The era of Asus smartphones is officially over.
Chairman Jonney Shih revealed the news during an event in Taipei, suggesting the firm will double down on commercial PCs and “physical AI” products instead.
Taiwanese site Inside, which reported on the announcement, suggested it may be a temporary move. But there’s every chance this could be the end for two high-profile smartphone lines: the gamer-focused ROG Phone and general-purpose Zenfone.
If you already own a recent Asus handset, don’t worry. Shih has confirmed that the company “will continue to take care of the brand’s mobile users”, including by providing software updates to devices which are still supported.
That includes ROG Phone 9 Pro, which made its debut in November 2024, and last February’s Zenfone 12 Ultra.
Asus
The writing was on the wall
The news of Asus’ smartphone exit won’t come as a surprise to anyone who’s been following the industry.
Despite some ambitious moves, the ROG Phone and Zenfone lines have struggled to compete in the ultra-competitive Android phone market.
It speaks volumes that Asus is bundled into the ‘Other’ category in StatCounter’s global market share chart, meaning it likely accounts for much less than even Google’s 1.94 percent.
Indeed, a couple of weeks ago, a report correctly predicted Asus’ exit.
It could be argued that any loss of competition is a bad thing for the smartphone market, especially when ROG Phones genuinely pushed the boundaries of what is possible.
Henry Burrell / Foundry
But with a global RAM shortage and genuine concerns about the smartphone industry’s impact on an already fragile environment, having one fewer manufacturer might not be a bad thing.
It’s not like Asus is going away, either. The company is one of the leading players in PCs, where the ROG name will live on. It’s also very keen to grow its AI hardware offering, with robotics and smart glasses both mentioned by name.
Looking for a new handset that’s actually available? See our guide to the best phones you can buy.