Asus moves away from smartphones to focus on AI hardware and robotics

Asus has officially confirmed a shift in its smartphone market strategy. Contrary to expectations, the manufacturer is not only halting new model releases in the near term but also has no plans to expand its phone lineup overall.

Chairman Johnny Shih announced this during the company's annual employee meeting in Taipei. He stated that Asus will not be adding new smartphones or launching additional product categories in the mobile segment. This isn't a temporary pause but a deliberate move away from active competition in the oversaturated phone market.

However, the company emphasized that users of already-released smartphones will continue to receive support. Asus will maintain service and fulfill all obligations to current device owners, though further development of the mobile division is no longer viewed as a key growth driver.

Asus's primary focus is shifting toward hardware solutions related to artificial intelligence. The company intends to actively invest in AI infrastructure, robotics, intelligent machines, and edge computing systems that can operate with minimal human involvement.

In the long term, Asus aims to develop what it calls "physical AI products"—ranging from servers and corporate platforms to integrated hardware-software complexes for business and industry. The company believes these areas can provide sustainable growth, unlike the consumer smartphone market where competition and margin pressures continue to intensify.

Overall, the picture is straightforward: smartphones remain a supported but non-expanding segment for Asus, while the company's future lies in advancing artificial intelligence and next-generation smart devices.