ASUS is back with a new line of ZenFones. This time around, the Taiwanese brand aims to target a different market with the ZenFone 8, as it is the smallest flagship smartphone to have a Snapdragon 888 processor. More importantly, however, ASUS has confirmed to us that they’ll be bringing the ZenFone 8 to the Philippines, marking the return of the flagship line to our shores since ASUS stopped offering their ZenFone line almost 3 years ago.
ASUS ZenFone 8 Specs:
- Snapdragon 888 processor
- 6GB/8GB/16GB LPDDR5 RAM
- 128GB/256GB UFS 3.1 storage
- 5.9-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display, 120hz refresh rate, 1ms response rate
- 64-megapixel f/1.8 IMX 686 main camera with OIS and PDAF, 12-megapixel f/2.2 IMX 363 ultra-wide-angle camera
- 12-megapixel IMX 663 selfie camera with Dual PDAF
- 4G, 5G
- WiFi 6e, Bluetooth 5.2, in-display fingerprint scanner
- Stereo speakers, Cirrus Logic DAC, IP68 rating
- 4000mAh battery
- 30w fast charging
- Android 11
In a sea of smartphones right now, you can’t find one that has a display that is smaller than 6 inches (Sony’s Xperia 5 III compact flagship has a 6.1-inch display). ASUS aims to break that barrier with the ZenFone 8’s 5.9-inch display, gunning for the title for smallest smartphone for 2021 standards. That display does pack a punch, as it is a Samsung AMOLED panel with a 120hz refresh rate and 1ms touch response rate–that’s quite close to the display of the ROG Phone 3 but in a much more compact footprint.
Being a compact flagship, the ZenFone 8 does pack a punch, as it rocks a Snapdragon 888 processor that is paired with up to 16GB LPDDR5 RAM and up to 256GB UFS 3.1 internal storage. Because of its very compact size, ASUS went for a dual rear camera setup in order to still fit a 4000mAh battery inside it–which has support for a still-fast 30w wired charging.
As for the rear cameras, ASUS equipped the ZenFone 8 with flagship snappers: an IMX 686 main camera with OIS and PDAF, and an IMX 363 ultra-wide-angle camera. For selfies, the ZenFone 8 debuts the IMX 663, which boasts of Dual PDAF for tack-sharp selfies.
Other notable features of the ZenFone 8 include stereo speakers, a headphone jack (which is a feat by itself), and an IP68 rating–the first ASUS phone to have it.
ASUS ZenFone 8 Price Philippines
The ZenFone 8 starts at 599 Euros(~Php 34.9k) for the 6GB/128GB variant. Take note that there’s still no word on both local pricing and availability for the Philippines. It’s also likely that the phone might be priced cheaper when it’s offered here because of lower taxes compared to Europe.
