The global smartphone market might be losing another member, as ASUS shockingly confirmed this week that it doesn't plan to launch new smartphones in 2026.
The last ASUS ROG Phone model released in late 2024, with the company only releasing the ASUS Zenfone 12 Ultra in early 2025. Although ASUS isn't throwing in the towel on smartphones entirely, the brand's official statements suggest that in a best-case scenario, it'll be another 12 months before we see another ASUS phone.
The news came to light after a DigiTimes report claimed ASUS would cease launching new Android phones after Dec. 31, 2025. The company stopped short of confirming its smartphone business is gone for good, but in a rare move, it said there are "currently" no plans for new models this year.
Regardless of what happens in the long run, I'm going to miss ASUS phones. Models like the ASUS ROG Phone 9 Pro and earlier Zenfone generations broke from the norm in ways few others did. At the same time, the high price of ASUS smartphones, meager software support, and limited availability made them noncompetitive outside of niche circles. Here's what we know about the state of ASUS' smartphone division, how we may have gotten here, and what I hope comes next.
ASUS won't make new Zenfone or ROG Phone models this year
The DigiTimes report cites Taiwanese smartphone distributors who became unable to acquire ASUS phones through usual channels, and further alleged that their available information suggested the company's mobile operations would only continue through the end of December 2025.
The publication contacted ASUS, which said it "clearly communicated to telecom channels that its smartphone operations will continue and that maintenance, software upgrades, and warranty services for all existing products will not be affected."
Then, there's the catch — ASUS also told DigiTimes that it "currently has no plans to introduce new smartphone models in 2026." At the same time, the company doubled down on the fact that it would "maintain its current operating model." It's fairly uncommon for a smartphone manufacturer to go an entire year without releasing new models, though.
If ASUS remains firm in its estimation that it will not release a new phone in 2026, it'll go more than two years (26 months, to be exact) without an ASUS ROG Phone series refresh, at the very least. Assuming January 2027 would be the earliest ASUS could launch upgraded smartphones, we'd also go nearly two years without a new Zenfone.
In a best-case scenario based on the available information, both of ASUS' flagship smartphone lineups would have effectively skipped two generations. That is, if we take ASUS' word that its smartphone operations are not nearing an end.
ASUS claims it isn't done in the smartphone market, but I'm skeptical
Taking what is effectively a two-year hiatus from releasing smartphones feels tough for a company to come back from. While the brand's statement claims smartphone operations will continue, it doesn't explicitly state that new models will be released beyond 2026. Instead, ASUS' comments to DigiTimes focuses on things like "comprehensive after-sales support" that includes "warranty coverage and software updates."
In other words, ASUS wants customers to know that the company isn't going to abandon them — software support promises and warranty coverage will be honored. In fact, the company shipped major software updates to recent models as recently as November 2025. That's when Android 16 arrived for the ROG Phone 9, ROG Phone 9 Pro, and the Zenfone 12 Ultra.
It's certainly possible that ASUS bounces back stronger than ever in 2027, but it's also possible that the company is slowly shuttering its smartphone business. Growth in a competitive space is hard to achieve without flashy new offerings, and the problems ASUS faced — which may have included limited regional and cellular carrier availability — will likely still be problems post-2026.
The loss of ASUS phones, temporary or permanent, is disappointing
I can't say I'm completely stunned by this decision, because I've found some of ASUS' smartphone decisions over the past few years to be perplexing.
The biggest one was the choice to convert the Zenfone line from a unique set of small flagship phones to "Ultra" variants in larger form factors. The ASUS Zenfone 10 was the last 5.9-inch phone with premium hardware and few compromises. Now, the Zenfone 12 Ultra has a 6.78-inch screen and little differentiating characteristics to separate it from every other flagship.
Another questionable move was going all-in on the $1,000+ sector of the smartphone market. More specifically, chasing high-end flagship sales without providing a premium experience to match the price point. Phones costing that much with only two guaranteed Android OS upgrades are nearly dead-on-arrival when Samsung and Google are offering seven.
Still, ASUS deserves praise for having the courage to try new things, even if it didn't always see them through. It made small phones at a time when every other brand had left them behind. Similarly, it put multiple USB-C ports on ROG Phone models for years, helping the lineup develop an identity as a gaming-focused Android phone for power users.
I hope this isn't the end of ASUS phones, because if it isn't trying crazy things, who will? As someone who asked for more dual USB-C port phones in 2026, the loss of a new ROG Phone means my yearly wishlist is off to a bad start.
