Micron Technology Forecasts Surge in Revenue and Earnings on AI-Driven Memory Demand 
SpaceX Edges Toward Landmark IPO as Elon Musk Confirms Plans 
Apple Explores India for iPhone Chip Assembly as Manufacturing Push Accelerates 
Apple App Store Injunction Largely Upheld as Appeals Court Rules on Epic Games Case 
Intel’s Testing of China-Linked Chipmaking Tools Raises U.S. National Security Concerns 
Trump Signs Executive Order to Establish National AI Regulation Standard 
Mizuho Raises Broadcom Price Target to $450 on Surging AI Chip Demand 
TikTok U.S. Deal Advances as ByteDance Signs Binding Joint Venture Agreement 
OpenAI Explores Massive Funding Round at $750 Billion Valuation 
MetaX IPO Soars as China’s AI Chip Stocks Ignite Investor Frenzy 
SpaceX Insider Share Sale Values Company Near $800 Billion Amid IPO Speculation 
SK Hynix Considers U.S. ADR Listing to Boost Shareholder Value Amid Rising AI Chip Demand 
Evercore Reaffirms Alphabet’s Search Dominance as AI Competition Intensifies 
Trello Outage Disrupts Users as Access Issues Hit Atlassian’s Work Management Platform 
Asus recently launched its latest ROG Phone, and it may have provided a clear view of what to expect from the ZenFone 8 series. It is believed that the Taiwan-based company has a “mini” model in the pipeline with a 5.9-inch 120Hz OLED display.
Asus ZenFone 8 models and specs to expect
The company expanded its ZenFone series by adding a Pro variant last year. It appears that Asus is planning to add another device to the lineup this year but one that has a smaller screen size.
The latest clues about the ZenFone 8 series were first spotted by a member of the XDA Developers community through the kernel source code of the ROG Phone 5 that was launched earlier this month. Upon analyzing the data, three distinct unknown devices were identified with codenames Sake, Picasso, and Vodka.
The report clarified that the codenamed devices did not have direct references to the ZenFone 8, but XDA noted finding earlier evidence that exhibited clear links to the unannounced ZenFone 8 and ZenFone 8 Flip. Meanwhile, the device named Sake in the kernel code was reportedly described as having a 5.92-inch OLED display leading to the conclusion that a ZenFone 8 “mini” model could be in the pipeline.
The suspected ZenFone 8 phone, with model identifiers ASUS_ZS590KS / ASUS_I006D, is also defined in the codes as having a screen that supports 120Hz refresh rate with Full HD+ (1080 x 2400) resolution. It was described as having a dual-camera, including the 64MP Sony IMX686 and an unknown sensor called Sony IMX663.
As for the device called Picasso, it also has two model identifiers, ASUS_ZS672KS / ASUS_I004D, and a 6.67-inch OLED display. It has the same screen resolution as the potential ZenFone 8, but the refresh rate information is not specified. The Sony IMX686 sensor is also mentioned for Picasso, along with a 12MP Sony 363 camera and two Omnivision sensors.
Meanwhile, the third device codenamed Vodka did not have as much information as the other two aside from its model numbers ASUS_ZS675KW / ASUS_I007D. But all three devices are listed with Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset suggesting that they could be part of the same series, likely the ZenFone 8.
Asus ZenFone 8 release date
Unfortunately, the report did not mention anything about a ZenFone 8 release date and it is unlikely that this kind of information would be included in the kernel code as well. Even going by the previous ZenFone announcements, it is quite difficult to guess the possible release date. ZenFone launches usually took place in May but that changed last year when the ZenFone 7 series was unveiled in August.
