First Impressions
The Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro Edition has scaled back the nerdy design elements for a more mature offering, all while retaining the excellent game-centric features, raising the performance ceiling and introducing a new telephoto camera sensor. On paper, this looks to be an early contender as one of the best gaming phones of 2024.
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Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipOne of the most powerful phones currently on the market. -
AniMe VisionPhone’s rear adorned with Mini LED lights to display notifications, the time and more. -
32MP telephoto cameraThe new telephoto camera is capable of a 3x optical zoom.
Introduction
The Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro Edition is the latest gaming phone to enter the fray, flaunting a higher performance ceiling thanks to the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip.
However, the biggest change to the latest ROG Phone, compared to previous iterations, is actually the design. Asus has decided to scale back the nerdy design in order to appeal to those beyond hardcore gamers.
And in order to compete with non-gaming flagships, Asus has also upgraded the camera with a 32MP telephoto sensor that makes a 3x optical zoom possible.
It makes sense for Asus to chase a wider market rather than ardently sticking to a niche, but is the Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro Edition in danger of alienating its loyal fans? I’ve gone hands-on with the phone ahead of launch to get a closer look.
Price and availability
The Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro Edition is priced at £1299/$1499 and will be exclusively available via the ASUS Official Online Store. For your money, the Pro Edition bags you 24GB of RAM, 1TB of storage and an AeroActive Cooler X bundled in the box.
If that’s too expensive for you, then it’s worth considering the standard ROG Phone 8 for £949/$999, equipped with 12GB of memory and 256GB of storage. Meanwhile, the ROG Phone Pro is priced at £1099/$1299 with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage.
The Asus ROG Phone 8 family is available to pre-order right away, with those ordering the ROG Phone 8 Pro before 4th February 2024 receiving a free AeroActive Cooler X.
Design
- More mature design aimed at a wider audience
- Smaller build, with shaven-down bezel
- AniMe Matrix lights add flair and personality
The Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro Edition has seen so many changes to the design that it is barely recognisable from its predecessors like the flashy ROG Phone 7 Ultimate. The sci-fi emblazons have been ditched in favour of a more low-profile look. This may disappoint gamers looking for flashy in-your-face styling, but it makes it more appealing to a wider audience.
That’s not to say the Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro Edition is completely void of gaming design quirks. I particularly like the AniMe Matrix feature, which uses a set of 341 programmable LED lights on the rear to display the likes of the time, battery status and notifications.
Asus says you can even customise what the lights display, or even turn it off completely to conserve battery life. This AniMe Matrix feature is only available with the Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro and ROG Phone 8 Pro Edition – the standard ROG Phone 8 is limited to RGB lighting of the ROG logo instead.
AniMe Matrix
AniMe Matrix
AniMe Matrix
Flip the phone over to its front, and you’ll see that Asus has slimmed down the screen bezel for the Asus ROG Phone 8 series. This has allowed Asus to retain the same 6.78-inch screen size, while also reducing the size of the phone. The Asus ROG Phone 8 is noticeably thinner than its predecessor making it significantly easier to hold, even with my small hands.
Asus has been able to shave the bezel away by placing the selfie camera under the screen, with a pinhole allowing it to peek through. This design choice has been adopted by the vast majority of Android phones, and helps to bring the ROG Phone 8 collection up to modern standards. Asus is also continuing with the fingerprint sensor embedded within the display.
The AirTriggers were one of my favourite features of the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate, so I’m delighted to see their return. This enables you to use virtual triggers on the phone’s edge for the likes of shooting in Call of Duty or triggering abilities in Genshin Impact. It’s fully customisable, even allowing you to set your preferred vibration intensity to ensure satisfying feedback.
In terms of ports, you’ll find a pair of USB-C connections on the Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro Edition – one at the bottom in the conventional spot, and a second on the left side so you can carry on gaming without interruption as well as plugging in the bundled AeroActive Cooler X. There’s also a headphone jack here, which is a rarity for smartphones in 2024.
The Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro is bang up to date with wireless technology, supporting Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.3. Asus has also made the phone more robust with an IP68 rating, bringing the waterproofing up to the same standard as the flagship Samsung and Google phones.
Screen
- Same 6.78-inch screen size as before
- AMOLED display is even brighter now
- Still features up to a 165Hz refresh rate
The Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro Edition hasn’t seen sweeping changes to the screen compared to its older siblings. The AMOLED panel still comes in at 6.78 inches, while the Full HD+ resolution and 165Hz refresh rate remain unchanged.
However, Asus has managed to boost the peak brightness by a considerable margin, from 1600 nits to a whopping 2500 nits. This upgrade is obvious to the naked eye too, even during my short hands-on time, with the screen of my Google Pixel 6 looking dull by contrast.
The AMOLED technology also ensures that the screen is capable of displaying inky blacks rather than murky greys, resulting in dazzling contrast.
Other than upping the resolution – which would impact battery life – it’s hard to see how Asus can improve further on this fantastic smartphone display. However, I’ll need to wait until I can fully test the screen to ensure it lives up to the promising first impressions.
Cameras
- New telephoto camera enables 3x optical zoom
- Gimbal helps to keep photos and videos more stable
- Selfie camera can now capture more people in frame
The camera has been the main area that has held the Asus ROG Phone series from competing with more conventional phones from the likes of Apple, Google and Samsung. Fortunately, Asus hopes to rectify that with significant sensor upgrades.
The Asus ROG Phone 8 family sports the same main 50MP sensor as before, but this time, it’s aided by a new gimbal that can help to ensure stable photos and videos.
The wide 13MP sensor also makes a comeback, although the 5MP macro snapper has been replaced with an all-new 32MP telephoto sensor. Asus says this is capable of a 3x optical zoom, enabling you to capture faraway objects with plenty of detail.
You still get a 32MP selfie camera with the new Asus ROG Phone 8 series, but Asus claims the field of view has been increased from 73° to 90°. This should make it easier to fit multiple people in the frame for a group selfie.
I haven’t been able to put the camera to the test just yet, so you’ll have to wait for our full review for our verdict, but it’s nevertheless great to see Asus making improvements in the weakest area of the ROG Phone.
Performance and battery life
- One of the fastest chips you can buy
- Pro Edition features 24GB of RAM
- Battery has been downsized
The Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro Edition looks to be one of the most powerful phones in the world, packing the all-new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, with frequency speeds peaking at 3.3GHz. We’re expecting to see more phones embrace this chip in 2024, but so far, it’s an exclusive club.
The Ultimate Edition also flaunts 24GB of RAM. I’d argue this is overkill for a gaming phone, with the standard ROG Phone 8 packing plentiful 12GB of RAM instead, while the ROG Phone 8 Pro strikes a nice middle ground with 16GB.
I’m more tempted by the massive 1TB storage when considering the Pro Edition. If you plan on buying one of the cheaper models, you’ll get 256GB with the standard ROG Phone 8 and 512GB with the ROG Phone 8 Pro.
Asus says it has done a lot of work behind the scenes to improve thermal efficiency with a new rapid-cooling conductor design. Purchase the Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro Edition, and you’ll be able to equip the phone with the bundled AeroActive Cooler X that supposedly reduces the phone’s rear by up to 26°C.
I haven’t been able to benchmark the phone, or run any games during my hands-on session, so it’s hard to know how the performance compares to its predecessors just yet. But given the specs this phone is packing, I fully expect it to be one of the most powerful options on the market.
If there’s any cause for concern with this phone compared to its predecessor, it’s the battery life. Asus has been forced to compromise with the battery capacity when slimming down the design of the Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro Edition, down from 6000mAh to 5500mAh.
That said, the improved efficiency of the Snapdragon chip may well offset that loss in battery life, and the ROG Phone 7 Series was already capable of lasting well over a day for general use. As a result, I’m not too worried, although I will hold final judgement until I can put the battery to the test in my full review.
First Impressions
The Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro is a big departure for the series, as Asus attempts to tone down the nerdy design quirks to make it more appealing to an audience beyond gamers.
The cutting-edge Snapdragon chip, AniMe Matrix rear and barrel-load of gaming features still ensure this phone’s gaming identity is intact, although the compromise to the battery capacity may well signal a newfound preference for form over function.
I’ve been impressed with the Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro Edition during my hands-on time, but I will need to wait until I’m able to fully test the performance, battery and cameras before reaching a final verdict. In the meantime, make sure to check out our Best Gaming Phone list.