Don’t expect a new Asus ROG Phone or Zenfone in 2026

Asus has no plans to launch any new smartphones in 2026, amidst speculation that it could be out of the handset game altogether.

The Taiwanese manufacturer has reportedly told DigiTimes Asia that its has no plans to introduce new smartphone models in 2026.

It will continue to provide after-sales support for existing smartphones, including warranty, maintenance, and software updates. Don’t expect follow-ups to the Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra or the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro any time soon, however.

The latter, in particular, was arguably the best (and certainly the most usable) gaming phone ever made.

Is Asus out of the smartphone game?

Asus revealed this information in response to rumours that the company was now out of the smartphone business altogether.

DigiTimes Asia’s distribution sources in Taiwan allege that Asus’s smartphone unit effectively closed its doors on 31 December, and that it won’t be launching any new smartphone products going forward.

Given the slightly sketchy nature of such rumours, and Asus’s subsequent clarification, we’d take this worst-case scenario with a pinch of salt. It certainly has us worrying for Asus, though, as the company used to make some of the most distinctive phones around.

The company’s last phone was the Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra, which launched almost a year ago. It was the second successive entry in the range (after the Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra) to steer away from the company’s refreshing focus on the small phone format, and it was received rather coolly for its ‘me-too’ style.

Especially so given what the company was capable of. The Asus Zenfone 10 was the last truly small (non-foldable) smartphone to hit the market in 2023, attractive a lot of critical love, but evidently precious few sales.

Ultimately, it seems there’s little demand for such a small phone, as evidenced by Apple’s withdrawal from the market following the iPhone Mini 13 in 2022