Asus’ leaked Zenfone 9 video shows off fun gimmicks like a scroll button and shoulder mount

Asus has accidentally leaked a promotional video for the much anticipated Zenfone 9 on its YouTube channel and the phone has a lot of interesting specs and features. take a sentence (via XDA, TechGoing). Perhaps most interesting (at least for people who can take or leave the headphone jack) is what Asus has done with the side-mounted fingerprint sensor, which the video refers to as a “smart key”: it shows a creepy CGI hand swiping. through a web page by swiping your finger on the side of the phone.

It’s not unusual to have some kind of gesture on the fingerprint reader – phones like the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip / Fold 3 let you lower the notification shade with a similar shift. (And these phones are far from the first to do this; I remember the feature from the Pixel 2.) But actually using it to navigate to content feels like a fun throwback to the days when phones had physical dials or trackballs. Will Asus’ version of what it calls “ZenTouch” be an RSI disaster or a gimmick you use once before turning it off forever? Perhaps. But will it feel like hell once you try it? I would bet yes.

Funny side button aside, the Zenfone 9 looks like a very interesting gadget. This was reported by Twitter user SnoopyTech (who is there some of them exactly leaks before), the phone will sport a 5.9-inch display with a 120Hz refresh rate and will be equipped with the same. Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chip Asus put the gaming-oriented ROG Phone 6. They also say that the phone will cost between 800 and 900 euros, roughly $850-950 USD. That’s slightly higher than the starting price of $699 previous generation Zenfone 8my colleague Allison Johnson called it “fantastic” in her review.

Photo: SnoopyTech

We’ll have to wait for the official announcement to see if this price increase is justified (or even accurate), but the video does show at least a few improvements that could help justify the extra cost. The battery has grown slightly compared to the Zenphone 8 with a 4000 mAh cell that provides “good” runtime. The video also says that the phone’s two cameras have been “massively improved” and reveals that the primary camera has a “6-axis hybrid gimbal stabilizer.” It then shows that this feature is being used with a really badass accessory called the smart backpack mount, which is trying to mimic something. piece of gear that professional videographers use all day to lift heavy cameras – but only for the phone.

Accessories aside (there’s also a modular-looking phone case that you can attach a stand/wallet to), this review actually makes me excited to see the Zenfone 9 officially unveiled. Of course, this isn’t an Android-powered iPhone Mini clone some want, but it looks like it will continue the Zenfone tradition of being a compact yet premium Android phone with a few fun features to keep things interesting. And the headphone jack – I can’t get enough of the headphone jack.