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If you really dislike big phones, there are not many options out there. There are some, though, and luckily, they’re quite good. In this particular example, we’ll compare the Google Pixel 7 vs ASUS ZenFone 9. Granted, the Pixel 7 is considerably larger than the Pixel 7, but still smaller than truly large Android smartphones. Both of these phones are also flagship smartphones, and they’re also quite different design-wise.
In fact, there are quite a few differences between these two phones, which will make this comparison even more interesting. We’ll first list their spec sheets, and will then proceed to compare them across a number of categories. We’ll compare their designs, displays, performance, battery life, cameras, and audio performance. Both of these phones are fairly new as well, and the Pixel 7 is a bit more affordable (prices below).
Specs
| Google Pixel 7 | ASUS ZenFone 9 | |
| Screen size | 6.3-inch fullHD+ flat OLED display (90Hz refresh rate) | 5.9-inch FullHD+ Super AMOLED display (60-120Hz refresh rate) |
| Screen resolution | 2400 x 1080 | 2400 x 1080 |
| SoC | Google Tensor G2 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 |
| RAM | 8GB (LPDDR5) | 8GB/16GB (LPDDR5) |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB, non-expandable (UFS 3.1) | 128GB/256GB (UFS 3.1), non-expandable |
| Rear cameras | 50MP (Samsung ISOCELL GN1 sensor, 1.2um pixel size, f/1.85 aperture, 82-degree FoV, Super Res Zoom up to 8x) 12MP (ultrawide, 1.25um pixel size, f/2.2 aperture, 114-degree FoV, lens correction) |
50MP (f/1.9 aperture, 23.8mm wide-angle lens, 1.0um pixel size, gimbal OIS, PDAF) 12MP (f/2.2 aperture, 113-degree FoV, 1.4um pixel size, 14.4mm lens) |
| Front cameras | 10.8MP (1.22um pixel size, f/2.2 aperture, 92.8-degree FoV, Fixed Focus) | 12MP (f/2.5 aperture, 1.22um pixel size, 27.5mm lens, dual pixel PDAF) |
| Battery | 4,355mAh, non-removable, 21W wired charging, 23W wireless charging, reverse wireless charger Charger not included |
4,300mAh, non-removable, 30W wired charging, reverse wired charging Charger included |
| Dimensions | 155.6 x 73.2 x 8.7mm | 146.5 x 68.1 x 9.1mm |
| Weight | 197 grams | 169 grams |
| Connectivity | 5G, LTE, NFC, Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C | 5G, LTE, NFC, Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C |
| Security | Face Unlock In-display fingerprint scanner (optical) |
Side-facing fingerprint scanner |
| OS | Android 13 | Android 12 ZneUI |
| Price | $599/$699 | $699 |
| Buy | Amazon |
Google Pixel 7 vs ASUS ZenFone 9: Design
When the design is concerned, well, they both look and feel completely different. The Pixel 7 is made out of metal and glass while the ZenFone 9 combines metal and soft-touch rubbery plastic, more on that soon. Both phones have display camera holes, but they’re placed in different spots. The Pixel 7’s is centered at the top, while the ZenFone 9’s lies in the top-left corner. Both devices do have flat displays.
The Pixel 7’s corners are a bit less curved in comparison. The ZenFone 9 has a side-facing fingerprint scanner, while the Pixel 7 includes an in-display one. That in-display fingerprint scanner works perfectly fine, a lot better than the Pixel 6’s did, but it cannot compare to the physical one on the ZenFone 9. Not to mention that the ZenFone 9’s actually has several uses, other than being a fingerprint scanner.
When you flip them over, you’ll notice considerably different backplates. First and foremost, the Pixel 7 has a long camera visor covered by metal, which protrudes quite a bit. The ZenFone 9 has two camera islands on the back, and one protrudes more than the other. Each of those islands hosts one camera sensor. The Pixel 7 includes a Gorilla Glass Victus on the back, while the ZenFone 9 has that soft-touch back that we’ve mentioned. Interestingly enough, each of the ZenFone 9’s three different colors offers a different feel to the backplate. Some are softer than others. The model we reviewed, the black one, is somewhere in the middle.
It’s worth noting that the backplate on the ZenFone 9 does pick up grease, but it’s a lot more grippy than the Pixel 7’s glass. The ZenFone 9 is a lot shorter, and narrower, while it’s slightly thicker than the Pixel 7. It’s also almost 30 grams lighter. The ZenFone 9 is a joy to use with one hand, and a lot more convenient for such usage than the Pixel 7. It’s also a lot less slippery. Still, the Pixel 7 is usable with one hand, as it’s not too large. Truth be said, both phones feel premium in the hand, but considerably different at the same time.
Google Pixel 7 vs ASUS ZenFone 9: Display
The Google Pixel 7 utilizes a 6.3-inch fullHD+ (2400 x 1080) AMOLED display. This display is flat, and it offers a 90Hz refresh rate. It supports HDR10+ content, and gets quite bright at 1,400 nits of peak brightness. It is protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus, and it has a 20:9 display aspect ratio, in case you were wondering.
The ASUS ZenFone 9, on the other hand, includes a 5.9-inch fullHD+ (2400 x 1080) Super AMOLED display. This panel is also flat, but it offers a 120Hz refresh rate, unlike the Pixel 7. It does not get as bright, though, as it peaks at 1,100 nits. It does support HDR10+ content, however, and it’s protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus. This panel also offers a 20:9 display aspect ratio.
Both of these displays look great, actually. They offer vivid colors, great viewing angles, and deep blacks. They also offer great touch response, not as high as some gaming phones, but they’re still a joy to use. The ZenFone 9 does offer a smoother display, while the Pixel 7 has a slightly brighter display. It all depends on what you prefer really, but both of these panels are great.
Google Pixel 7 vs ASUS ZenFone 9: Performance
The Pixel 7 is fueled by the Google Tensor G2 processor. That is the company’s second-gen SoC. The phone also packs in 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 flash storage. The ZenFone 9, on the flip side, is fueled by the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC, while it packs in up to 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 flash storage. When it comes to performance-related specs, the ZenFone 9 does have an edge. The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 is more powerful than the Tensor G2, but the Tensor G2 is also a flagship SoC, and adapted specifically to the Pixel 7 series.
What does all that mean? Well, it means that both phones offer stellar performance. These are some of the smoothest smartphones we’ve ever used. When it comes to regular, everyday performance, they’re extremely snappy, and don’t skip a beat, basically. Things do change in the gaming department, though. The ZenFone 9 does perform noticeably better, mainly due to its SoC. The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 handles really demanding games better, as the Tensor G2 does tend to struggle with the most demanding titles, such as the Genshin Impact. It also gets quite hot while playing such games.
So, if you’re a gamer, the ZenFone 9 is probably a better choice. If you’re not, either phone will serve you just fine, as they’re both extremely powerful. In fact, even if you are a gamer, but are staying away from the most demanding titles, both of these phones will be excellent for you.
Google Pixel 7 vs ASUS ZenFone 9: Battery
Considering that a lot of large flagships these days have 5,000mAh battery packs, people often see 4,300mAh batteries in smartphones, and ignore them. You do need to count in display sizes, refresh rates, resolutions, and processors into those equations, though. The Pixel 7 has a 4,355mAh battery, while the ZenFone 9 includes a 4,300mAh battery. And no, they don’t have bad battery life, quite the contrary, actually.
Both of these phones were able to provide us with excellent battery life, The Pixel 7 reached 7-8 hours of battery life without a problem, and the same goes for the ZenFone 9. In fact, on some days, we went over the 8-hour mark, and even managed to reach 9 hours of screen-on-time. Do note that your usage is different, as is your list of apps, signal, and so on. So, you may get significantly different results. If you own(ed) the ZenFone 8, do note that the ZenFone 9 does offer a lot better battery life.
What about charging? Well, the Pixel 7 offers 21W wired, 21W wireless, and reverse wireless charging. The ZenFone 9 supports 30W wired charging, and reverse wired charging. That’s it. The ZenFone 9 does charge faster, and it also includes a charging brick in the box. The Pixel 7 will arrive without a charger, there’s a charging cable in the box, though. So, you’ll need to get a compatible charger, if you don’t have one already.
Google Pixel 7 vs ASUS ZenFone 9: Cameras
Both of these phones have two cameras on the back, and both utilize a 50-megapixel main camera, and a 12-megapixel ultrawide unit. The thing is, those cameras are fairly different, hardware-wise, and so are the end results. The Pixel 7 is considered to be one of the best camera smartphones out there at the moment, at least as far as the main camera is concerned.
The phone provides excellent results in all conditions, basically. You’re getting detailed pictures with cooler tones, and high contrast. The Pixel 7 does an amazing job in HDR conditions, and it brings a lot of light in low-light scenes, while it manages to pull a lot of detail from the shadows. The ZenFone 9 generally does a good job, though it simply loves to tune up the saturation, and sharpness. To be quite honest, the phone often oversharpens pictures. The company keeps updating the phone to improve that, but it’s not there yet. Other than the sharpening and high saturation, the pictures look really good, in both day and night conditions.
Both phones also do a really good job with video. The Pixel 7 can record at 4K 60 FPS, while the ZenFone 9 goes all the way to 4K 120 FPS. The phone can also record at 8K at 24 FPS. both provide really stable, and good footage, though that all depends on the resolution and FPS you’re recording, of course. Overall, though, we prefer the Pixel 7’s output, though the ZenFone 9 is a huge improvement over the ZenFone 8.
Audio
Both of these devices have a set of stereo speakers. They both sound really nice, though we prefer the output from the ZenFone 9. The sound seems to be a bit sharper, and the soundstage is a bit wider. The difference is not that big, though, so do keep that in mind. Both sets of speakers will serve you just fine.
If you do need a 3.5mm headphone jack, however, only the ZenFone 9 has one. The Pixel 7 does not include it, and you’ll need to use a Type-C port if you want to connect your headphones via a wire. Both phones are equipped with Bluetooth 5.2, though, and both worked really well with wireless headphones, during our testing.