Asus has been making Android phones from the early days of the platform, long before we settled on a standard flat-glass form factor. Asus has tried its hand at convertible Android laptops and phones that convert into tablets, but even after abandoning all of those, it’s continuing to experiment with its gaming-focused ROG Phone series.These devices feature illuminated lights, snap-on accessories, and extremely Bold design elements, but with the emergence of the ROG Phone 8 series, it’s time for ASUS gaming phones to grow up.
The latest series of leaks are accurate – the ROG Phone 8 and 8 Pro are significantly different from the ROG Phone 7 and earlier. At first glance, you would never think this is the latest ASUS gaming phone. The devices come in black or gray (base model only), and most of the “gamer aesthetic” is gone, along with the front-facing speakers and active cooling hatch. But don’t count on the ROG Phone 8 just yet. These are still among the most powerful smartphones for gaming or otherwise, with the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and more RAM than some gaming PCs. Here’s the full spec sheet.
| processor | Snapdragon 8 third generation |
| exhibit | 6.78-inch 1080 x 2400 LPTO OLED @ 165Hz |
| memory | 16GB/24GB (Pro version only) |
| storage | 256GB / 512GB (Pro only) / 1TB (Pro only) |
| rear camera | 50MP 1/1.56” f/1.9 main lens (gimbal stabilizer), 13MP f/2.2 ultra-wide angle, 32MP f/2.2 3x telephoto (OIS) |
| Front camera | 32MP (8MP output) |
| video recording | Up to 8K @ 24 fps |
| Battery | 5,500mAh, 65W charging, 15W wireless charging |
| operating system | Android 14 |
| aspect | 163.8 x 76.8 x 8.9mm, IP68 |
| weight | 225g |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, USB-C (2x), LTE, 5G (under 6GHz) |
| color | ROG Phone 8: Gray and Black ROG Phone 8 Pro: Black |
| Price | ROG Phone 8: $1,099.99 ROG Phone 8 Pro: Starting at $1,199 |
The base model ROG Phone 8 still has the RGB illuminated logo on the back, but the Pro phone uses different design elements. It has a 341 LED dot matrix, which Asus calls AniMe Vision. It can display the time, notifications, battery level, and more. If you don’t like light shows, these lights are not visible on ROG Phone 8 Pro when disabled. Both phones are the same size and are noticeably thinner and more compact than last year’s phones. Part of the credit goes to the 6.78-inch display, which is now bezel-less and therefore has no front-facing speakers.
ROG Phone 8 still retains the core features of the series that are loved by mobile gamers. There are programmable shoulder buttons, a secondary side-mounted USB-C port, and an optional AeroActive cooling fan that’s been redesigned again. This is the first ROG phone to have an IP68 water and dust resistance rating, but that requires removing the cooling door from last year’s phone. Asus says it redesigned its cooling solution with this in mind. We’ll let you know how the fan works in our full review.
ASUS is also paying more attention to the photography experience this year. The ROG Phone 8 and 8 Pro now have three rear sensors, including a 50MP main lens, a 13MP ultra-wide-angle lens, and a 32MP 3x telephoto lens. The camera supports night mode and has a gimbal-based stabilization system for the primary shooter. The telephoto lens also has standard OIS. The 32MP selfie camera supports a wider 90-degree FOV for better group shots.
The ROG Phone series has always been known for being competitively priced, and the 2024 releases are no exception. The base model of the ROG Phone 8 is priced at $1,099. Meanwhile, the price of the ROG Phone Pro will increase by $100. This version has AniMe lighting and 512GB of storage instead of 256GB. The top-of-the-line ROG Phone 8 Pro has 1TB of storage and 24GB of RAM for $1,499, but this one comes with a $100 AeroActive cooling fan.
Asus has yet to set a specific release date, but says the ROG Phone 8 will be available in the first quarter of this year. There will also be some early bird discounts available in the weeks leading up to launch. Buying the $1,199 Pro phone gets you a free cooling fan, while non-Pro models get a $100 discount.
