Asus exits smartphone business in search of AI silver bullet
Asus is getting out of the mobile business, which means no more ROG or Zenphones. The company is going all-in on AI instead.
Asus is exiting the smartphone market. The company’s chairman Jonney Shih has confirmed there’ll be no more handsets from the Taiwanese firm moving forward.
Most notably, that means the end of the popular gaming powerhouse phones launched under the ROG branding are going away, as well as the Zenfone line. As reported by Inside, Shih said Asus will instead focus on products powered by AI, which will include robotics and smart glasses.
“Asus will no longer add new models of mobile phones in the future,” the chairman said (translated) during ASUS’ annual end of year gala. While Asus isn’t ruling out a return in the future, Shih said the company is making a”substantial exit” or taking an “indefinite wait-and-see” approach.
Instead, Asus is throwing all of its eggs in the AI basket with Shih saying “AI leads the way to the future” and he wants his colleagues to grab ahold of “the rare encounter in life.”
The company says “it will continue to take care of brand-name mobile phone users”, which can be interpreted as continued support for the Asus smartphones through their lifespan. That means continued Android updates and security updates. Asus’ departure from the scene might be precipitous as tech companies search for the smartphone’s successor, whatever that may be.
The current front runner appears to be AI glasses, while the first generations of AI Pins have flattered to deceive. However, those companies that can grab the early advantage might have the best shot at leading the future of consumer tech.
For ROG gamers perturbed by the loss of their favourite smartphone brand, the company is still rolling out a series of gaming handhelds under that name, including one officially licensed by Xbox.
Chris Smith
