ASUS 8z launched in India at Rs. 43,000
What's the story
ASUS has launched the 8z as the company's latest premium smartphone in India. It was announced in the international market last May as ZenFone 8. The handset carries a price-tag of Rs. 42,999 and will go on sale from March 7 via Flipkart. It has a Snapdragon 888 5G processor, an IP68-rated built quality, a 120Hz AMOLED display, stereo speakers, and dual rear cameras.
Context
Why does this story matter?
The ASUS 8z was slated to debut in India last year but the plans got pushed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was announced in May 2021 alongside the ZenFone 8 Flip, which is not coming to India. The 8z will attract buyers looking for a powerful yet compact smartphone. It will take on rivals like OnePlus 9RT and Moto Edge 30 Pro.
Design and display
The handset has a compact 5.9-inch screen
The ASUS 8z sports a punch-hole cut-out on the top-left corner, slim bezels, and an under-display fingerprint sensor. It gets an IP68-rated body, an aluminium frame, and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus for display protection. Dimensions-wise, it tips the scales at 169g and measures 8.9mm in thickness. It has a 5.9-inch Full-HD+ (1080x2400 pixels) AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and 20:9 aspect ratio.
Data
How has the smartphone fared on different benchmark platforms?
The ASUS 8z has achieved a score of 6,76,001 points on the AnTuTu benchmarking platform and a score of 3,604 points in cross-platform processor benchmark platform Geekbench's multi-core tests.
Information
It features a 64MP main camera
The ASUS 8z sports a dual rear camera setup that consists of a 64MP (f/1.8, OIS) primary sensor and a 12MP (f/2.2) 112-degree ultra-wide lens. For selfies and video calls, it has a 12MP (f/2.5) front-facing camera.
Under the hood
The handset runs on Android 11
In India, the 8z draws power from an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G chipset, coupled with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. It boots Android 11 operating system topped with the latest ZenUI. The handset houses a 4,000mAh battery with support for 30W fast-charging technology. For connectivity, it offers support for dual-SIMs, Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi 6, 5G, NFC, and a Type-C port.
Information
What about the price of ASUS 8z?
The ASUS 8z is priced at Rs. 42,999 for the sole 8GB/128GB model. It will go on sale via Flipkart from March 7 onward at 12pm. It is offered in Obsidian Black and Horizon Silver color variants.