Review Summary
Expert Rating3.5/5
A no-compromise, small Android flagship has been in the works for a long time, at least in India. We've seen businesses experiment with the concept of a pint-sized powerhouse before, but the results haven't always been positive. There is no doubting that there is a market in the nation for small cellphones. On that point, ASUS intends to enter the market with the 8Z smartphone, the smallest Android phone powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 888 CPU. I spent some time evaluating the gadget, and here's why I believe the firm is on to something.
VERDICT
The Asus 8z has a lot going for it, and its small size distinguishes it from the crowd of high-performance flagships. However, there are some inherent disadvantages to using a small phone, and purchasers who choose the device will have to deal with
the phone's poor battery life, among other things.
the phone's poor battery life, among other things.
DESIGN
Simply told, the ASUS 8z is the most comfortable phone I've ever used. More significantly, the tablet demonstrates ASUS' adaptability. After releasing what many perceive to be the bulkiest Snapdragon 888 phone in the shape of the ROG Phone 5, the firm performed a complete 180 and announced the 8z, which is essentially a miniaturised flagship. Not only did ASUS manage to reduce the 8z's footprint, but the firm also altered its design to make the smartphone's compact form factor stand out even more.
For starters, the ASUS 8z has a curved rear that makes it easier to handle the phone. The button location of the 8z is also worth mentioning, since both the volume rocker and the power button were easily accessible with my thumb. Moreover, despite the use of quality materials in the handset's design, the 8z weighs only 169 grammes. To put it simply, after years of using phones with large displays, the 8z's small frame is a breath of fresh air.
Aside from the ergonomics, I was also pleased with the 8z's appearance. For example, the rear of the phone has a frosted glass surface that feels velvety to the touch – so much so that I used the phone without a case for the longest period. The fact that the phone has Corning's Gorilla Glass v3 on the back and Gorilla Glass Victus on the front added to my trust. Of course, it's always a good idea to secure your new smartphone with a case. Fortunately, ASUS included a fairly elegant one with the retail package of the 8z, which is a lovely touch.
Returning to the phone's style, the 8z is available in two colours: Obsidian Black and Horizon Silver. If you want to spice things up, I recommend going with the silver colorway. However, the phone looks as classic as ever in matte black, so you can't go wrong with either option. Fortunately, both colorways have a frosted matte coating on top, which, by the way, keeps smudges at bay. Furthermore, ASUS has included a bright blue power button, which lends just the perfect amount of pzazz to the phone's otherwise modest appearance.
In terms of connectivity, the ASUS 8z has a Type-C port on the bottom, wedged between a notification LED and a speaker grill. The smartphone has a 3.5mm headphone port that is hi-res certified. The fingerprint sensor is located beneath the display and functioned perfectly during my testing. The facial recognition technology, on the other hand, seemed quite shaky. On the other hand, the smartphone has wonderful haptics, and I had a great time typing on it.
DISPLAY & AUDIO
The 8.9-inch display on the 8z is also a visual treat. The screen employs sAMOLED technology and has a Full HD+ resolution, making it sufficiently crisp and vibrant for everyday usage. Furthermore, the smartphone supports HDR streaming from OTT services like as Netflix, and the display can go rather bright at 1,100 nits. You can be confident that the 8z's screen will be legible even in bright sunlight.
Furthermore, for performance fans, the display ticks all the appropriate boxes. To that end, the display has a refresh rate of 120Hz (which may be reduced to 90Hz for increased battery life) and a touch sampling rate of 240Hz. As a result, the display will not only dazzle you with buttery smooth animations, but it will also pick up on all of your swipes and motions smoothly.
It goes without saying that the smartphone's display does not provide a lot of screen real estate right out of the box. ASUS deserves credit for maximising the touch surface by minimising the bezels that surround the panel. However, you may feel that the phone's display is a little too crowded, particularly while playing games with a lot of on-screen toggles. To be honest, it took me some time to unlearn how to use a large-screen phone after moving to the 8z. However, the change was painless for me, and I quickly adjusted to the 8z's smaller screen. Of course, your mileage may vary if you, for example, employ a four-finger claw hold on the phone or run multiple apps at once using split-screen.
While the 8z's display may not be to everyone's taste, the smartphone's audio arrangement will definitely entice you. For one thing, the handset's dual-speaker arrangement is incredibly powerful, and the music communicated via the set is clear even at high volume settings. Furthermore, the speakers provide superb depth to the music and talks while without sounding harsh. Not only that, but the 8z joins the diminishing group of flagships that include a headphone port. ASUS has also gone above and beyond by equipping the device with high-resolution chops, guaranteeing that you can make the most of your lossless collection while utilising the 8z as a source.
CAMERAS
I've always appreciated the colour science of photographs captured by ASUS phones, and the 8Z is no exception. The smartphone is equipped with a 64MP Sony IMX686 camera, as well as a 12MP Sony IMX363 ultra-wide angle sensor. The gadget has a 12MP Sony IMX633 sensor on the front for selfies.
The main sensor of the ASUS 8Z is pretty powerful, and it can capture amazing photographs with plenty of details, exceptional sharpness, and superb exposure management. To top it all off, the photographs I captured with my phone were mostly true-to-life in colour. For example, if you look at the snapshot of the garden in my apartment complex, you'll see that the handset has captured the environment excellently, despite the fact that it was taken in direct sunlight.
The dynamic range of the sensor is ideal – at least for the price – and, unlike other rival models, the 8z did not crush the shadows in the picture. Furthermore, the handset has flawlessly exposed the sky, and you'll be hard pushed to spot any instances of highlight clipping in the photo. Closeups provide a similar appealing outcome. The images of the flowers, for example, are rich in depth, and the handset has done an outstanding job of capturing the subject as it is.
The same can be said about the smartphone's wide-angle sensor, which provides acceptable clarity in the photo's corners as well as the centre of the frame. Unfortunately, the unit doesn't do justice to the darkest areas of a scene, which are devoid of clarity and rife with noise. In low light, the smartphone's specialised night mode improves the visibility of the subjects in the frame, although the images are a little fuzzy. Regardless, the photographs can pass as respectable stills on social networking platforms.
As someone who prefers to use a phone's front camera over its back sensors, I'll agree that the 8z's selfie camera leaves much to be desired. While the phone can take acceptable self-portraits, sufficient lighting is required for the phone to produce a usable photograph. Furthermore, the handset favours contrasty photos, and selfies taken with the phone have blatantly dark blacks. Look at the colour of my hair in the photos to understand what I mean.
Performance and Software
The ASUS 8z is the world's smallest smartphone to use Qualcomm's Snapdragon 888 CPU. Furthermore, the business has equipped the device with fast RAM and storage. As a result, purchasers interested in the gadget will be met with 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM and a choice of 128GB or 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage. It's no secret that the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 CPU generates a lot of heat, but how does the SoC fair in the 8z's small chassis? Well, the answer isn't as simple as I'd like it to be. Let's start with the benchmarks, and you can see that the device achieves impressive results in synthetic testing programmes like as Antutu, GeekBench, and AndroBench.
Similarly, the smartphone can run graphically demanding apps such as BGMI and Call of Duty Mobile at the highest graphics preset — so far, so good. However, when operating intensive programmes and games on the phone, the temperature of the device rises. To give you a better idea, I conducted 3D Mark's high stress test on the phone, and the temperature went from 28 degrees to 41 degrees in 20 minutes.
Don't get me wrong: the 8z operates admirably, and I had no lag or stuttering when using it on a regular basis. However, this does not mean that the smartphone's performance is without flaws, and if you want to use the phone to play a lot of games, you will notice the frames decrease every now and then.
The OS on the ASUS 8z is Android 12 with a custom skin on top. The UI provides a no-frills experience and is similar to vanilla Android. Furthermore, the utility does not have any bloatware, which is fantastic. On the other hand, I would have wanted to see more customization choices with the device, which are currently restricted to altering the folder design, icon label, and scrolling effects for the built-in launcher as of writing this review.
FINAL VERDICT
The ASUS 8z costs Rs 42,999 in India and does a good job for the price. For starters, the gadget includes a competent CPU that should last consumers a long time. Furthermore, the handset's primary sensor is capable of producing visually appealing images. The phone also has an excellent audio setup, assuring that anyone who purchase the package will have all of their music streaming demands met.
You might make an argument for rival devices with identical features, such as the OnePlus 9RT (review). However, the 8z adds a distinct form factor to the mix, and it is now the only tiny Android smartphone on the market. As a result, if you've had your fill of huge, clunky Android phones, the ASUS 8z will seem like a breath of fresh air. Otherwise, there are other of similarly specced smartphones available for the same, or even less, money.
Pros:
- Compact form factor
- Capable performer
- Main sensor clicks good photos
- Excellent audio setup
Cons:
- Sub-par battery life
- Heats up quickly when running taxing apps or games
- Selfie camera not the best
