Asus Zenfone 10 review: Compact 5G smartphone with a lot of power

Asus’ Zenfone 10 will please everyone who finds the current flagship cellphones too bulky: the compact and relatively light smartphone comes with a lot of memory on request, which also works as fast as an arrow. It scores with very high system performance, long software updates, fast WiFi 7 and a stylish, IP-certified case that is also available in brighter color variants.

At a price of US$749, however, the smartphone competes with the Samsung Galaxy S23 or the Apple iPhone 13 mini and you have to accept a few weaknesses. For example, compared to Samsung’s flagship, the camera lacks the optical zoom capability, which reduces the flexibility of the camera setup. Compared to the iPhone, the images appear less sharp.

The screen could also be a little brighter, the strong heating of the phone under high load is annoying and the battery life is average. The fact that Asus installs a USB 2.0 port in its Zenfone 10 is also no reason for joy. But users who want a 3.5mm port combined with high performance will hardly get past the Zenfone 10.

Compared to the Zenfone 9 predecessor, the changes are few, but the faster storage and wireless charging stand out.

The Zenfone 10 is a tentative update of the previous generation that convinces thanks to its compact dimensions and high performance.

Since the prices for the Samsung Galaxy S23 have fallen significantly in the meantime, it is a strong competitor thanks to its zoom camera and even brighter screen. The Zenfone 9 is also cheaper and buyers only have to settle for minor drawbacks, such as the slightly slower storage.