ASUS ROG Phone 8 gets an IP68 rating, but downgrades on this key feature

We don’t see a lot of great gaming phones these days, as most phone OEMs prefer making mainstream phones that appeal to the masses. However, ASUS has remained steadfastly committed to its ROG Phone series, with several excellent gaming phones released over the years. The ROG Phone 8 series is around the corner, and ASUS has confirmed two significant changes: a new front design with thin bezels and IP68 water and dust protection.

ASUS posted a teaser for the ROG Phone 8, confirming that the front design is changing. The iconic bezel-heavy front is now being replaced with an “edgeless frame.”

The previous ROG design, like that seen on the ROG Phone 7 and many before it, had thick bezels. However, this wasn’t a con for the phone. For a gaming phone, wider chin and forehead bezels are a feature as they provide a comfortable gripping spot when holding the phone in landscape orientation when gaming.

Further, the bezels also allowed the phones to come with two front-firing speakers, which adds up to an excellent gaming experience. The new “edgeless” design does not appear to have a second front-firing speaker.

ASUS also confirmed on Weibo that the ROG Phone 8 series will come with IP68 water and dust resistance.

This is a significant upgrade for the ROG Phone lineup. Past phones have included IP54 dust and water resistance, which is better than nothing but does not protect the phone from more severe weather elements. IP54 is dust protection, while IP68 is complete protection from dust ingress. IP54 protects against small splashes of water, while IP68 allows for immersion in water, which is significantly better.

The ROG Phone 8 series will be announced at CES 2024. We won’t have to wait long to learn more about the phones.