Robert Triggs / Android Authority

The ASUS Zenfone 10 is here! Although the rumor mill made it seem like ASUS would wildly reinvent what it does with the Zenfone series, the 2023 flagship phone from the brand keeps things very similar to 2022’s Zenfone 9. In other words, if you like your Android phones small but still powerful, the Zenfone 10 should be right up your alley.

This article has everything you need to know about the Zenfone 10. If you want to dive in deeper, be sure to check out our full review of the ASUS Zenfone 10!

Asus ZenFone 10

Asus ZenFone 10

Compact design • Great build quality • Robust performance and battery

Small phone, big gains.

ASUS raises the bar for compact flagships with the Zenfone 10. Brilliant gestures, solid build quality, and the addition of wireless charging make this a tough little phone to beat.

In the US, the Zenfone 10 starts at $699 for the model with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of non-expandable storage. In Europe, the Zenfone 10 starts at €799 (~$876) for that same configuration. These are the same prices at which the Zenfone 9 launched.

In addition to the 8/128GB model, there will be an 8/256GB model for $749 / €849 and a bonkers-level variant with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage for $799 / €929.

The ASUS Zenfone 10 will be available in five colors: Midnight Black, Starry Blue, Aurora Green, Eclipse Red (shown throughout this article), and Comet White. ASUS says that not all colors will be available in all regions, but the United States will see all five colors.

One of the most significant bits of news related to the Zenfone 10 is an increase in the company’s software update promise. ASUS is notorious for offering only the bare minimum of updates to its phones, but the Zenfone 10 gets a (slightly) increased commitment. You can expect two Android upgrades and four years of security patches with this phone. Since the Zenfone 10 launches with Android 13 out of the box, that means you’ll get Android 14 in 2023 or early 2024 and Android 15 later. You’ll then only get security patches until 2027.

ASUS Zenfone 10: Features

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As with 2022’s Zenfone 9, the most notable aspect of the Zenfone 10 is its size. At 146.5 x 68.1 x 9.4mm, the Zenfone 10 is a compact smartphone about the same size as a Samsung Galaxy S23 or an iPhone 14. A major difference, though, is that the Zenfone 10 is much thicker than both of those phones. However, that thickness is welcome because it makes room for the battery, which is significantly larger than phones of similar size.

Check out all the other information you need on specific aspects of the ASUS Zenfone 10 below.

Camera

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As with the 2022 Zenfone 9, the ASUS Zenfone 10 has a dual-lens camera system on the back. The primary lens is a 50MP shooter with a Sony IMX766 sensor. It’s paired with an ultrawide camera at 13MP. There is no telephoto lens.

As with previous Zenfones, we were very impressed with what the rear camera system can do. Our testing found images to look terrific under ideal conditions, and the phone performed admirably in low-light conditions, especially considering its size and price bracket. To be clear, it certainly will not be the best camera phone you can buy in 2023. But when you combine its camera abilities with its other features (small body, headphone jack, large battery, fast processor, etc.), you have a terrific overall package.

The Zenfone 10 has an admirable camera system with a few unique abilities you won't find on competitors' devices.

On the front, you’ll find a 32MP selfie camera in a left-aligned display cutout. This sensor is a bit unique in that it’s an RGBW sensor, which ASUS claims can handle up to 67% more light intake and up to a 50% reduction in visual noise. Unfortunately, these advancements come with a huge trade-off: the loss of autofocus. ASUS says this trade-off is worth it, and we tend to agree; in our review, we found the device to be a more-than-capable selfie shooter. However, it still won’t be as good as some of the best phones for selfies out there because of that loss of autofocus.

Finally, folks looking for an excellent phone for shooting videos should be really excited about the ASUS Zenfone 10. Its main camera is unique in that it has a six-axis gimbal stabilizer system that encompasses the entire camera module. In other words, instead of compensating for visual shakes by moving the lens, the entire module moves. This creates super-smooth video footage that really impressed us.

Performance

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Every Zenfone so far has launched with the latest flagship processor from Qualcomm, and 2023 is no different. Inside the Zenfone 10, you’ll find the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC. This makes the Zenfone 10 incredibly powerful and able to hold its own against other top-tier flagships of the year, including the Galaxy S23 series, the OnePlus 11, and the Motorola Edge Plus (2023).

Paired with that processor, you can choose between 8GB or 16GB of RAM. Going with 8GB will ensure you still see a snappy response even with many apps open, while going with 16GB will offer, well, pretty much the same experience. Honestly, there’s really no reason for any smartphone to have that much RAM, but if you feel you need it, it’s an option.

In our testing, we found the Zenfone 10 to be a beast when it comes to processing. However, its relatively small size doesn’t handle heat as well as larger devices, like ASUS’ super-sized gaming phone, the ROG Phone 7. Therefore, we’d advise gamers, content creators, and other folks who need performance that can go the extra mile to steer clear of the Zenfone 10. But people who just want top-tier daily performance will be thoroughly impressed with the Zenfone 10.

Display

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The Zenfone 10 has a 5.9-inch AMOLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate. It’s capable of a peak of 1,100 nits of brightness and has a pixel density of 445ppi. Its resolution isn’t super high at only 2,400 x 1,080, but since the screen is so compact, you probably won’t even notice.

Unfortunately, ASUS did cut some corners here. For example, the display having a 144Hz refresh rate is great, but that is not a fully adaptive rate. In other words, there’s no LTPO here, so you can either lock yourself to 60, 90, 120, or 144Hz, or let the software bounce you around those set speeds automatically. You won’t, however, be able to drop down as low as 10Hz while reading a book, for example. This is disappointing as LTPO panels are something we’ve come to expect on Android flagships, but the fact that the display goes up to 144Hz is a decent enough trade-off.

Design

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Although there have been subtle refinements, the ASUS Zenfone 10 looks a lot like the Zenfone 9. The photo above should illustrate this pretty well, with the Zenfone 10 on the left and the Zenfone 9 on the right.

We feel this is an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” situation. The Zenfone 9 was a beautiful phone, and the Zenfone 10 ups the ante with better detailing, different color options, and a very solid build. You also don’t need to sacrifice durability, as the Zenfone 10 comes with the same IP65/IP68 rating as its predecessor.

Along with the phone itself, ASUS is releasing a cool first-party accessory called the Connex Case. The official Zenfone 10 case goes on the phone like any other, but there are accessories you can then connect to the case. These include a credit card sleeve and a kickstand. The kickstand, though, is actually connected to the phone itself, allowing for custom actions when using it. For example, popping out the kickstand could automatically launch an app of your choice.

Battery

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The most popular phones that are similarly sized to the ASUS Zenfone 10 — the Galaxy S23 and the iPhone 14 — have batteries with capacities under 4,000mAh. The Zenfone 10, however, has a 4,300mAh battery, which practically ensures you’ll get similar or better battery life when compared to those two competitors.

Of course, this necessitates the phone be a few millimeters thicker and a few grams heavier.

Still, our testing showed the battery lasting all day under a moderate load with a little extra juice left over. If you do run out, charging the phone won’t take forever, thanks to its 30W wired charging speeds. Wireless charging is available, too, at a standard 15W.

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