Abstract created by Sensible Solutions AI
In abstract:
- Tech Advisor stories that Asus is exiting the smartphone market, discontinuing each its ROG Telephone and Zenfone traces after fighting lower than 1.94% world market share.
- The corporate will shift focus to industrial PCs the place the ROG model thrives and broaden into bodily AI {hardware} merchandise as an alternative.
- Present Asus telephone customers will proceed receiving software program assist, although this marks the tip of modern gaming smartphones just like the ROG Telephone 7 Final.
The period of Asus smartphones is formally over.
Chairman Jonney Shih revealed the information throughout an occasion in Taipei, suggesting the agency will double down on industrial PCs and “bodily AI” merchandise as an alternative.
Taiwanese web site Inside, which reported on the announcement, prompt it might be a short lived transfer. However there’s each likelihood this may very well be the tip for 2 high-profile smartphone traces: the gamer-focused ROG Telephone and general-purpose Zenfone.
For those who already personal a current Asus handset, don’t fear. Shih has confirmed that the corporate “will proceed to care for the model’s cellular customers”, together with by offering software program updates to units that are nonetheless supported.
That features ROG Telephone 9 Professional, which made its debut in November 2024, and final February’s Zenfone 12 Extremely.
Asus
The writing was on the wall
The information of Asus’ smartphone exit gained’t come as a shock to anybody who’s been following the business.
Regardless of some formidable strikes, the ROG Telephone and Zenfone traces have struggled to compete within the ultra-competitive Android telephone market.
It speaks volumes that Asus is bundled into the ‘Different’ class in StatCounter’s world market share chart, which means it doubtless accounts for a lot lower than even Google’s 1.94 %.
Certainly, a few weeks in the past, a report appropriately predicted Asus’ exit.
It may very well be argued that any lack of competitors is a nasty factor for the smartphone market, particularly when ROG Telephones genuinely pushed the boundaries of what’s attainable.
Henry Burrell / Foundry
However with a worldwide RAM scarcity and real considerations concerning the smartphone business’s impression on an already fragile setting, having one fewer producer may not be a nasty factor.
It’s not like Asus goes away, both. The corporate is without doubt one of the main gamers in PCs, the place the ROG title will reside on. It’s additionally very eager to develop its AI {hardware} providing, with robotics and sensible glasses each talked about by title.
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