Asus has made a significant splash at CES 2024 by unveiling its latest gaming smartphones in the ROG Phone 8 series. This new lineup marks a departure from the previous 7-series devices, introducing substantial design changes, camera enhancements, and powerful hardware upgrades to elevate the gaming experience to new heights.
The ROG Phone 8 and ROG Phone 8 Pro, available in Phantom Black and Rebel Grey colorways, showcase a revamped back panel that exudes a more subtle and premium aesthetic compared to their predecessors. With dimensions of 163.8×76.8×8.9mm and weighing 225 grams, these devices maintain a sleek yet robust build.
One of the standout features is their IP68-certified dust- and water-resistant build. The phones include a 3.5mm headphone jack, USB Type-C port, air triggers, and an in-display fingerprint sensor for added convenience and security.
Under the hood, the ROG Phone 8 series runs on the Android 14-based ROG UI and boasts a 6.78-inch full-HD+ AMOLED LTPO display with a 165Hz refresh rate, HDR10 support, and 720Hz touch sampling rate. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC powers these gaming phones, complemented by up to 24GB of LPDDR5X RAM and up to 1TB of UFS4.0 storage.
Asus continues its commitment to gaming performance by including the AeroActive Cooler X, a snap-on cooling fan that effectively lowers back cover temperatures by up to 28°C. This accessory features a thermoelectric cooling chip and a dedicated fan, offering gamers a competitive edge.
Camera enthusiasts will appreciate the triple rear camera setup, featuring a 50-megapixel Sony IMX890 primary sensor, a 13-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera, and a 32-megapixel sensor with OIS and 3x optical zoom. For selfies, a 12-megapixel RGBW front camera ensures sharp and vibrant images.
Connectivity options abound, with 5G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 be/ax/ac/a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, NFC, Bluetooth 5.3, GPS/A-GPS/NavIC, and NFC ensuring seamless communication.
The ROG Phone 8 series is powered by a 5,500mAh battery supporting Qi 1.3 wireless charging and 65W charging. Despite a slightly smaller battery than its predecessor, the fast-charging technology promises a 39-minute full charge, providing up to 17 hours of Instagram scrolling or 3.42 hours of intense gaming, exemplifying the series’ endurance.
Pricing starts at $1,099 for the Asus ROG Phone 8 with 16GB + 256GB storage, while the Pro variant is available at $1,199 for 16GB + 512GB and $1,499 for the 24GB + 1TB model. Asus is yet to share the global availability details of the new smartphones.