ASUS's latest gaming smartphones offer 165Hz displays, 24GB RAM
ASUS has unveiled its newest gaming smartphones, the ROG Phone 8 and Phone 8 Pro, at CES 2024. The latest handsets have a thinner and lighter body, with the company asserting that performance has not been compromised. They offer improved hardware to enhance the overall user experience, making them more pleasant daily drivers than just high-end gaming devices. The ROG Phone 8 series now boasts IP68 protection, a new telephoto camera, wireless charging, and more.
Understated design but RGB-lit logo and gaming slogans remain
The ROG Phone 8 series sports a top-centered punch-hole and an in-display fingerprint scanner. At the back, the RGB-lit logo and gaming slogans are still present, but the overall design looks more understated. They have a 6.78-inch Full-HD+ LTPO AMOLED screen with a refresh rate of up to 165Hz for a smooth gaming experience. Outdoors, the display can go as bright as 2,500-nits. The new devices are 15% thinner at 8.9mm and weigh 225g.
New telephoto camera provides 3x optical zoom
The ROG Phone 8 Pro series has a more practical camera arrangement compared to the ROG Phone 7 series from last year. The handsets include a 50MP (Sony IMX890) main camera with 6-axis Gimbal stabilization, similar to ZenFone models. Additionally, they feature a 13MP ultra-wide snapper and a new 32MP (OIS, 3x) telephoto lens, which replaces the macro shooter from last year's models. Up front, a 32MP camera is available for selfies and video calls.
They offer up to 24GB of LPDDR5X RAM
The ROG Phone 8 series is powered by Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC, paired with up to 24GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 1TB of UFS 4.0 storage. The devices run on Android 14 with ROG UI. Under the hood, they have a 5,500mAh battery with 65W wired and 15W Qi-wireless charging support. While the battery is slightly smaller than the ROG Phone 7's 6,000mAh capacity, ASUS claims optimized hardware ensures nearly the same battery life as on previous models.
Advanced cooling system
The ROG Phone 8 series features a 'Rapid-Cooling Conductor' design as part of the advanced 'GameCool 8' thermal system, which transfers heat from the processor to the back cover. The optional AeroActive Cooler X clip-on cooler accessory is now 29% smaller and offers 1.2x higher thermal efficiency, lowering the back cover temperature by up to 26°C.
What about the pricing and availability?
The ROG Phone 8 lineup starts at $1099.99 for 16GB/256GB and goes up to $1499.99 for 24GB/1TB trim. The AeroActive Cooler X is available for $99.99. ASUS has announced that the devices will roll out starting in March, with no details about an India launch yet.
