ASUS has promptly responded to refute reports it plans to discontinue the Zenfone line of smartphones, following reorganisation at the company.
Earlier this week, it was reported in the company’s Taiwanese homeland that a series of layoffs and staff reassignments meant the Zenfone 10 would be the last of its kind. Instead, the remaining staff would be deployed on new Republic of Gamers (ROG) specialist phones, which would live on.
The Zenfones have long been enjoyed by Android fans seeking sub-six-inch handsets while maintaining the flagship specs. Those fans have been assured the range is going nowhere and that 2024 phones will be announced in due course.
In a press release that dropped on Tuesday morning in response to the reports, the company said: “We would like to address the rumour that ASUS Zenfone 10 will be the last generation of the series and the ASUS Zenfone product line will be shut down. This is not true.
“We will continue our two main phone business product lines, the ROG Phone and the Zenfone. ASUS has a strong commitment to our smartphone business and customers. Please reference our Q2 earnings call for more information. Please stay tuned for our 2024 product lineups.”
See our original story from yesterday below…
The Asus Zenfone line of Android phones – preferred by some users for the smaller physical sizes without compromising on specs – might have met its end.
According to a new report, the Taiwanese computing firm has effectively shut down its smartphone division after laying-off or moving the entire Zenphone development team. The company is fresh off launching the Asus Zenphone 10, but it seems that might be the last in the series.
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The report comes from Technews Taiwan (via Android Police), which says the reorganisation has led to the surviving employees being re-homed among the ROG division.
Gaming phone enthusiasts may be glad to know that, according to reports, the specialist Republic of Gamers handsets will continue to be produced by Asus. That means we can probably expect a ROG Phone 8 to succeed the ROG Phone 7 range.
However, the rumoured closure of the Zenfone line will a disappointment to the section of users who loved its commitment to a compact design, while still delivering in a big way when it comes to performance, battery life and cameras.
We loved the power provided by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, while the all-day battery life from the 4,300mAh cell was a huge bonus. The 5.9-inch 144Hz AMOLED display was refreshing in a world where sub 6-inch flagship phones are really hard to come by.
Of course, it wasn’t perfect. We felt the design was a little cheap, the primary camera remained unchanged, and the phone had relatively slow 30W charging compared to other Android rivals. The price also went up compared to the predecessor.
Our reviewer concluded: “Marmite-like design aside, the Asus Zenfone 10 is a solid compact smartphone with flagship processing power, all-day battery life and a hugely customisable approach to Android 13 – though it is very similar to its predecessor, and costs more money in 2023.”
Will you miss the Zenfone range if this is the end? Let us know @trustedreviews on X
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.