We got to check out the new Asus Zenfone 8, the premier phone that brings a compact size and a surprising punch to it. With its small size, you’d think it was one of those novelty phones. However, just a quick hands-on with the phone shows that it’s anything but.

With the ASUS Zenfone 8 launching in Malaysia, how does it actually stack up? Read on and find out.

Features And Portability, Oh Yes!

With the Zenfone 8, you get a really good feeling phone in your hand. The thing feels pretty solid, despite a relatively small size.The phone is built with pragmatism in mind- it’s got an easy to use one-handed mode, letting you hit the top of the screen with your thumb by bringing the whole thing down.

On top of that the blue button on its side is a Smart Switch, which can be programmed with up to two different functions based on how you press it. It’s great especially when you’re in a hurry, since it can be programmed as more than just a lock screen button.

One of the best things about the Zenfone 8 though is that despite being a smaller phone, it still crams in one of the most controversial features of modern phones- the 3.5mm headphone jack. Personally I am in the staunch pro-jack camp, so knowing the Zenfone 8 will work with any of the headphones I have lying around the house is a huge boon to my opinion of it.

It does also support the USB Type-C interface, meaning it’s not like it is a relic of the past or anything. You’ll still be able to connect to most modern phone accessories that support the interface, and all without having to give up your tried and true headphones.

One gripe with the Zenfone 8 though is definitely its speakers. While it’s fine for every day use, the Dual Speakers feel kind of lacking in bass, and can make using it to play music while doing your chores feel kind of underwhelming unless you’ve already invested in external speakers. That being said, things like gaming don’t feel as affected by it, and it won’t really matter if you’re the type to permanently use earphones anyways.

On the other hand, the phone also has amazing battery life, with a 4000 mAh battery. With an intense gaming system, it took about one and a half hours to bring it down from full charge to about 65%. Meanwhile, ordinary every-day usage like just browsing your apps gets you a much longer lasting phone, taking about 10 hours before it hits 20%.

On top of that if you’re really on a long haul, the phone also comes with a variety of profiles including an energy-saving one to keep you away from your charger for that much longer.

Class Screen And Top Tier Camera

The Zenfone 8 is a return to the days of phones unquestionably fitting in your pocket, with a 5-inch screen. While you may mutter to yourself about how the big number isn’t as big as you like, the screen really packs a punch, with 120hz refresh rate and a 1080p resolution. Scrolling through apps like Twitter feels surreal with how smoothly it glides, and I definitely appreciate the addition of that.

It’s also got some really bright colors, which makes scrolling through apps like Instagram a delight as you gush over other people’s photography skills. Your own photos will also look great in great part thanks to the 64MP main camera and 12MP Ultra Wide lenses, allowing you to take all variety of artistic shots.

On top of that the phone’s night mode works wonders, taking dark night time photos and making them still shine through with all the tiny details that give your nightlife character.

Personally, I feel like the small size and amazing camera are a huge boon for the Zenfone 8. I’m one of the holdouts who liked smaller phones, but I also like how far phone cameras have come compared to the olden days, even having multiple lenses. Having the two together is a great combination, and much obliged.

The phone’s camera also has a whole host of other features, such as HDR video recording, a document mode for scanning documents as PDFs and even HyperSteady Video, which makes use of the Ultra Wide Lens to better stabilize your footage.

Gaming Performance

On the gaming front, it’s not like the Zenfone 8 performs badly, either. The Zenfone 8 runs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G chipset, one of the premier chipsets on the market right now. Naturally, this allows it to run games pretty well.

While it’s definitely not pushing 60 frames per second, the phone still manages to get Genshin Impact running at well over 30, hitting even 45 seconds if you’re not running the screen recorder, at the highest settings. The smaller size does have its drawbacks here, and the phone does run hot especially if you’re in the middle of an intense gaming session.

It should be noted one game it runs really well is League of Legends: Wild Rift. This probably says more about the game’s optimization than anything else, because even in the middle of a hectic team fight, the Zenfone 8 was maintaining just under 60 frames per second.

Despite not being a bespoke gaming phone like the ROG Phone 5, the Zenfone 8 is definitely punching way above its weight class- I mean it’s straight up using the same chipset as the ROG Phone 5, so it makes sense. I can’t promise you’ll be able to spot your friend feeding the enemy team with the smaller screen, but if you’re getting the Zenfone 8 you definitely won’t have to worry about giving up your games for it.

It even has its own Game Genie, letting you do things like start recording or disabling notifications while you’re savoring your lunch break by giving Andrius, Dominator of Wolves the what’s what.

Closing Thoughts

When all’s said and done, the Asus Zenfone 8 is an amazing piece of hardware, choosing practicality at almost every corner as it actually fits in your hand while still matching pace with a lot of modern phones.

On top of that it’s got a great price point, with the 16GB Ram variant running you RM3299, while the 8GB variant does 2699. I wouldn’t go so far as to call it cheap, but it’s definitely cheaper than you’d expect for a phone of this quality.

It also actually includes a charger, which only further puts the Zenfone 8 on the side of sanity. Suffice to say, I’d definitely recommend checking it out if you’re looking to upgrade your phone.

Asus Zenfone 8 Price and Specs

Review unit provided by ASUS Malaysia