Asus has recently unveiled its latest gaming smartphone, the ROG Phone 8, offering enthusiasts three compelling variants: ROG Phone 8, ROG Phone 8 Pro, and ROG Phone 8 Pro Edition.
Design: Aesthetically Pleasing and Ergonomic
The ROG Phone 8 comes in two distinct versions with unique aesthetics. The standard ROG Phone 8 features the Aura RGB logo on the back, with options for gray or black colors. In contrast, the ROG Phone 8 Pro, available only in black, boasts the “AniMe Vision” feature with 341 mini white LED lights, supporting over 20 pre-set animated effects.
All three models are sleeker and lighter than their predecessor, the ROG Phone 7, with a reduced thickness of 1.4mm and a weight reduction of 14g. The overall dimensions have also been compacted, enhancing the device’s portability.
This design evolution is partly attributed to the slightly reduced battery capacity, now at 5,500mAh compared to the previous 6,000mAh. However, Asus emphasizes that the optimized hardware ensures comparable battery life to the ROG Phone 7.
Display: A Visual Feast with Technological Advancements
The ROG Phone 8 retains its 6.78-inch display size but with significantly slimmer bezels. The selfie camera has transitioned to a punch-hole design, departing from the bezel placement in the previous model.
Maintaining the 165Hz refresh rate from the ROG Phone 7, the ROG Phone 8 introduces a new LTPO panel, allowing variable refresh rates from 1Hz to 120Hz based on display content, optimizing power efficiency. The maximum screen brightness has also been increased to 2,500 nits, enhancing outdoor visibility.
Performance: Powerhouse Under the Hood
Equipped with the formidable Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, the ROG Phone 8 offers configurations with up to 24GB of LPDDR5X RAM and up to 1TB of UFS 4.0 storage.
Unlike the ROG Phone 7 Pro’s AeroActive Portal cooling fan, the ROG Phone 8 adopts a heat conduction cooling solution. A copper heat conduction plate traverses the motherboard and contacts the back of the device, efficiently dissipating heat. Additionally, Asus provides the new AeroActive Cooler X, a more compact and lighter cooling fan with increased contact area, 10% faster fan speed, and 20% higher cooling efficiency.
An outstanding feature is the ROG Phone 8’s IP68 water resistance rating, a significant improvement over the IP54 of the ROG Phone 7, a rarity in gaming phones due to cooling system requirements.
The device supports 15W Qi wireless charging and features HyperCharge 65W wired fast charging, boasting a remarkable 39-minute full charge from 0 to 100%.
Camera System: A Photography Marvel
The primary 50MP camera, utilizing the Sony IMX890 1/1.56-inch sensor, is equipped with 6-axis gimbal 3.0 stabilization technology, ensuring smooth and stable Super HyperSteady video recording. The device also features a 13MP 120° ultra-wide-angle camera.
Notably, the telephoto lens with 3X optical zoom and 32MP resolution supports optical image stabilization (OIS) and 4-in-1 pixel binning (pixel size 1.4µm). In addition to the 3x optical zoom, the ROG Phone 8 offers AI Hyper Clarity 10x and digital zoom capabilities up to 30x.
In some markets, the ROG Phone 8 will replace the telephoto lens with a macro lens. The ROG Phone 8 Pro and 8 Pro Edition, however, will feature the telephoto lens in all markets.
AI Features: Enhancing the Gaming Experience
The ROG Phone 8 integrates several AI-powered features to enhance the gaming experience. “AI Grabber” facilitates finding online game guides effortlessly, allowing users to copy mission objectives from games like Genshin Impact for easy reference. Another upcoming feature is “AI Wallpaper,” which creates custom wallpapers based on user preferences using Stable Diffusion technology.
Conclusion
the ASUS ROG Phone 8 stands out as a formidable gaming smartphone, delivering a sleek design, top-tier performance, advanced display technology, a robust camera system, and innovative AI features. While the price may be comparable to flagship devices like the iPhone 15 Pro Max, the ROG Phone 8 offers a unique and tailored experience for avid gamers.
