ASUS Zenfone 10 Smartphone Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 16GB RAM 512GB Storage Green -AI2302-16G512G-GN-UK - 90AI00M4-M000P0

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Alongside Asus’ usual HyperSteady mode, a new adaptive EIS function is available on the Zenfone 10, with AI Object Sense and HyperClarity – which ensures detail preservation at high magnification – among the other new photographic additions. Oh, and you’ll also now get an extra 2x magnification Portrait Mode. There’s a 144Hz refresh rate on offer to make everything feel smoother and more responsive, but there’s a catch; it’s not an LTPO display like other flagships, meaning it can’t drop down to the battery-saving 1Hz when needed. Instead, the phone automatically switches between 60, 90 and 120Hz in daily life, with the full 144Hz refresh rate exclusively available when playing games. So far, the tone of this two-minute review has been negative, and that’s because it’s hard to recommend this phone to people who aren’t dead-set on getting a small phone, but there are some qualities to the Zenfone that make it worth considering.

Neither shot is that impressive, though some may prefer the Galaxy S23's brighter, sharper effort over the darker, softer image produced by the Zenfone. As you might expect from a six-axis gimbal stabilisation system, video is also super smooth, even when shooting 4K@60fps video. Audio capture is also decent here, thanks to Asus’ partnership with OZO which helps reduce noise and provides stereoscopic audio for better immersion when capturing videos. Performance and software On days when I used the phone less, battery life got even better – in fact, I managed to go from Friday afternoon to Sunday night on a single charge. I used the phone as my normal device during the testing period which included bouts of photography, gaming and streaming shows, but I mainly just used it for everyday tasks; to listen to music on the way to work, doomscroll through social media during work and work or play after work. It's the same size as last year's predecessor (146.5 x 68.1 x 9.4 mm) and in hand, it's very easy to spot its narrow frame. This seems to be a niche point for ASUS and one which may be the key to the Zenfone's success over the last few years.On the front of the phone, the camera hardware has undergone a more drastic change, with the 12MP selfie snapper of years past ditched in favor of a 32MP shooter. This makes a marked increase on selfie quality – not only are they more high res, letting you edit and play with them more, but Portrait mode and AI processing upgrades are abound too. In this department, at least, Asus has sussed out how to upgrade its phones. ASUS only promises a maximum of two Android updates for its Zenfone 10, so owners can expect to miss out on exciting new features and improvements to existing software by the end of next year ...that's not ideal when most phone contracts are now 36 months. For comparison, Samsung promises five years of updates for its latest top-end devices, like the Galaxy Z Flip 5. The Zenfone 10's main camera features a 6-axis hybrid gimbal system, apparently stabilizing the phone up to 1.5 degrees in any direction when you record video. Testing video capture capabilities against the S23 revealed that this pays off, reducing the bobbing effect as I walked with both phones to make my panning motions much smoother on the Zenfone.

There’s not much of a notable change compared to LTPO panels in everyday use, but it would’ve been nice to see – not least because of improved battery efficiency compared to standard panels.Stereo Speakers, aptX-HD Support, aptX Support, Dirac Virtuo, Hi-Res Audio, Hi-Res Wireless Audio (HWA) The only downside is the charge speeds; it’s capped at a rather slow 30W when compared to other flagships like the OnePlus 11 and its 100W charging speed. I’ve found that a full charge is possible in around 1 hour and 20 minutes when using the supplied 30W HyperCharge adapter, which is fine, but can be a little slow for those last-minute top-ups.