Asus Zenfone 9 vs Xiaomi 12: A Clash of Flagship Titans
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The Zenfone 9 wins on battery life and compact size, offering a unique experience for those prioritizing portability. The Xiaomi 12 boasts faster charging, a brighter display, and a more premium design, making it a strong choice for users who value speed and aesthetics. Ultimately, it depends on your priorities.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Asus Zenfone 9 | Xiaomi 12 |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 800 / 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, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 66 - International |
| 5G bands | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 28, 38, 77, 78 - A version | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA - International |
| 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, 3, 5, 8, 28, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA - China | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2022, July 28 | 2021, December 28 |
| Status | Available. Released 2022, September 15 | Available. Released 2021, December 31 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), plastic back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 146.5 x 68.1 x 9.1 mm (5.77 x 2.68 x 0.36 in) | 152.7 x 69.9 x 8.2 mm (6.01 x 2.75 x 0.32 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 169 g (5.96 oz) | 179 g or 180 g (6.31 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | - | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~445 ppi density) | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~419 ppi density) |
| Size | 5.9 inches, 84.4 cm2 (~84.6% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.28 inches, 95.2 cm2 (~89.2% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Super AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1100 nits (peak) | AMOLED, 68B colors, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 1100 nits (peak) |
| Always-on display | - | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.19 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.75 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) | Octa-core (1x3.00 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8475 Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (4 nm) | Qualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 730 | Adreno 730 |
| OS | Android 12, upgradable to Android 14 | Android 12, MIUI 13 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 16GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | UFS 3.1 | |
| 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 | - |
| Features | LED flash, HDR, panorama | Color spectrum sensor, Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panorama |
| Single | - | 32 MP, f/2.5, 26mm (wide), 0.7µm |
| Triple | - | 50 MP, f/1.9, 26mm (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS 13 MP, f/2.4, 12mm, 123˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.06", 1.12µm 5 MP, f/2.4, 50mm (telephoto macro), AF |
| Video | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60/120fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps; gyro-EIS, HDR | 8K@24fps (HDR), 4K@30/60fps (HDR10+), 1080p@30/120/240/960fps, 720p@1920fps, gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | - | HDR, panorama |
| Single | 12 MP, f/2.5, 28mm (standard), 1/2.93", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF | 32 MP, f/2.5, 26mm (wide), 0.7µm |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps | 1080p@30/60fps, 720p@120fps, HDR |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | No |
| 35mm jack | Yes | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 24-bit/192kHz audio | 24-bit/192kHz audio Tuned by Harman Kardon | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive |
| Infrared port | - | Yes |
| NFC | Yes | Yes (market/region dependent) |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC (L5) | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC (L5) |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C, OTG | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG |
| 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/6 or 6e (market dependent), dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, compass |
| - | Virtual Proximity Sensing | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 30W wired, PD3.0, PPS, QC4 5W reverse wired | 67W wired, PD3.0, QC4, 100% in 39 min 50W wireless, 100% in 53 min 10W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4300 mAh | Li-Po 4500 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Starry Blue, Moonlight White, Sunset Red, Midnight Black | Gray, Blue, Purple, Green |
| Models | AI2202-1A006EU, AI2202, AI2202_B | 2201123G, 2201123C |
| Price | £ 619.99 | $ 284.99 / € 149.99 |
| SAR | - | 1.09 W/kg (head) 0.91 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 0.60 W/kg (head) 1.00 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 108h | Endurance rating 82h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -26.7 LUFS (Good) | -25.3 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 1083092 (v9) GeekBench: 4338 (v5.1) GFXBench: 89fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 985115 (v9) GeekBench: 3652 (v5.1) GFXBench: 75fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Asus Zenfone 9
- Exceptional battery life
- Compact and pocketable design
- Powerful Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1
- Clean Android experience
- Good camera performance
- Design can feel a bit utilitarian
- Charging speed is slower than Xiaomi 12
- No expandable storage
Xiaomi 12
- Faster charging (wired & wireless)
- Brighter display
- Premium design and build quality
- Excellent value for money
- Good camera performance
- Shorter battery life than Zenfone 9
- Larger size can be less comfortable for one-handed use
- Xiaomi's MIUI software can be divisive
Display Comparison
The Xiaomi 12 edges out the Zenfone 9 with a slightly brighter display (896 nits vs 831 nits), offering a more vibrant viewing experience, especially outdoors. Both feature excellent contrast ratios (infinite nominal), ensuring deep blacks and rich colors. However, the Zenfone 9's smaller size makes it more comfortable to hold and use one-handed.
Camera Comparison
Camera performance is subjective and depends on individual preferences. Both phones offer versatile camera systems capable of capturing excellent photos and videos. The Xiaomi 12 likely has a slight edge in video recording capabilities due to Xiaomi's software optimization. The Zenfone 9's smaller size makes it easier to handle during photography.
Performance
Both phones are powered by Snapdragon 8-series chips, but the Zenfone 9 utilizes the slightly more powerful Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1. While both offer flagship-level performance, the 8+ Gen 1 generally provides slightly better efficiency and sustained performance under heavy load. Day-to-day usage will feel incredibly smooth on both devices.
Battery Life
The Zenfone 9 takes a clear lead in battery life, boasting an impressive endurance rating of 108 hours compared to the Xiaomi 12's 82 hours. This translates to significantly longer usage between charges, a major advantage for power users.
Buying Guide
Who should buy the Asus Zenfone 9? Users who want a powerful, compact phone with exceptional battery life and a clean Android experience. Who should buy the Xiaomi 12? Those seeking a stylish flagship with fast charging, a vibrant display, and a more premium feel, even if it means sacrificing some portability.