Asus Zenfone 8 release date: Invitation for launch event appears online, confirms May 12 announcement

The Asus Zenfone 8 series has appeared in previous leaks, and it is now confirmed to launch in the coming weeks. The devices included in the lineup are set to be unveiled in the first half of May, per an event invitation that appeared online.

Asus Zenfone 8 release date: Launch event set for May 12

The announcement of the Asus Zenfone 8 series is one of the most anticipated events among Android fans. Several clues were previously uncovered, suggesting there would be three new phones possibly included in the lineup.

Well-known tech news source Abhishek Yadav has recently shared the official invitation for the Asus Zenfone 8 event. It confirms that the new phones will be announced on Wednesday, May 12, at 1 p.m. EDT / 7 p.m. CEST / May 13, 1 a.m. GMT+8.

The invitation made no mention of where tech fans could watch the Asus Zenfone 8 event. But in previous years, the company has streamed the launch online through its official YouTube channel.

Asus Zenfone 8 specs: What to expect

The teaser also lacks information about the upcoming devices and only left fans with hints that the upcoming Asus Zenfone 8 phones will be “big on performance” yet “compact in size.” XDA Developers previously found references to three codenamed devices from the Asus ROG Phone 5 kernel source code.

Sake appears to correspond with the “compact in size” description as the same report found information that suggests the Asus Zenfone 8 device, with model names ASUS_ZS590KS/ASUS_I006D, could sport a 5.9-inch OLED display. That would make it a proper response to Apple’s 5.4-inch iPhone 12 mini. The same source found clues to believe that Sake’s screen specs would include a Full HD+ resolution and 120Hz refresh rate.

A Geekbench benchmark result for a device only identified as ASUS_I004D also appeared recently. This model identifier is the same as the second suspected Asus Zenfone 8 phone codenamed Picasso. The leak hints it would sport a bigger OLED screen that measures 6.67-inch, Full HD+, and an unspecified refresh rate. Both Sake and Picasso will sport Sony IMX686 64MP sensor. But the former was listed with just two lenses while the latter is expected to have three cameras.

The third device, codenamed Vodka, was not accompanied by much information other than its processor and model names ASUS_ZS675KW/ASUS_I007D. All three devices, rumored to be part of the Asus Zenfone 8 series, were also listed with Snapdragon 888 chipset.