Asus 8Z could be the name of the Zenfone 8 in India

(Image credit: Future)

The Asus Zenfone 8 is expected to launch in India in the near future. A new development suggests that it will be called the Asus 8Z in the country.

The Asus Zenfone 8 is the company’s new flagship smartphone of the season. It was unveiled globally on May 12, but the Indian launch was delayed owing to the nationwide lockdown and the forbidding of eCommerce operations. While we await good news on that front, we now have more evidence that it will be called the Asus 8Z in India.

The phone has now been listed as a supported device on the Google Play Console. Notably, the phone with model number I006D has been certified with both the names — Asus Zenfone 8 and Asus 8Z. This is the first time the latter has been officially seen, which suggests that it will be a region-specific variant of the same product.

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Asus Zenfone 8 (Asus 8Z for India) appears on the Google Supported Devices list and Google Play Console listing. Launch imminent.#Asus #AsusZenfone8 #Asus8Z pic.twitter.com/uZgkDQmIFmMay 15, 2021

This move isn’t really surprising, as Asus has had to resort to a similar renaming in the past as well. The Taiwanese company does not own the rights to the “Zenfone” trademark in India, which is why it has to bring the same device under a different name. For example, the Asus Zenfone 6 came to India as the Asus 6Z. Interestingly, the more premium Zenfone 8 Flip has not been listed, which could be an indication that Asus is not looking to bring it to India and leave that segment for the ROG Phone 5.

We believe that this is another reason why Asus had to delay its Indian launch: It might need some more time to complete the Zenfone 8’s localization, and possibly, bring it at a competitive price.

The Asus Zenfone 8’s call to fame is its tiny size. It is currently the only truly compact Android flagship available with a 5.9-inch Super AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, Snapdragon 888, IP68 rating, up to 256GB of storage and 16GB of RAM, dual stereo speakers, 64MP camera, and a 4,000mAh battery.

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Aakash is the engine that keeps TechRadar India running, using his experience and ideas to help consumers get to the right products via reviews, buying guides and explainers. Apart from phones, computers and cameras, he is obsessed with electric vehicles.