This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.
Every new year kicks off with a lot of hype. And if you are into smartphones, that hype usually turns into one big question: what new phones are coming next? Budget options, mid-rangers, premium flagships – there is always something on the horizon.
Yep, according to current reports, Asus is expected to sit out 2026 entirely, skipping new Zenfone and ROG Phone releases altogether. That is a bummer, no doubt. But if I’m being honest, it doesn’t really come as a shock. And there are a few clear reasons why.
The Android market is super competitive
Android isn’t like iOS. Apple owns its entire ecosystem, while Android is shared by countless brands across the globe. With more than 70% of the world using Android phones, the platform offers an overwhelming number of choices.
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That also means competition is brutal. To survive, let alone thrive, a company needs a strong identity, clear advantages, and products that truly stand out.
Asus is a well-established tech brand, but when it comes to smartphones, things haven’t been clicking lately. The pressure from Samsung alone is enormous, and that’s before even factoring in brands from China like OnePlus, Oppo, Honor, and vivo, all of which are moving fast and pushing hard.
The Zenfone 12 Ultra and the ROG Phone 9 lineup are objectively solid devices. But being “good” isn’t enough anymore. I mean, the ROG Phone 9 Pro and ROG Phone 9 are absolute powerhouses. They are loaded with high-end hardware, extremely well optimized, and they excel at performance and battery endurance.
Still, they come with compromises that are hard to ignore. The cameras are serviceable, but they fall short compared to other phones in the $1,000 range. And committing to just two years of Android updates feels outdated in today’s flagship market.
Meanwhile, the Zenfone situation feels even more disappointing to me. For years, Zenfone was the last real compact flagship on Android. Models up to the Zenfone 10 featured 5.9-inch displays in bodies barely larger than an iPhone 8, iPhone SE (2022), or iPhone 13 mini.
Then Asus changed direction. The Zenfone 11 got bigger, and the Zenfone 12 Ultra went all in on size. That shift, in my opinion, erased what made the Zenfone special in the first place – and I’m sure I’m not alone in thinking that.
Now, it looks like the Zenfone 12 could be the end of the line, at least for now.
Zenfone 12 Ultra. | Image credit – PhoneArena
Maybe Asus actually needs this pause. Right now, it feels like the brand has lost its edge in smartphones. Prices are high, the software experience isn’t particularly strong, and while the hardware checks all the right boxes, it still doesn’t outperform the best flagships on the market.
In our best phones rankings, Asus hasn’t managed to break into the top tier with either Zenfone or ROG. Camera rankings tell a similar story, where results consistently fall short. Battery life is one area where Asus deserves credit – it’s reliably good.
But overall, in a market where competitors are constantly redefining what a smartphone can do, Asus has been trailing behind. So if it really does skip a year and shifts its attention elsewhere, that decision actually makes sense to me.
Asus is going strong outside of smartphones
CES 2026 is currently taking place in Las Vegas, and Asus is very much present – just not with new phones. Instead, the company showed off a wide range of new products, especially under its ROG brand. While there are no new smartphones, ROG is expanding with fresh laptops, AR glasses, earbuds, and more.
One highlight is the partnership with Xreal, which resulted in high-end AR glasses aimed at gamers and power users. Asus also showcased its broader next-generation ROG ecosystem, including laptops, desktops, motherboards, and peripherals.
We are talking about things like the world’s first 16-inch dual-screen OLED gaming laptop, along with products such as the ROG Cetra Open Wireless earbuds, designed to deliver immersive sound without completely cutting you off from your surroundings.
The Zephyrus Duo returns, now with stunning dual 3K OLED screens. | Image credit – Asus
So yes, Asus – and especially ROG – is doing just fine in 2026. It’s simply focusing its energy away from smartphones for now.
Will Asus come back?
Assuming the rumors are accurate and Asus really skips phone launches in 2026, the big question is what happens next. Personally, I don’t believe this is the end of Asus smartphones.
My guess is that 2027 is when the brand returns. I find it hard to imagine Asus fully walking away from mobile. A break could give it time to rethink its strategy and come back with something that actually feels important again.
Because lately, most yearly upgrades across the industry have been pretty underwhelming. Many brands are just fine-tuning existing designs instead of introducing real changes. Even the ROG Phone 8 and ROG Phone 9 are so similar that it’s difficult to tell them apart.
With a year off, Asus might be able to rediscover its identity and bring back a true wow factor. Personally, I’m hoping that means a return to compact phones with displays under 6 inches – something I genuinely miss. If Asus combines that form factor with flagship-level specs, it could once again become the go-to brand for people who want smaller smartphones without compromises.
For now, though, that’s just hope. All that’s left is to wait and see what Asus officially confirms – and whether 2026 really will be a quiet year for its smartphones.
Tsveta, a passionate technology enthusiast and accomplished playwright, combines her love for mobile technologies and writing to explore and reveal the transformative power of tech. From being an early follower of PhoneArena to relying exclusively on her smartphone for photography, she embraces the immense capabilities of compact devices in our daily lives. With a Journalism degree and an explorative spirit, Tsveta not only provides expert insights into the world of gadgets and smartphones but also shares a unique perspective shaped by her diverse interests in travel, culture, and visual storytelling.
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