Asus Zenfone 8 Singapore Price & Review – By Red White Mobile

The ASUS ZenFone series launched the first generation in 2014 and is currently is in its 8th generation with the ZenFone 8 and ZenFone 8 Flip released globally in May 2021 and also by 28th May in Singapore.

The ZenFone 8 is the flagship model of ASUS and comes with the best Snapdragon processor currently out there the 888 octa core with the Adreno 660 GPU, a Super AMOLED display with a fast refresh rate, good touch sampling and protected by Gorilla glass, Unlike previous models in the ZenFone series this has no moving components which allowed ASUS to make it IP68 rated water and dustproof.

It has a dual camera setup, a 64 MP wide angle main camera and a 12 MP Ultra wide as a secondary with an LED flash, and a 12 MP front selfie camera. It is powered by a 4000 mAh which supports fast charging and comes with a 30W fast charger.

The ZenFone 8 comes in different variants, 128 GB ROM 6 GB RAM, 128 GB 8 GB RAM, 256 GB 8 GB RAM and 256 GB 16 GB RAM, although it should be noted that ASUS does not sell all these models in Singapore though they are available in other leading electronic stores and online. ASUS has priced the ZenFone 8 at 999 SGD for the 256 GB 8 GB RAM and 1099 SGD for the 256 GB 16 GB RAM model.

Asus Zenfone 8 Singapore Price

Both phones are available all across Singapore in stores and also available online. 

The ASUS ZenFone 8 comes in a cool looking matte grey box with a neatly designed dual circle for the eight, one is a simple yet elegant outline and one filled in with a touch of colour and the ASUS ZenFone logo on the bottom.

In the box comes a ZenFone 8 headset, an ejector pin, a USB-C to USB-C cable, a 30W USB charger, a user manual and ASUS also provides a protective case so there is no need to order one and search for the perfect fit.

Asus Zenfone 8 Design and Display

The ASUS ZenFone 8 comes in three colours, Obsidian black, Horizon silver and Moonlight white, a little too standard. ASUS have gone very traditional with the design of this phone, keeping it simple and compact. It measures 148 x 68.5 x 8.9 mm or 5.83 x 2.70 x 0.35 inches. It has a smaller display than most other flagship phones out there which does make it easier to hold and use even with one hand. It weighs a light 169 grams which does not make it feel like a brick in your pocket. It is also IP68 rated dust and waterproof up to 1.5 metres for 30 minutes.

The ZenFone 8 has a smoothly curved back panel which is made of Gorilla glass 3 and fits in the palm nicely, it has an anti-glare, frosted glass finish which looks great also gives it a bit more grip and keeps those annoying fingerprint smudges and tiny scratches away. It has an aluminum side panel that wraps around the phone keeping the corners safe, on the right is the volume and the cool light blue power button which helps it stand out nicely and easier to find, it can also act as a smart key and can open apps or functions set by you quickly, these keys are easy to access thanks to the ZenFone 8s compact build.

 On top is a 3.5 headphone jack which is rare in flagships phones these days but I would say is a plus especially if you love your music and use headphones a lot. Down at the bottom is the dual nano sim card slot, the USB Type-C port, main microphone and main loudspeaker and also a convenient notification LED.

The ZenFone 8 comes with an amazing screen made by Samsung. It is a Super AMOLED display which is 5.9 inches, has a fast refresh rate of 120 Hz and 240 Hz touch sampling making scrolling and response time quick and smooth, there is a noticeable bezel around with an offset punch hole for the front selfie camera not seen on other Zenfone models. Screen size is  84.0 centimetre squared with a screen to body ratio of 82.9 %, it has Delta-E<1 colour accuracy and a 112% DCI-P3 colour gamut which allows for stunning image and video quality on this HDR10+ certified screen. The screen resolution is 1080 x 2400 pixels with a 20:9 ratio and 446 ppi density due to its smaller size which does provide crisper images. Protection is provided with the latest Gorilla glass Victus.

 All together this phone delivers great quality video and images and lively gaming sessions too.

The ASUS ZenFone 8 comes in a cool looking matte grey box with a neatly designed dual circle for the eight, one is a simple yet elegant outline and one filled in with a touch of colour and the ASUS ZenFone logo on the bottom.

In the box comes a ZenFone 8 headset, an ejector pin, a USB-C to USB-C cable, a 30W USB charger, a user manual and ASUS also provides a protective case so there is no need to order one and search for the perfect fit.

Asus Zenfone 8 Performance and Software

The ASUS ZenFone 8 comes with the latest operating system, Android 11 also known as Red Velvet Cake with ASUS’s own Zen UI 8 interface built on top. It is close to a stock Android with some proprietary features, This UI does not have a lot of bloatware loaded on it which is good, it has features like a one hand mode, the ability to change icons on the status bar, an app drawer, call and notification sounds can be adjusted separately and smart ringtone mode which adjusts the ring volume based on the surrounding ambient noise levels which is one of the cool features, another is the smart key setting which allows that catchy blue power button to be set to two functions, one is by a double press and the other by a long press, each can be set to open something like the camera or an app you use particularly often.

This UI also has a feature known as game genie which is found on most ASUS ROG phones, it can be opened with a swipe in game, and it provides different options for gaming as well as real time performance statistics. ASUS’s proprietary opti flex memory management will prioritize and shut down non needed apps with the help of its AI.

The ASUS ZenFone 8 is powered by the newest Snapdragon processor the Qualcomm SM8350 888 5G

 (5 nm). It has an octa core CPU with a layout of 1×2.84 GHz Kryo 680, 3×2.42 GHz Kryo 680 and 4×1.80 GHz Kryo 680. The GPU is the Adreno 660.

 It has good scores on all benchmark tests AnTuTu: 676001 (v8) and 799738 (v9), GeekBench: 3604 (v5.1), GFX Bench: 61fps (ES 3.1 onscreen)

 This provides enough processing and graphics power to run even the more demanding games without any problems. During long gaming sessions it does tend to heat up a bit but the ZenFone 8 has a heat pipe and uses its aluminum frame to dissipate the heat generated, with this system there is no thermal throttling even despite the phones smaller size.

As for memory, RAM comes in different sizes depending on the phone variant, with 6, 8 and 16 GB options, and is LPDDR5. ROM is available in 128 GB and 256 GB versions and is UFS 3.1, this phone does not allow for storage expansion.

Connectivity is available through Wi-Fi 802.11, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, Dual Band A-GPS, USB Type C, USB on the go and also an FM radio.

As for sensors, it has an under display fingerprint sensor located at the bottom of the screen, an accelerometer, a gyro and proximity sensor and compass.

The ZenFone 8 comes with two big stereo speakers powered by a dual Cirrus logic CS35L45 Mono AMP, 32-bit/384kHz audio, which scores well on loudness tests at -27.9 LUFS, one speaker is located at the bottom of the phone and the other within the ear piece, the top speaker is 10x12mm 7-magnet piece, while the bottom one is a bit larger at 12x16mm 3-magnet, and the space is filled with foam balls for deeper bass effects. It also has a 3.5 mm audio jack on the top.

Asus Zenfone 8 Cameras and Battery

Unlike most other companies that launch their flagship models with at least a triple camera setup if not a quad camera, ASUS has gone a quite classic with the ZenFone 8 putting in only two cameras.

The main primary is a 64 MP Quad Bayer camera with a large 1/1.73” Sony IMX 686 one of the newest available today, pixel size is 0.8 micrometre and F 1.8 aperture, using the Quad Bayer technology this camera can also shoot at 16 MP with a pixel size of 1.6 micrometre, it has a 26.6 mm wide lens with a 78.3 degree field of view, 2X lossless zoom, 4 axis optical image stabilization and dual pixel auto focus. Video shoots in 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60/120fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@480fps.

The secondary camera is a 12 MP with a Sony 1/2.55″ IMX 363 it has a 14.3 mm Ultra wide lens with a 112 degree field of view, pixel size is 1.4 micrometre with an aperture of F2.2. This camera also supports macro shots up to 4 cm and has dual pixel auto focus. An LED flash supports both rear cameras.

For selfies the ZenFone has a 12 MP with a 1/2.93″ Sony IMX 663 sensor, a 28 mm standard lens, an       F 2.5 aperture, pixel size is at 1.22 micrometre and has dual pixel auto focus.

The main camera takes pictures in 16 MP by default, these images look beautiful with good detailing, colouring, balanced sharpness and good dynamic range, even when indoors the sensors catch enough of light to produce clear and bright images, in portrait mode the images are sharp with good colours and good subject separation. The night or low light mode is also great.

The secondary 12 MP ultra wide camera also delivers amazing pictures with detailed skies and landscape, the distortion correction is good and images come out with accurate colours and dynamic range. 

The 12 MP selfie camera with its Sony sensor takes good pictures and shoots video in 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps

The ZenFone 8 is powered by a 4000 mAh Lithium Polymer battery which is non removable, it supports fast charging, up to 60% in 25 minutes, USB Power delivery, Reverse charging and comes with a 30W fast charger. 

The Verdict

The ASUS ZenFone 8 is compact in size yet powerful. Gaming is seamless with good graphics and can go on for long durations. The cameras could leave some people wanting more but do a good job overall. 

The ZenFone 8 is small but deadly and is definitely going to appeal to customers who don’t like large screen phones and are looking for something more pocket friendly with the features and performance of other high end phones. Priced at a reasonable 1099 Singapore dollars it is a sure contender to others out there and I would say definitely worth it.  

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