- The ASUS ROG Phone 8 and 8 Pro have launched globally at CES 2024, priced starting at $1,099.99.
- Both variants are powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset and include up to 1TB UFS 4.0 storage and up to 24GB of LPDDR5X RAM.
- ROG Phone 8 series also includes a 6.78-inch 165Hz AMOLED panel, 50MP triple cameras, and a 5,500mAh battery with 65W charging support.
Tech 2024 is off to a flying start already, thanks to the upcoming devices that are slated for launch this month (ahem, Galaxy S24 series) and at CES 2024. One of these types of devices that are quite niche but garner lots of attention are hardcore gaming smartphones, and one of the manufacturers that dominate the space is ASUS with its ROG Phone lineup. The company has today launched the ROG Phone 8 series, and here’s everything you need to know.
ROG Phone 8 Series: Specs and Features
Design and Display
The ROG Phone 8 and 8 Pro boast a 6.78-inch Full-HD+ AMOLED panel, which is a Samsung E6 panel. The display has a 165Hz refresh rate, 720Hz touch sampling rate, and can go as bright as 2,500 nits under direct sunlight. Moreover, it is an LTPO panel and can adjust its refresh rate from 1-120Hz. ASUS claims the display was tuned in collaboration with Pixelworks for better color accuracy.
ROG Phone 8 features the latest from Qualcomm, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, up to 1TB of UFS 4.0 storage, and up to 24GB of LPDDR5X RAM. The performance is backed up by ROG’s signature Rapid-Cooling Conductor design, which the company claims is a part of their advanced “GameCool 8 Thermal Design,” which conducts and disperses heat directly from the processor to the back cover.
Cameras
The ROG Phone 8 comes with lots of AI features this year, and the first bunch of features are found in cameras. ASUS has worked with OZO Audio Technology this year to implement features such as Wind Noise Elimination.
For starters, the primary 50 MP camera features ASUS’s Gimbal Stabilization tech for shake-free photos and videos. Then, there’s the secondary 13 MP ultrawide lens and a 32 MP Telephoto lens for 3x lossless zoom and pixel-binned photos with OIS. The front camera is also a 32 MP shooter with a 90-degree field of view.
Cameras have always been the weakest point of gaming smartphones, so color us surprised if the ROG Phone 8 manages to turn things around. The hardware looks promising and the software processing is what it’ll boil down to.
Battery
The ROG Phone 8 series boasts a 5,500 mAh battery capable of charging at 65W wired with ASUS’ Hypercharge tech, and 15W wirelessly using the Qi standard. The ROG Phone 7 Ultimate, in comparison, had a 6,000 mAh unit, and battery life was its strong selling point.
New AniMe Vision (Phone 8 Pro-only)
The Phone 8 Pro comes with a 341-element mini-LED display at the back. It’s quite similar to the displays found on the Zephyrus series of laptops as it can display user-set animations. If the 8 Pro is the only flagship top-tier gaming phone that ASUS will launch this year (No Ultimate), the AniMe vision is a downgrade when compared to the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate, which packed a fully-fledged PMOLED screen on the back.
ASUS ROG 8 Series Key Specifications
| Specifications | ROG 8 Series |
|---|---|
| Display | 6.78-inches FHD+, LTPO AMOLED with 165Hz refresh rate, 720Hz touch sampling rate, and 2500 nits of peak brightness |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 |
| Battery and Charging | 5,500 mAh with 65W wired and 15W wireless charging |
| Rear Cameras | 50 MP primary lens with 6-axis Gimbal Stabilization3.0 13 MP Ultrawide angle secondary shooter 32 MP Telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom |
| Selfie Camera | 32 MP |
| RAM+Storage variants | 12+256GB, 16+512GB, 24 GB+1 TB UFS 4.0 storage and LPDDR5X RAM |
| Connectivity | 5G, 4G with support for the majority of bands. USB-3.1 Gen 2 Type-C Wi-Fi 7/6E/6, Air Triggers, Bluetooth 5.3, 3.5mm Headphone Jack, |
| Colors | Phantom Black (Non-pro available in Rebel Grey and Phantom Black) |
| Android version | Android 14 out-of-the-box Two major updates and four years of security patches |
| Misc features | On-screen Fingerprint scanner, AniME Vision Mini 341-element LED customizable display |
Pricing and Availability
The ROG Phone 8 has been priced at $1,099.99 for the 16GB+256GB variant and the ROG Phone 8 Pro costs $1,199.99 for the 16GB+512GB variant. As for the highest-end 24GB+1TB variant, which is called the ROG Phone 8 Pro Edition, you will have to shell out $1,499.99.
There’s no info about the India availability of the ROG Phone 8 and 8 Pro just yet, so stay tuned for more details.
