5 III all the way ❤️
Yeah...but why is a small form factor a premium price thing these days...
Why doesn't any but solid mid range specs at this size?
I want to pay less the 500 anything for this size...
The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 plus and 3.5mm Headphone Jack and that compact size is why I'm getting Zenfone 9...
Good luck with the shitty software support and midrange cameras
@@ronaldmcdonald6067 lol... Who wants Software Support anyway, the companies introduce bugs, reduce battery life and make phones slow with the software support, and I can live with the Camera, But 3.5mm Headphone Jack 😍... I can't live without it
@@ronaldmcdonald6067 the first thing i do after unboxing a new phone is unlock it's bootloader and install aosp/pixelexperience rom and gcam mod
@@sahilrawat5621 exactly... but do you its usable for multitasking?
Man I wish this got more than 2 years of updates!
Agree! 2 years and it's ewaste. What a shame.
@@mikemeat man you are over exaggerated it, its not like in 2 years of usage this phone gonna brick or unusable.
@@destinyhero4795 some people can't afford to gamble with no security updates unfortunately. I wish it wasn't the case.
@@mikemeat bruh I don't even update my phone because every update slows the phone down like its planned obsolescence.
@@yaminsiddiqui4690 Vote with your wallet! Apple slowed down my old phone with updates and I never used them again. Same with poor security updates, it's not worth giving these companies money if they don't give long term support!
Perfect upgrade path from my s10e
If it had wireless charge it would be indeed. Guess it'll be the xiaomi 12 after all
I'm in the same situation but it's quite expensive tho
Do you have any idea how asus software compared to samsung? I've tried chinese brand like xiaomi etc their software is awful. If this asus zenfone is good i might use it as replacement
@@drwd4941 It's pretty much close to stock Android.
@@drwd4941 Well I have the ZenFone 8 with the last update android 12 and I can say it's just simple and amazing, it's smooth like crazy with 90hz or 120hz, even tho I don't use it, the battery life is just ok, nothing exceptional, I can last like 5h of SoT with data at full luminosity. I'm totally satisfied with the os and the hardware
This is the best smartphone design i have seen in years! Kudos to asus
I couldn't help but admire those stunning wallpapers
Man if I hadn't already upgraded phone this year I would have loved to give this a go. Looks great and we need more competitive phone companies out there
10/10 for that back design they were adventurous and it is working
Got the Zenfone 8.
Love this phone. I think the side mounted fingerprint scanner was a wise change !
My s10e still amazes me with about 3 years of usage. Only picked it up bc of the size but it's impressive. And now Asus comes with a "s10e mark 2" and I'm thinking about to upgrade.
YES! I love my s10e and was waiting for something similar.
Another Galaxy S10e owner reporting in! Great phone, holds it's own 3 years after release. What bothers me about Zenfone 9 is lack of micro SD slot. Well, and 20by9 aspect ratio isn't as comfortable as 19by9 of S10e
@@ComBatKolyamba Yeah SD slot would be ideal although I cannot complain finally a new phone under 6"..
S10e at least had those 3 years of updates, and last updates made it GREAT to use still. I am seriously considering staying on it for another year as this Zenfone 9 only has 2 years of updates... That's very sad part.
@@Dominik-iv6ek yeah, especially with the OneUI 4 Update
I love the design and the form factor of this phone .
S22, S22+ or zenfone 9 which is favorite design for you.?
2 years of updates killed it for me. Such a powerfull chip and just 2 years? This smartphone could easily be used for 5 years.
I do agree man. I got a Sony and also only 2 years update. Hopefully they see our complaints and improve it too. For the rest this phone is amazing. I can't stand iPhone and Samsung keeping the headphone jack out tbh
Exactly. That 8+ Gen 1 chip is a beast. I compared some of the benchmarks on it. I use an iPhone 13 Pro. On Geek Bench the A15 beats it. On 3D Mark and Antutu however, the 8+ smokes the A15. You KNOW that chip can handle 4-5 years of updates.
My asus Zenfone 5 2018 only have 1 year update support 😂
@@coltonkleins Well, at least you recieved 1. A while back I had the BlackBerry Key 2. It had Android 8 on it and never received an update! Makes you want to pull your hair out! LOL
Honest question.. What difference does it makes anyways nowadays? Android itself is not really updating much plus community devs can come up with custom roms if you really need to slap on those updates 🙆♂
Great compact phone. Love that fast fingerprint sensor on the side. 😀
The fact that a 5.9" phone can pack a flagship SoC with a reasonable performance, a 4300 mAh battery, and A HEADPHONE JACK kinda shows the smartphone industry lie all other manufacturers have been telling us.
Addicted to this guy's vocabulary and classy reviews 👌
For it's size, the unusual headphone thingy I would say that this might be one of the best flagships of this year and considering how close we are to the end it probably will be the best in this year's round up.
Asus 9 is what I wanted Pixel 6a to be😢😟
Can't agree with you more. If pixel just added a headphone jack it would have been perfect
Zen 9 is what I want the P7 to be - with better camera sensors.
So tempted. I've been asking for years for OnePlus to make a smaller phone, but I'm done waiting and this looks great. Will have to get my tiny goblin hands on one.
Cheers me dears. informative. to the point, no diddy daddling, first hand experience. After 5 years of watching, im now subscribed and involved!
more software updates and an SD card would make this prefect for me. Overall I love the design though. Maybe could have been a bit smaller, but this is as compact as we get in the Android world nowadays. Love the extra thickness for that chuncky battery.
Yeah, SD card would have made it the ultimate s10e mark 2
@@VV-wl8gb yes
Yep, shame they didn't extend to 3/4 years of full-on support, but otherwise it's a solid all-rounder
Agreed, wholeheartedly. No is SD card is a huge miss here.
@@TechSpurt That is stopping me from buying it. Can't afford to shell out 800 eur to 2 years and then lose almost all value because it will essentially become useless to me without updates.
man, that SD card support would just make it THE PHONE of choice for enthusiasts 😣😣😣
💯
I am indeed tempted on that Zenfone 9! I've been using Zenfone 5 for 4 years up to this day and I love it so much that I wanna upgrade my phone with the same brand.
Great significantly informative review. I liked how you also showed off some of the zen ui features. Many reviewers skip such smaller details and mostly focus on the camera stuff. You have a new subscriber. Thanks for the video.
Finally a worthy upgrade from my OnePlus 3T! The Zenfone 9 checks all the boxes for me. Sure 2 years of updates is a letdown, but I can likely manually update the OS later on with a custom rom. Also no expandable storage is a bummer, but not a deal breaker. I nearly pulled the trigger on last year's Zenfone 8, but the battery life & ramdump issues turned me off. It's just really refreshing to see this kind of performance & features in a compact phone for a reasonable price 👍🏼
Custom ROMs are buggy af they killed my old phone and they are unoptimized so your battery gets a big hit so 2 years of software updates is HORRENDOUS especially for a phone this powerful
Replaced the battery on my oneplus3
@@ronaldmcdonald6067 Agreed with 2 years of software updates being awful for a flagship, but I've been using custom ROMs for years and they were usually just as polished as the official updates (though this depends on what devs work on your device - had a better experience with ROMs on my OnePlus 3 compared to my Mi 9T)
not having a micro sd card slot is a bit of a bummer, but everything else looks great about this phone. I love the fact that it actually has a headphone jack unlike other "flagship" phones
Just buy the 265gb version
Im using asus zenfone 8 and so far it's really good, the biggest purchase I've had and glad this channel help me on choosing it
Excellent review. Detailed information.👍
FINALLY THE PHONE WE DESERVE!!!!!!!!!
I love it. Earphone hole, and the battery life. Also the option for 90hz. I LOVE IT!!
Buying it...
Actually worth the wait..
Thanks 🙏 mate
I love this phone! Perfect size and look!
I really hope they continue with the flip series, maybe we will get to see a zenfone 9 flip this year
Great job Asus !
Man i was searching for this in the morning ahaha thank you❤
That design looks so good!
If only this had 3 or more years of os updates, it would have been the perfect phone.
I really love the design! As for the software, I believe it can be installed with custom rom like after 2 years although, performance might be an issue.
Awesome awesome review! Can't wait for the comparison with the mid-ranger Pixel 6A
Thanks man for the review...i am already in Love with this zenfone 9...well Done 👍 a
Button fingerprint sensor 💗💗💗
it would be an insta buy if it had at least 4 years of support
IT IS SO GOOD TO SEE A GOOD COMPACT SMARTPHONE IN THE MARKET
Ι love it . Very good looking phone, compact with very strong specs !! It must be my next SmartPhone !
A charger in the box and a case that's built for the phone ???!!! Finally a company that respects its customers
And companies excuse of size constraints are all trashed by its headphone jack
*its
I don’t care those.
Just give us SD card slot
and No holes. Hide in the bars. IDC.
Brilliant review as always. No wireless charging is a deal-breaker for me, can't trust the wired port to stand the test of time and dust. Thinking I'll hold out until the Pixel 7 in October. Shame because I would have loved the smaller size!
I use my phone for 3,5 years and have no issues with charging port. Besides they're replaceable, so can be fixed.
Can u just be clean?
I never having that issue
In my entire Phone life
(Almost 20 years btw)
This has got to be one of the nicest looking phones I’ve ever seen
Your review is bloody good.
Would you do a camera comparison between this and the Pixel 6a please? I know they aren't in the same price bracket but they're two of the smaller phones available which has me looking at both. The one major advantage to the Pixel I know is the update situation.
Pixel 6a will still be noticeably bigger than this. I wonder how the cameras compare.
My question exactly! Especially on camera performance.
Could probably get Gcam for this.
agree!!! for those of us who want smaller profile, these two are at the top of the list.
Just watched a comparison video, Pixel makes noticeably better photos
SD870 instead of 8+Gen1
Fingerprint scanner
3 years of Android updates
Reduced price
Would have been the perfect choice
xiaomi 12x then, bit bigger but yeah
@@thecrionic xiaomi 12x is good option?
@@JoseAlves-nr9xt If you don't mind MIUI, a few bugs (honestly the zenphone has some too) and the digital proximity sensor, yeah. But the proximity sensor is really buggy on all of their phones, never works properly and is really annoying.
It's very rare to find a Compact Android Phone but this one Came out..Gonna buy this one ❤️
Absolutely awesome 😍
The heating seems to be the same as zenfone 8. Wish they release a light version with SD778 or older 870 or 865 like the MI 12X. As a owner of the zenfone 8, the heating while gaming or video recording is very high
I've still got the One Plus 7T with it's 855+ chip, never really overheats and it's still on Android 11 👍
Why u ever wanna game on a Compact phone?
Not bad phone I have to say. It looks like Honor 50 mini version with some impressive performance. However I'm waiting for Asus ZenFone 9 pro.
are they releasing a pro version?
@@sageofsixbroths Not this year
@@veryinterestingpersonaliti8321 i assumed as much. Did they ever release a Pro version or was it the flip variant? im not familiar with their history all too well...
WOW what a phone 🔥🔥🔥 my next phone for sure
Awesome timing and review 🐱
I love how Asus keep the compact size but I wish they use flexible amoled screen to get symmetrical bezels.
The back is like a 8.5 but the frot suddenly looks dates and cheap
that would be 1000$ thank you very much sir
@@minari548 heard about the nothing phone?
@@minari548 It would be like 25$ more
@@RimZeime but i want sd8gen1 also this phone is way better in all aspects even design. imo the nothing phone seems inconsistent. an android with an iphone body with transparent back and lights design, lets say the nothing os is same. claims to be an apple ecosystem clone. no hate on nothing phone though. its just this phone is reasonable priced for me. am also talking about 1000$ iphone symmetrical bezels and idc about zenfone not having one. sorry for long comment and bad engrish
The only thing that would made this phone perfect is SD card. I have LG V30,with headphone jack and SD card slot,that phone is still unreplacable for me. On top of all that,on android 9,this phone still rocks like the first time i took it out of the box,and that was 3 year ago. Never had any hickups,never done any hard reset,i mean there was no need for any reset. I still didnt find anything that could replace it. Headphone jack and SD card is main feature for me. Without that,any phone is not complete.
Same i have a G8 and as much as i want that zenfone 9. Its just missing that sd card slot.
I think every company should be forced by law to knock some good ol headphone jack and an SD cart slot on each of their phones, it's just insane how a huge chunk of people(including me obvious) wants these amazing features but still struggle to find such amazing phones supporting them, such a letdown.
@@aliazab5310 sony offers that.
I was waiting for your video!!!!!!
Definitely interest on this, but will wait for a price drop though. As usual, great video!
I can understand the price hike but a two year only software support is pretty terrible at this price point.
Please request Asus to launch it in india on time 😔
Lmao
This is the best design for a phone I've seen so far.
Masterful review. U pack so much info n humor, in a concise manner, without feeling rushed. I have a feeling this is the phone you’ve been waiting for. This is the 13 mini of android with possibly better value. Phablets don’t impress me. Anyone can shove a large battery n great spec in a massive chassis. ZF9 n 13mini r technological marvels of efficiency n power. This is a great time to be a compact phone lover, for either os. Dare I say I’m primarily an iOS user? However, just traded in my pixel 4a for the P6a ($300 off plus buds was too good to pass up), arriving today. Currently using iPhone SE/2016 bc I love the form factor. Also, it’s still getting updates 6.5 years later. I wish ZF9 had more updates. Anyway, I’ll prob grab the 13 mini for -$100 when 14 released. Again, enjoy both os n now can have both for a good price ($149/P6a + $629/13 mini). But the ZF9 has me very intrigued. Not sure why I’m ranting. Nobody cares. I’m just bored af. Peace.
This phone is great, except for the lack of SD card.
And not NFC lol
I sold my Asus Zenfone 8 because of the fingerprint and battery life. If they managed to improve these 2 IM in baby. And I saw the side mounted fingerprint, this must be better than any indisplay fingerprint. The only bad thing is that they didn't give us at least 65w charging :( but i hope the battery life is around 6 h sot
The Zenfone 9 will have better battery life with the more efficient 8+ gen1 and bigger battery. Only question for me is by how much. I almost got the Zenfone 8 but didnt pull the trigger in the end. The 9 will be my next phone if it has noticeably better battery life
I returned the Zenfone 8 in favour of the Pixel 5 in part for the battery and fingerprint sensor too. Also the desing and material of the back, didn't look that good and was super slippery.
If the gsmarena test is anything to go by (it usually is) the battery has improved significantly (doing a fair bit better than the Pixel 5, which already is about as good as it gets for the size). The power button mounted fingerprint sensor is an absolute banger of a desicion (I had one once, and I may actually like it even better than the rear). And the desing and material of the back is great.
So in short, I'm very tempted to go with a 9, happy as I am with the Pixel.
Only bad things about it are the bezels and the 9mm thickness.
@@GaudyGabriev i returned to OnePlus 8t from Zenfone 8 but i m also thinking to go back on Asus. Their zenui is absolutely lovely just hoping the battery is as good as OnePlus 8ts
@@Unknowner291 Well the scores in gsmarena are 104h for the oneplus 8t and 108h for the Zen 9, so pretty good.
That's compared to the 95h of the Pixel 5, which I've always felt does a very good job with it's 4000 mah.
Very nicely reviewed
I like how honest you are
Not too right or left, moderation is the name of the game 👍
appreciate the tiny humor here n there !
I think the pricing is a little steep, considering iPhone 13pro is available for €949 now
Prices will go down gradually.
@@shamimazad007 after the iPhone 14 launch, prices of 13 will also go down
Who the hell is using crappy iphones! Android all the way.
@@Episode_13 you can get s22 ultra under 900 now
@@Episode_13 I'm going for iPhone 14 Pro crap or not gotta try an iPhone
I guess my hunt for a compact phone with a headphone jack and wireless charging continues...
How wireless charging help in daily life ? please explain
@@lvlup3173 some people like having it as an option. It costs pennies to put into phones and can be handy in certain circumstances. You don't need to use a feature daily for it to be something you want in a phone. Personally I do use it daily because I have a wireless stand, which means I can place my phone on charge at night without reaching for a cable. The stand combined with an always on display also means I can use my phone as a bedside clock. Not a big deal, but I like the convenience.
Matter of perspective..
I can't use my phone while charging ( wireless )
I can't charge my phone fast.. which i want nowadays..
And connecting to a wire is as easy for me as putting phone on a Wireless Plate..
For you it may be convenient for me it's like another gimmick
@@lvlup3173 yeah definitely subjective. I've bought a phone that can last an entire day so using it while charging and fast charging aren't issues for me.
@@ThaedDavid If the phone is IP68 then I don’t mine the wireless charging. Because I don’t need to put on a waterproof case.
outstanding camera bump & compact design
Phone of the year Kudos to Asus you guys nailed it...💗
Asus are good until they screw up the firmware updates and never fix them.
What do you mean by that?
@@amantripathi6080Zenfone 8 and Asus ROG 5 have ramdump issue that can only be fixed with new motherboard. Very expensive to fix if warranty ended
@@manwell235 oh,and that happened because of a buggy software update or something?
@@amantripathi6080 no, but Asus never release an update to fix it despite increasing cases so it counts as poor software support right?
That wallpaper lol, man of culture!
Like it, but I'm keeping 8 for one more year, absolutely nothing wrong with it. Good changes, good work Asus.
Really a great Device! Great Video as well Boy!
Looking awesome! I'm still using a Zenfone 6, the one with the flippy camera and still works perfectly fine, so no reason to updgrade (also because of the price bump uugh)
Headphone jack is a must for me, glad they kept it. Good job Asus. Just, lower your prices to be very competitive!
If you're making a full in depth review may I ask to go over the haptics as well. Great video as always.
Thanks Chris - just preordered. Currently £50 discount on Asus UK 👍
Praise someone. This is perfect. Plastic Back 😍😍😍 , head phone jack and big battery. Just camera a bit unnecessary but I can live with that because of that plastic back side 😍
Awesome review of the Zenfone 9. I want a pint or two now 😆 Great video Sir ❤️✌️ Cheers bud 🍻
I just pray for better availability 🙏 here in latinamerica is sooo hard to find Asus phones. But this one is perfect to finally replace mi S8. Thanks for the super early review👍
I have had my ZenFone 6 for nearly 3 years now and it is still going strong, but this seems like the right time to upgrade!
Such a beautiful phone
i waited your review~!!!!!! yeah!!
Ooohh the size and specs! This is rare on android phones nowadays.. i love it!
Small flagships need to make a comeback!
My next phone , decided . Great review 😃
Finally i am getting a worthy upgrade over my pixel 4a5G ...
Yessss it has a headphone jackk......
Thanks for the review
Spurt rockssssss
Just ordered it!
I am using the zenfone 8, and I'm loving the upgrades compared to it's predecessor. Might upgrade if trade-in is possible here in my country but not expecting too much.
My next phone for sure 👍👍!!
design is just top notch
the best compact flagship ever!
I can't wait to buy this
the size is the best feature. checks so many boxes