Asus Zenfone 10 review
The Asus Zenfone 10 is a compact flagship that sticks to its predecessor's winning formula. With a pint-sized yet premium design, similar display features, and a new chipset, the device looks poised for success. But with no major breakthroughs in camera technology and some compromises on features like autofocus, it's worth wondering if this iteration is worth upgrading from last year's model.
Build Quality and Design
The Asus Zenfone 10 is a compact flagship that boasts a premium build quality, despite its pint-sized frame. The phone's design is identical to its predecessor, the Zenfone 9, with a grippy polycarbonate backing and a metal frame. This minimalist approach may seem unorthodox in an era of giant screens, but it's a deliberate choice that sets Asus apart from other manufacturers. The Zenfone 10's build quality is robust and reassuring, with a weighty feel that suggests a solid foundation. The phone's edges are smooth to the touch, and the metal frame provides a sense of solidity that's hard to find in smaller devices. IP68 water and dust resistance is also standard, ensuring that the phone can withstand the rigors of everyday life. One of the most striking aspects of the Zenfone 10's design is its compact size. At just 5.9 inches tall and 2.7 inches wide, it's a phone that can easily slip into a pocket or purse. This makes it an ideal choice for those who prefer a more discreet device, without sacrificing the performance and features of a flagship. Overall, the Asus Zenfone 10's build quality and design are exemplary. It's a phone that feels like a premium product, with a robust build and a confident design that's sure to appeal to fans of compact flagships. While it may not break new ground in terms of innovation, it's a reliable and well-crafted device that's hard to fault.
Battery Life
In our review of the Asus Zenfone 10, we take a closer look at its battery life. The phone's 4300mAh battery is nearly identical to last year's model, and our results show that it has improved in screen-on usage but worsened in standby times. Our overall endurance rating for the Zenfone 10 comes in at 109 hours, which is similar to last year's score. However, this mixed result means that users may not see a significant improvement in battery life compared to previous models. In terms of charging speed, the phone still uses a 30W wired charger, which takes half an hour to top up from 0-60%. The addition of wireless charging is a welcome feature, though. Unfortunately, our measurements suggest that the Zenfone 10's standby times are not as efficient as we had hoped. While the Zenfone 10's battery life may not be significantly better than last year's model, it still manages to hold its own in terms of overall endurance. However, users who are looking for a significant improvement in this area may want to look elsewhere.
Display
The display on the Asus Zenfone 10 is similar to its predecessor, featuring a 5.9-inch OLED screen with a 1080p resolution and Victus protection. The notable upgrade here is the 144Hz refresh rate, which promises smoother visuals. However, in practice, this feature is only utilized in gaming mode, where it can be enabled through a toggle in the gaming overlay. When swiping around, the display remains at its default 120Hz setting. This means that while the new refresh rate does offer some benefits, it's not as widely applicable as one might hope. In terms of general display quality, the Zenfone 10 delivers good results. The screen boasts great contrast and supports HDR10+ video playback. Color accuracy can also be very good, depending on your color settings. Brightness levels are decent, reaching around 440 nits in manual mode and up to 800 nits in auto mode when exposed to bright sunlight. One area where the Zenfone 10 falls short is in bass response - the speakers tend to favor midrange frequencies over low-end punch, making them less ideal for music listeners. Overall, while not a major overhaul from its predecessor, the display on the Asus Zenfone 10 remains competitive and worthy of consideration for those seeking a compact flagship experience.
Camera
The camera capabilities of the Asus Zenfone 10 are an improvement over its predecessor, but not significantly so. The dual-camera setup consists of a gimbal-stabilized 50-megapixel main camera and a 13-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera. During the day, photos from the main camera are solid, with plenty of detail and a natural-looking rendition. The dynamic range is excellent, and exposures are well-balanced, even in complex scenes. However, one notable difference from the Zenfone 9's photos is the color rendition, which is more saturated on the Zenfone 10, particularly in outdoor shots. Portrait mode shots also look good, with effective separation between the subject and background. A two-times digital zoom is available, and images are usable, albeit with some sharpening applied. In low-light conditions, the camera performs well, producing detailed photos with minimal noise and saturated colors. However, there is a noticeable amount of sharpening, which can give details a slightly over-processed look. The Zenfone 10's main camera also excels at capturing video up to 8K resolution at 24 frames per second, but we focused on 4K quality in our testing. Videos are detailed and have good contrast, with pleasing color rendition thanks to the gimbal stabilization. However, low-light 4K videos can be noisy. The ultra-wide camera during the day captures good sharpness, wide dynamic range, and vibrant colors, particularly in foliage and skies. However, there is no autofocus available on this camera, which limits its use in close-up shots or low-light conditions where night mode processing is applied. Overall, the camera capabilities of the Asus Zenfone 10 are an improvement over its predecessor but not a significant departure from it. While it excels in certain situations, such as video capture and low-light photography, other aspects, like ultra-wide-angle autofocus, remain unchanged or lacking.
Price and Value
The Asus Zenfone 10 is the latest compact flagship from the Taiwanese manufacturer, but does it offer enough improvements over its predecessor to justify an upgrade? As we delve into the details, it becomes clear that the answer is not a resounding yes. Priced similarly to its predecessor, the Zenfone 10 seems to be more of an iterative update rather than a significant step forward. The design, display, and camera setup are largely unchanged from the Zenfone 9, with the only notable upgrades being the new chipset and wireless charging capabilities. While these features may appeal to some users, they don't necessarily justify a $500-$600 price tag, especially considering that last year's model is still available at a discount. The lack of any significant camera improvements, including the loss of autofocus on both the ultrawide and selfie cameras, also makes it harder to recommend the Zenfone 10 as a must-buy. Ultimately, unless you're desperate for wireless charging or want to future-proof your phone with the latest chipset, there's little reason to upgrade from last year's model. The Zenfone 9 remains an excellent compact flagship that still offers impressive performance and camera capabilities at a lower price point. In short, the Asus Zenfone 10 feels like a pricey evolution rather than a revolutionary update. If you're in the market for a new phone, there are better values to be found elsewhere.
Performance
The Asus Zenfone 10 is a compact flagship that promises to deliver superior performance. In this regard, the phone largely succeeds. The new flagship chipset, Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, provides a significant boost in processing power compared to its predecessor. Benchmark tests reveal that the Zenfone 10 performs on par with other top Android phones, with seamless day-to-day performance and excellent gaming capabilities. Multitasking is also a breeze, thanks to the efficient processor. However, thermal management is where the phone stumbles. In default Dynamic Performance mode, the phone quickly throttles when subjected to intense stress testing. While maintaining this level for an extended period, it can lead to stuttering in games. Switching to High Performance mode improves performance but leads to periodic throttling, which may cause minor glitches. Despite these thermal management issues, overall performance is still impressive. The phone's ability to maintain high frame rates and smooth gaming experiences makes it a great option for gamers. However, users who demand top-notch performance might find the phone's handling of extreme temperatures underwhelming. The Zenfone 10 also boasts improved memory capabilities with UFS 4.0 storage and LPDDR5x RAM, ensuring snappy app launches and responsive interactions. While not groundbreaking, these upgrades further enhance the overall user experience. Overall, while the Asus Zenfone 10 excels in terms of performance, its thermal management limitations may raise some concerns for heavy users. Nonetheless, it remains a top-notch compact flagship that delivers smooth experiences across various scenarios.
Pros
1. The display has a great contrast, support for HDR 10 plus video, and good color accuracy.
2. The fingerprint reader is blazing fast and reliable.
3. The phone comes with IP68 protection against water and dust.
4. The battery life is similar to the previous model, but with better screen on results.
5. The charging speed is nearly the same as expected, with a 30 watt wired charger that can top up the phone from 0 to 60 percent in half an hour.
6. The cameras take solid day photos with plenty of detail and good dynamic range.
7. The main camera has gimbal stabilized video capture up to 8K at 24fps.
8. The Zenfone 10 is still a great phone, one of the best compact flagships on the market.
Cons
1. The display's highest refresh rate setting is only usable in games.
2. The cameras lose autofocus on the ultra wide and selfie cams compared to the previous model.
3. The ultrawide cam's video quality is good, but lacks contrast and wide dynamic range.
4. There is a bit of sharpening in low light conditions that can lend details a slightly over-processed look.
5. The phone doesn't have any major upgrades over the previous model except for the chipset and wireless charging.
6. The white balance in indoor scenes with the selfie cam was a bit too cold.
7. You might not need to upgrade if you already have last year's Zenfone 9, as it's still a great phone.
8. The camera's ability to handle movement like running is not perfect.