Highlights
- ASUS is reportedly halting the plans for a new smartphone in 2026, meaning no ROG Phone 10 or Zenfone 13 Ultra this year.
- The report claims that the current smartphone operations will remain active for maintenance, software updates, and warranty support.
ASUS is taking a break from the smartphone market, as the company has no plans to introduce any new smartphones to the market in 2026, affecting both its ROG Phone and Zenfone lineups.
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This would mean there will be no ROG Phone 10 or Zenfone 13 Ultra this year, though the report adds that ASUS will continue to provide maintenance, software upgrades, and other warranty-related services for the existing users.
ASUS currently isn’t a major player in the smartphone segment, as their Zenfone lineup does not live up to the expectations and the demands of the smartphone market, but certainly the same isn’t the case for their ROG Phone lineup, first announced in 2018.
ROG Phone is the gaming lineup from ASUS focusing on what a gamer needs thanks to features like AirTriggers, advanced cooling, and gaming-focused accessories with the top-tier hardware.
ROG Phone 9 (Credit: ASUS)
Digitimes report: Why is ASUS pausing phones?
The report mentions that when smartphone distributors tried to secure shipments from local agents, they were told that ASUS is stopping the smartphone operations, which ASUS later clarified as a halt to new smartphone plans in 2026.
Though there is no official statement from ASUS stating the exact reasons for the halt, the report, along with the industry-wide memory shortage and steep increase in smartphone components and R&D costs, suggests several possible factors behind this decision.
ASUS’s focus on higher-margin categories such as laptops, PCs, and gaming hardware could be a contributing factor too.
What does this mean for ROG Phone and Zenfone owners?
The report does clarify the current lineup and the existing customers.
- Since smartphone operations are not shutting down, existing devices will receive maintenance, software updates, and warranty support, as per the report.
- With no new ROG Phone 10 or Zenfone 13 Ultra in 2026, buyers will have to look at the current ASUS models or rival brands if they plan to upgrade this year.
Zenfone 12 Ultra (Credit: ASUS)
Is this the end of ASUS smartphones?
This is not ASUS’s exit from the smartphone market but a halt to new smartphone plans for 2026, likely to reassess the current mobile strategy and potentially to return with more focused lineups in the future.
Since smartphone operations remain active for existing devices and there is no official announcement of an exit from the mobile market, the coming months should give us an idea and clearer picture of the company’s long-term plans.
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