ASUS Zenfone 10 v/s Samsung Galaxy S23: Compact flagships compared
What's the story
ASUS has introduced the Zenfone 10, as its latest flagship smartphone for the global markets.
The phone bears a compact form factor and is loaded with a range of new-age features and hardware, making it a solid rival against the Galaxy S23—Samsung's latest compact flagship phone.
Here's our head-on comparison between the two devices to know which one offers a better value.
Design
The handsets boast IP68-rated dust and water resistance
The Zenfone 10 features a left-aligned punch-hole and a power button-embedded fingerprint reader.
In comparison, the Galaxy S23 has a top-centered cutout and an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint scanner.
Both devices bear an aluminum frame and IP68-rated water protection. They get Gorilla Glass Victus and Victus 2 protection, respectively.
The S23 is slimmer (7.6mm v/s 9.4mm) and lighter (168g v/s 172g) than the Zenfone 10.
Display
The Zenfone 10 offers a 144Hz AMOLED panel
The Zenfone 10 sports a 5.9-inch Full-HD+ (1080x2400 pixels) AMOLED panel. The Galaxy S23 packs a 6.1-inch Full-HD+ (1080x2340 pixels) Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen.
Both support Always-on functionality and HDR10+ certification.
However, the ASUS model has a slightly higher refresh rate (144Hz v/s 120Hz), but lower peak brightness (1,100-nits v/s 1,750-nits) than the Galaxy S23.
Cameras
The Galaxy S23 has a 10MP (OIS) telephoto snapper
The Zenfone 10 houses a 50MP (f/1.9, EIS) Sony IMX766 snapper with six-axis Hybrid Gimbal Stabilizer 2.0 and a 13MP ultra-wide sensor.
The Galaxy S23 gets a 50MP (f/1.8, OIS) primary, 12MP ultra-wide, and 10MP (OIS, 3x) telephoto lens.
For selfies, they have 32MP and 12MP front-facing cameras, respectively.
The Zenfone 10 can shoot 8K videos at 24fps as opposed to S23's 30fps capability.
Internals
A Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC powers the devices
The Zenfone 10 uses a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, similar to the S23. The phone boots Android 13.
The S23 also runs the same Android version with One UI 5.1 custom skin.
The Zenfone 10 packs a bigger battery (4,300mAh v/s 3,900mAh) with faster wired (30W v/s 25W) and wireless (15W v/s 10W) charging.
The Samsung model benefits from 4.5W reverse-wireless charging.
More
The Zenfone 10 is Wi-Fi 7 ready
The Zenfone 10 supports Bluetooth 5.3 with a range of codecs including LDAC, AAC, Qualcomm aptX, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, and aptX Lossless. It is Wi-Fi 7 ready and packs dual stereo speakers with Dirac HD Sound.
The Galaxy S23 supports Bluetooth 5.2 and Wi-Fi 6E. It also offers dual stereo speakers. GPS, NFC, and Type-C connectivity are common across both models.
Price
Zenfone 10 v/s Galaxy S23: Price and availability
The ZenFone 10 comes in 8GB/128GB, 8GB/256GB, and 16GB/512GB configurations, which cost €799 (~Rs. 71,000), €849 (~Rs. 75,500), and €929 (~Rs. 82,600), respectively.
It is currently available in Europe and will release in the US and other regions in Q3. India launch is unclear as of now.
The Galaxy S23 costs Rs. 74,999 for its 8GB/128GB model and Rs. 79,999 for the 8GB/256GB variant.
Verdict
Which one offers better value?
The Zenfone 10 is one of the better options out there for people interested in smaller phones that don't compromise on performance. It has a good display, capable cameras, and flagship internals.
However, given it isn't drastically cheaper than the S23, one may prefer the Samsung handset over the Zenfone 10 for its brighter screen and extra telephoto camera.