Asus 8z review – the ‘mini’ flagship phone that the Android world needs

• The Asus 8z is a flagship smartphone that offers a stock Android experience.
• The main highlight of the device is its compact form factor.
• Despite its compact design, the device is packed with powerful hardware.
• Read our detailed review to find out how the Asus 8z fares in real life.

The Asus 8z landed in India after a delay of several months. It was launched as the Zenfone 8 globally in May last year. Powered by a flagship Qualcomm chipset, the Asus 8z comes in a compact avatar, but will the massive delay in bringing it to the Indian market hamper its fortunes?

To be fair, even in 2022, the Asus 8z is a powerful smartphone. It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset, supports 5G and has a 120Hz Super AMOLED display. While the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset is the latest high-end chipset from Qualcomm, Snapdragon 888 is still a very powerful chipset more than a year later.

I have been using the Asus 8z for quite some time now and here is my full review of Asus’ latest compact flagship.

Asus 8z – price and availability

The Asus 8z price in India is ₹42,999 for the sole 8GB + 128GB model. It comes in two colours – Obsidian Black and Horizon Silver and can be purchased on Flipkart.

In this price range, the Asus 8z competes with the likes of the OnePlus 10R 5G, Realme GT Neo 3 and the Xiaomi 11T Pro. However, the Asus 8z is the only phone among these that offers a compact form factor.

Asus 8z – design and build quality

The Asus 8z is perhaps one of the most boring smartphones out there when it comes to design. In fact, it looks so boring, you could even pass it off as a generic, unbranded phone. Apart from the Asus logo, there’s nothing at the back that stands out, giving it a bland look. Unlike the Asus 6z that was equipped with a flip-up camera, the Asus 8z features a regular camera module.

The compact size is reflected even in the weight as the device weighs just 169 grams, making it easier to hold.

At the back, the device features a rectangular camera module that houses the two cameras and the LED flash. It features a frosted glass back that prevents fingerprint smudges.

On the front, you have the display with thin bezels and Corning Gorilla Glass protection. It comes with a speaker grille at the top and a punch-hole notch on the left that houses the selfie camera.

While the left side is blank, the right side comes with the volume rockers and the power button. The device comes with a 3.5mm audio jack at the top.

At the bottom, the device sports the SIM tray, USB Type-C port, microphone and speaker grille. The device also comes with a notification light at the bottom, something which is rarely seen these days.

Asus 8z – display

The Asus 8z features a 5.9-inch Full HD+ E4 AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and 20:9 tall aspect ratio. The small display size allows you to easily use the device even with one hand.

The display comes with a 1100 nits brightness and it offers good visibility, even under direct sunlight. The device offers good color output and allows you to adjust the display colors. You get the option to choose the refresh rate between 120Hz, 90Hz, 60Hz or auto, which automatically adjusts the refresh rate based on your usage.

Asus 8z – performance and battery life

The Asus 8z is equipped with the octa-core Snapdragon 888 chipset coupled with 8GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage. While it's not the latest chipset, it still packs a punch.

We found the device to be snappy and the apps opened instantly. We also tested popular games such as Battlegrounds Mobile India and Call of Duty Mobile on the device and the gameplay was smooth and we did not notice any stuttering.

Coming to the battery, the device is equipped with a 4,000mAh battery with 30W fast charge support. While the battery is on the smaller side, this is one of the compromises of having a compact design. With some gaming, an hour of calling and some browsing, the device lasted through the day.

The device takes around 1 hour and 10 minutes to be fully charged.

Asus 8z – camera

The Asus 8z features a dual camera setup at the back, consisting of a 64MP primary camera with OIS and a 12MP ultra-wide-angle camera with a 113-degree field of view.

In our testing, we found out the device performs well during the day and daylight shots came out well, capturing good detail and with good color reproduction.

The low light images were decent, but we did notice that the images were noisy and looked a bit washed-out.

The device offers a 12MP selfie camera which performs well in daylight and the portrait mode is capable of identifying you and separating you from the background.

Final verdict

The Asus 8z ticks all the right boxes but it does come with a few flaws, such as the design and battery life. There aren’t many devices at present that offer a premium experience with a compact design. While the Galaxy S22 with its 6.1-inch display is a compact device, it is priced starting at ₹72,999, making it a very costly option.

If you are someone looking for a compact device that offers a premium experience and is willing to compromise with the dull design and the average battery life, the Asus 8z is worth considering.

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