What you need to know
- ASUS launches the ROG Phone 8 and 8 Pro with the latter featuring a new AniMe Vision dot matrix lighting array that is fully customizable.
- The series is smaller, lighter, and thinner than the ROG 7 series from 2023, as well as a newly revamped square-ish triple camera housing.
- The ROG Phone 8 Pro is available for $1,199 while its base Phone 8 sibling can be grabbed for $1,099.
ASUS is starting the year off with an ode to gamers as it launches the ROG Phone 8 and 8 Pro.
The ASUS ROG Phone 8 Pro kicks things off as the company details its "biggest revamp in its long history." The Phone 8 Pro has received a 17% reduction in size when compared to the ROG Phone 7. Additionally, ASUS states the device is 15% thinner and 9% lighter, as well. Despite the size change, the Phone 8 Pro features a 6.7-inch FHD+ display with a maximum 165Hz refresh rate. The device also supports HDR10.
Powering the device's gaming potential is the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC, which has been given a 30% boost in CPU power and a 25% speed increase for its graphical performance.
With the ROG Phone 8 Pro focused on gaming, ASUS has taken strides to help alleviate heat buildup with its "revolutionary" thermal structure. The GameCool 8 structure is said to increase thermal efficiency by 22%. Taking it further, consumers can attach the AeroActive Cooler X, a cooling pack that pops onto the back of the device.
With its strong fan bringing in cool air for the back of the phone, ASUS estimates it can help cool things down by another 20%. The Cooler X pack features two physical buttons for gamers to utilize.
The rear of the ROG Phone 8 Pro has also gained a revamped lighting array. The device now features AniMe Vision, a set of 341 programmable LEDs that users can customize with personalized animations and more. When not in use, ASUS states its lights are completely hidden, only visible when you turn them on.
Furthermore, the Phone 8 Pro's camera array places its triple lens inside a square-ish housing, quite different from the horizontal container on its predecessor. Consumers will find a 50MP primary lens with Gimbal OIS (optical image stabilization) and a lossless 2x zoom mode. There's a 13MP ultra-wide lens and a 32MP 3x optical zoom lens, as well.
The front-facing punch-hole selfie camera arrives at 32MP with an ultrawide 90-degree FoV for capturing group shots. ASUS adds that users can utilize its 1x zoom or scale down to 0.7x.
The Taiwanese OEM packs a bit of AI into the Phone 8 Pro as its cameras benefit from "AI Object Sense." This is stated to help the cameras optimize contrast and saturation separately for a more "vivid" experience.
ASUS' AI software extends to X Capture, which automatically records highlights for users if they've hit a triple kill or something else worthy. Moreover, AI Grabber recognizes keywords in a game's dialogue so you can copy it and search for more information about where to farm a specific object in Genshin Impact or Honkai: Star Rail.
The Phone 8 Pro features a 5,500mAh battery with 65W wired fast charging and 15W wireless charging. ASUS estimates the device can charge from zero to 100% in 39 minutes. In terms of sound, the Pro model features Dirac Virtuo for spatial audio crafted for those wearing wired, Bluetooth, or USB-C headphones.
Consumers will find two different RAM/internal storage options: 16/512GB and 24/1TB. The ROG Phone 8 Pro is available in Phantom Black and will hit the market for $1,199.99 and $1,499.99, respectively.
The base ROG Phone 8 model features slight differences when compared to its Pro sibling. This phone still features the same 6.7-inch FHD+ display with a maximum 165Hz refresh rate. The device has also been slimmed down like the Pro model while also becoming 9% lighter than the base Phone 7 from 2023.
However, things differ in its design as the Phone 8 features Aura RGB Lighting. The company states users can customize the ROG Fearless Eye logo with a variety of solid colors and pre-made lighting patterns.
What's interesting is that the basic model features the same battery power as the pro model 5,500mAh, so the users can get the same battery life on both devices.
The ROG Phone 8 is available in two different RAM/internal storage options: 12/256GB and 16/256GB for both its Rebel Grey and Phantom Black colorways. Consumers can find the ROG Phone 8 listed for $1,099.99.
