70 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 88REVIEWS
left to the 5.9in ZenFone 8. In fact, at
9.6mm thick and 230g, it’s quite the
opposite. It’s hard to ignore the fact
that the ZenFone 8 Flip is bulky and it’s
noticeable when you first pick it up.
As with most smartphones, you’ll
adjust as you use it, but there are
certainly thinner and lighter big-screen
phones, like the 7.8mm, 202g Samsung
Galaxy S21 Plus available in 2021.
Size aside, the ZenFone 8 Flip is a
good-looking smartphone, offering a
combination of aluminium and glass and
it’s curved on the rear to help it sit more
comfortably in the palm of your hand.
It’s available in two colours too; Glacier
Silver and Galactic Black.
The main draw of the 8 Flip is theflipping camera system that allows the
trio of rear-facing cameras to rotate and
face the front. It’s an intriguing idea
that Asus has developed since its reveal
in the ZenFone 6, with the ZenFone 8
Flip sporting a new motor for better
performance and finer angle control –
but more on that later.
The ‘liquid metal’ camera module
sits flush within the body, but there’s still
a camera bump, and with only Gorilla
Glass 3 protecting it, you might find a
scratch or two appear over time – it has
already happened to our sample.
A benefit to having a flippable
camera system – aside from all the
creative opportunities it enables – is that
you don’t need a front-facing camera
embedded into, or
above, the display. The
ZenFone 8 has a 6.67in
all-screen display, with
only a slim bezel that
surrounds it. There’s no
notch, hole-punch or
anythingelseobscuring
theexperienceat all.
In a world where dual
hole-punch cameras exist,
it’s a refreshing change to
be able to see the entire
display on the ZenFone 8.
It helps that it’s a
nice display, even if it’sThe ZenFone 8 Flip is a good-looking smartphone that sits
comfortably in the hand.