ASUS accidentally spills the beans on the Zenfone 9 with early video teaser
Earlier this week, ASUS made a big splash with the ROG Phone 6 for gamers. The premium flagship pairs the latest silicon with all the bells and whistles a gamer could ask for, wrapped up in the outlandish styling ROG hardware is known for. If your smartphone tastes are a little more traditional, though, the upcoming Zenfone 9 might be right up your alley, and today we get an early preview thanks to what seems to be an accidentally published YouTube video.
The accidental upload on ASUS's own channel was swiftly marked private on YouTube, but apparently not swiftly enough (via Android Authority). In the interim, people shared it on the ASUS Zenfone Forum Facebook page and downloaded copies of the video, which now remain online. The footage reveals the four matte colors the Zenfone 9 would be offered in — blue, red, beige, and black. The chassis is finished in black for all the colors, except the beige one.
The eyeball-grabbers on the back of the phone are the two prominent cameras. ASUS continues to use fewer cameras with better hardware, like with the Zenfone 8, instead of equipping the device with an array of mediocre shooters. Behind the Zenfone 9's primary lens is a 50MP Sony IMX 766 sensor with ASUS's gimbal module. As the name suggests, the camera could use six-axis stabilization to deliver rock-steady footage and shake-free images. The video doesn't reveal details about the secondary camera, but if this is anything like last year's Zenfone, we're probably looking at an ultra-wide unit.
The Zenfone 9 teaser also claims the phone would come with IP68 certification for ingress protection and water resistance. Despite the certification, the phone retains a 3.5mm headphone jack which hasn't just been vanishing from flagships like this, but mid-range phones as well. Another uniquely ASUS feature is the ZenTouch side-mounted fingerprint sensor that would double up as a power button and let you scroll through pages. On the front, you'd be able to consume content and enjoy everyday tasks on a Samsung-sourced 5.9-inch AMOLED display capable of a 120Hz refresh rate. The Zenfone 9's display would have a left-aligned hole punch cutout for the selfie camera.
On the inside, the Zenfone 9 plans to draw power from a substantial 4,300mAh battery. Since the phone would be poised as a compact flagship, it would be powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip. The same processor is also seen on the recently-released ROG Phone 6. Qualcomm claims it offers 15% better CPU performance than last year's chip while being 20% more power-efficient.
ASUS could target video creators and outdoorsy people with the Zenfone 9's camera capabilities. The video suggests the phone would be available with a Smart Backpack Mount, which allows you to clip the phone near your chest while wearing a backpack. This could make first-person video recording more convenient. Another accessory showcased is the Flexible CONNEX phone case. It could come with a built-in cardholder and kickstand.
ASUS probably didn't intend to share this video publicly just yet, but it certainly helps lay down a baseline for what we could expect when the phone breaks cover officially. We hope ASUS prices the Zenfone 9 competitively and the worldwide launch isn't staggered like the Zenfone 8 — which made its India debut in February this year, long after its initial release.
( Details and picture courtesy from Source, the content is auto-generated from RSS feed.)
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