Asus Zenfone 9 vs Google Pixel 5: A Head-to-Head Showdown
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The Zenfone 9 wins on performance and display brightness, boasting a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 and a significantly brighter screen. However, the Pixel 5 offers a more polished software experience and arguably better computational photography, making it a strong contender for those prioritizing Google's ecosystem.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Asus Zenfone 9 | Google Pixel 5 |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42 - A version | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66, 71 |
| 5G bands | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 28, 38, 77, 78 - A version | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 28, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 258, 260, 261 Sub6/mmWave - GD1YQ |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (5CA) Cat20 2000/211 Mbps, 5G 4.5/0.9 Gbps | HSPA, LTE, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78 - C version | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 28, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78 Sub6 - GTT9Q | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2022, July 28 | 2020, September 30 |
| Status | Available. Released 2022, September 15 | Available. Released 2020, October 15 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), plastic back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 6), aluminum back, aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 146.5 x 68.1 x 9.1 mm (5.77 x 2.68 x 0.36 in) | 144.7 x 70.4 x 8 mm (5.70 x 2.77 x 0.31 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM + eSIM |
| Weight | 169 g (5.96 oz) | 151 g (5.33 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus | Corning Gorilla Glass 6 |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~445 ppi density) | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~432 ppi density) |
| Size | 5.9 inches, 84.4 cm2 (~84.6% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.0 inches, 87.6 cm2 (~85.9% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Super AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1100 nits (peak) | OLED, 90Hz, HDR10+ |
| Always-on display | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.19 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.75 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) | Octa-core (1x2.4 GHz Kryo 475 Prime & 1x2.2 GHz Kryo 475 Gold & 6x1.8 GHz Kryo 475 Silver) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8475 Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (4 nm) | Qualcomm SM7250 Snapdragon 765G 5G (7 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 730 | Adreno 620 |
| OS | Android 12, upgradable to Android 14 | Android 11, upgradable to Android 14 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 16GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | UFS 2.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | 50 MP, f/1.9, 24mm (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, multi-directional PDAF, gimbal OIS 12 MP, f/2.2, 14mm, 113° (ultrawide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF | 12.2 MP, f/1.7, 27mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 16 MP, f/2.2, 117˚ (ultrawide), 1.0µm |
| Features | LED flash, HDR, panorama | LED flash, Pixel Shift, Auto-HDR, panorama |
| Video | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60/120fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps; gyro-EIS, HDR | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps; gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | - | HDR |
| Single | 12 MP, f/2.5, 28mm (standard), 1/2.93", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF | 8 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps | 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | No |
| 35mm jack | Yes | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 24-bit/192kHz audio | - | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC (L5) | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS, BDS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C, OTG | USB Type-C 3.1 |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 30W wired, PD3.0, PPS, QC4 5W reverse wired | 18W wired, PD2.0 12W wireless 5W reverse wired |
| Type | Li-Po 4300 mAh | Li-Po 4080 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Starry Blue, Moonlight White, Sunset Red, Midnight Black | Just Black, Sorta Sage |
| Models | AI2202-1A006EU, AI2202, AI2202_B | GD1YQ, GTT9Q, G5NZ6 |
| Price | £ 619.99 | € 181.31 / $ 272.44 / £ 136.00 |
| Pricing | ||
|---|---|---|
| 128GB 8GB RAM | - | $ 194.84 |
| RENEWED | - | $ 253.00 |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 108h | Endurance rating 95h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | - |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -26.7 LUFS (Good) | - |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 1083092 (v9) GeekBench: 4338 (v5.1) GFXBench: 89fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | - |
Asus Zenfone 9
- Flagship Performance
- Bright & Vibrant Display
- Compact Size
- Fast Charging (30W)
- Excellent Endurance Rating
- Software less polished than Pixel
- Camera not as consistently excellent as Pixel
- No official IP rating
Google Pixel 5
- Excellent Camera (Computational Photography)
- Clean & Smooth Android Experience
- Wireless Charging
- 5G Connectivity
- Competitive Price
- Slower Processor
- Lower Display Brightness
- Slower Charging (18W)
Display Comparison
The Zenfone 9's display shines with a measured peak brightness of 831 nits, significantly outperforming the Pixel 5's 699 nits. Both offer excellent contrast ratios (infinite nominal), but the Zenfone 9 provides a noticeably brighter and more vibrant viewing experience, especially outdoors. The Zenfone 9 also has a slightly higher resolution.
Camera Comparison
While the Zenfone 9 has a capable camera system, the Pixel 5 consistently delivers exceptional image quality thanks to Google's renowned computational photography. The Pixel 5 excels in dynamic range, color accuracy, and low-light performance. The Zenfone 9's camera is good, but the Pixel 5's is consistently great.
Performance
Here, the Zenfone 9 leaves no doubt. Its Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset is a substantial upgrade over the Pixel 5's Snapdragon 765G. Expect significantly faster app loading, smoother multitasking, and superior gaming performance on the Zenfone 9. The Zenfone 9's CPU and GPU are in a different league.
Battery Life
The Zenfone 9 holds a slight edge in battery endurance, boasting an impressive 108-hour rating compared to the Pixel 5's 95-hour rating. However, real-world usage can vary. Both phones support reverse wireless charging, a convenient feature.
Buying Guide
The Asus Zenfone 9 is ideal for users who crave a compact phone with flagship-level performance and don't mind a less refined software experience. The Google Pixel 5 is perfect for those deeply invested in the Google ecosystem, prioritizing clean software, and valuing excellent camera capabilities.