Asus Zenfone 8
- M
- Metalmessiah
- tZj
- 01 Nov 2022
I have owned the Asus Zenfone 8 for the past year and it has been a disastrous experience. Although the phone's build quality, sound and general usage was good, the motherboard failed not once but twice! The first motherboard failure occurred in May 2022 and was replaced under warranty, but the second time the motherboard had failed about 4 weeks after the warranty had expired. My constant complaints to Asus customer service regarding the unreliable hardware of the phone and request for a replacement was futile. This will be the last time that I will own an Asus phone product. Please save your headaches and stay away from Asus.
- D
- DeQzira
- ajR
- 30 Oct 2022
The SAR values are as following, which can be found in the product manual:
• Head: 1.412 W/Kg
• Body: 1.582 W/Kg
- A
- Anonymous
- 7kp
- 28 Oct 2022
FirstLast, 05 Jul 2022My Zenfone 8 produces weird sound at max volume, particular... moreThat's because of the Cirrus Logic chip, audio on this device is amazing because of that effect. While it's tough to reproduce Bass in a smartphone speaker that's audible, you can feel it with this device.
- U
- Uncle Bob
- KZK
- 25 Oct 2022
Rocker, 18 Oct 2022I am Using this phone.
Does it overheats : Yes but usually... moreThanks for your input. I'd be using the phone mostly for music (with a music player app, not streaming on Spotify etc), messaging on WhatsApp, play lots of Clash Of Clans, which is not the most demanding game. I don't play any other games except probably a little bit of Solitaire and Scrabble. I don't take too much photos or videos on a regular basis, usually only when I go out to see a sporting event.
I guess the phone wouldn't be too bad for me then, but I'm keeping my eyes on the Zenfone 9 too. I'm seeing the price has started to get cut little by little. I'm hearing good things about that phone when it comes to thermals and battery life, so probably paying a little extra would worth it.
I'll hold on to my Zenfone Max M1 Pro for as long as I can. I like this phone mostly for the stock Android and it's relatively small. I have a Poco M3 Pro as my second phone, not liking Xiaomi's custom OS on it and also a Nokia 5.4, that thing lags like crazy, even worse after the Android 12 update.
- R
- Rocker
- Fjd
- 18 Oct 2022
Uncle Bob , 30 Sep 2022Saw this phone on a good discount online, I wonder if it�... moreI am Using this phone.
Does it overheats : Yes but usually under long usage of gaming or in my case camera.
Battery Sucks : Short answer YES.
If you use your phone for Media consumption and dont play games and take pics sometimes phone is frankly Good.
I wanted a phone which is smooth and compact which it is.
Apps open up quick and no lag or anything at all, UI is clean and camera+ Screen is really nice.
So the phone is Good/BAd depending on the usage mostly
- U
- Uncle Bob
- KZK
- 30 Sep 2022
Saw this phone on a good discount online, I wonder if it's a good buy. I heard horror stories about the phone overheating and battery life being awful, so I'm very hesitant to buy it.
- Z
- Z8user
- vaS
- 10 Sep 2022
MizoxSK, 05 Sep 2022hope that android 13 will come and will resolve many proble... moreYeah, I don't use the GPS much but the inaccurate under display fingerprint and poor front facing camera quality in low light are definitely my top 2 issues about this phone as well. Android 13 OTA update might not come sooner than 2nd quarter of 2023 but I do hope that when it comes, it improves these issues.
- M
- MizoxSK
- CDB
- 05 Sep 2022
hope that android 13 will come and will resolve many problems on this fone , firt of all , the GPS problems when switching the destinations or the gps refresh when you program a way and you are on half of it , the gps will still show that you are at the begginning , it sucks because you have to exit the Gmap and re-open it , the precision is low even if you put the full perf localisation , second problem is the fkucing fingersprint sensor omg it sucks , it's easier to unlock the fone with a draw than using the FOD ... third of them is the front camera on little low light conditions , my phone fix at home can do better omg ! hope this device gets better when android 13 comes !
- L
- LuayT
- x07
- 11 Aug 2022
Ventsi, 10 Aug 2022Besides the rubber finish of the case, another thing which ... moresorry i forgot to to mention where to find it!
Battery > system modes > u can customize the one u've chosen > at the bottom under "miscellaneous" it is there: "Force lower touch sampling rate" (i got the naming completely false sorry)
- V
- Ventsi
- mHw
- 10 Aug 2022
salarx, 02 Aug 2022Regarding apps closing in background, that usually happens ... moreWhen I checked, I had done pretty much everything you mentioned. But I also don't remember having that problem recently, maybe I only had it before tweaking those and haven't had it since.
Thanks for your suggestions!
- V
- Ventsi
- mHw
- 10 Aug 2022
LuayT, 28 Jul 2022i agree with you in most of the points!
i too got a rubb... moreBesides the rubber finish of the case, another thing which goes a long way for stability in hand are the straight edges, really glad to see that the 9 has straight edges and a rubber back, but I'd be too scared to use the 9 without a case :D
Along that line, I didn't think of removing my screen protector for more reliable fingerprint sensor detection, but it's not something I'm willing to do, especially given that I'm already used to typing in my PIN
Now that you mention it, I tried reducing the touch rate (couldn't find a setting with that exact name, the 'pointer speed' setting is the only thing in that ball park I could find) and setting it to the minimal, feels better when I use the phone, but my problem is when the phone is in my pocket, with the screen facing my leg. If it is locked and the display is on, after walking 2 steps, it will think I am trying to unlock it. Never had such a problem with iPhones, butt-dialling was NEVER-EVER an issue. Also I am not using glove mode, and even have Pocket Mode enabled!
But yes, just researched the ZenFone 9, and it seems like 90% of my concerns in the review seem to be addressed (obviously can't know for sure until I've daily driven it for a month or so). Might consider an upgrade down the line.
Appreciate your comment, thanks for the discussion!
- s
- salarx
- XjH
- 02 Aug 2022
Anonymous, 25 Jul 2022Phone that would be a 9/10 if not for the small annoyances.... moreRegarding apps closing in background, that usually happens when Ultra Durable mode is on or battery is low. Ultra durable mode automatically triggers during night I guess, but can be turned off. Also, you can try tweaking Background app management, Adaptive Battery, and disable detect & stop for Detect battery-draining apps. All these settings come under Battery settings. Also turn on OptiFlex.
If you're worried about some particular app, disable battery optimisation for that particular app in that Apps' settings.
- L
- LuayT
- x07
- 28 Jul 2022
Anonymous, 25 Jul 2022Phone that would be a 9/10 if not for the small annoyances.... morei agree with you in most of the points!
i too got a rubber case which changed everything really!
about the fingerprint sensor,i was so annoyed that i removed the screen protector (i tried both films and panzer) they were problematic for the sensor! but after removing them i am having not perfect but relatively reliable unlocking experience!
as for the touch sensitivity! did u try to reduce the touch rate? i think that should help a bit. or maybe you activated the glove mode by mistake!
maybe i am not realising the issue. I think i don't have this issue
The zenfone 9 has much of ur cons covered ;) but it is more expensive and it would be a waste to sell the zenfone 8 rn imo
- V
- Ventsi
- mHw
- 25 Jul 2022
The touchscreen seems way too sensitive to me... anyone know of screen protectors which don't register the slightest touch of a feather? Thanks!
- ?
- Anonymous
- mHw
- 25 Jul 2022
Phone that would be a 9/10 if not for the small annoyances. Overall, 7/10.
Phone history: iPhone 4s -> iPhone SE (first one) -> iPhone 6s Plus -> ASUS Zenfone 8
My priorities when choosing this phone (in order of priority):
- Small enough to be usable with one hand
- Fast enough for smooth everyday use without stuttering, or slow app loading
- Android OS for... freedom :)
- 120hz display refresh rate
- Smooth Android build without much bloat
First two iPhones were very small and I was happy with them. Then I got the 6s Plus, and I hated that I couldn't use it with one hand, but also realised that the keyboard experience on the previous two had been miserable, and I am never going back to a phone which is THAT small in width - the sweetspot for me is 70mm (which is the reach of my thumb), but in no case any wider, as most apps often utilise the left hand-side for buttons. For height, my ideal is 135 (again reach of my thumb), but it's not the worst thing in the world if it's taller, as it's easy to quickly adjust my grip to reach the top and go back to normal grip.
The Zenfone is 68mm width, and 148mm tall; among the best dimensions among reasonably fast Android phones - I'd say the S22 is a better shape (2mm shorter, 2mm wider), and is faster but is slightly more expensive (if it was released when I bought the ZenFone, I'd probably have gone with it). Another consideration was the Google Pixel 4a 5G, but I decided against it as it was slower and not much cheaper (UK) for its specs.
iOS vs Android:
iOS is undeniably the better performance and smoother experience of the two, but the fact that it is so restrictive on the user means I will go with Andoird for my fuuture phones.
So now that you know my reasoning for choosing it, after 6 months of use, onto Pros and Cons:
Pros:
- Good hardware, good performance
- Like the 120hz display
- Love the android freedom, coming from iOS
- Double tap the lock button to do something feature is useful
- Basically everything else besides the cons
Cons:
- Fingerprint sensor was very unreliable for me, to the point where it's faster to use PIN to unlock (maybe I'm doing something wrong?). I would love if we went back to having a physical home button (like on old iPhones) on phones, would be especially useful for consistent fingerprint scanning.
- Touch screen WAY too sensitive (maybe there are screen protectors that can help with that?)
- Sometimes minimize an app, and when I re-open it later, whole app reloads from scratch (notably would lose a loaded YouTube video)
- Sometimes when sliding to close something (i.e. notification), it feels like I need to drag it way further than usual
I bought a good, rubber case for the phone (this is the case https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09V12SC7H/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1, but you have to spend a good 10 minutes removing the neckstrap that comes attached to the case, for god-knows what reason, otherwise it's a 10/10), which eliminated the following cons I had before using this case:
- Phone was way too slippery in my hand, both without case and with the default case that came in the box. Much of that has to do with the curved edge frame, much prefer the classic iPhone (and Nothing Phone (1)) build with flat edges, gives much better grip, though it seems that 99% of andoird phones' are like that. Grip with the case is good though.
- Side buttons were way too sensitive, not an issue with the case
- When writing on keyboard, my (left) palm would unintentionally make contact with the back button in the bottom left, not an issues with the case.
What phone would I get today:
Really want to say Nothing Phone (1), but it's just too big. If there is ever a smaller iteration, then definitely that!
For now probably Samsung S22.
- L
- LuayT
- x07
- 21 Jul 2022
Anonymous, 20 Jul 2022look up ramdump or sudden death issue of the zenfone 8 befo... morei know it sounds terrible. However it was about the devices which were manufactured in the 4th and 5th 2021 i think und yet they got replacements. Even the people with unlocked bootloader and custom Roms got their replacement(it was not that easy for them of course)
i forgot to say that the speakers do really sound amazing and extreme loud if you activate the out-door mode in the settings. I do not know if that will affect their lifespan still it's worth it
- ?
- Anonymous
- ajZ
- 20 Jul 2022
look up ramdump or sudden death issue of the zenfone 8 before thinking of buying this
- ?
- Anonymous
- p37
- 14 Jul 2022
LuayT, 12 Jul 2022I hate and love this "fone" at the same time! ... moreI think this is related to poor energy consumption of the SD 888. Had the same issue with an Oppo Find X3 pro. Sold it recently
- L
- LuayT
- mgK
- 12 Jul 2022
I hate and love this "fone" at the same time!
The size is great(i wish it was shorter and had more width)
The speakers are great
Is blazing fast!
But!
I **** hate that fingerprint sensor! With/without screenprotector! I will always have problems with it. It is just hit or miss! Dont know what Asus was thinking using an optical sensor instead of the ultrasonic one!
Ram-Management is a catastrophy. Sometimes i switch between three apps and then a reload!
Battery life is not really great! I have dual sim but still. I use the "fone" rarely during the day! And still will lose a lot of the battery juice faster than it should be. I do not use Instagram/Tiktok/Facebook snapshat .....
The tiles in the notification at top are after the android 12 update plain dumb! Two per row!!!!!! WTF!
I use the phone just for occasional browsing and whatsapp.
I can not believe i am going to say this and recommend a samsung: but i wish i have bought the normal Samsung S22
It has an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor
It is even a bit shorter!
The battery is smaller though. But still has the same battery life
The tiles in the notification center are at least small! And it had an Android 12 too.