Asus Zenfone 8 256 GB / 8 GB

Compact flagship! Does this happen?

“Compact flagship” is a rather rare phrase nowadays, although this niche is free, and most importantly, in demand. Despite the nostalgic feedback from users who fondly remember the old, small tubes, manufacturers continue to increase the screen size and dimensions of smartphones. But Asus went against the system and released a compact model that fits comfortably in the hand and fits in any pocket. It sounds like a bold fantasy, not reality, but it's true: Asus Zenfone 8 boasts a small 5.9-inch display, dimensions of 148x68.5x8.9 mm and a weight of 169 g. Moreover, the screen quality did not suffer from the reduction in size: this is a Super AMOLED panel with a resolution of 2400x1080 pixels, the usual aspect ratio of 20:9, support for HDR10 + and a refresh rate increased to 120 Hz.

At the same time, the flagship looks rather modest and, so to speak, not solid: small frames around the screen, discreet colours and a simple design of the main camera in the form of a small rectangular block. But appearances are deceiving: the back cover is made of glass, the frame is made of durable metal, the case has IP68 water protection, and this is still an infrequent guest even for top-end devices.

Maximum Power

What did the manufacturer have to sacrifice for the compactness of the smartphone? Nothing. It offers all the benefits that current flagships have, and even more. The company proves that it is possible to fit everything you need without turning the gadget into a shovel phone. Want a top-tier Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor with Adreno 660 graphics, 5G support, and fast UFS 3.1 memory? Get it. Are you dreaming about the return of the good old 3.5 mm jack for connecting wired headphones, which was unfairly deprived of many users? Yes please! This smartphone is a real superhero against the background of somewhat deprived flagships, which embodies all your innermost dreams. But there are still no ideals, so the creation of Asus has its own fly in the ointment in a barrel of honey. More precisely — some compromises, not serious shortcomings. Firstly, due to the limited space inside the case, the hardware heats up more. Secondly, there is no slot for a memory card, so do not be stingy before buying and select the required modification. Thirdly, the battery is far from the most capacious — 4000 mAh, but perhaps this is the maximum that could be squeezed out at such a size. However, there are power-saving features that limit inactive background apps and reduce power consumption, as well as 30W fast charging. Of course, this is far from the highest figure, but in just 25 minutes you will get 60% battery charge. Unfortunately, there is no wireless or reverse charging. But there are nice benefits like the advanced Wi-Fi 6E standard, NFC, a fingerprint scanner under the screen and good stereo sound.

Camera without unnecessary tinsel

As for the camera, they decided to leave the rotary unit as the Asus Zenfone 8 Flip chip, and the usual “eight” got a camera in the spirit of minimalism with only two sensors — a 64-megapixel Sony IMX686 and a 12 MP ultra-wide lens, which also serves for macro shooting from a distance of 4 see And thanks to the manufacturer for this — for the absence of modules with numerous megapixels and unnecessary 2 MP sensors, which are needed only for a red word, or rather, good advertising and marketing. You get a fair set, spiced up with optical stabilization and autofocus, which produces beautiful pictures with natural colours and high-quality videos with stable and sharp images. The model is far from the title of the best camera phone, but good vlogs and pictures for social networks and family archives are guaranteed.