Asus Zenfone 8 Flip in review: smartphone for selfies in main camera quality
With the Zenfone 6 Asus installed a flip-down camera for the first time and refined this concept in the Zenfone 7 Pro. Our current test device, the Asus Zenfone 8 Flip, continues this trend and features up-to-date hardware. This includes a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G with integrated Adreno-680 graphics unit, 8 GB RAM and a 256 GB internal storage.
The smartphone from Asus is available for approximately 800 Euros (~$939) and we will compare it with the rivals listed below in this review. Other devices from our database can also be added for comparison under each section.
Possible competitors in comparison
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Drive | Size | Resolution | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 87 % v7 (old) | 08 / 2021 | Asus Zenfone 8 Flip SD 888 5G, Adreno 660 | 230 g | 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.67" | 2400x1080 | |
| 87 % v7 (old) | 10 / 2020 | Asus Zenfone 7 Pro ZS671KS SD 865+ (Plus), Adreno 650 | 235 g | 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.67" | 2400x1080 | |
| 88.6 % v7 (old) | 06 / 2022 | OnePlus 9 Pro SD 888 5G, Adreno 660 | 197 g | 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.70" | 3216x1440 | |
| 87.5 % v7 (old) | 07 / 2021 | Vivo X60 Pro SD 870, Adreno 650 | 177 g | 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.56" | 2376x1080 | |
| 87.3 % v7 (old) | 02 / 2021 | Xiaomi Mi 11 SD 888 5G, Adreno 660 | 196 g | 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.81" | 3200x1440 |
Case - Large and heavy Android smartphone
Asus manufactures the Zenfone 8 Flip's casing with a metal frame and a back made of Corning Gorilla Glass 3. The front is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 6. The smartphone, which is available in Galactic Black and Glacier Silver, has a high-quality build, but is very heavy in the hand. The high weight is only surpassed, in our test field, by the predecessor Asus Zenfone 7 Pro. In addition, the Zenfone 8 Flip's weight distribution is very top-heavy.
Features - No jack in the Zenfone 8 Flip
Besides the aforementioned hardware, Asus equips the Zenfone 8 Flip with two NanoSIM slots and a microSD card reader. The cards do not block each other, which makes memory expansion possible even in DualSIM use. The USB-C port only transfers data with the slow USB 2.0 standard. A 3.5 mm jack port is not available.
The Camera2 API is available with Level 3 and DRM Widevine L1 is also available. There is also a notification LED on the bottom next to the charging port, which can be configured in the settings menu. VoWLAN and VoLTE can also be enabled there.
microSD card reader
The card reader of the Asus Zenfone 8 Flip achieves average read and write rates with our reference memory card Toshiba Exceria Pro M501. It is also the only smartphone in our test field that is equipped with a memory card reader.
| SD Card Reader - average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501) | |
Cross Platform Disk Test (CPDT)
Software - Android 11 with little ballast
Asus' Zenfone 8 Flip runs a Android-11 system with security patches as of July 5, 2021. The user interface remains unchanged by Asus, and only some dedicated programs for the photo gallery, the file manager, and data transfer are found. In addition, there are third-party applications, such as Facebook, Instagram and Netflix. These cannot be removed, but only deactivated.
Communication and GNSS - Large 5G phone with fast WLAN
The Zenfone 8 Flip can establish mobile connections via GSM, 3G, LTE and 5G. Download speeds of up to 2000 MBit/s are possible with LTE Cat. 20. Cat.13 is supported for uploads, which allows up to 150 MBit/s.
The Asus smartphone can rely on NFC, Bluetooth 5.2 and WiFi 6E in close range. In combination with our reference router Netgear Nighthawk AX12, very high speeds of 1,153 MBit/s are achieved during transmission and 889 MBit/s during data reception.
| Networking | |
| iperf3 transmit AX12 | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip | |
| Vivo X60 Pro | |
| Asus Zenfone 7 Pro ZS671KS | |
| OnePlus 9 Pro | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 | |
| iperf3 receive AX12 | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip | |
| Vivo X60 Pro | |
| Asus Zenfone 7 Pro ZS671KS | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 | |
| OnePlus 9 Pro | |
The Zenfone Flip can use GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou, QZSS and SBAS to determine its own location. We achieved an accuracy of up to four meters (~13 feet) outdoors with the "GPS Test" app.
On our obligatory bike tour, the Asus smartphone initially shows a similar deviation from our reference device Garmin Edge 500. However, the distance increased a bit between higher buildings. Thus, the Zenfone 8 Flip is still suitable for simple navigation purposes.
Phone functions and voice quality - Clear connection with high volume
Asus' Zenfone 8 Flip offers a high volume and good ambient noise suppression in phone calls. Thus, participants can be understood well on both sides. The telephony app directly displays a numeric keypad and allows accessing saved contacts as well as recent calls.
Cameras - Optical zoom and 8K videos
Asus equips the Zenfone 8 Flip with three camera sensors. The main sensor enables pictures with a resolution of 64 MP that convince with sharp details and natural colors in close-up range. Panoramic shots are also of good quality, but show slightly blurred objects. A 12 MP sensor is available for ultra-wide-angle shots, which depicts subjects with vivid colors. However, there is a fine grain in darker image areas and surface structures look washed out. The 8 MP sensor with 3x optical zoom can be used to zoom in on image content. However, colors look a bit too dark and objects in the picture also show blurry edges.
Thanks to the option to flip the camera forward, the image quality of the main camera is available for portrait shots. The adjustment options are also the same, which is why the Pro mode with its settings for ISO, focus, shutter speed, exposure and white balance can also be used for all pictures. The camera can also be adjusted to a suitable position for the respective subject with three predefined angles.
Video recordings are made with a similar quality as shown in our test photographs. You can choose between the three sensors in the camera menu and an image stabilizer compensates for minor shake. A Pro mode also allows adjusting the same values as in photo mode. Available shooting modes are 8K, 4K at 60 fps, 4K, FHD at 60 fps, FHD and HD.
Image Comparison
Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.
Close-upPanoramaUltra wide-angleZoom (5x)Low Light
Our ColorChecker Passport recording shows that colors are recorded brighter than they should be by the Zenfone 8 Flip. A very slight contrast weakness in the lower corners is also visible on the test chart.
Accessories and warranty - protective cover included
Besides the smartphone, a USB power adapter with a matching USB-C cable and a protective case are included in the scope of delivery of the Asus Zenfone 8 Flip. The warranty period is specified with 24 months.
Input Devices & Operation - Reliable InScreen Fingerprint Sensor
Google's GBoard is available for text input on the Zenfone 8 Flip. The touchscreen accepts touches very reliably and is well suited for drag-and-drop movements. In addition to face recognition, the optical fingerprint sensor underneath the display can be used to unlock the smartphone. This always responded reliably to stored prints in our test. The camera is flipped forward in selfie mode for facial recognition.
Display - Only 60 Hz possible with DC dimming
The screen of Asus' Zenfone 8 Flip consists of a 6.67-inch AMOLED panel and offers a resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels. The maximum brightness of 686 cd/m² on average is at the lower end of our test field. The same applies for the illumination of 96%, which is nevertheless very good. When the brightness sensor is deactivated, the maximum brightness is still 494 cd/m² and 888 cd/m² is achieved in the APL50 test. The lowest adjustable brightness value is 2.24 cd/m².
DC dimming can be enabled in the Zenfone 8 Flip's settings menu, after which we only measure the panel's refresh rate of 60 Hz at every brightness level. If this option is not enabled, we measure frequencies in a range of 119.2 to 367.6 Hz up to a brightness of 74 percent. Above 74 percent, we determine a refresh rate of 90 Hz. The latter is not available with enabled DC dimming.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 96 %
Center on Battery: 689 cd/m²
Contrast: ∞:1 (Black: 0 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 3.1 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.86
ΔE Greyscale 2.2 | 0.09-98 Ø5.1
100% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.25
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip Super AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.7" | Asus Zenfone 7 Pro ZS671KS Super AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.7" | OnePlus 9 Pro AMOLED, 3216x1440, 6.7" | Vivo X60 Pro AMOLED, 2376x1080, 6.6" | Xiaomi Mi 11 LED DotDisplay, 3200x1440, 6.8" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | 21% | 29% | 34% | 28% | |
| Brightness middle | 689 | 684 -1% | 733 6% | 792 15% | 840 22% |
| Brightness | 686 | 690 1% | 746 9% | 796 16% | 845 23% |
| Brightness Distribution | 96 | 95 -1% | 97 1% | 98 2% | 98 2% |
| Black Level * | |||||
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 3.1 | 1.3 58% | 0.95 69% | 0.7 77% | 1.2 61% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 5.7 | 2.5 56% | 2.01 65% | 2.8 51% | 2.7 53% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 2.2 | 1.9 14% | 1.7 23% | 1.2 45% | 2 9% |
| Gamma | 2.25 98% | 2.29 96% | 2.21 100% | 2.25 98% | 2.26 97% |
| CCT | 6684 97% | 6475 100% | 6591 99% | 6504 100% | 6492 100% |
* ... smaller is better
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 367.6 Hz | ≤ 74 % brightness setting |  |
The display backlight flickers at 367.6 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 74 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting. The frequency of 367.6 Hz is relatively high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering. However, there are reports that some users are still sensitive to PWM at 500 Hz and above, so be aware. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8437 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
The contrast ratio and black level are excellent, as typical for OLED displays. The same applies for the color space coverage. If colors are also to be displayed as balanced as possible, the settings from our screenshot on the right are recommended. This reduces the DeltaE-2000 deviation to a value of 2.2 and the color components are displayed more evenly.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 2 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 1.2 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 12 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (20.7 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 3.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 2 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 1.6 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 12 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (32.3 ms). | ||
The Asus Zenfone 8 Flip can be used well outdoors as long as direct sunlight is avoided. The screen is also bright enough to display legible images even on slightly cloudy days.
The AMOLED panel of the Zenfone 8 Flip is very viewing-angle stable. Image content can be viewed even from very flat angles without being distorted or displayed with distorted colors.
Performance - Efficient Asus smartphone
The Asus Zenfone 8 Flip has a high-performance mode that was active during our benchmark tests. The scores achieved with it are around the average of other devices with Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G and thus mostly in the middle of our test field.
Apart from a few exceptions, the OnePlus 9 Pro and Xiaomi Mi 11 perform a bit better. However, the Zenfone 8 Flip always runs smoothly in everyday use even without the high-performance mode and starts apps without delays.
| Antutu v9 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip | |
| Vivo X60 Pro | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (636471 - 824694, n=17) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (99654 - 2056989, n=74, last 2 years) | |
| AnTuTu v8 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip | |
| Asus Zenfone 7 Pro ZS671KS | |
| OnePlus 9 Pro | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (569595 - 740847, n=12) | |
The Zenfone 8 Flip achieves very good results in the browser benchmarks, which put it at the top of our test field. In daily use, these values are expressed by a swift page load, smooth scrolling, and fast loading of image content.
| JetStream 1.1 - Total Score | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip (Chrome 92) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (77 - 223, n=19) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 (Chrome 88) | |
| OnePlus 9 Pro (Microsoft Edge 46) | |
| Asus Zenfone 7 Pro ZS671KS (Chrome 81.0.4044.138) | |
| Vivo X60 Pro (Chrome91) | |
| WebXPRT 3 - Overall | |
| Average of class Smartphone (38 - 347, n=68, last 2 years) | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip (Chrome 92) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (103 - 182, n=18) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 (Chrome 88) | |
| Asus Zenfone 7 Pro ZS671KS (Chrome 81.0.4044.138) | |
| OnePlus 9 Pro (Microsoft Edge 4689) | |
| Vivo X60 Pro (Chrome91) | |
| Octane V2 - Total Score | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip (Chrome 92) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (2228 - 100368, n=207, last 2 years) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (23491 - 47543, n=20) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 (Chrome 88) | |
| OnePlus 9 Pro (Microsoft Edge 46) | |
| Asus Zenfone 7 Pro ZS671KS | |
| Vivo X60 Pro (Chrome91) | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total | |
| Asus Zenfone 7 Pro ZS671KS (Chrome 81.0.4044.138) | |
| OnePlus 9 Pro (Microsoft Edge 46) | |
| Vivo X60 Pro (Chrome91) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 (Chrome 88) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (277 - 28190, n=166, last 2 years) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (891 - 1841, n=20) | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip (Chrome 92) | |
* ... smaller is better
Asus installs a 256 GB UFS 3.1 storage in the Zenfone 8 Flip, which achieves very good read and write speeds and is thus on par with the competition.
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip | Asus Zenfone 7 Pro ZS671KS | OnePlus 9 Pro | Vivo X60 Pro | Xiaomi Mi 11 | Average 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | -3% | -3% | 1% | -4% | 14% | 35% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB | 1798 | 1713 -5% | 1995 11% | 1757 -2% | 1615 -10% | 1728 ? -4% | 2043 ? 14% |
| Sequential Write 256KB | 797 | 766 -4% | 769 -4% | 791 -1% | 754 -5% | 1155 ? 45% | 1659 ? 108% |
| Random Read 4KB | 288.4 | 272.7 -5% | 258.7 -10% | 298.5 4% | 278.5 -3% | 285 ? -1% | 285 ? -1% |
| Random Write 4KB | 277.7 | 284.9 3% | 254.3 -8% | 288.5 4% | 289.3 4% | 316 ? 14% | 327 ? 18% |
Games - Warm hands while gaming
The Zenfone 8 Flip can also run demanding games smoothly and with high frame rates. However, the smartphone heats up quite a bit, which means it cannot be held comfortably in the hand after a longer time.
The smartphone's behavior can be controlled via the "Game Genie" app while games are running and notifications can be disabled, for example. Captures of the image content can also be made with it.
Emissions - Good dual speakers
Temperature
According to our measurements, the surfaces of the Zenfone Flip heat up to 38.1 °C (100.58 °F) under load. The metal frame in particular can get very hot, which meant that we could hardly hold our test device in our hands at times. However, since this only occurred during load, which should not happen in everyday use, we do not have to expect restrictions due to high temperatures.
Compared with the other smartphones in our test field, the Asus smartphone cannot maintain its performance as well under heavy load and for an extended period of time.
| 3DMark | |
| Wild Life Stress Test Stability | |
| Vivo X60 Pro | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip | |
| OnePlus 9 Pro | |
| Wild Life Extreme Stress Test | |
| Vivo X60 Pro | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip | |
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 38.1 °C / 101 F, compared to the average of 35.1 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 63.7 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 37.6 °C / 100 F, compared to the average of 33.9 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 29.1 °C / 84 F, compared to the device average of 32.8 °C / 91 F.
Speaker
The speakers of the Zenfone 8 Flip offer a relatively high volume and a comparatively wide sound spectrum. Thus, media content can be played quite well and voice content is also output loudly and clearly. However, external speakers or headphones are recommended for listening to music.
Asus Zenfone 8 Flip audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (87.9 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 25.5% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (12.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.2% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (3.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.8% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (5.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (16.1% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 5% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 92% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 36%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 24% of all tested devices were better, 5% similar, 71% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Asus Zenfone 7 Pro ZS671KS audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (88.5 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 31.9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.1% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (3.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.3% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (4.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (19.8% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 28% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 64% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 36%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 48% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 45% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Battery life - Over nine hours on the go with WLAN
Energy consumption
With a power consumption of up to 10.23 watts under load, the Asus Zenfone 8 Flip achieves a value in the middle of our test field. The average power consumption across all test scenarios is enough for second place, whereby the Vivo X60 Pro scores better.
The included USB power adapter supplies an output power of up to 30 watts and is thus sufficiently sized.
| Off / Standby |   0.02 / 0.25 Watt |
| Idle |  1.05 / 1.41 / 1.81 Watt |
| Load |
6.44 / 10.23 Watt |
    
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Metrahit Energy | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip 5000 mAh | Asus Zenfone 7 Pro ZS671KS 5000 mAh | OnePlus 9 Pro 4500 mAh | Vivo X60 Pro 4200 mAh | Xiaomi Mi 11 4600 mAh | Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | -0% | -26% | 13% | -21% | 2% | 4% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 1.05 | 0.63 40% | 1.6 -52% | 0.93 11% | 1.57 -50% | 1.066 ? -2% | 0.872 ? 17% |
| Idle Average * | 1.41 | 2.06 -46% | 2 -42% | 1.52 -8% | 1.92 -36% | 1.58 ? -12% | 1.415 ? -0% |
| Idle Maximum * | 1.81 | 2.08 -15% | 2.4 -33% | 1.55 14% | 1.94 -7% | 1.733 ? 4% | 1.556 ? 14% |
| Load Average * | 6.44 | 5.55 14% | 6.2 4% | 4.69 27% | 6.32 2% | 5.46 ? 15% | 7.04 ? -9% |
| Load Maximum * | 10.23 | 9.71 5% | 11 -8% | 7.92 23% | 11.65 -14% | 9.79 ? 4% | 10.6 ? -4% |
* ... smaller is better
Power consumption: Geekbench (150 cd/m²)
Power consumption: GFXBench (150 cd/m²)
Battery life
The Zenfone 8 Flip achieved a runtime of just over nine hours in our practical Wi-Fi test. Thus, it does not last as long as most other devices in our test field. Only the Xiaomi Mi 11 scores slightly worse, but it also has a smaller battery.
With the included charger, the 5,000 mAh battery is fully recharged after about one and a half hours.
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip 5000 mAh | Asus Zenfone 7 Pro ZS671KS 5000 mAh | OnePlus 9 Pro 4500 mAh | Vivo X60 Pro 4200 mAh | Xiaomi Mi 11 4600 mAh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | |||||
| WiFi v1.3 | 556 | 677 22% | 1002 80% | 665 20% | 527 -5% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict - Strong smartphone suffers from increased temperatures
The Asus Zenfone 8 Flip is a smartphone with a unique selling point. The swiveling camera leaves it without any competition if this feature is the driving purchase reason. It has the advantage especially for selfies that they can be taken in the quality of the main camera. However, the variable angle is also quite practical for taking pictures.
Asus supplies a smartphone that enables selfies with the main camera in the Zenfone 8 Pro. The system performance is also great, but the temperatures are too high.
The system performance, which is supported by the powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G is on a high level. Whether its performance is 5% higher or lower than other devices with this SoC hardly matters in everyday use. The battery runtime of just over nine hours in Wi-Fi mode is not top, but it is competitive.
A somewhat more critical look should be taken at the temperatures, since the hands are quickly confronted with hot surfaces especially in demanding apps and games. If this circumstance is more important than the swiveling camera, rivals like the OnePlus 9 Pro or the Xiaomi Mi 11 might be the better choice. Those who like it smaller should also take a look at the Asus Zenfone 8.
Price and availability
The Asus Zenfone 8 Flip is available now and can be purchased for approximately 800 Euros (~$939) for example at Amazon buy.
Asus Zenfone 8 Flip
- 08/31/2022 v7 (old)
Mike Wobker
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