ASUS Zenfone 10 Review: The Best Small Phone, Again

[@deserter___]

You make my favorite reviews! I'm so glad there's an English speaking reviewer who reviews more niche phones out there especially all the Chinese phones. Thanks for doing what you do Ben!

[@hp22126]

For anyone trying to compare this to a Samsung S23. Here are my observations. You can choose between stock Android and Asus version of Android in Asus but you are stuck with Samsung's one UI in Samsung. You don't get a gimbal in Samsung. You get a headphone jack and also a bigger battery(helps to improve SOT) Supports aptX and aptX adaptive which Samsung doesn't give. Once a case is slapped on the back. I don't see much of a difference in both phones whether they are premium or not. Only things that are missing is that you don't have a 3x telephoto lens and USB 3.2

[@unknowncurious]

Thank you.

[@nickthaskater]

Updates and longevity are a pretty big difference with Samsung. OneUI is also fantastic.

[@hp22126]

@@nickthaskater What's the difference between 4 years and 5 years of security updates when the fifth year of updates on Samsung is half yearly or quarterly. Coming to OS updates, Android is pretty much a mature OS and having 2 or 3 OS upgrades doesn't make a difference. So it's just not Samsung but other phones in this process range except Sony and Motorola have a pretty good security update cycle.

[@mokisan]

My lovely Headphone jack! I wish it had a sd card slot too. Thanks Asus and Sony.

[@mikerowaveoven509]

Only phone that can compete with Iphone 13 mini in the size nowadays. I dont understand why there are not more smaller phone models, as I find them really practical.

[@nikytamayo]

This is a pleasant surprise! Wish they'd gone for a 1/1.3" main, at least. But that stabilization is so nice, either way.

[@humphreymadlala4462]

Another great video by Ben yet again.I'm certainly impressed by what Asus have come with, and even included wireless charging, which last year's ZenFone 9 didn't have.Small, compact smartphones are a rare breed right now, and even iPhone mini no longer exists.

[@ahareally]

This is aaaalmost perfect - very sexy phone :) I love the UI changes they made to stock Android. E.g. Notification shade 6 QS circles VS 4 pills, Brightness Slider on bottom. The folder opening on lower part of screen. I'm 100% with you: little basic things, yet really really useful. But like you mentioned in the end, I would probably miss the big(ger) screen too. Might be Mom's new phone though :)

[@bdw1968]

I picked up the Version Zen 9 and it was typical bad Asus quality. Constant BT signal dropping. Plus, dust specks in the camera module. Sadly this issue was from the manufacturing process. Sold the camera after 3 weeks of use. Love small phones, so was excited to pre-order the phone but disappointed by typical Asus quality . Don't waste your money on Asus. Just my experiences and comments. BTW always love your videos and content. Keep up the great work.

[@joelconolly5574]

I hope they'll stick with this for another generation or two. I find the Xiaomi 13 and S23+ to be the perfect size to weight ratio for large and one handed phone. The Xiaomi is narrower while the Samsung is wider. Both have triple cameras and both are top notch at what they offer. Too many flagships are large and weighs like a brick. These two? Perfectly balanced. As they should be.

[@michaelcorcoran8768]

In the United States the s23 plus it's just a rough value proposition. 999 for a 1080p screen without the premium camera features of the ultra... Might be different of another parts of the world but as far as MSRP I think it's probably the worst value proposition for a flagship in the United States

[@joelconolly5574]

@@michaelcorcoran8768 that's why we never buy Samsung at MSRP. Even Samsung know it. That's why they have trade-ins and deals.

[@Airihav]

​@@michaelcorcoran8768bought mine s23+ 512gb at 850usd

[@ymlccc]

Thanks Ben for another in depth review! still no micro sd card... this is a bummer :(

[@paoloenricoleone]

Great device. My wife has been complaining for ages about the sizes of smartphones and how no one thinks of women and their small pockets. This might just be the perfect device for her. Also, great to see you are getting the recognition you deserve by being invited to so many launch events and getting early access to newly launched devices, Ben. Nothing short of what you deserve for your great work!

[@nickthaskater]

S21, 22 and 23 were all this size.

[@lukemothug]

I have observed the exact opposite most people who want a small phone are men and bigger phones are women.

[@paoloenricoleone]

@@nickthaskater S21 and S22 have atrocious battery life, at least here in Europe where they were equipped with Exynos chips. The S23 is a tad bigger.

[@nickthaskater]

@@paoloenricoleone S23 is not a tad bigger. And yes, I'd avoid the Exynos models. Thankfully S23 doesn't have that problem.

[@fantasytky28]

Complaining about the size of the phone, but then proceed to buy iphone 14 pro max or s23 ultra

[@michaelcorcoran8768]

This launched at $700 in the US last year. For some reason it was more competitively priced here than in Europe.

[@DIGIBUNKA]

The prices in europe are all disaplayed with taxes included

[@jamesr124]

Word of the day lamenting. Ben doesn't miss! It's hard to believe he doesn't have more subs.

[@dotunmakun]

I think Asus could have gone for the complete feature list like the Sony Xperia and just add the SD card slot and I'd completely get this!

[@mokisan]

Exactly,. If it had a sd card slot I would buy it in a heart beat

[@ereseven]

If the issue is right which is this is the last ever compact Zenfone, I'll consider to get this as second phone. However, no tele lens is such a dealbreaker for me. Let's wait and see...

[@tototoleelee1993]

Haven't seen you in a while as KZbin isn't suggesting your channels for a while. But I've always enjoyed your reviews and this one too. Btw, your choice of words is intriguing and helps expanding my bank of expression lol

[@bensgadgetreviews]

Please subscribe if you haven't!

[@JPRoselino]

In my opinion this is currently the most informative KZbin channel to keep up with smartphones globally. Really nice job! One small nitpick with the editing, I think most of the time you should cut the audio from video samples as it can distract viewers from your point

[@bensgadgetreviews]

Thank you

[@JohnRossOfficialYT]

For me i would like to have a 6.1-3 inch size phone but seeing this cute size i would say this is one of best compact phone, i think between this a OnePlus 11 is a good phone

[@PauL-tr1mn]

Love what Asus is doing with Zenfone and RoG phone to. Both unique and they should up their software update policies even tho they are very open with custom ROM comunities just it's not for avg'jo. Bit I think the best compact today is moto razr40u. Tiny screen like first smartphones and huge ass screen if needed + desktop ready for..compact computer...that's where Asus should aim imo. It kinda covers a lot of nieche groups

[@hudsonm2010]

Ben, can you please review the galaxy a54 here in the channel? kinda curious about your take in that phone

[@kfcc66]

Great review - this looks like the mini Pixel 7!

[@JustPlayitc00l]

My best phone of the year so far😊 If only I could get it😢 Compact yet powerful... And with a HEADPHONE JACK All the other company have no excuse other than greed and pushing people to buy their wireless earphones... Thanks Apple

[@mohamedabdelsalam6094]

I think it's the best review for zen 10

[@reinhardtpeter3001]

If I could give a reviewer award, you would win!

[@SkoxLy]

Sadly no info about how many major software update, again only 2 years or not decided yet?

[@johncarrera176]

Hoping that the next review would be the Meizu 20 which is a brand we don't see many reviews on.

[@sasusaku21]

Agree with this

[@SunsetNova]

Love what Asus is doing with small phones

[@demetrisnicolaides3499]

Why doesn't anybody consider the Galaxy S23? A comparison would be nice.

[@usmanabdulkadir3334]

Awesome review keep it up as always Ben's brother

[@boombot934]

Thank you, Ben. Smartphone📱 is great😊

[@zuhaibkhan1408]

cld u do a comparison video on zenfone 10 vs pixel 8 pls.

[@Calocarv]

I am not sure why but your are the only phone reviewer that I take seriously. Does the zenfone 10 have usb 3.0?

[@adrianhillan1173]

Still usb 2.0

[@FUMEDECAROSO]

Great job pal. You're great.

[@sonicthefraghog4478]

Hi Ben. Could you test photos on moving people/pets? Compared to my Pixel and iPhone, the Zenfone 9 was appalling at this. I actually couldn't get photos of my kids or dog who don't sit still, so I returned it.

[@soladsani]

Great ben 👍 ..thank you 👌✌

[@kenadroider]

I hope this gets to launch in more markets 😞

[@eduard6450]

Isn't the front camera still limited to 1080p? At least that's what Asus says

[@paralelmind]

Hi! How is the haptics compared to Pixel phones?

[@andyH_England]

The Zenfone 10 is not a bad phone and it is in a sector (quasi-compact) that has limited competition. But the S23 would be the best choice IMHO with the deals that are around and because of 3X zoom (and better cameras overall) along with 2X OS support. ASUS is not really known for its support. Also, Samsung deals are massive currently. The quirky design will sway some, but once you slap a case on and after the honeymoon period you will be maybe thinking the S23 would have been better!

[@MrSaeedted]

You just have to deal with the shitty performing SoC and even shittier variant if your in Europe

[@Trumppower]

Will you also test Honor90? And comparing with Honor70 or so?

[@Miki-So]

What happened about Samsung's 200 mp sensor which was in news that Zenfone 10 would bring? So only thing new is SD 8 gen 2 and 2 new colors? No dedicated zoom lense either? 💔😔

[@Frankie_Freedom]

pleasant surprise. It is a good phone. Glad Asus is still doing these.

[@starname1981]

Hello, I have had this phone for 2 months and I can say that: 1. the screen was filled with scratches, 2. the back cover has become dull on the edges, it looks horrible, as if it were a fat cake, what a worst choice, trying to make the phone lighter, they chose this shitty plastic. 3. the zenfone UI functions, which should make your life easier, are stupid, for example the 2 times tapping function on the back of the phone works when it feels like it, or the one on the volume button, or the one on the sensor button, the phone is not calibrated enough for that. 4. when there are several active functions, or Wi-Fi is turned on, the battery discharges very quickly and even heats up. 5. the phone feels in the hand during operation, you simply feel the radiation, the SAR value is at the upper limit, it is not recommended to use it too much near the ear. 6. the frames of the cameras are uneven, I don't see what the point would be, anyway if you put the phone on the table and want to write or browse applications, the phone dances terribly, it cannot be used in this way, a special phone case is needed. 7. the material from which the back cover is made retains odors. 8. the phone tends to get hot, the programs are crowded and often more confusing. 9. I had to strongly reduce the number of functions to save the battery, if I don't use it it lasts for two good days, but I have to charge it overnight so that it doesn't discharge the next day. 10. still a Chinese shit in the end. I wanted it to be 10, but it's 11: the camera is under critical condition, until now I didn't think that there would be something like this on a flagship, incredible Asus, the worst software, I don't want to say more...... my review is 100% true, I don't want to offend anyone

[@chinsengfatt]

Phone like zenfone 10 is like Nokia 3310 on the go, fast operation in out, snap foto and send out. More for business man minded useage. Would like to get one below rm900 if possible

[@sarojghimire1751]

Mate I'm intrigued that you get all the new lot phones exclusively....but it's owrth it for us consumers 🙏🏽

[@JxcksonSF]

I would love if they lauched a cheaper version with a SD 7 gen2(or 7+ gen1), but the same gimbal tech. A IPS screen with HDR and 90fps would be enough for me.

[@lukemothug]

Proud to be cheap.

[@СтефанБздонский]

Usb - c 2.0????

[@kianhoo9197]

I only wish the bezels were smaller

[@hoangd4132]

idk man the 14/14 Pro is just as tall and only a bit wider. undisputed best small Android though, no other manufacturer bother that market anymore.

[@rolins3279]

Apparently, you've never heard of the S23 🤔

[@Maarten_vd]

Can you let us know if calling on speaker works well? Zenfone 9 did not do this well, others could not hear anything. And are dual apps working ? Whatsapp for example ?

[@fiverareblanks]

how does the screen brightness compare zenfone vs pixel 6a?

[@Soundwave857]

Did they get rid of the odd back coating?

[@marqessanzcora4089]

I hate them for the OUT DATED cam sensor

[@kilamayt597]

Why do they keep calling it the best small phone? S23 is smaller and it has a bigger screen

[@karo3529]

You do have a point though. The S23 is a fraction of a millimeter shorter, but about a millimeter wider, so they are approximately the same size, in terms of dimensions. Samsung using a 6' display does make the S23 a better mini phone, although battery could be an issue.

[@adrianhillan1173]

And better camera sensor, Asus downgrade their camera sensor

[@kilamayt597]

@@karo3529 yeah i was annoyed by this with the zenfone 9 reviews, which is a bit bigger then the 10. No one takes into account the size of the phone but the size of the screen.

[@malithaw]

​@karo3529 it's also 10g ligher than zenfone which is quite noticeable.

[@seanh1988]

Because oneui sucks

[@corsinivideos]

Nice looking phone and I love what ASUS has done with video stabilisation. But when it comes to being the only game in town, when it comes to small phones, unfortunately for Asus that's not the case as Asus have one major problem - the Samsung S23. The S23 is actually smaller than this phone and can also be found significantly cheaper now. Also this Zenfone 10s front design looks like a midrange phone with a big chin in comparison to the razor thin bezels of the S23. You also get 3X optical zoom and a better brighter display on the S23. Then in October we will get the Pixel 8 which will be a similar size, significantly cheaper with better cameras. So while it looks good, i'm just not sure its competitive enough as its going to be very hard to beat Samsung and Google.

[@hp22126]

You can choose between stock Android and Asus version of Android in Asus but you are stuck with Samsung's one UI in Samsung. You don't get a gimbal in Samsung. You get a headphone jack and also a bigger battery(helps to improve SOT) Supports aptX and aptX adaptive which Samsung doesn't give. Once a case is slapped on the back. I don't see much of a difference in both phones whether they are premium or not. So I would say it's not a direct competitor for Samsung.

[@corsinivideos]

@@hp22126 These are pretty minor things compared to the advantages of an S23. Stock android or Asus UI makes little difference really and you will be getting less updates and support than with Samsung One UI. All android versions all have their pros and cons. Gimbal stabilisation is negligible, Samsung has very good EIS and OIS and super steady mode. AptX is a niche use case many will not use as is headphone jack as most people are comfortable enough with wireless headphones or dongle sound quality. Samsungs front design, display, cameras, zoom etc are all better and the S23 is cheaper in many places which are all core features that most consumers are interested in. ThebBattery is the only single advantage I can see with the Zen phone but its only 400mah difference. I'm sure there is a very limited group of people who will pay more for APTX and larger battery but not a huge market. They are definitely competitors.

[@pudinichigo91]

Agreed with you, I love compact phone and if I need to choose between this phone vs S23 I would definitely choose S23 because of the price also more cheaper and almost in every spec are better on S23 except the battery life & headphone jack, which is I don't really care much about headphones jack but for the battery life I can live with 5-6 hours of screen on time, I would love my phone get 4 years os update which is with S23 I still can get update to android 17 but with Zenfone 10 next year will be the last update I will get with android 15

[@rolins3279]

​@@pudinichigo91🤝🏽

[@michaelcorcoran8768]

This is considerably smaller than the s23. That's a 6.1 inch phone. People are trying to pigeonhole it into a small form factor because it's hard to justify buying it otherwise. S23 is not a great value proposition at $800 in the US. For 1080p screen with a tiny battery. Was a disaster with the s22 because of the throttling issue and the tiny battery and 8g1. It's a little more palatable now because they switched to TSMC fabbed Qualcomm chips. But still, s23 is the definition of generic. If anything the more serious competition for an enthusiast is the pixel 7 which is undercutting the Zenfone by $100

[@jakupmadsen490]

S23 is a LOT better in just about any way! I have the Zenfone 9 also, and I am so so disappointed with how it has been performing. Only way to get decent usage time on the battery is to use the ultra saving mode, gaming makes the phone become really warm, as well if using the cameras to record videos wich eventually males the phone shut off the cameras, and the picture quality is shit compated to the S23! Even the older S10 and Xiaomis Mi 9T Pro have better picture quality in still shots. Asus Zenfone 8 is the better choice!

[@petertrex]

More like only, but ASUS is really really engineering this formfactor.

[@miskomarkovic3446]

What happened with Realme 11 Pro Plus?

[@DiRebel]

the best compact phone on the market

[@girish4010]

Can you compare it with xiaomi 13

[@GrimYak]

Probably my next phone since apple stopped making minis

[@pbuguz9402]

Hello, a'im for uzbekistan ❤️

[@GarminPro]

This phone form factor is the only thing that makes me want to try Android again.

[@Kyinre_]

I hope ASUS adds a periscope lens in future or smth, idk. Otherwise, this phone does check the boxes of so many features!

[@andyH_England]

No space for a periscope unless Asus discover a new way of doing it. No 3X zoom is a def negative for this as it is expensive, but neither does the base iPhone so it is not a deal-breaker.

[@Kyinre_]

​@@andyH_England hmm, I suppose the thing to shrink will be battery - using graphene instead of lithium ion, or some rearranging or breakthrough in other aspect. Idk. That may fit a periscope lens? Well, am always a fan of zoom lens on a phone, coming from and am still using Find X2 Pro. So, ya, looking around to see what's next from here.

[@chinsengfatt]

I have s10e second hand and definitely go for asus zenfone 9 or 10 for cheaper selling price.

[@rss5969]

S10e would have been and still the best if its battery life is much better

[@mrnobody8677]

Plz ben make a review on Meizu 20 infinity please please please

[@ridercun1]

1:25 what is the max nits?

[@markshumaker4135]

the blue zenfone 9 was only available with 6gb ram 128gb storage though.... i hope they dont do that again cuz the rest had ALOT MORE ..... i had the zenfone 5z an the zenfone 6 witht hte flippy camera... was great... just wish they would add 1 ( only 1) telephoto lens ... like a 5x zoomer an the phone would be near flawless

[@emmanuelezeagwula7436]

I'd rather pick the s23

[@michaelcorcoran8768]

"The Android market is very crowded." Unless you live in the United States in which cases pretty much Samsung, Google and one plus. Some moto (but many models don't come here). And Sony but that's of course super niche and expensive. I envy people that can shop between vivo and Xiaomi and oppo.

[@haI9k]

Anyone knows SAR values for this device?

[@wiredspeaker5658]

I definitely prefer a lighter more thin design but adhering to a large display. The Xiaomi MI 11 lite was incredible at only 157 grams and 6.8 mm. You don't even know it's in your pocket.

[@malithaw]

That's s23 for you. It beats zenfone in every metric.

[@fantasytky28]

And all this people considering all things but then choose to ignore the width is the most important for small phone

[@wiredspeaker5658]

@@fantasytky28 nope

[@iAfroTech]

13 Pro / 14 Pro / S23 são os melhores opções

[@gS-kt2ff]

I have never used side mounted fingerprint sensor (cum power button) in past. Hence a question: If I touch/press the button once, does it only wake up the phone or unlocks it completely? I frequently wake up my phone without unlocking it, to see time, notifications, etc. Can I do it in Zenphone with a fingerprint cum power button?

[@bensgadgetreviews]

You have the option to optimize. You can set it to begin scan on tap or press of button, and after sucessful scan you can set it to jump straight to homescreen or stay on lock screen

[@pudinichigo91]

With 2 years of software update that mean this phone will getting last os update android 15 next year, so it only around 1 year plus for software update because this phone come with android 13 and in the next few months Google will release android 14, and this phone getting last update with android 15 next year, it looks pathetic for phone that cost around $800

[@andyH_England]

The S23 will get Android 17 which puts it in perspective.

[@arcanjoBR1195]

Dude look at that bezels.. My God, this phone on front looks like a 2016 screen..

[@liv0003]

Sadly it doesn't support e-sim😐

[@quadqq]

what advantages does it have over an s23

[@SunsetNova]

Better battery life and headphone jack

[@adrianhillan1173]

Skip the Zenfone 10. They downgrade selfie cam & ultrawide cam sensor, doesn't support AF & 4K video

[@poodzmando]

Yet in Ben's video here he says it does support 4k. I think he might be wrong though.

[@Schmoblet]

i wish there was an iphone mini sized android with flagship-ish specs :

[@injured_lion]

I really hate how all brands are now switching to this boxy style Yes they look cool but they are quite uncomfortable, they dig into hands like r now I'm using the s23 and even tho it's very compact phone it's no way as how comfortable the oppp find x3/5 pro or the s20 or mi 10 etc used to be ...

[@f2pgamingcastleclashmore119]

i know people like the small phone, but i hate when companies keep only one size. i really like this phone but i would want a bigger size.

[@andyH_England]

Yes, a 6.5 inch with a 3X zoom would have been a great choice.

[@armanis1234]

Sad not ergonomic own 9 hand pain next day without case...

[@emmanuel-sa]

3:34 what game is that?

[@onlinem8158]

I will not buy it coz it does not have indisplay fingerprint sensor 🥹 else I would have bought it in a blink!!

[@yogeswarankesi]

Please review huawei matebook X

[@DRIVER-SEBVET]

Small phones are just not me anymore, don't even want it for free 😂 It doesn't matter how good it is, with that small display putting 8 Gen 2 in there and 144hz is a waste....

[@fantasytky28]

What a joke

[@darkvaderofjapan]

Anyone know if this phone works in Canada? Thanks

[@bensgadgetreviews]

Yes it works in US and Canada is just less crazy version of US

[@malithaw]

Bro wdym this ia the smallest phone? S23 is smaller than this, thinner than this and even lighter than this. Get your facts straights before mkaing rookie mistakes.

[@fantasytky28]

S23: 70.9mm Zenphone10: 68.1mm Couldn't care to even google? Smartass

[@Dafun51]

do u want to sell your zenfone 9 i want to buy it

[@Larva04]

I wish its the same bezel as xiaomi 13 😅

[@stanislavgromov1643]

How the s23 is worse? It has telescope lens, battery life is not much worse, no mini-jack, not many people need it anyways. That bottom bezel looks very dated and budgety. Second reviewer calls it the best small phone... Very arguable

[@Augustov12]

I have one S23, but I think that it is not in the category of "small" phones. S23 is a 6.1 inch screen, considerable "big" for many hands. I believe that this category is defined by 6-inch-less-phones.

[@joelconolly5574]

@@Augustov12 yup. For a sub 6 inch phone, this is Android's only competitor.

[@sikandarnaseer1777]

​@@Augustov12damn, I have the s23 and it's tinyyy to me

[@dvp7]

s23 is lighther and thinner, yet only 2mm taller than zenfone10. it has less bezel meaning higher screen size for a compact size.

[@Augustov12]

@@dvp7 yeah, I agree, s23 is better in any regards. I Just think that The category is, by definition, Phone that are not 6 inch or more. Asus could increase to 6.1 and stick a telephoto lens and slimmer besels

[@aldowfc9677]

Saludos desde argentina👋

[@rahul009rm]

I think samsung s23 is way better than ASUS Zenfone 10. Samsung S23 weigh only 168 g , offers 4yrs of software update and 5yrs of security update, Dynamic AMOLED 2X 120Hz display with 1750 nits brightness, Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, supports 8k video recording. U need to checkout s23 before telling ASUS Zenfone 10 is the Best Small Phone

[@fantasytky28]

Becaseu s23 Is Not A Small Phone. 70.9mm width immediately disqualified as compact phone

[@СтефанБздонский]

USB - C 2.0????

[@PunchingHard]

Great phone but too small and a little bit overpriced. $870 for 128GB with no microSD card, really? I'm glad it has the phone jack 😍.

[@Chanoey333]

On the UK pre-order page they show storage starting from 256gb... Also you may be able to get a good deal on the 512gb one at early-bird prices?

[@andyH_England]

@@Chanoey333 Samsung in the UK offering a lot of deals due to poor sales. They have £150 cashback, free buds worth £239, 6 months of Disney Plus and get a £150 trade-in for any old phone. That takes the net price of the S23 down to under £400. Hard to beat that.

[@kenkc84]

Where is the flip! That's the only phone I want

[@rolins3279]

Good smartphone for those who want a relatively compact smartphone (in truth, it is no more compact than a standard S23 or iPhone 14 / 14Pro ), with audio jack, and especially who live in the USA and in the countries where it is sold at $600, in other countries ( Europe 🇪🇺) where It costs $800 / €, it is a no go ❌ 🚶🏽‍♂️ 🚶🏽‍♂️ 🚶🏽‍♂️ Ps: we clearly realize that this is a sponsored video, zero comparison with its real direct competitors in size, the standard S23 and iPhone 14/14Pro Pro 🤧

[@JohnSmith-gb8hd]

Indeed, it's deceptive marketing from Asus to call the Zenfone small. if you want an actual small phone, just get an iPhone 13 Mini.

[@akaoveve]

They downgraded the ultra-wide and the selfie camera to kids toy camera grade level.

[@kpehe100]

With that price I would rather buy the Motorola Edge Plus 2023