ASUS has recently launched its latest flagship gaming smartphones, the ROG Phone 8 and ROG Phone 8 Pro, at CES 2024 following earlier rumors. The devices have a 6.78-inch Full HD+ AMOLED HDR 1-120Hz LTPO display with a 165Hz refresh rate option for gaming, up to 2500 nits peak brightness, and is driven by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC. Despite a 15% reduction in thickness and weight, as well as narrower screen bezels, ASUS assures users that performance has not been compromised. The phone showcases a premium design and enhanced durability.
Featuring the innovative Rapid-Cooling Conductor design as part of the advanced GameCool 8 thermal system, it efficiently dissipates heat from the processor to the back cover. Additionally, the all-new AeroActive Cooler X clip-on cooler is now 29% smaller and promises 1.2X higher thermal efficiency, reducing the back cover temperature by up to 26°C.
The camera setup includes a 50 MP main camera with a Sony sensor, a 6-Axis Hybrid Gimbal Stabilizer 3.0, a 13 MP ultrawide camera, and a groundbreaking addition – a 32MP 3X telephoto lens with built-in OIS. ASUS emphasizes the camera's ability to capture details, offering clearer images even at up to 30X zoom. For video shooting, the telephoto camera utilizes adaptive EIS for stability at up to a 10X zoom. The front 32 MP ultrawide selfie camera with an RGBW sensor now boasts an increased field of view from 73° to 90°.
Introducing features catering to gamers, the Background Mode allows seamless shifting of games to the background, while X Capture enables the capture of crucial moments. The AI-powered Al Grabber facilitates text capture using Machine-Learning Recognition technology, directly from games. Furthermore, X Sense 2.0 provides tips and assistance, and Semantic Search with natural language is now integrated into the Gallery, Launcher, and Settings.
The latest ROG Phone 8 series introduces distinctive customizable features, such as the Aura RGB Lighting logo (ROG Phone 8) and the Anime Vision Mini-LED 341-element display capable of showcasing preset or user-generated animations. Additionally, users can unveil hidden animations by simply touching their phone back-to-back with another ROG Phone 8 Pro/Pro Edition. Notably, ASUS claims it to be the world's first gaming smartphone with IP68 compliance, ensuring resistance against dust and water ingress.
Equipped with a dual-cell 5,500mAh battery, slightly smaller than the Phone 7's 6,000mAh, the device compensates with a remarkable 65W HyperCharge fast charging capability, enabling a full charge in just 39 minutes. Furthermore, it supports 15W Qi wireless charging for added convenience.
ASUS ROG Phone 8 and Phone 8 Pro Specifications -
| Display | 6.78-inch (2400×1080 pixels) Full HD+ 1-120Hz LTPO (max 165Hz for gaming) Samsung E6 AMOLED 10-bit HDR 20:9 aspect ratio display, up to 2500 nits brightness, 107.37% DCI-P3 / 145.65% sRGB / 103.16% NTSC, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection |
| Processor | Octa Core Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 4nm Mobile Platform with Adreno 750 GPU |
| RAM/Storage | 12GB / 16GB / 24GB LPDDR5X RAM with 256GB / 512GB / 1TB (UFS 4.0) storage |
| OS/UI | Android 14 with ROG UI |
| SIM | Dual SIM (nano + nano) |
| Rear Cameras | 50MP rear camera with 1/1.56″ Sony IMX890 sensor, f/1.9 aperture, 6-axis Gimbal stabilization, 13MP ultra-wide camera, 32MP 3x telephoto sensor, OIS (8MP photos after pixel binning) |
| Front Camera | 32MP front-facing camera, 90° FoV |
| Features | In-display fingerprint sensor, 3.5mm audio jack, dual speakers, 5-magnet stereo speaker, Dirac Virtuo for Headphone Spatial Sound, Tri-microphones with ASUS Noise Reduction Technology, Dust and water resistant (IP68) |
| Dimensions | 163.8×76.8×8.9mm |
| Weight | 225g |
| Connectivity | 5G SA/NSA, Dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 7 802.11 be, Bluetooth 5.4, GPS/GLONASS/Beidou, Galileo(E1+E5a), QZSS(L1+L5), NavIC(L5), USB Type-C, NFC |
| Battery/Charger | 5500mAh (typical) with 65W Hyper charge fast charging, Quick Charge 5.0 and PD Charging, 15W Qi wireless charging |
Pricing and Availability -
The ROG Phone 8 comes in Rebel Grey and Phantom Black colours and the ROG Phone 8 Pro Edition & Pro comes only in Phantom Black. The company has announced that the rollout is scheduled to commence in the spring of 2024, with no specific information provided regarding the launch in India at this time.
ROG Phone 8 Series Prices are -
- 8/16GB RAM/256GB storage version - USD 1099.99 (Rs. 91,380 approx.)
- 8 Pro/16GB RAM/512GB storage version - USD 1199.99 (Rs. 99,685 approx.)
- 8 Pro/24GB RAM/1TB storage version - USD 1499.99 (Rs. 1,24,610 approx.)
- AeroActive Cooler X - USD 99.99
