Zenfone 9 or iPhone 13 mini? Well it is on everyone’s mouth.
All OEMs used to make 5- to 6-inch smartphones that were easy to use with one hand. As consumers consume more multimedia content on their cellphones, smaller smartphones have become harder to find.
Only Samsung, Apple, and Asus make tiny cellphones. With Apple pulling the plug this year, the market for small smartphones will shrink, making it difficult for buyers to choose the best one.
Design
iPhone 13 mini
iPhone 13 small has the same flat-edge design as iPhone 12. Despite seeming similar to its predecessor, the 2. The iPhone 13 mini’s display notch is narrower than before.
Larger battery makes it barely thicker than iPhone 12 mini. Phone has diagonal camera lenses (as a result of larger sensors). Aluminum steel and Ceramic Protect back and front glass surround the phone.
Asus Zenfone 9
Asus’s Zenfone 9 has a square slab shape and curved edges. Back cameras are huge. Asus replaced the 13 mini’s glass back with polymer.
Asus removed the Zenfone 9’s under-screen fingerprint scanner. The side power button’s biometric component works as a fingerprint sensor and gesture controller. The Zenfone 9 has Gorilla Glass Victus and IP68 dust and water resistance.
The Asus Zenfone 9 may look small, but it’s bigger than the iPhone 13 mini. The Zenfone 9 is 15mm taller than the 13 mini. The Zenfone 9 is substantially bigger than Apple’s iPhone 13 mini.
Display
Both petite flagships have great (small) screens. Zenfone 9 has a 5.9-inch FHD+ AMOLED screen with 120Hz refresh rate. The 1100-nit panel supports Always-on technology and HDR 10 and HDR10+.
iPhone 13 mini has 5.4-inch Super Retina XDR OLED screen. It’s 1,080 x 2,340 pixels and 800 nits bright. The iPhone 13 mini’s 60Hz refresh rate is a major disadvantage.
Performance and efficiency
Asus Zenfone 9 is one of the first smartphones with Snapdragon Eight Plus Gen 1 chipset. This tiny machine offers top-notch performance and much higher efficiency than its predecessor. To keep the engine cool, Asus used an unique vapour cooling chamber found in $1,000 flagships and gaming devices.
iPhone 13 mini has the same A15 Bionic chipset as high-end models. A15 Bionic vs Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 is another example of Apple’s dominance in the chipset market.
If you want a smartphone with unconstrained use, efficiency, and effectiveness, the iPhone 13 mini is the better choice. The Zenfone 9 has a powerful chipset and can run games and apps at maximum settings without lagging.
Camera
Asus Zenfone 9’s camera is unique. The phone has a 50MP f/1.9 Sony IMX 766 lens and a 12MP ultra-wide sensor. Asus hasn’t used a low-MP macro (or other gimmicky) lens.
Instead, the company uses the space for a 6-axis camera gimbal. Unlike other premium smartphones, the Zenfone 9’s entire camera module shakes to adjust for motion. This lets the phone take clear video and photos.
The iPhone 13 mini has a 12MP Wide and 12MP Extremely-Wide camera. The new sensors are large, and the camera system has various settings, including Photographic Types, Cinematic Mode, sensor-shift optical image stabilisation, and more. iPhone 13 mini’s sensor-shift stabilisation is similar to Asus’ gimbal stabilisation, however it only moves in two directions (alongside the x-axis and y-axis).
Battery
iPhone 12 mini was criticized for its battery life, thus Apple increased the device’s thickness to fit a larger 2500 mAh cell. The iPhone 13 mini’s battery life is better than the previous generation and will last a day.
Asus Zenfone 9’s battery is 4300 mAh. 30W charging is faster than 13 mini’s 18W. The Zenfone 9 offers software-based choices including a cost restriction, scheduled charging, and regular charging to protect the cell within.
Other Differences
- Headphone Jack: Asus Zenfone 9 has a 3.5mm headphone port, while iPhone 13 mini has not. Read here about the company’s software-based audio alternatives.
- mmWave 5G: The Asus Zenfone 9 supports sub-6GHz 5G, but not mmWave 5G, hence it won’t work with all 5G providers. iPhone 13 mini supports all US 5G bands.
- Software Update: Asus only updates the Zenfone 9’s firmware for two years. iPhone 13 mini, like most modern iPhones, will get software updates for years.
A Brief Comparing of Asus Zenfone 9 and iPhone 13 mini
| Smartphone | Asus Zenfone 9 | Apple iPhone 13 mini |
|---|---|---|
| Operating System | Android 12 | iOS 15 |
| Dimensions | 146.5 x 68.1 x 9.1 mm | 131.5 x 64.2 x 7.7 mm |
| Weight | 169 grams | 141 grams |
| Display | 5.9-inch, FHD+ AMOLED, Adaptive 120Hz Display, 1080 x 2340 pixels | 5.4-inch Super Retina XDR OLED Display, 60Hz, 1080 x 2340 pixels |
| Processor | Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 | A15 Bionic |
| RAM | 8/16GB | 4GB |
| Internal Storage | 128/256GB | 128/256/512GB |
| Expandable Storage | No | No |
| Headphone Jack | Yes | No |
| Rear Camera | – 50MP Sony IMX766, 1/1.56″ large sensor, 1.0µm pixel size, f/1.9 aperture, 6-Axis Hybrid Gimbal – 12MP Sony IMX363, 1/2.55″ sensor, 1.4 µm pixel size, f/2.2 aperture, 113-degree FoV |
– 12 MP Wide, ƒ/1.5 aperture, Sensor Shift OIS – 12 MP, ƒ/1.8 Ultra-Wide Angle, 2x Optical Zoom Out |
| Front Camera | 12MP, ƒ/2.45 aperture | 12 MP, ƒ/2.2 aperture |
| Battery | 4300 mAh | 2438 mAh |
| Charging | 30W Fast Charging No Wireless Charing 50% charge in 30 minutes |
18W Wired Charging 15W MagSafe Wireless Charging |
| Security | Side-mounted fingerprint scanner | Face ID |
| Connectivity | Sub-6GHz 5G, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC | Sub-6GHz & mmWave 5G (for USA only), Wi‑Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC |
| Ports | USB-C | Lightning Port |
| Water Resistance | IP68 | IP68 |
| Colors | White, Black, Red, and Blue | Graphite, Sierra Blue, Gold, Silver, Green |
| Price | $699 / €799 | $729 |