Asus Zenfone 8, the compact Android smartphone is back in fashion

Over the past few years, Android smartphones have gotten bigger and bigger. Large display, to leave space for the content; giant batteries to increase autonomy and support the energy needs of high-frequency screens, or the new 5G modems; ever larger cameras, to house latest generation sensors that challenge the physical limits of optical miniaturization. A market trend that translates into the almost impossibility of finding compact smartphones in the Android field, apart from very rare exceptions, with screens of less than 6 ”diagonal.

According to market research from Asus, 67% of users would like a compact Android device that is comfortable to carry in their pocket, with great performance and good battery life. A need to which the Taiwanese manufacturer tries to respond with the launch of the new Zenfone 8, a new top of the range “high” less than 150mm, with a compact body, a 5.9 “screen, a very high-end Qualcomm chipset and 169g in weight. We previewed it for a week ahead of today’s launch to see if there really is room for a compact smartphone in a market where screen size is still an important differentiator.

Asus Zenfone 8, for short

• The chipset is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888, the same as the major Android flagships of 2021.
• The display is a 9.5 ”Samsung AMOLED with integrated fingerprint reader. It’s a great display that can go up to 120Hz refresh rate.
• The battery, despite the size of the phone, is still 4000mAh.
• RAM and storage go up to 16GB and 256GB, but the basic version is 6GB – 128GB
• Despite the presence of the audio jack (and therefore also the FM radio function) Zenfone 8 is the first ASUS smartphone certified as water resistant (IP65 / IP68)
• There is a dual camera on the back, with a 64MP main sensor and a 12MP super wide angle
• The smartphone is compatible with 5G networks and a 4G + 5G dual SIM can be used

Zenfone 8, design and user experience
It is good to clarify immediately what is meant by a compact Android smartphone. Zenfone 8, in fact, is smaller than average, but not very small. It’s about the size of an iPhone 12 (which is a couple of millimeters shorter), and slightly smaller than a Samsung Galaxy S12. The real difference is that, at least in Asus’ intentions, this device aims to position itself for performance in a higher range than its Korean competitor, while still costing like a mid-range device. Combining high-end performance and compact size isn’t easy. Asus has used its experience in the production of motherboards and components to rethink the internal design of the motherboard, which on this Zenfone 8 measures only 2000mm square (which is very little). It may seem like a nerdy detail, we are aware of it, but it is also a technological innovation that deserves a mention in itself. If only because it answers at least in part the age-old question, namely: why are there so few top-of-the-range Android with compact dimensions?

When you first pick it up, you notice that in order to save space in height and width, Asus had to compromise on 8.9mm thickness (a little more than the Android average). Nonetheless, the device is, without a doubt, one of the most handy and compact Android smartphones we have tried in recent years. Even the aforementioned Galaxy S21, which had surprised us positively in terms of size and weight, is still larger and does not guarantee the same level of performance as the new Zenfone.

The design of the new Zenfone does not shine for originality compared to the competition, but it is elegant and sober, and is inscribed in the design legacy of all the devices of the Zenfone family. The blue side function key is a touch of bright color that we really like, as well as the flat screen, without the rounded edges that Android manufacturers now use as a standard solution to streamline oversized bodies.

How’s the Zenfone 8 doing
The 5.9 ”AMOLED screen is perfectly sized not to seem too small, and contributes to the overall handling of the device. The image quality is flawless, as is the color rendering. Asus has also implemented via software a single-hand mode of use that halves the screen size and brings the icons closer to the thumb: those with small hands will really like it.

Performance is excellent and there is nothing this phone, thanks to the Snapdragon 888, can’t do. Nonetheless, thanks to the 5nm chipset, the small screen, and the software optimizations of the stock version of Android on the device, the 4000mAh battery resists without problems for more than a day with normal use of the device.

The photographic sector does not leave you speechless, but it is still very good for the price range in which the Zenfone 8 is positioned. The 64MP main camera mounts a versatile Sony IMX686 sensor: details and color rendering are very good, but sometimes the HDR processing is a little too hard for our taste. Maybe some more software adjustments would be needed. The 12MP ultra wide angle is also well above enough, but the results are not surprising.

What we liked and what we would change
The general impression on Zenfone 8, after a week of use is very positive, and if Asus manages to produce and import enough of them in Europe, it could have a little big success in its hands, such as it was already for the Zenfone 6 (first Android with the flip camera).

Here’s what we particularly liked:

• The compact design. It is not easy to make a small smartphone that maintains the performance of a top of the range and a medium-high range price. With Zenfone 8 Asus has succeeded.
• The performance of the display: excellent colors, very good brightness and above all the fluidity of the interface with the refresh rate set at 120Hz
• The ZenUI 8 interface is in fact a stock version of Android, with very few additions done very well (like the one-handed mode). A very small detail but that we really appreciate on all Zenfones: the possibility of recording calls directly from the phone (so much so that we often still use a Zenfone 6 for our interviews here).

Asus Zenfone 8 Flip
In addition to the compact Zenfone 8, Asus has also launched an “oversized” version of the device. It’s called Zenfone 8 Flip and keeps the triple folding camera that characterized the Zenfone 6 and 7 series of 2019 and 2020. To the two cameras (the same as Zenfone 8), this model adds an 8MP telephoto lens and 3X zoom. All mounted in a flip-up photo module that enables a number of particular uses, such as the vertical panorama function, or the ability to take pictures from unusual angles.

The advantage of the Flip camera is also the total absence of holes or notches on the 6.67 ”AMOLED display. For the rest, the technical characteristics of this model are more or less the same as the Zenfone 8. The chipset is always the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 with 5G modem, accompanied by 8GB of RAM and 256Gb of storage space, while the battery reaches 5000mAh. Compared to the more compact model, Zenfone 8 Flip lacks IP68 certification (impossible to achieve with the motorized camera) and the headphone jack. Both can be charged with 30W fast charging, but there is no wireless charging.

Prices and availability
Zenfone 8 will be available immediately in Italy in Obsidian Black and Horizon Silver colors, in these configurations:

• 8GB / 128GB: € 699 (initial offer of € 619 until May 30)
• 8GB/256GB: 749€
• 16GB/256GB: 819€

The basic 6GB / 128GB version will arrive in the next few months. It will only be available on the ASUS website and will cost € 599.
Zenfone 8 Flip will be available in Italy in the coming weeks in Galactic Black and Glacier Silver colors. You can buy it on the official ASUS website, at the ASUS Gold Store and on Unieuro.it. The recommended price is € 799.