Asus has announced a new smartphone, the Zenfone 9. It’s the company’s flagship phone, and it packs some great features for video. Read on to find out more.
Design
The Asus Zenfone 9 is a compact phone that’s designed to be used with one hand. As such, it weighs under 6 ounces and measures 5.8 inches by 2.7 inches and is 0.4 inches thick. The phone’s screen is a 5.9-inch 2400 x 1080 120 Hz Samsung AMOLED display with a 20:9 aspect ratio. Asus state that the screen can display 112 percent of the DCI-P3 color gamut.
Processor
The Asus Zenfone 9 is powered by the impressive Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor. It’s also available with up to 16 GB RAM and 256 GB storage. One point to note is that the storage can’t be upgraded, so you should buy the best specification you can afford.
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Cameras
The Asus Zenfone 9 has two rear cameras and one front camera. The main rear camera uses a 50 MP Sony IMX766 sensor. It also has an aperture of f1.9 and has a field of view equivalent to a focal length of 23.8 mm for a 35 mm film camera. The ultrawide rear camera has a 12 MP Sony IMX363 sensor and an f2.2 aperture. This camera’s field of view is equivalent to a 14.4 mm lens in 35 mm terms. Finally, the front camera has a 12 MP Sony IMX663 sensor. It has an f2.45 aperture and a focal length equivalence of 27.5 mm against a 35 mm film camera.
Video
With its rear camera, the Asus Zenfone 9 can record 8K UHD (7680 x 4320) video at 24 fps. It can also shoot 4K UHD (3840 x 2160), 1080p FHD and 720p HD video at 30 / 60 fps. In addition, there is a range of slow-motion options. In 4K UHD, the Zenfone 9 can record at 120 fps. While shooting at 1080p FHD, this rises to 240 fps. Finally, in 720p, the phone can record at an impressive 480 fps. There is also an option to shoot timelapse videos in 4K UHD. The front camera is more limited in terms of video, recording at 30 fps in 4K or 60 fps in 1080p.
Stabilization
The Asus Zenfone 9’s main camera has a built-in, six-axis hybrid gimbal stabilizer. This feature monitors the phone’s movement in every direction and uses that information to adjust the lens position in real time. Asus state that it offers plus or minus three degrees of movement correction. The stabilizer should really improve the quality of your handheld footage, especially when walking with the phone while filming.
Other features
The Asus Zenfone 9 has a 4300 mAh battery, which Asus claims can last nearly two days with normal usage. The company also claims it will give you over 18 hours of video playback. The phone has a 3.5 mm audio jack, so you can use wired headphones with the smartphone. In addition, the Zenfone 9 has IP68 water resistance.
Verdict
Asus has packed a high-specification smartphone into a small body. The gimbal stabilization is an especially attractive feature for run-and-gun shooters or vloggers. In addition, the phone has a good range of resolutions and frame rates for video. If you are a video shooter looking for a new smartphone, then the Zenfone 9 is worth considering.
Pricing and availability
The Asus Zenfone 9 is available with three RAM and storage options. The lowest spec model with 8 GB RAM and 128 GB storage costs $699. There is also an 8GB RAM version with 256GB storage at $749. Finally, for $799 you can get the top-of-the-range model with 16 GB RAM and 256 GB storage.