So, it CAN be done!
ASUS launched the ROG Phone 8 two days ago with an all-new design. Although it is a gaming phone, the company also emphasised its cameras, which we thought was a little strange, but a welcome one as it proves that you can both have extreme performance and great cameras all at the same time. After all, especially the front camera, you’re going to need decent cameras to livestream your favourite title.
Also, ASUS ditched the “Ultimate” title for a cliché “Pro”. How mundane. Like the “Ultimate” moniker, the Pro variant comes with more storage but nonetheless the same in terms of specs.
The series was launched during CES 2024 and the show is not over yet as other companies like Realme and Infinix are also expected to make an appearance. Those are for a different article however.
Previously, in order for an ASUS user to get a good experience, they need to choose between the Zenfone series for photography, or the ROG Phone series for gaming. Today, that is about to change, and the fate of the Zenfone series still remains a mystery as the ROG Phone already cannibalizes its main purpose.
It’s been a month too since the Zenfone 11 announcement and so far, we heard nothing. The last news was that the Zenfone 11 Ultra is confirmed which means goodbye to compact phones.
Enough of that, let’s get to the ROG Phone 8 series,
ROG Phone8:
The ROG Phone 8 is essentially a flagship phone. If you check the display specs, you will be greeted with a 6.78″ FullHD+ (2400x1080px) Flexible AMOLED screen with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection. “Flexible” because the Samsung OLED used here can support 1-165Hz refresh rates, though it will default to 120Hz when “high refresh rate” is used. The back also features ASUS’ signature Aura RGB lighting. The phone is IP68-rated and will survive even the toughest rain conditions.
The phone is obviously equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset with either 12 or 16GB RAM and 256GB ROM. The ROG Phone8 Pro starts at 16/512 and a whopping 24/1TB configuration, competing directly with the OnePlus Ace3 series.
As for its cooling system, the phone adopts the company’s GameCool 8 system which features 360-degree cooling, and with the AeroActive Cooler X accessory installed at the back, the phone will remain cool even with long gaming sessions. This second-generation 360° cooling uses a Rapid-Cooling Conductor placed precisely between the chipset and the metal near the back cover.
Speaking of accessories, the ROG Phone8 comes with shoulder trigger pads, an optional Tessen game controller attachment, and even the AeroActive Cooler attachment gets its own buttons. The phone also integrates AI recognition, such as when recording important moments in a game, or scanning words or phrases in supported titles to give you tips. The company calls it “X Sense”.
However, for all this gaming talk, you’re probably here for the cameras. There are three available at the back and a single 32MP RGBW front camera. ASUS spent no compromise with the ROG Phone8’s cameras.
The primary camera is a 50MP Sony IMX890 sensor with a 6-axis gimbal stabilizer which works better than most OIS solutions. The secondary camera is a 13MP Ultrawide with 120° field of view. Finally, the third camera which comes as a surprise, is a 32MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom and OIS! RedMagic has tough competition here. They should just release their own portable console, like what MSi and Lenovo did.
ASUS is a company that listens well to its customers. Remember back with the ROG Phone6 when they brought back the headphone jack? The ROG Phone8 has it too! Its speakers are also well-tested and includes several worthy gimmicks such as Dirac Virtuo which enhances the quality of your headphones by giving it spatial sound, and Hi-Res Audio for both wired and wireless handsets. And yes, the phone has a stereo speaker system.
In terms of its battery life, the phone has a 5500mAh battery coupled with 65W fast charging which ASUS claims fills an empty battery in just 39 minutes. Oddly enough, Only Power Delivery and QC5 are mentioned, but not wireless charging.
You can pre-order this studded gaming phone soon, if you have at least USD 1,099.99 in your pocket (~PHP 61.7K). In terms of colour options, the ROG Phone8 Pro comes in a single Phantom Black option while the ROG Phone8 comes in two: Rebel Grey and also, Phantom Black.
You can hold on to your ROG Phone 7 Ultimate or ROG Phone 6D as they are not outdated yet. And speaking of being updated, the ROG Phone8 boots with Android 14, the latest version of the operating system.
Source: ASUS ROG
You must be logged in to post a comment.