Asus Confirms No Phones in 2026, May Exit Android Market

Asus won’t release any new smartphones in 2026, and that may signal the brand’s exit from the Android space altogether. Asus chairman, Jonney Shih, confirmed the news at an event in Taiwan on Jan. 16. According to a machine-translated version of quotes reported by Inside, Shih said, “Asus will no longer add new mobile phone models in the future." This matches with a previous report from DigiTimes earlier in January that said Asus had confirmed it wouldn’t introduce new models in 2026. The big question is whether that means stepping back altogether or a temporary pause. In the same speech, Shih alluded to the possibility that it may not be done entirely with smartphones, but fell short of confirming that it would return to Android devices at a later date. This adds fuel to the fire that the Android space is losing another major player. The brand has its Zenfone line of flagship devices alongside the ROG series of gaming phones, although we’ve yet to see a new top-end device from Asus in almost a year. Shih said Asus would continue to offer services for existing smartphone users, including software updates and warranty support for its current devices. The ROG Phone 9 and ROG Phone 8 series remain on the Asus website, but every model appears to be out of stock in the US. There's no mention of any Zenfone models, which isn't surprising, as Asus chose not to sell the 2025 Zenfone 12 Ultra in the region. This leaves the niche gaming phone market in a precarious position and arguably affects Android as a whole. Redmagic, a rival to Asus in gaming phones, celebrated the rumors of the brand's exit back in early January. The speech also saw Shih suggest that Asus may redeploy its smartphone research and development teams to work on AI projects, such as smart glasses or robotics. Shih also commented on the current memory price hikes affecting the entire tech industry. He noted price increases may be possible, but said Asus would aim to offset that through what he calls design thinking and supply chain collaboration. The comments weren’t direct enough to dispel fears that Asus product prices may rise at a later date. Rival brands have seen price increases in recent months, and many tech companies are signaling that the trend will continue across the industry.