ASUS ZENFONE 8 REVIEW: THE PHONE YOU SHOULD'VE BOUGHT! By Mary Bautista

Hey guys! It’s your Tech Girl Mary and welcome back to my channel. The smartphone we’re talking about for today will be it’s first time to be featured here. We’ve all heard of the brand ASUS on our channel, whether it’s their laptops or their ROG series, but not their ZenFone series. It’s probably because they rarely release phones from their ZenFone series to us here in the Philippines. But this time, they finally launched the ZenFone 8 series here which includes not only the ZenFone 8, but also the ASUS ZenFone 8 Flip. Don’t worry guys, our review for the ASUS ZenFone 8 Flip will also be coming soon, it just arrived a little late but for now, let’s do my favorite smartphone first.

So as you saw in the title, this is my new favorite phone, why? You will find out in our video today but just a disclaimer, just because it’s my favorite, it doesn’t mean that it won’t have it’s list of pros and cons so we will still be tackling that at the end of the video. But for now, let’s first unbox the new ASUS ZenFone 8 The packaging is very new to me, it’s a nice color and this is the first time I’ve seen a smartphone box with this texture. Of course, we have here the number 8 that reflects when it’s placed in front of the light. The number 8 is shaped this way because it represents the phone’s two cameras and of course because of its name, the ASUS ZenFone 8, which can be found here at the bottom. In the smaller box, it says “Defy Ordinary” which is not that obvious with our camera.

We have here a really nice case. The free case looks fitting for a flagship phone. And of course, our SIM card ejector. So we have here the phone and actually, one of the reasons I really like this phone is because of its size. I like its overall form factor and as you know, when it comes to flagship devices, companies compete for the largest size.

What I have here is the Horizon Silver, it’s also available in black; we got the ASUS power brick and yes, it’s USB Type C; and of course, we also have the USB Type C to USB Type C charging cable. So guys, let’s put on the case so you can see what it looks like when there's a case on it. This is what the case looks like, the bottom is not covered as well as the top and the sides. But I like it, I like the case because of the texture that makes the device more secure on my hand because you know I have sweaty hands. If you guys remember when the iPhone 12 mini was released, many were excited because it brought back to life the target market of smaller phones because around three to four years ago, all these larger phones started coming out with bigger displays, which is why there weren’t a lot of choices for people when it comes to small or compact smartphones.

When it comes to comparisons, the ASUS ZenPhone 8 is a bit larger than the iPhone 12 Mini but smaller compared to the Samsung Galaxy S21. Here’s the side-by-side comparison for reference. So yes, it’s a very compact phone but it has the flagship specs inside. Before we start with the review, first, how much is the ASUS ZenFone 8? We actually have two variants, we have the 8 GB (of RAM), 128 GB of storage which retails for 34,995 pesos and for the higher variant, which is the 16 GB of RAM with 256 GB of internal storage, it retails for 39,995 pesos and the variant that we have here is the higher option with the 16 GB of RAM. You know guys, if you were to ask me, with only 5,000 pesos difference, I would go with the 16 GB of RAM.

Actually, it’s double the RAM and double the storage considering that it can’t be expandable via microSD card and 5,000 pesos is not that bad at all For the physical appearance, the back is made out of Corning Gorilla Glass 3 and it’s very curved. It kinda reminds me of the design of older smartphones that we’ve seen. So if you were to ask me, the design is not that appealing if we were to compare it to the flashy smartphones that we have now. Actually, it has more of a retro look to me even with the camera setup. There’s nothing really special about it’s design.

“So, Mary, how compact is the ASUS ZenFone 8?” If we were to compare it to other compact smartphones, like the iPhone 12 Mini, I can definitely reach the top part of this phone. My thumb can reach the top of this phone’s display. But with the size of the ASUS ZenFone 8, when I hold it with one hand, I’m definitely still able to text but I can’t reach the top, I would have to adjust a little bit to do so. But still, (the size) is on a sweet spot. It’s the right size for my hand and yes, it’s not that heavy because it weighs 169 grams only.

It has a headphone jack, which is good news, and is located on the top; it also has the volume rocker and power button with a blue accent to be easily recognized or seen. Of course, below we have the SIM tray, microphone, USB Type C port, notification LED light, and one speaker. The power button is actually customizable, we can double click if we want to launch the camera application or whatever command you want it to do once you double click it. So yes, for this year, 2021 the ASUS ZenFone 8 is probably the most compact Android device that you can get in the market right now. And since it doesn’t have any flipping mechanism, just like what we have with the ASUS ZenFone 8 Flip, it is IP68 water and dust resistant so we have nothing to worry about guys, when it comes to bringing this gadget with us outdoors.

Now for its display, it has the 5.9 inches of Super AMOLED display that has a 1080p resolution and is capable of up to 120 hertz refresh rate. Aside from those specs, I want you guys to know that the display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, so when it comes to the specifications of its display, it’s very flagship. It also has an industry fingerprint sensor and so far throughout my usage, it’s quick and responsive most of the time. And because of its 120 hertz refresh rate, I didn’t have any difficulties in my overall experience since it’s very smooth, responsive, and relaxing to the eyes. Yes, it has a 120 hertz refresh rate compared to the ASUS ZenFone 8 Flip which has only a 90 hertz refresh rate.

I don’t get the part why this has 120 hertz yet the Flip has only 90 hertz. That is also one of the reasons why I like this device. The picture quality is actually very sharp as well, although compared to other flagship devices, which have Quad HD plus resolutions, it’s display is still okay and it still spoils the eyes even though it’s only 1080p. I can’t complain because everything this phone has is just right, very balanced so to speak, which is why I can’t help but to use this device more. It also supports HDR10+ and it goes up to 800 nits at peak brightness.

The ZenFone 8 has a large stereo speaker, a large one at the bottom, and it has another one at the top. And actually, the ASUS ZenFone 8 has one of the best speakers I’ve heard in a smartphone and if you would like to hear it, the next clip will show you that. Anyway, I’m still adjusting to the new LED notification light that it has at the bottom, which is very rare because we often see that the LED notification light is placed at the top of the smartphones. So whether the phone is faced down or up on a table, we will still be able to see it’s LED notification light because it’s placed at the bottom. Now, how about it’s operating system? Since this is my first time having a ZenFone smartphone, I’m still getting used to the ZenFone UI but it’s based on Android 11, so that helped me figure out how to navigate it because the operating system is not far from the overall user experience ​of other Android flagship smartphones.

And yes, the UI is for those fans of the near stock Android experience which is actually good. It has an app drawer, you can also search for the application if you don’t want to browse. And for its drop down notification, we have Bluetooth, Sound, Scan QR codes, Hotspot, System mode dynamic, Auto rotate, Flashlight, Airplane mode, Screenshot, Calculator, Dark theme, NFC, Do not disturb, FM radio, Location, AudioWizard, Nearby Share, Screen recorder, Switch data SIM, and One-handed mode. And for the ZenFone UI, if you will be adjusting the volume, the settings will be different for the music, cinema, games, and calls. Previous smartphones can actually do this and I liked that it made a comeback because of course I also like the different settings of the volume depending on the type of application I’m using.

And to customize our Smart key, all you have to do is go to the Settings > Advanced > Gestures > then we can set the double tap to open Google Assistant or set double tap to any application you want quick access to. It also has a Game Genie and to access it, you only need to swipe from the right while you are playing which is the same as ASUS ROG phones. Now speaking of gaming, actually guys, the ASUS ZenFone 8 has the latest and the best Qualcomm Snapdragon 888, which automatically makes the ASUS ZenFone 8 5G capable and you will be having the best experience as well if you will be getting the higher variant which is the 16 GB of RAM. So yes guys, it has the most up to date Qualcomm chip so expect the best experience in any type of game, even if it’s Genshin Impact. So far guys, in my experience, I have no complaints at all so in case you will be buying this smartphone, expect that you will be getting the best and have more than enough power on a smartphone.

So it’s not just the smallest, but also one of the most capable Android phones to get in the market right now. And of course, you’re probably curious about the battery, we know that it’s a small phone so will the battery life be compromised? It has 4,000 milliamp Hour, which is not bad. Although of course don’t expect a very spectacular and long lasting experience on the ASUS ZenFone 8 because we all know that 4,000 milliamp Hour with a 120 hertz refresh rate and a very capable chipset; with the added constant use of 5G, 4,000 milliamp Hour will definitely not last you a whole day. But it’s battery life is not as bad as what I had with the iPhone 12 Mini. It also supports 30 watt fast charging and it was fast enough to the point where in 30 minutes, we were able to reach 50 percent of battery life “Now, Mary, what about the cameras?” “Is the ASUS ZenFone 8 capable enough and will it give us the flagship experience?” Actually, compared to other smartphones with the same price range, this one only has two cameras.

We have the 64 megapixel main camera and the 12 megapixel ultra wide camera. The main camera is capable of OIS or Optical Image Stabilization and it’s ultra wide camera is capable of auto focus. Honestly having two cameras is not bad at all, I only usually use two most of the time, the main and ultra wide. As for the front camera, we have 12 megapixels. For a very quick camera tour, let’s open it up.

We have the typical ultra wide and wide camera setting. On the right, we can access the 1.0x and the 2.0x and to the very right, we can adjust the Beauty mode. At the very top, we can adjust the HDR mode, change the ratio, we also have the flash, and of course the Google lens. On the left most part, it has the video mode, we have the option to turn on or turn off the Hyper steady feature. We also have Time lapse, Slow motion, Portrait mode where we can adjust the bokeh; we also have Panorama, Document, and some more we have Motion tracking, Pro video, Pro mode, and Night mode.

It’s main camera’s sensor is the Sony IMX686 and ASUS is also promising 2x lossless zoom. By default, the photo quality takes 16 megapixels and most of the photos that we have are taken outdoors. The colors are actually very balanced, there’s a lot of detail and the dynamic range is very good. It also offers 2x lossless zoom like I said earlier and to achieve this, the camera will shoot 64 megapixel first then it will crop it to 16 megapixel center and then it enhances the photo. And yes the 2x zoom photos still appeared clear and have a great amount of detail even though it doesn’t have a dedicated Telephoto lens.

We also have here the 12 megapixel selfie camera that is also capable of Autofocus. The selfie photos are flagship worthy and what I like about the ZenFone 8 is that ​it has Auto Night mode It's the kind of Night mode that we see in iPhones. A crescent moon icon will pop up when the place (or setting) gets darker and it will usually take around 4 seconds to capture a photo. As for video recording, the ASUS ZenFone 8 supports 4K at 30 fps on all of its cameras and the primary camera is actually capable of 8K video recording. All cameras have the Electronic Image Stabilization with whichever frame rate you use.

But the main camera itself has a slight advantage because it has Optical Image Stabilization. “So Mary, overall what can you say about the ASUS ZenFone 8 and why is it your favorite?” Here's the thing guys, it’s rare for us to have compact sized smartphones in the flagship segment. Only a few things on this phone are compromised and that is probably the battery, and not even by that much because 4,000 milliamp Hour is not that bad. So yes, when it comes to specs again, it’s very balanced for a flagship smartphone. However, if you’re someone who’s into smartphones with better looking designs, very modern looks with the gradient effect, and colorful, then you might not appreciate that part of the design that much.

So yes, the smaller smartphones in my opinion have a specific niche and I think I’m part of the target audience of the ASUS ZenFone 8. But here’s the point, the iPhone 12 Mini is not something that everyone will buy but as for the ASUS ZenFone 8, even though it has a more compact size and it has a sub 6 inch display, more people will still appreciate it as compared to, again, the iPhone 12 Mini. So my cons again are the so-so battery and it doesn’t have wireless charging. Of course, if wireless charging is a big deal to you, then you might find it a bit lacking on that part because wireless power banks and wireless chargers are really popular these days. Anyways that’s it guys, again, the ASUS ZenFone 8 and the 8 Flip are now available on the market.

I'll be putting all the links and details in the description box. Also shout out to Isa Does Tech because of her new shirt I actually bought this in Lazada, it’s available now and I’ll be linking it as well. “I like my standards the way I like my tech: High” Hello :) Again it’s your Tech Girl Mary and see you on my next video. Bye guys!.

Source : Mary Bautista