When PBKRevews disassembled the Zenfone 9 last year, the Asus phone scored a below average repairability score of 4.5/10. Is the Asus Zenfone 10 now easier to fix after Asus had a year to work on it? The latest teardown video examines just that.
Just under the polycarbonate back, the Asus Zenfone 10 houses one of the most important upgrades for this year – the Qi charging coil (up to 15 watts). This assembly also contains the NFC antenna and is easily disassembled to reveal access to the motherboard. The two main cameras are mounted on this mainboard.
The video also includes an interesting close-up of the 50-megapixel main camera, showing just how far the lens can rotate. This is the Asus 6-axis gimbal stabilization in version 2.0, which stabilizes the lens for moving and action videos. Like its predecessor, the Zenfone 10 features a drop of thermal paste on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, which conducts heat into the vapor chamber and transports it from there to the display.
Coming back to the original question – has Asus changed the design to allow for easier repairs? According to the video, no. Replacing the display still requires an almost complete disassembly of the Asus Zenfone 10. Changing the power button or the fingerprint sensor is also difficult. Because their flex cables run under the battery, which you first have to lever out at its pull tabs. In the end, the Zenfone 10 achieved exactly the same repairability rating of 4.5/10 as the 2022 model.
