SpecEagle
SpecEagle review · Asus

Asus Zenfone 8 review: The compact SD888 flagship — small phone, no compromises.

SpecEagle Editorial·May 2021·$599
Overall
80/100
Class rank
#6 of 8
Tier
Flagship
Buy?
At the right price
The verdict, up front

The compact flagship done right.

Zenfone 8 squeezed the SD888, IP68, 120 Hz and a headphone jack into a 5.9", 169 g body at $599. The rare small Android flagship with no real compromises.

01Display

82/100

82/100 trails the 85-point cohort average for flagship phones of 2021.

TypeAMOLED, 120 Hz
Size5.9 inches
Resolution2,400 × 1,080 px
GlassGorilla Glass Victus

02Camera

74/100

74/100 trails the 79-point cohort average for flagship phones of 2021.

Main64 MP Sony IMX686, f/1.8, OIS
Ultrawide12 MP Sony IMX363
Selfie12 MP
Video8K 24 fps

03Performance

84/100

84/100 trails the 87-point cohort average for flagship phones of 2021.

ChipsetSnapdragon 888 (5 nm)
RAM6 / 8 / 16 GB
Storage128 / 256 GB

04Battery

70/100

70/100 is one of the weaker battery results among flagship phones of 2021 — 10 points under the average. Check the rows below before buying for this.

Capacity4,000 mAh
Wired30 W

05Build

80/100

80/100 puts it above the 78-point average for flagship phones of 2021.

06Value

80/100

80/100 puts it above the 78-point average for flagship phones of 2021.

What works
  • SD888 in a compact 5.9" body.
  • IP68 + headphone jack — rare combo.
  • 120 Hz + Gorilla Glass Victus.
  • Near-stock ZenUI, light 169 g.
What doesn't
  • SD888 thermals in a small chassis.
  • 4,000 mAh modest.
  • 30 W charging.
  • No telephoto.
Cross-shop it against
iQOO 11
$650 · score 90/100

How this review is built: every section score, spec row and comparison on this page comes from SpecEagle's tracked catalogue — scores weight measured specs against the 8-phone cohort of flagship devices released around the same time. We don't publish invented lab anecdotes. Spot an error? .