The Asus ZenFone 10 is the corporate’s reply to a compact flagship, however how does it evaluate to the pocket-sized Samsung Galaxy S23?
Whereas each smartphones look to nook the compact finish of the flagship cellphone market, there are key variations not solely in design and digital camera tech however software program that will sway your resolution as to which to purchase.
That’s the place we at Trusted Critiques are available; we’ve reviewed each the 5.9-inch Asus ZenFone 10 and 6.1-inch Samsung Galaxy S23 and right here, we define among the key variations between the 2 flagship smartphones.
The ZenFone 10 has six-axis gimbal stabilisation
One of many key options of the ZenFone 10 is the digital camera system, and extra particularly, the stablisation system on provide. Somewhat than choosing commonplace OIS with 0.5-degree freedom of motion in all instructions, Asus has taken a distinct strategy. Somewhat than transferring the digital camera sensor as with commonplace OIS, Asus’ system strikes the whole digital camera module to maintain issues secure.
Asus claims that this successfully offers the cellphone’s 50MP primary and 13MP ultrawide a 3x increase to how far they will transfer, with 1.5 levels of freedom in all instructions to assist fight shaky fingers and bumpy video recordings.
Our reviewer famous that the gimbal stabilisation was spectacular stuff with a useful on-screen icon to point out whether or not the stabilisation is working, though it didn’t fully take away all blur in all photographs. Nonetheless, it made it simpler to take sharp pictures one-handed and likewise permits for relatively superior capturing modes, together with Night time Mode and Mild Path, with out the necessity for a tripod.
That’s to not say that Samsung’s triple rear digital camera system delivers blurry pictures – in actual fact, even with commonplace OIS, on a regular basis efficiency was nice – however for people who want excessive stabilisation (suppose recording a video offroading on a BMX) the ZenFone 10 will serve them higher.
The Asus ZenFone 10 has a little bit of a marmite design that you just’ll both love or hate, and that primarily comes right down to using a bio-based polycarbonate for the rear panel.
Although the intentions are nice, providing a 50% discount in petrochemical use within the manufacturing course of, the precise end of the cellphone isn’t nice. Our reviewer famous that it feels a bit like sandpaper or a nail file, and it’s comparatively skinny too, giving the cellphone a little bit of a hole really feel – not nice for a £750 slab.
The Samsung Galaxy S23, however, sports activities a chic but simplistic design that brings it visually consistent with the top-end Samsung Galaxy S23 Extremely. Most significantly, it sports activities a glass rear panel that provides it a high-end, premium really feel in comparison with Asus’ possibility that our reviewer beloved the texture of.
It’s not all dangerous for the ZenFone although; it’s no less than accessible in some engaging colors together with Aurora Inexperienced, Eclipse Crimson, Starry Blue, Midnight Black and Comet White, with our reviewer praising the interesting inexperienced end particularly.
The ZenFone 10’s software program is vastly customisable
Although each the ZenFone 10 and Samsung Galaxy S23 technically run Android 13, their approaches to the OS couldn’t be any extra totally different.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 sports activities the corporate’s OneUI 5.1 replace that, in addition to including useful options like the flexibility to answer to incoming calls through textual content utilizing your voice, basically adjustments sure components of the OS, be it the form of notifications and icons to the vastly totally different structure within the Settings menu – these could appear comparatively trivial however it all provides up ultimately.
Asus, however, has taken a way more inventory strategy to the ZenFone 10’s software program – although it’s not technically inventory Android, as a substitute operating Asus’ personal ZenUI. However even with its personal UI on prime, it’s nonetheless distinctly inventory when it comes to the general feel and look of the machine.
And, the place Asus has determined to modify issues up with their very own spin – i.e. with the design of icons and the way you energy off the cellphone – it additionally gives the choice to modify again to the inventory strategy. It’s a refreshing change in a world the place most smartphones provide little or no in the best way of OS perform customisation.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 has longer software program assist
Whereas the ZenFone 10 affords an expertise nearer to inventory Android than the Samsung Galaxy S23, the corporate can’t fairly compete with Samsung on long-term software program assist – a key part for anybody trying to maintain their cellphone longer than a yr or two.
Asus has confirmed that the ZenFone 10 will obtain two OS upgrades and 4 years of safety patches that, whereas higher than some rivals, path behind the industry-leading 4 OS upgrades and 5 years of safety patches from Samsung with the S23 line.
That primarily implies that the Samsung Galaxy S23 will obtain extra OS upgrades than the ZenFone 10 over the subsequent few years, theoretically seeing the cellphone via to Android 17 whereas the ZenFone 10 will cease at Android 15. If you happen to like the thought of your cellphone persevering with to get new options over time, it’s an necessary issue to contemplate.
The ZenFone 10 is cheaper
In terms of pricing, the ZenFone 10 is the extra inexpensive possibility – particularly throughout its pre-order section proper now.
If you happen to pre-order the ZenFone 10 earlier than the cellphone’s launch in July, you may get it for as little as £699 within the UK, a £50 low cost on the £749 RRP, whereas the top-end mannequin with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage is at present accessible for £749 earlier than going as much as £819 as soon as orders ship.
The Samsung Galaxy S23, however, begins at £849 within the UK with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, with the top-end mannequin with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage coming in at £899.
