The ASUS ZenFone 8 is the small phone to beat in 2021
I remember the first time I was ever truly excited about a smartphone. When HTC (remember when they were relevant?) released the Evo 4G on Sprint, it was the first Android phone to be widely considered a proper iPhone competitor. It was also considered a huge smartphone at the time as its 4.3-inch display dwarfed the competition. Fast forward to 2021 and there’s no shortage of massive phones with 6-inch and above displays, but there’s only a handful of small phones on the market. Today, ASUS is taking aim at the neglected compact phone market by unveiling the ASUS ZenFone 8.
In today’s smartphone market, good, cheap phones are a dime a dozen. Flagship phones are also easy to come by, with dozens of options from many different brands. Small phones are rare but can be found if you look hard enough. We’ve seen a few smaller (by today’s standards) phones recently come out, but most of them are either overpriced, lack flagship-tier specs, or have hard-to-ignore deficits compared to their bigger siblings. The ASUS ZenFone 8 is the rare small phone that isn’t obviously compromised in some way to sell you a bigger model. In fact, it’s arguably the better option compared to its bigger, more expensive sibling, the ZenFone 8 Flip.
This is my review of the ASUS ZenFone 8 after a month of use.
ASUS ZenFone 8 Specifications - Click to expand
| Specification | ASUS ZenFone 8 |
|---|---|
| Build |
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| Dimensions & Weight |
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| Display |
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| SoC |
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| RAM & Storage |
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| Battery & Charging |
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| Security | Optical under-display fingerprint sensor |
| Rear Camera(s) |
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| Front Camera(s) |
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| Port(s) |
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| Audio & Vibration |
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| Connectivity |
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| Software | Android 11 with ZenUI 8 |
| Sensors | Accelerator sensor, E-Compass sensor, Proximity sensor, Ambient light sensor, Gyro sensor |
About this review: I received the ZenFone 8 from ASUS four weeks ago. The device received one update before launch and is currently running software version WW_30.10.46.64. ASUS did not preview or provide any inputs for this review.
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There are few small phones on the market with flagship specifications, but the ASUS ZenFone 8 is one of those rare devices. Surprisingly, it doesn't skimp on battery life or performance and doesn't cost a fortune, either.
ASUS ZenFone 8 Review Highlights
- It’s compact and easily fits in one hand. It weighs less than most flagship phones.
- Premium metal and glass components, including fingerprint-resistant matte-frosted glass
- IP68 rating
- Included bumper case is quite nice
- Main camera produces great images with true-to-life colors and sharp details
- High-quality Samsung AMOLED panel
- Flagship-tier performance
- Long-lasting battery life
- Fast charging
- ZenUI 8 doesn’t mess with stock Android too much but offers loads of options on top
- Bootloader is easy to unlock
- Surprisingly loud speakers
- 3.5mm headphone jack
- 5G and Wi-Fi 6E support
- Non-expandable storage
- No telephoto camera
- Background highlights are often blown out in selfies
- Wide-angle and selfie cameras struggle in low-light
- Refresh rates are fixed at 60, 90, or 120Hz
- Optical under-display fingerprint scanner is hit-or-miss
- No wireless charging
- Average at best haptics
Navigate this review
- Design: How small is the ASUS ZenFone 8, really?
- Camera: How good are the cameras on the ZenFone 8?
- Display: Does the ZenFone 8’s smaller display still offer a good viewing experience?
- Performance: How fast is the ASUS ZenFone 8?
- Battery & Charging: Does the ZenFone 8 have good battery life?
- Software: A taste of ZenUI 8 based on Android 11
- Miscellaneous: Audio, Vibration, Connectivity & More
- Conclusion: Should you buy the ASUS ZenFone 8?
Design: How small is the ASUS ZenFone 8, really?
Before I answer the question posed in this section’s title, I need to give you a bit of a backstory. The last phone I reviewed was the OnePlus 9 Pro, an ultra premium flagship phone with a massive 6.7-inch display. The OnePlus 9 Pro was a breath of fresh air for me since it was much thinner and lighter than the two phones I used before it: the ASUS ROG Phone 5 and the ASUS ZenFone 7 Pro. Despite the fact that I loved the ROG Phone 5 and ZenFone 7 Pro, I — or rather, my hands — grew tired of holding those behemoths, so I felt that the OnePlus 9 Pro’s relative compactness was a nice change of pace. So when I held the new ZenFone 8 for the first time in my hand, it was an even nicer change of pace.
I have pretty big hands, so I’m able to hold most flagship phones in one hand with ease. Comfortably holding and using most phones in one hand is still nigh impossible for me, though, since most flagships are too heavy or too tall (or both). In comparison, I can comfortably hold the ZenFone 8 in one hand for hours (not that I’ve done that) and I can almost reach every corner of the display with my thumb. With dimensions of 148 x 68.5mm, the ASUS ZenFone 8 isn’t