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ASUS confirms 'compact' Zenfone 8 is real along with launch date
- In a physical invitation, ASUS confirmed the launch date of the ASUS Zenfone 8.
- The invite also makes it very clear that the rumored “mini” variant is real — although it appears to be larger than many would have hoped.
- The smartphone launch will happen on May 12, 2021, at 1:00 PM ET.
Rumors have been swirling for months now that ASUS plans to launch a smaller variant of its upcoming smartphone series. Now, in a physical invitation sent to Phone Arena, we can totally confirm that that is the case.
What’s more, the invitation confirms the ASUS Zenfone 8 launch date: May 12, 2021, at 1:00 PM ET.
The invitation makes clear the name of the phone series, with Zenfone 8 branding featured prominently. The package also includes a phone-shaped plastic cutout that could very well be the exact dimensions of the supposed “mini” variant. Phone Arena reports the size of the cutout to be 148 x 69mm.
See also: 6 things we want to see from the ASUS Zenfone 8 series
That would make the phone roughly the size of the vanilla iPhone 12, not the iPhone 12 Mini. Still, the iPhone 12 is quite small when compared to most Android phones. The Samsung Galaxy S21, for example, is 151 x 71mm, so this ASUS Zenfone 8 variant should be slightly smaller.
ASUS Zenfone 8 invitation
Now, it’s possible that what’s hinted at here is actually the vanilla Zenfone 8 and there will be a separate, smaller variant. However, it would seem strange for ASUS to hype the compact nature of this phone if there would be an even more compact one in the works. As such, we posit that this cutout represents the dimensions of the “mini” variant we’ve been hearing rumors about.
Regardless, we’ll find out on May 12 what’s really in store. Stay tuned!