The End of the Road for ROG Phone and ZenFone?
In a move that has sent shockwaves through the tech community, Asus is preparing to exit the smartphone market. We have learned that the Taiwanese giant is planning a massive strategic pivot, shifting its heavyweight Research and Development (R&D) resources away from mobile hardware to focus almost exclusively on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics.
For years, Asus has carved out a dedicated niche in Malaysia, particularly among the hardcore gaming crowd with its ROG Phone series and enthusiasts who appreciated the compact form factor of the ZenFone. However, the shifting tides of the global economy and the explosive growth of AI seem to have convinced the company that the future lies beyond the pocket-sized screen.
A Strategic Pivot to AI and Robotics
This isn’t just a minor downsizing; it is a total realignment of the company’s DNA. By reallocating its engineering talent to AI and robotics, Asus is clearly looking to dominate the next industrial revolution. While their PCs and motherboards remain industry staples, the smartphone division has faced uphill battles against aggressive pricing from competitors and a stagnating global upgrade cycle.
For us in Malaysia, this news is bittersweet. The ROG Phone has long been the gold standard for mobile gaming in our local e-sports scene. From the iconic AirTriggers to the over-the-top cooling accessories, Asus pushed the boundaries of what a phone could do. Seeing that innovation come to a halt marks the end of a very specific era of mobile experimentalism.
What Happens Next?
While official timelines for the phase-out are still becoming clear, the transition suggests that the current generations of Asus devices might be the last we ever see. If you are a collector or a die-hard fan, the ROG Phone 9 Pro might just become a legendary piece of tech history.
Asus is choosing to play to its strengths. With the PC market seeing a resurgence through AI-integrated laptops and the robotics sector booming in automation, the company is betting big on where the money—and the future—is headed. We expect to see more “smart” integration in their future hardware lineups, powered by the very teams that once built our favorite gaming phones.
It remains to be seen how Asus will handle long-term software support for existing users in Malaysia, but for now, the message is clear: the era of the Asus smartphone is drawing to a close.