TWO WEEKS WITH THE ASUS ZENFONE 9: Of mice and Zen

Flagship power in a rodent-sized chassis, or just a mid-ranger at a top-end price? Basil Kronfli takes Asus's latest compact Android for an extended spin...

-  Basil Kronfli

From £699 / stuff.tv/Zenfone9

DAY 01

It's pretty rare to find a phone with a screen smaller than 6in these days. But in a world where 'mid-range' no longer means mediocre, where low-cost phones like the Pixel 6a and Realme 9 Pro+ offer high-quality cameras, and where even the best phones under £400 can play top-tier games, is there still a place for the Asus Zenfone 9-a superphone without a supersized screen? The secret of its supreme pocketability is that 5.9in display, but at 9.1mm thick it's a little chunkier than you might expect. This heft holds the Zenfone 9 back from feeling truly refined, but it still comes across as premium and the felt/velour hybrid that covers the back certainly stands out. It seems like it'll discolour pretty quickly, though, so picking one of the darker colour options - it's available in Midnight Black, Moonlight White, Starry Blue and Sunset Red - seems like a sensible move.

Despite the soft touch it's still IP68 dust/water-resistant, plus there's Gorilla Glass Victus on the front- and if you're still worried about dropping it, there's a hard plastic case included in the box to add some extra protection. The flat sides are blasted metal, and despite its smaller-than-usual dimensions Asus has still found room for a headphone socket on top.