The Asus Zenfone 8 may be the most surprising phone of 2021 with top-of-the-line performance in the smallest Android flagship in years.

The Asus Zenfone 8 is a solid flagship phone at a sub-flagship price, though inevitably there are compromises: there’s no telephoto lens or wireless charging, and it misses out on its predecessor’s novel flip camera that let the rear lenses rotate forward to take selfie shots. You can still get that camera in the limited-release Asus Zenfone 8 Flip, but the regular Zenfone 8 delivers top-tier specs at the most affordable price since the OnePlus 6T.

The Zenfone 8 is a compact, powerful phone. WIth its top-tier specs and decent camera performance, it punches well above its weight, especially given this price point.

With two impressive cameras, a top-notch chipset, and a compact build, the Asus Zenfone 8 could be just right for fans of small phones and Android.

The developers of the Asus Zenfone 8 have undoubtedly achieved their goal. The smartphone is both compact and extremely powerful. Beyond that, it also convinces thanks to other highlights, such as an IP certification, a 120 Hz display, and a jack plug.

The Asus ZenFone 8 is a nice Android answer to Apple's iPhone 12 mini. We appreciate its very good performance, its fairly comfortable autonomy at 120 Hz and its beautiful screen.

With the Zenfone 8, Asus is trying to meet the expectations of users who are exasperated by the imposing dimensions of high-end smartphones. The manufacturer therefore offers an (almost) complete device (all that is missing is a photo sensor equipped with an optical zoom and the possibility of recharging the battery wirelessly!), Which offers high performance and great versatility, all in a very compact format and with an attractive design. A success !

Asus has embarked on a risky bet this year. But he also made sure to put all the odds in his favor. Yes, the Zenfone 8 is a compact smartphone. But it is also a top-of-the-range smartphone, which certainly does not stand out in terms of its performance or the quality of its screen.

The Zenfone 8 is to the Android universe what the iPhone 12 mini is to the Apple universe: a compact smartphone packed with the latest technology. While it doesn't match the Apple's model when it comes to photography, it compares in most areas and even outperforms it in some areas. We think in particular of its excellent autonomy, the main black point of small formats.

The phone runs on ASUS ZenUI 8 skin based on Android 11, the UX is clean and feel pretty at home with no bloatware app installed except Netflix which you can uninstall with few taps. There are plenty of tweaks and features tucked in the settings.