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Apple is said to be canceling the Mini model in the next generation of iPhones, and the standard iPhone 14 or its 14 Pro version is supposed to be the most compact bloated Apple phone. It’s basically a logical step, because almost no one else offers a smartphone with a display diagonal of less than six inches and high-end equipment, and Apple probably sees that customer demand is moving towards larger diagonals. Still, if Apple keeps the 6.1-inch diagonal for its “standard” model, the new iPhone, like the iPhone 13 and 13 Pro, will be one of the most compact high-end smartphones. This is actually all the more reason to scrap the mini model.
The competition is at an absolute minimum, Android smartphone manufacturers started moving towards giant screens years ago. And for the “small” ones, only a minimum of them remain: the imaginary torch is probably most actively held by Asus, whose new Zenfone 9 remains faithful to compact dimensions. Even this time, Asus did not present an alternative to last year’s Zenfone 9 Flip model, which was larger and had an original flip-up camera.
It rarely happens, but with the new Zenfone 9, the measurements are really probably the most important data. Dimensions 146.5 × 68,1 × 9.1 mm and a screen diagonal of 5.9 inches mean that this year’s generation is even slightly smaller than last year’s Zenfone 8. And this was already an unusually compact phenomenon among high-end smartphones. For comparison, the current iPhone 13 with a 6.1″ display measures 146.7 × 71,5 × 7,7 mm.
In the field of Android phones, no one has a similarly compact and well-equipped smartphone. Perhaps only Sony has been taking care of lovers of small smartphones for a long time, but even they cannot find a top compact model in the current generation. While last year’s “big” Xperia 1 III received a successor in the form of the Xperia 1 IV model, the Xperia 5 III model, i.e. a smaller version of last year’s top model, remains without a successor. And who knows if he will even come. Still, the Xperia 1 IV can be a rival to Asus’s new product, the body is slim, but significantly taller than the Taiwanese smartphone. Measures are 165 × 71 × 8.2 mm. We must not forget the compact Samsung Galaxy S22, the smallest of the top Samsungs measures 146 × 70,6 × 7.6 mm and 6.1″ display.
Another parameter that asus tries to attract in the competition is the price. The basic one is set at 19,990 crowns, and the customer gets a phone with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal memory – this is, of course, a bit of a problem, because the memory cannot be expanded. However, only this version will be available on the Czech market in four colors, in addition to conservative black and white, as well as blue and red. The version with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of internal memory can only be purchased in white or black for 21,490 crowns. The highest configuration with 16 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage costs 22,990 crowns.
The phone’s equipment also includes a front 12 Mpix selfie camera and a double main camera with a 12 Mpix wide-angle camera and a 50 Mpix main camera with gimbal stabilization. The phone is resistant to water and dust (IP68), its 5.9″ Super AMOLED display has a refresh rate of 120 Hz and a resolution of 1080 × 2,400 pixels, the compact body of the phone does not lack a 3.5 mm headphone jack. The fingerprint reader is in the side power button, the battery has a capacity of 4,300 mAh and fast charging works with a maximum power of 30 W. Android 12 with Zen UI is powered by a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor.
It is therefore a top without significant compromises. And Asus tries it with one more attraction, reviving the idea of modularity. But a little different than what other brands tried before him. Modularity is ensured by a special Connex case, to which other accessories can then be attached: for the time being, the Connex Smart Stand, the Connex Card Holder case for business cards and payment cards, or the Smart Backpack Mount for attaching the phone to a backpack strap should be available.
The novelty went on sale immediately after the presentation and is available in the standard distribution network.
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