In terms of delivering powerful performance in a small space, Asus remains the leader in the smartphone market. Additionally, Asus phones tend to have great battery life, though their camera capabilities and software updates are not as advanced as those of Samsung and Google.

In conclusion, after having read this review of the Asus Zenfone 10, we can state with confidence that it would be a great buy for any Android user, regardless of whether they are looking for a smaller phone or not.

The Design of the Asus Zenfone 10

For the past few generations of Zenfone, Asus has put an emphasis on making their devices compact. This has not changed; the phone is still a 5.9-inch handset that is more diminutive than most other Android phones that can be purchased presently.

The Zenfone 10 can be distinguished from its predecessor by its rear cameras encircled by new rings and its distinct back panel texture; otherwise, it is quite difficult to tell the two Zenfones apart.

Weighing in at 6.02 ounces (172g), the Zenfone 10 is slightly heavier than its predecessor, but still quite lightweight. Its slender size allows for Asus to ensure that the phone can be comfortably used with one hand, making it a great option for those who want a smaller device.

The pleasure and productivity of being able to operate the Zenfone 10 with one hand while my other hand is occupied, like when I’m having a cup of coffee.

The Zenfone 10’s lightweight design is partially due to its bio-polycarbonate plastic back. Although the thought of plastic on a high-end phone may be a cause for concern for some, it does not feel in any way inexpensive. In fact, the material offers a unique, grippy texture that provides a reassuring feeling when held.

The Zenfone phone includes a 3.5mm headphone jack along the top edge, a feature that is becoming increasingly rare on devices. To top it off, the phone also offers IP68 dust/water resistance, something many other flagship phones seem to lack. It makes one wonder why Asus can manage to provide both features.

For the Zenfone 10, Asus has presented a broad range of colours including Aurora Green, Midnight Black (shown), Comet White, Starry Blue, and Eclipse Red.

Assessing the Display of the Asus Zenfone 10

The Zenfone 10 is equipped with a 5.9-inch AMOLED display with FHD resolution and a maximum refresh rate of 144Hz which only works in certain games. For other uses, it still offers a smooth 120Hz performance which is on par with Samsung’s S23 flagships and better than the 90Hz peak of the Pixel 7.

It’s a pity that the Zenfone does not quite measure up to the Galaxy S23 and Pixel 7 when it comes to luminosity and colours. Despite its large-screen advantage, the Zenfone 10’s accuracy of colours and peak brightness are lower than those of the other two phones. Nevertheless, the Asus phone still provides a respectable colour gamut coverage.

Analysis of the Camera Feature on the Asus Zenfone 10

In terms of its camera setup, the Zenfone 10 may not be the most impressive. However, its 50MP main camera, 13MP ultrawide camera, and 32MP selfie camera are of good quality. The Galaxy S23 contains a telephoto camera, while Google’s Pixel 7 has some of the best photo processing technology on any phone. It’s in other areas where the Zenfone 10 can be seen to have value, rather than its photo kit.

The 50MP main camera on the Zenfone 10 doesn’t include a zoom lens, however it does permit up to 8x digital zoom with a pre-set 2x in the camera interface, which will deliver the same 12MP resolution as a normal 1x shot. This 2x zoom can be compared to what the S23 offers, as their main camera is also used for this magnification, whereas the dedicated telephoto camera starts at 3x.

The pictures taken by both devices are particularly noteworthy, although some may find the brighter and clearer photograph taken by the Galaxy S23 to be superior to the dimmer and softer photograph taken by the Zenfone.

When comparing the video capture capabilities of the Zenfone 10 to the S23, the difference is clear. The main camera of the former is equipped with a 6-axis hybrid gimbal system that stabilizes the phone up to 1.5 degrees in any direction, making the bobbing effect while walking much smoother. The results of this system are evident when panning motions are recorded.

The resolution of the selfie camera on the Zenfone has been modified by Asus, who have replaced the traditional RGGB sensor with one featuring RGBW pixels. This is believed to improve lighting and reduce noise.

In any case, the Zenfone 10 produced a darker self-portrait than the S23. Furthermore, the portrait mode effect of the Zenfone has not been able to cut me out as well. The Zenfone’s colours are more vivid, which make the bright areas of a photo stand out more and not cast a pallor over me as the S23 does.

At the end of the day, the Zenfone is able to go head-to-head with the Galaxy S23, even if it isn’t able to surpass it in any particular category. Unfortunately, it lacks a telephoto camera which is a shame, as Asus had to likely opt for cost-effectiveness or to save internal space. For the price one would pay for this phone, it would be nice to have a third rear camera to cover all essential phone photography requirements.

Performance

Asus has certainly not been stingy with the Zenfone 10 when it comes to the chipset. It is powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, and you can choose between 8GB, 12GB, and 16GB of RAM depending on where you purchase it and the amount of money you are willing to spend. Therefore, you are getting similar performance to the Galaxy S23’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, or even more memory than what is available on the much pricier Galaxy S23 Ultra.

The investment Asus put into the RAM and processor of the Zenfone certainly showed in our benchmark tests. It was able to either beat the Galaxy S23 or come close to it, despite the latter having much less RAM but possessing a top of the line Snapdragon chip. The Pixel 7, on the other hand, with its Google Tensor G2, was not able to compete in these tests, even though it offers other advantages that the tests were unable to measure.

The storage capacity on the Zenfone 10 ranges from 128GB to a whopping 512GB, so you’re sure to have enough space for all your files regardless of how much you use your device.

The Battery and Charging capabilities

The battery capacity of the Zenfone 10 is quite impressive, given its compact size, at 4,300 mAh. This is more than the 3,900 mAh offered in the Galaxy S23 and almost matches the 4,355 mAh in the Pixel 7. What is remarkable is that despite its smaller size, the Zenfone still manages to offer a greater amount of battery power than the other two devices.

Recharging doesn’t take place rapidly, unfortunately, as the most it can do is 30W. This is especially slow when compared to a device such as the OnePlus 11, which has an 80W charging speed. After 30 minutes plugged in, a depleted Zenfone 10 only reaches 54% battery life, which is not particularly speedy in today’s standards.

Fortunately for Asus, the Galaxy S23 charges rather quickly, achieving 55% in a 30-minute period. Additionally, the Zenfone 10 surpasses the S23 and Pixel 7 by including a charger in its package.

The charging rate of 30W remains the same as the Zenfone 9, but the Zenfone 10 has added 15W wireless charging. We weren’t able to test it, but according to Asus it should take two hours to charge the device wirelessly. Even though it’s a lengthy process, it’s still convenient to have as an option to charge your phone without looking for a cable.

The Software and Unique Elements on the Asus Zenfone 10

At initial inspection, the surface of the Zenfone 10 appears like the run-of-the-mill Android, but Asus has implemented a few one-of-a-kind touches. The power menu, volume controls, lock screen and quick settings all have an alternate aesthetic, and are structured to give more options with fewer taps than traditional Android, something I definitely appreciate.

Using ZenTouch, further shortcuts come in handy when you swipe on the fingerprint-reading power button. My favoured ZenTouch shortcut is to open and close the notifications shade/quick settings window, yet one could also use this feature to scroll through webpages or skip through YouTube videos.

The Zenfone 10 has a useful QuickShot feature that activates the camera with a double-press of the power button and takes a series of pictures in a row. Furthermore, the Edge Tool provides a fast way to access apps and shortcuts with a swipe from the side of the screen, though it is not as customizable as Samsung’s Edge Panels.

The future holds more from Asus. An upgrade to the Zenfone 10 will bring a semantic photo search feature, similar to those on iPhones and certain Android devices, that will make it simpler to look for pictures of specific topics or containing certain words in the gallery.

Despite the numerous impressive features of the Asus product, its update schedule is a major letdown. It only offers two years of full Android software updates and four years of security updates, as opposed to Samsung and Google, who both offer four and three years of full updates, respectively.

The size of the current market for sub-6-inch phones is uncertain, however, the Asus Zenfone 10 appears to have created a stronghold in this area.

Finding something similar to the Zenfone in terms of size and quality is hard. If you’re looking for a smaller Android phone, the 6.1-inch Google Pixel 7a or the basic Samsung Galaxy S23 might be a good option. However, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 could be a more suitable choice since it can be closed up to reach a smaller size. But when it comes to cost, power and power efficiency, the Zenfone is the best alternative among these phones, unless you prioritize photo quality above all else.