Asus' new phone looks set to take over from the iPhone in one particular way
Apple won’t be the compact champ
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If you’re looking to buy asmall phone, one of the only companies that really services you isApple, with devices like itsiPhone 13 minigiving you lots of power in a compact body.
But it sounds like one of the few other names on the scene is gearing up to launch another product: theAsus Zenfone 9, which we’ve already heard a few leaks about, has been confirmed for a July 28 launch date.
The launch is due to take place at 6am PT / 9am ET / 2pm BST / 9am ACT, at simultaneous events in New York, Berlin and Taipei.
This is likely to be a pretty mini phone - not only did an early leak say it’d have a 5.9-inch screen, but we can literally see it in someone’s hand in the above teaser image, and it’s clearly not a massive mobile.
The above image seems to tease some functions of the phone - there’s a camera, a games console, a loudspeaker, a telescope, some more things that we really can’t place. There’s no front-facing camera in some of the images that Asus has shared, like the above one, but in others it is present - so don’t expect an under-display camera (UDC).
We’ll bring you more information on this phone as it comes out, particularly around the July 28 launch.
Analysis: taking over from Apple
While Apple is currently the key player in the small-phone space, that likely isn’t going to last for much longer.
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Rumors point to theiPhone 14not coming with a mini version, marking the end of Apple’s jaunt with compact phones (other than its SE devices).
If that turns out to be true, fans of small devices will have to look elsewhere - and that’s going to be a challenge, because very, very few phone makers opt to make sub-6-inch devices.
Asus will likely be one of the few brands catering to that need, so the Zenfone 9 could prove to be very popular - maybe it’ll hit our list of thebest smartphones.
ViaGSMArena
Tom Bedford was deputy phones editor on TechRadar until late 2022, having worked his way up from staff writer. Though he specialized in phones and tablets, he also took on other tech like electric scooters, smartwatches, fitness, mobile gaming and more. He is based in London, UK and now works for the entertainment site What To Watch.
He graduated in American Literature and Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia. Prior to working on TechRadar, he freelanced in tech, gaming and entertainment, and also spent many years working as a mixologist.
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