Asus has joined the CES 2024 festivities, and it’s kicking off its presence by launching the ROG Phone 8 series. In addition to souped up internal hardware, the new gaming smartphones bring overhauled design and camera systems, which makes them closer to a proper smartphone more than ever.
Asus ROG Phone 8 (Pro) design
Starting off with the exterior, both the ROG Phone 8 and Phone 8 Pro get slimmer and lighter build at 8.9 mm thickness and 225 grams, respectively. The dimension and weight are substantial reductions from the ROG Phone 7 (review) which measures at 10.5 mm and 239 grams. Either new entry also comes with upgraded IP68 dust and water resistance certification.
The main design difference between the standard ROG Phone 8 to the Phone 8 Pro is with the former having a familiar lit-up Aura RGB logo on the back whereas the Pro gets a dynamic and customizable white LED matrix called Anime. Think of the latter as how the glyph interface operates on Nothing’s Phone 2 (review).
The display panel on this year’s Asus gaming device is the same 6.78-inch AMOLED screen with 165 Hz refresh rate. However, this now uses LTPO tech for more variable refresh steps between 1 Hz and 120 Hz and outputs higher peak brightness at 2,500 nits. Plus, the thick top and bottom bezels are replaced with a punch hole camera cutout, consequently shaving the footprint of these gaming phones.
Furthermore, the dual front-facing speakers on both machines are replaced with a combination of one front and one bottom speaker. Asus’ signature should trigger buttons on one side are retained and sit alongside the volume rocker and power key.
Asus ROG Phone 8 (Pro) internals
Qualcomm’s vanilla Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC powers the ROG Phone 8 and Phone 8 Pro. Meanwhile, the memory can be configured with 12 GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 256 GB UFS 4.1 storage for the base and up to 24 GB/1 TB storage for the highest option.
While the battery capacity is reduced from 6,000 mAh to 5,500 mAh, the improved chipset’s efficiency could compensate for the smaller cell. Asus is also throwing in a 15-watt Qi wireless charging on top of a 65-watt wired charging that promises of 0 to 100 percent juice refill in just 39 minutes.
Asus has redesigned the cooling system on the ROG Phone 8. Notably, this now uses a conduction-based thermal system, and while this is much smaller, the effectivity is increased up to 20 percent compared to the ROG Phone 7. Alternatively, you can pair the Phone 8 with the new Aero Active Cooler X accessory for extra cooling.
First on the ROG Phone range is a new 32 MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom that complements the 50 MP Sony IMX-890 main sensor. The latter also inherits the 6-axis hybrid Gimbal stabilization found on the Asus Zenfone 10 (review). There is a usual 13 MP ultrawide snapper on both camera phones while the non-Pro ditches the telephoto in favor of a miniscule macro.
Asus ROG Phone 8 (Pro) price and availability
Asus plans to open pre-orders for the ROG Phone 8 in the USA along with Europe and major markets in Asia soon. The base costs $1000 a pop while the ROG Phone 8 Pro with more RAM and double the storage retails for $1200. You can get the fully loaded ROG Phone 8 Pro Edition with 24 GB/1 TB for $1500, which is bundled with the Active Cooler X.
What are your thoughts on the new design and specs of the Asus ROG Phone 8? Do you intend on buying one this year? We’re eager to hear your answers.
