Asus Zenfone 8 Flip review

Design and ergonomics

Not much has changed in terms of design since the last generation of Zenfones. It's still rather heavy and unwieldy, even. The usual glass sandwich construction is at hand, with the back panel being quite slippery with big curves to the side. The frame is aluminum-made with an anodized finish that stands out from the rest of the body. The front uses a Gorilla Glass 6 sheet for protection, but the back settles for Gorilla Glass 3.

Interestingly enough, since there was no room for the noise-canceling microphone at the top side of the frame (the camera mechanism takes up most of the space), Asus placed it below the camera bump. Speaking of the camera bump, it has very sharp edges but doesn't stick out more than your average camera module.

As far as the "Flip" part of the phone is concerned, we hardly see any changes to it design-wise. The motor makes a satisfying sound when you open or close the camera module. There are some additional system sounds, but none of them sound as cool as the actual sound of the motor. And as before, you can adjust the flip angle manually, and the software didn't warn us of potential issues, so this should be alright.

The piece itself is made of Liquid metal once again, a commercial name for an alloy, which is more durable and lighter than standard aluminum alloys. It ensures that the mechanism will work no matter what.

Asus Zenfone 7 Pro and 8 Flip

The under-the-hood change here is the motor module that detects the angle of the flip camera using an angle sensor. Compared to the previous version, this one provides 50% stronger output shaft, further improving the longevity of the motor. Asus has rated it to endure at least 300,000 flips (or about 5 years of normal usage with 150 flips per day). A 0.5-degree microstep solution has been introduced for smoother and more precise positioning of the module.

If a drop occurs, the phone will detect that using the built-in G-sensor and automatically retract it before it hits the ground.

In any other case, the angle sensor, which we mentioned earlier, makes sure the mechanism stays in place when positioned.

Perhaps the majority of people would love to hear that there are no fancy edges or curves on the front. It's just flat glass. In fact, the panel itself is sticking out a bit more than we would like, forming a ridge.

Asus Zenfone 7 Pro and 8 Flip

The bezels may not be exactly flagship-grade either, but the Zenfone 8 Flip gets bonus points for the lack of any cutouts.

You get a large, unobstructed OLED display on the front, with the bottom bezel being the thickest, followed by the top one. The top has room only for the tiny earpiece while the proximity and ambient sensors are placed under the display.

As opposed to most modern smartphones, the Zenfone 8 Flip keeps the notification LED. Asus has found a pretty cool place for the LED since there's no room for it on the front. It's placed at the bottom side of the frame, right next to the USB-C port. The speaker grille and the main microphone are there, too.

On the left, we have the SIM card tray only, which can house two SIM cards and a microSD card simultaneously. On the right, we have the volume rocker and the accented power button, both of which have nice, clicky feedback. They are also conveniently positioned within thumb's reach, and the same goes for the fingerprint scanner.

Zenfone 8 Flip from the side

While last year's device had the fingerprint reader integrated into the power button, this year's Zenfone 8 Flip puts it behind the screen where it belongs. And we are happy to report that we had zero troubles using it. Its placement is optimal for the size of the handset.

The Zenfone 8 Flip feels solid in hand, and only premium materials have been used in its making. you get a large, uninterrupted display, an under-display reader, and even a notification LED, which is a rare sight these days.

Not everything about its handling is ideal, though. The device is slippery, thick, heavy and the back glass (in this color at least) is a huge fingerprint magnet. Moreover, the camera mechanism adds to the overall weight and tips the phone forward, meaning it's top-heavy and easy to slip out of your hand.