ASUS Zenfone 10: A Compact Yet Powerful Smartphone

After the triumph of the Zenfone 9 last year, Asus continues its momentum with its new compact smartphone, the Zenfone 10. Perfectly usable with one hand, it is even more potent than its predecessor. It incorporates the fastest chipset of the moment, a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. It is also based on a better-refreshed screen, muscular stabilization of the camera, excellent connectivity, and wireless charging. Has the Taiwanese brand won its bet? Find the answer in this comprehensive Asus Zenfone 10 review.

Table of Contents

The Technical Sheet Of The Asus Zenfone 10

At first glance, the technical characteristics of the Zenfone 10 show a performing smartphone capable of being better in all situations. Here is its technical sheet in detail:

Operating System: Android 13
Android overlay: ZenUI
Voice assistant: Google Assistant
Screen size: 5.9 inches
Screen type: AMOLED
Screen resolution: 2400 x 1080 pixels
Refresh rate: 144Hz
Internal memory: 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB
Battery capacity: 4300mAh
Wireless charging: Yes
Fast charging power: 30W
Rear cameras: 50MP; 13 MP
Front camera: 32 MP
Connectivity: WiFi 7; Bluetooth 5.3
Dimensions: 146.5 x 68.1 x 9.4mm
Weight: 172g
IP certification: IP68

The Zenfone 10 comes in the box with a hard protective shell, a 30W charging case, and a USB-C to USB-C cable.

A Compact And Lightweight Design

The Zenfone 10 satisfies from the first grip. It is a compact smartphone you can easily hold with one hand and put in your pocket without any discomfort. Its dimensions in height and width are the same as those of the Zenfone 9, i.e., 146.5×68.1 mm. On the other hand, its profile is slightly thicker than its predecessor, at 9.4 mm against 9.1 mm. The weight has increased slightly to 172 grams from 169 grams last year. The Zenfone 10 has a metal chassis. Its textured matte back leaves no fingerprints and is rather pleasant. It is available in 5 colors: white, black, blue, green, and red.

On the back, it has two giant sensors that do not go unnoticed and immediately distinguish it from other phones. The power button is on the right edge and is a fingerprint reader. The lower edge is dedicated to the speaker grille, the hatch for the SIM card, a microphone, and the USB-C connector. And finally, a 3.5 mm mini-jack socket is on the upper edge. The set is IP68 certified, meaning the device is waterproof and, therefore, resistant to dust and immersion in water for 30 minutes.

A Refreshed Screen Up To 144 Hz

The Zenfone 10 has a 5.9-inch screen with Full HD+ definition (2,400 x 1,080 pixels, 445 ppi). If the Zenfone 9 panel has been capped at 120 Hz, it can reach a refresh rate of 144 Hz in video games, guaranteeing more fluidity and responsiveness. However, the Zenfone 10 cannot dynamically manage the display frequency.

In “Automatic” mode, it adjusts the refresh rate between 60, 90, and 120 Hz depending on current use. For the specifics, Asus announces a maximum brightness of 1,100 nits. It is suitable for enjoying good readability daily. It benefits from DCI-P3 gamut coverage exceeding 112% under Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection. The colors displayed are shimmering, and the contrast is, of course, perfect.

Astronomical Performance

By equipping itself with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, the Zenfone 10 delivers cutting-edge performance. It gets by quickly, even with the most demanding mobile games. The graphics options are also very high. On the other hand, this power is paid for at the cost of significant heating after a long gaming session. This problem has already been seen with the Zenfone 9, and Asus has not yet managed to resolve it.

The phone gets so hot that it ends up being uncomfortable to hold. Regarding memory, Asus is considerate. Even if the storage is not expandable, you have plenty of choices during the purchase. Indeed, the Zenfone 10 is available in 8/128 GB and 8/256 GB versions, but also with 6 GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 512 GB of UFS 3.1 storage.

An Eloquent Photograph

The Zenfon 10 is furnished with two camera modules on the back and one on the front:

A 50-megapixel Sony IMX766 wide-angle lens with an f/1.9 aperture and 6-axis hybrid stabilization (EIS and OIS) using a gimbal;
A 13-megapixel ultra-wide-angle offering a 120° field of view;
And a 32-megapixel selfie.

The primary camera does perfectly well during the day, with excellent sharpness in the center of the image and a good range of brightness. On the other hand, the colors are a little too saturated. For its part, the ultra-wide angle is less precise compared to the primary sensor. The x2 digital zoom is acceptable, but at x8, the photograph turns into an abstract painting.

At night, the shots taken with the Zenfone 10 need to be clarified. We see a significant loss of detail in the angles. In addition, the colors need to be better reproduced. This phone offers a compelling Portrait mode. And as for the front camera, it uses the 4-in-1 binning process to take photos by default in 8 megapixels. The selfies lack detail, and the focus is only sometimes at the top.

Autonomy Up To Two Days

The autonomy of the Zenfone 10 is excellent. It lasts a day and a half, at least during intensive use. If you go more slowly, its autonomy can go up to two days. Remember that this smartphone is powered by a 4,300 mAh battery, the same as that of the Zenfone 9. The integrated Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip has dramatically improved its autonomy. In addition to the supplied 30W charger, the Zenfone 10 can be charged wirelessly with a maximum of 15W.

Price And Availability

The Asus Zenfone 10 will be marketed from August 2023. The price varies depending on the configuration chosen. The most affordable version has 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage memory, costing 799 €. The 8/256 GB configuration will be sold at €849 and the 16/256 GB at €929.

Verdict

For the Zenfone 10, Asus takes the solid foundations that ensured the success of the Zenfone 9, but with some improvements. Beautiful and compact, it is more powerful and more enduring. The Zenfone 10 is, first of all, very pleasant to handle thanks to its compactness and lightness. Ultra-efficient, it benefits from Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, Qualcomm’s most powerful SoC.

It is swift in everyday tasks and the most demanding games. Autonomy is also significantly improved. Difficult to exhaust it in one day. We only regret the slow charging of the phone, which is limited to 30 W wired. The absence of a telephoto lens is also a considerable drawback for photography lovers. But all in all, this Asus Zenfone 10 is an excellent device and has convinced us!