After months of beta testing, ASUS finally released the stable Android 12 update for the ZenFone 8 and ZenFone 8 Flip yesterday. Interestingly enough, the latest update also seems to contain references for the upcoming ZenFone 9 and ROG Phone 6.

As spotted by ASUS ZenTalk forum member The Raimstor, the latest Android 12 update for the ZenFone 8 adds a new hidden setting for the double-tap back gesture — similar to the Pixel phones. The feature doesn’t work at the moment but its setting page reveals what appears to be a sketch of a ZenFone 9. Note that this is an early "render" (if it can even be called that) and not a finalized design. It could very easily be a placeholder graphic too. In any case, the render shows the ZenFone 9 sporting a dual-camera setup on the back. A closer look reveals that the setup consists of a 50MP primary and a 12MP ultra-wide camera. Moreover, we can also see that the phone features an iPhone 13-style boxy design with flat edges.

A sketch showing the back of the ZenFone 9

The same Android 12 firmware also contains a sketch of the ROG Phone 6 (H/T Mishaal Rahman), giving us a glimpse of ASUS' upcoming gaming flagship. As you can see below, the phone retains the unapologetic gamer aesthetic that we have come to expect from the ROG lineup. The middle of the back seems to house a ROG Vision PMOLED display, with a stylized "ROG 06" logo just above it. As per the sketch, the phone has a larger camera module compared to the ROG Phone 5. We highly regarded the last year's ROG Phone 5 for its amazing performance and thoughtful gaming features, and we expect nothing less from the ROG Phone 6.

A sketch of ASUS ROG Phone 6

Not much is known about the ZenFone 9 and ROG Phone 6 at this point. We expect to learn more about both phones in the coming months leading up to their official launch.

Thanks to Wichaya Poka for the tip!