After the recent launch of Asus ROG Phone 5 a couple of weeks ago, Asus just launched its new series 8 Zenfones. The latest Zenfones series includes two flagship phones, “Zenfone 8 flip” and the “Zenfone 8.” With its widescreen and flip-out camera mechanism, the ZenFone 8 Flip looks a lot like previous year’s phones, but the company went back to the designing phase for the flagship ZenFone 8 and redesigned it as a smaller one-hand-friendly handset, similar to an Android iPhone mini. The Zenfone 8 is more like a compact flagship; such phones are rare in today’s smartphone market.
Although big companies like Sony have previously ditched the compact flagship smartphone series and Apple who’s iPhone 12 Mini doesn’t seem to be performing too well in the market. But the Taiwanese company Asus on the other hand, looks very positive and hopeful about its Zenfone 8, claiming that there’s still a market demanding compact format smartphones. Hence, Asus launched its duel-flagship series.
• Price and Variants
The 6GB + 128GB capacity version of the Asus ZenFone 8 costs EUR 599. The phone is also available in an 8GB + 128GB storage model for EUR 669 and a 16GB + 256GB storage model for EUR 799. The ZenFone 8’s Obsidian Black base model is currently available for purchase in Europe and Taiwan, while its Horizon Silver and Moonlight White color versions, as well as other models, are currently available for pre-order. Its pricing and availability in other markets are yet to be announced. The Asus Zenfone 8 Flip has a single 8GB + 256GB storage version that costs EUR 799. The Galactic Black and Glacier Silver color choices are currently available for pre-order in Europe and Taiwan.
• Camera & Design
Zenfone 8 Flip is pretty much the same as its previous flagship phone, the Zenfone 7 pro. Zenfone 8 has a body not wider than 70mm to facilitate single-hand use, but the same is not done with the Zenfone 8 Flip. Flip has a width of 77mm, 9.8mm thickness, weighs around 230 grams. For strength and lightness, the back is made of glass, the frame is made of aluminum, and the flip camera module is made of liquid metal.
If you’re a selfie lover, then Zenfone 8 Flip is the one you should go for. Otherwise, it proves to be a little disappointing. The flip technology of Asus is a marvelous piece of engineering; there are three cameras in total; the main camera is a Sony IMX686 with a 64-megapixel sensor, an f/1.8 aperture, phase detection autofocus, and 8K video recording with EIS. The second is a wide-angle 12MP Sony IMX363 camera with an f/2.2 aperture and autofocus, while the third is an 8MP camera with 3x optical zoom. It rotates over wholly, becoming your selfie/secondary camera, and with a click of a button, it turns back to operate as your primary camera. Asus claims that the flip mechanism on the Asus series 8 will last for at least 300,000 flips compared to the 200,000 series 7 Zenfone.
The Asus Zenfone 8, on the other hand, houses a 64-megapixel Sony IMX686 primary sensor with an f/1.8 lens is combined with a 12-megapixel Sony IMX363 secondary sensor with an f/2.2 ultra-wide lens. The Asus ZenFone 8 has a 12-megapixel Sony IMX663 camera with a dual phase-detection autofocus lens on the front for selfies and video chats.
• Specifications
The Asus ZenFone 8 is a dual-SIM (Nano) smartphone that runs Android 11 with ZenUI 8 on top. It comes with a 5.9-inch full-HD+ (1,080×2,400 pixels) 120Hz Samsung AMOLED display with a 20:9 aspect ratio and a peak brightness of 1,100 nits. Corning Gorilla Glass Victus protects the display, which is HDR10 and HDR10+ approved. You’ll also get dust- and water-resistant IP68-certified design. The ZenFone 8 is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC and up to 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM. Zenfone 8 has a 4,000mAh battery that supports the fast charge 4.0 with a 30W USB power adapter.
The Asus ZenFone 8 Flip has a dual-SIM (Nano) configuration and runs on Android 11 with ZenUI 8. It has a 6.67-inch full-HD+ (1,080×2,400 pixels) Samsung AMOLED display with a 20:9 aspect ratio and a peak brightness of 1,000 nits. On top of that, there’s Corning Gorilla Glass 6 defense. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC is paired with 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM to power the smartphone. Flip comes with a 5,000mAh battery that also supports fast charge 4.0.
• Durability
The Zenfone 8 Flip comes with a special case that can lock the flip module in place and prevent it from activating unexpectedly. The mechanism is said to be stronger than before, capable of at least 300,000 flips, and it also automatically retracts when it detects a fall, according to the company. Because the module prevents any form of water resistance, you’ll need to be cautious if you want the phone to last.
If you use the fast network now or in the future, Asus promises two Android system updates, as well as 5G onboard. Several battery charging modes are available, including a scheduler, to help the battery last for years. The design, which is already a year old, is the only thing keeping the Zenfone 8 Flip’s hardware from feeling dated in two years.
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