The end of zen? ASUS may have canned the Zenfone line

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.

The report comes from Technews Taiwan (via Android Police), who 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.

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 line 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 it 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