Asus is such a brand which doesn’t announce many phones which leaves the interested audience in a confusion state that are they even catering to smartphones. This is pretty evident when Asus had a great run in India back in 2018 with its Zenfone Max Pro series but unfortunately for some reason Asus has backed off from the mid-range smartphone market in India. Since then there’s always been a dilemma what exactly the brand’s objective is regarding its smartphone business.
From the past 3 years, Asus has been completely focusing on the high-end smartphone market with the likes of flagship Zenfone series and hit gaming series – ROG Phones. This year, surprisingly within 6 months itself, Asus will launch/have launched the successors to Zenfone and ROG Phone i.e. Zenfone 8 series and ROG Phone 5. This makes us intrigued for what is on the way for the later part of the year.
Asus launched the Zenfone 8 series on 12 May 2021 and these phones have a lot going for them. The series includes two phones – Zenfone 8 aka Zenfone 8 mini which is touted as a compact smartphone and the Zenfone 8 Flip which is the 3rd iteration of flip phone from Asus. Just from the on-paper specs, the Zenfone 8 looks to be a game changer smartphone and could be the next big thing in the smartphone scene. To comply with that, here are some reasons why the Zenfone 8 is a phone to check out and worth buying:-
1. Compact Form
If you are in the hunt to find a phone which fits perfectly in your hand and at the same time, boasts high-end specs then look no further then Zenfone 8. Its leaked name was Zenfone 8 mini itself which suggests it would be a compact smartphone like iPhone 12 mini from the beginning. Speaking of iPhone 12 mini, the phone didn’t match Apple’s expectations in terms of sales though that it had to halt its production and only produce for the current market demand.
Inspired from Apple, Asus has its own take on this due to the Asus Zenfone 8’s pricing, which is much lesser then of iPhone 12 mini. The market for compact smartphone exists, but its just that people aren’t going to shell out huge amounts on a mini smartphone.
Asus Zenfone 8 is the perfect compact smartphone out there (if this form factor was even demanded) and possibily the most powerful under 6 inch smartphone. To give an idea, the Zenfone 8 is just so ever so slightly taller then Pixel 5 at 148mm versis 144mm on the Pixel. We all know, how well the Pixel 5 was praised for its compact design. Well, same goes for Zenfone 8 as well.
2. Extremely clean Android experience
This would probably be the most crucial factor to buy Zenfone 8 when people realize its software and how well built it is from top to bottom. I would say that the ZenUI 8 on Zenfone 8 series is arguably the BEST Android UI skin around. There are several reasons for that:-
- Clean UI – Just what you need and nothing you don’t. All essential features such as long screenshot, screen recording, screen off gestures, app cloning, gaming mode and much more.
- Stock like Android – ZenUI probably goes best with the term ‘stock-like Android’ because of its design and UX matches that of Google’s AOSP or the Pixel.
- No Bloatware – Most of the brands these days stuff even high-end phones with bloatware, that’s not the case with Zenfone 8 or Asus phones
- No unnecessary notifications – Android skins like MIUI, Realme UI and OneUI tend to push out promotional and unwanted notifications from first party apps which hinders the UI experience especially on premium phones.
With that being taken care of, Asus probably lacks in the software updates department but since the past 2 years it has improved quiet a lot. You can checkout our full fledged articles on ZenUI software skin and decide for yourself how much Asus has improved over the years.
3. Practical Cameras
Finally A brand realized worthlessness of 2MP cameras
Asus has listened to every tech enthusiast’s voice, by omitting the low quality 2MP macro and depth cameras which basically get the work done, but due to being so low res, there’s compromise on the clarity of the picture. Instead, Asus Zenfone 8 packs just two cameras – 64MP IMX686 main camera and ultra-wide camera which has auto-focusing equipped. The IMX686 has been around in Asus phones since the ROG Phone 3 but that’s not a big thing until the optimization is spot on after tweaking with it for 2 years.
One should get the Zenfone 8 not because of lack of unnecessary lenses but rather the reliability of the two cameras which it has. It’s the same sensor which won MKBHD’s blind smartphone camera test of 2020 wherein which a couple of high-end phones will pit against each other and let the audience decide which photo is more preferred and likable by them. Turns out, the Zenfone 7 with 64MP IMX686 won. This doesn’t really judge the camera performance but just an insight on how well Asus can tweak its camera software. Apart, the actual camera performance only time will tell when compared with other phones in its league such as Mi 11x, iQOO 7 and OnePlus 9R. It would be a good sight of relief when Asus Zenfone 8 (Asus 8z) launches in India sans the 2MP macro and depth cameras as those are for just numbers to look good on paper.
Zenfone 8 (Asus 8z) specifications-
- Display – 5.9″ Full HD+ 120Hz AMOLED, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus
- Dimensions – 148 x 68.5 x 8.9mm
- Weight – 169g
- SoC – Snapdragon 888
- Rear cameras – 64MP IMX686 main, 12MP Wide Angle camera (both with EIS and upto 8K video recording)
- Front camera – 12MP
- Headphone jack with DAC support
- IP68 water resistance
- Dual speakers
- Android 11 with ZenUI 8
- 5G with multiple bands support
- Battery – 4000mAh with 30W charging
4. Water Resistance
Water? No worries.
Probably the first Asus phone with a IP68 rating. If you’re worried from splashes of water, Zenfone 8 has you covered. As mentione above, this compact smartphone sure looks small but packs a punch. It’s also one of a few phones in the price range to offer certified water resistance.
5. Headphone Jack
Headphone jack lives on!
A huge kudos to Asus for bringing back the headphone jack on the Zenfone 8. Last years’ ROG Phone 3 and Zenfone 7 series lacked the headphone jack and we all thought Asus was one of the last brands to carry the 3.5mm jack and has finally put it to rest. But how often does that happen right? Bringing back the headphone jack is a huge deal when every other brand is refraining from it.
Not only that, but Zenfone 8 is also equipped with DAC which is just a cherry on top for audiophiles. This can be a major factor of buying this phone especially if some great headphones/earphones are lying around your home. Those can once again be put to great use.
Excellent all rounder phone?
Zenfone 8 sure packs everything one can expect from a phone and checks all the boxes. If nitpicking goes, the design of the Zenfone 8 isn’t that impressive like bezels could’ve been narrower and back also looks blend. But well, on the brighter sides, it has everything one could ask for. An 120Hz AMOLED display, Snapdragon 888, dual speakers, headphone jack, IP68, 8K video recording all that for not so high price.
The major concern, atleast on paper can be the battery life. The 4000mAh battery would need to be highly optimised to deliver a good amount of screen on time especially with 120Hz and Snapdragon 888 which is said to be a power hungry chipset from Qualcomm this year. Another struggle the brand might face is the lack of popularity of the Asus’ smartphones in several markets. They are not very well retained in people’s mind until you give reference about “the brand which makes ROG Phones”. Therefore, the main concern can be whether Asus is a reliable brand for phones. This all actually depends on the after sales service Asus offers such as service centers competency to repair phones, number of service centers itself and most importantly software support in the long term. Asus is definitely not the best in these factors but is sure on its way to improve things.
Asus Zenfone 8 India Launch Date
The best part is, Zenfone 8 will release in India as Asus 8z sometime around June. Whenever the Zenfone 8 lands in India it’ll be one of the compact smartphone of 2021 in India even including midrange phones. Also, the not so anticipated Zenfone 8 Flip aka Asus 8z Flip might also make its debut in India as per the landing page from Asus. So if you are in the market searching for a high-end phone, Zenfone 8 is definitely worth buying and cherishing the small form factor experience.
Asus Zenfone 8 Price in India
The Asus Zenfone 8 or 8z price in India would be somewhere around Rs. 38,000 to Rs. Rs. 43,000. Being a Snapdragon 888 phone, that’s indeed a great price while also having IP68 water resistance as well as a headphone jack which is almost extinct to be found on smartphones. This can also makes Asus Zenfone 8 price in India one of the cheapest Snapdragon 888 phones just above the iQOO 7 Legend.
