Asus Reportedly Pauses Plans to Launch ROG Phone, Zenfone Models in 2026

Asus launched the ROG Phone 9 Pro in select European countries in November 2024, along with the ROG Phone 9, followed by the Asus ROG Phone 9 FE in February 2025. This means that it has been nearly 11 months since the company refreshed its gaming-focused phone lineup. Now, reports suggest that the ROG Phone and the Zenfone lineups might not be updated, at least in 2026. Phone retailers in Taiwan will reportedly stop restocking Asus phones, but the company will continue providing after-sales services, warranty coverages, and promised software updates for its existing models.

Older Asus ROG Phone, Zenfone Models Expected to Receive Software Updates

A DigiTimes report states that the Taiwan-based tech giant will not be launching new smartphones this year as part of its ROG and Zenfone lineups. However, the smartphones that have already been sold or will be sold in the future will reportedly continue to receive OTA software updates, maintenance support, and warranty services. To ensure that its customers are not affected, the tech firm will provide “comprehensive after-sales” support.

The publication also claims that smartphone retailers and distributors in Taiwan will “no longer be able to obtain” Asus' handsets. It's currently unclear whether the tech firm plans to halt production of its existing models.

However, the tech firm has neither revealed the reason behind the plans to pause new smartphone launches, nor has it confirmed whether this is a temporary move. The decision comes at a time when various smartphone makers are trying to find a way around the increasing component costs.

As previously mentioned, the Asus ROG Phone 9 series was unveiled globally in November 2024. At launch, the ROG Phone 9 Pro was priced at EUR 1,200 (about Rs. 1,27,000) for the 16GB RAM + 512GB storage variant, while the ROG Phone 9 was priced at EUR 1,099 (roughly Rs. 1,16,000) for the 12GB RAM + 256GB storage option.

To recap, the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro sports a 6.78-inch Full-HD+ (1,080x2,400 pixels) Samsung AMOLED LTPO display, delivering up to 165Hz refresh rate, up to 2,500 nits of peak brightness, and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection. It is powered by Qualcomm's octa core Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, paired with up to 24GB of LPDDR5x RAM and up to 1TB of UFS 4.0 internal storage. The phone is equipped with a 5,800mAh battery. It supports 65W wired and 15W wireless fast charging.