Asus is gearing up to launch another entry into its game-focused smartphone lineup. The ROG Phone 8 is set to be announced at CES in January, with a launch shortly after in China.
Asus has found quite a bit of success in the ROG lineup. The phones developed by the company, which already has its hands dipped in high-end PC components and products, tend to have high performance. The ROG Phone series is marketed toward gamers, and the devices have the power to back that up.
According to an official post on Weibo made by the Asus ROG account, the ROG Phone 8 will launch in China on January 16 (via GSMArena). Prior to that, the company plans on announcing the device at CES on January 8. With that, a teaser video was shared. The video shows a transition from an older device to the ROG Phone 8, which has a squared-off look and a punch-hole camera on the front.
Stills were shared from the account, as well, showcasing the rear of the device and the camera array. The bottom of the back panel is still equipped with an LED Asus logo and other markings to make it stand out as an ROG Phone.
According to the marketing images, Asus is also hosting a blind camera test where users can vote for the winner. This implies that Asus is confident in the ROG Phone 8’s camera setup against other phones. There’s no word on what devices will be involved in the test, but if it were up against a Pixel 8 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro and held its own, things would change for the ROG Phone series.
Until January 8, we won’t know what’s in store. Small details like the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset and 24GB of RAM are known, but not much beyond that.
Asus is a bit early with the ROG Phone launch this year, but you won’t hear us complaining. It’s time to once again take a deep dive into the mobile gaming world with what has consistently been the cream of the crop of mobile gaming hardware.
We get the ROG Phone 7 and the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate edition this year. The Taiwanese giant is going for a simplified lineup, at least thus far and is only coming out with two devices. Both are based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset and are rocking essentially the same specs.
Today we have the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate in the house. As its name suggests, it is the top-tier offering within the lineup. In this particular case, this means including the ROG Vision display on the back and the AeroActive cooling Portal – both features making a comeback from the ROG Phone 6 family. The Ultimate only comes in one white color option – Storm White.
Built-in motorized cooling air vent (AeroActive Portal)
IP54, dust and splash resistant
2″ OLED display (on the back)
Pressure sensitive zones (Gaming triggers)
Disclaimer. We can not guarantee that the information on this page is 100% correct.
Special “Ultimate” features aside, the ROG Phone 7 family is more or less an iterative upgrade over its predecessor rather than a major departure from the familiar formula. After all, why change something that is clearly working? Asus just went out to refine the phone and make it better in any way possible. The ROG Phone 7 has better performance and cooling than its predecessor, better speaker performance, and a brighter AMOLED display, to name just a few highlights.
Other key features are still present as well, like the sturdy aluminum body and dual-glass design with Gorilla Glass Victus on the front and an ingress protection rating. The massive 6,000 mAh split battery with 65W fast charging is also here, and so are the impressive controls and connectivity options, including the ROG AirTrigger inputs and the side port for accessories like the AeroActive cooler.
Unfortunately, things that haven’t changed with this generation of the ROG Phone 7 include the camera setup, which appears to be borrowed straight from the ROG Phone 6 and still lacks a telephoto cam. Wireless charging is also still a notable omission from the phone.
Adding all of this together, we end up with a rather familiar ROG Phone 7 Ultimate – refined in many meaningful ways but still sticking to the same core formula. Let’s find out if it still has what it takes to be a top dog in the mobile gaming niche.
Unboxing Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate
We just have to start with the unboxing experience of the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate. And experience really is the right word here. The box is as lavish as always. It is shaped in a bold geometrical manner, which has become a tradition already, but this time around, the box is entirely made of recycled and recyclable biomass, which is great to see. The two-piece box features a magnetic “strip” on the outside, which plays a role in this year’s ROG AR setup experience. The cardboard piece has a cutout to place the phone inside and functional buttons that interact with the initial setup mini-game. These types of experiences have become an expected part of ROG Phone unboxing and are always a real treat to enjoy.
Being the Ultimate edition of the phone, we would expect some goodies in the box, and Asus did not disappoint in that department.
As has usually been the case, the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate comes bundled with the AeroActive Cooler 7. We will review the latest version of the optional cooling accessory in its dedicated section. For now, you should just be aware that it is included in the box alongside a nifty carrying pouch.
Also in the box is a bumper case for the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate, compatible with the AeroActive Cooler.
You also get an Asus 65W wall charger and a USB Type-C to Type-C cable to go with it.
Competition
The ROG Phone line is a lot of things for different people, but it has never been cheap, that’s for sure. To be fair, pricing has reached more reasonable levels, especially including optional accessorizing within the now significantly smaller ecosystem. Still, the ROG Phone 7, and particularly the 7 Ultimate, are luxury products. The regular ROG Phone 7 starts at €999 for the 12GB RAM version, whereas the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate, in its only 16GB/512GB configuration, retails for €1399, with the AeroActive Cooler 7 included in the box.
Left to right: ROG Phone 7 Ultimate, 7, 7, 6D Ultimate
If you find yourself considering the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate, we can already assume that (1) you are after a gaming phone and that (2) money is no object. So in surveying what else is available on the market, let’s start then with a gaming phone suggestion in the nubia Red Magic 8 Pro. Just like the ROG Phone, the Red Magic 8 Pro is rocking a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset with active cooling thanks to the tiny built-in fan. The Red Magic 8 Pro pairs this chipset with fast LPDDR5X RAM (up to 16GB) and UFS 4.0 storage (up to 512GB). You also get a higher resolution display than on the ROG Phone, but one that is 120Hz, instead of 165Hz and lacks HDR certification. Besides that, the Red Magic 8 Pro has pressure-sensitive side triggers, stereo speakers and a 3.5mm jack, a large 6,000 mAh battery, and a camera setup similar to the Asus. Probably the most direct competitor to the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate would actually be the Red Magic 8 Pro+ since it has that fancy RGB on the fan and a see-through back panel.
ZTE nubia Red Magic 8 Pro • Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Unfortunately, most other gaming smartphone lines haven’t been as quick as Asus and ZTE in upgrading their lineups to the latest Qualcomm chips, so we can’t suggest any of them in good faith. What we can easily recommend, however, is the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. It’s hard to find a more well-rounded Android device on the market. It excels in every possible way. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy mobile platform is actually a beefed-up version of the regular chip, so performance is no concern at all. Plus, you can really make use of all of those game frames on the 120Hz, QHD+, HDR10+, LTPO Dynamic AMOLED 2X display of the S23 Ultra. You also get an all-around very sturdy device with an IP68 ingress protection rating and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on both the front and back. Not to mention one of the best and most versatile camera setups currently out there. You will have to live with a slightly smaller 5,000 mAh battery but one that still offers amazing battery life.
Verdict
Overall, not a lot has changed about the ROG Phone for yet another generation. The ROG Phone 7 Ultimate gets the latest and greatest chipset Qualcomm has to offer and a few other specs touch-ups here and there, like the boosted display performance. Fundamentally, the core formula hasn’t been altered, and that’s arguably a good thing.
Asus’ laser focus on delivering the best mobile gaming experience remains barely challenged for yet another year, with most manufacturers focusing on creating more mainstream products.
Even in the face of an ever-shrinking accessory ecosystem, we still believe the ROG Phone remains on top of the gaming crowd. Their dedication to gaming remains so impressive that it alone earns it the champion title.
The ROG Phone 7 Ultimate leverages some of the best possible hardware in a unique way, optimizing everything from low-level integration to high-level software for the best possible gaming experience. The flexibility and number of tuning options on offer are still unmatched, and so is the versatility of the in-depth control mapping and macro system.
Honestly, the ROG Phone 7 generation, like its predecessors, has very few shortcomings. Looking back at the ROG Phone 5 lineup and its impressive cooling, we cannot help but feel that things have degraded a bit in that respect, sort of necessitating the purchase of the AeroActive Cooler accessory to make the most of the available performance. Luckily, you get the AeroActive Cooler 7 in the box with the Ultimate edition.
And there is also the matter that Asus is still not investing heavily in cameras and remains behind your average 2023 flagships in that regard.
Neither of these “criticisms” is a new development, though, and neither is the steep price tag on the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate (€1399). Luckily, by sticking to a proven formula, Asus has once again managed to deliver a well-rounded device that not only excels in the gaming realm but can arguably even rub shoulders with the Galaxy S and iPhone devices of the world. Whether or not that’s fair competition, in your view, is an entirely personal stance. As it currently stands, the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate gets two thumbs up from us, and we’ll leave it at that.
Pros
Toned-down, but still ROG-inspired gamer’s design with great build quality.
IP54 certified body. Gorilla Glass Victus on the front, Gorilla Glass 3 on the back.
AirTigger, ultrasonic touch sensors, remain industry-leading and are very precise and versatile.
Significantly improved internal cooling design with a new “rapid-cycle” vapor chamber.
AeroActive Cooler 7 now cools the front of the device and also has a built-in subwoofer.
Industry-leading stereo speaker performance, complete with gaming-specific sound tweaks.
Gorgeous 10-bit, HDR10+, AMOLED screen, 165Hz refresh rate and now with improved 1500 nits of peak brightness and real-time SDR to HDR conversion.
Amazing battery life, even at full 165Hz. Rich battery health prolonging options. Very fast charging (65W charger bundled).
Flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset with unparalleled performance tuning.
Great Android implementation, unparalleled game tweaks, control mapping and performance options. Two major OS updates and four years of security updates.
Solid daylight photos, as well as low-light images. Impressive selfie quality. Feature-rich camera app.
Very good video quality, impressive EIS.
Cons
Available accessory ecosystem is not as wide as older models.
The accessory connector is back to having POGO pins prone to breaking.
AeroActive Cooler 7 is now required to make the most of the available hardware.
Rather basic camera setup, compared to typical 2023 flagships. 8K video recording is capped at 24fps. The Selfie video is now capped at 1080p.
Asus just opened pre-orders for the Zenfone 10 in the United States this month, but the device will apparently mark the end of an era as a new report claims Asus has pulled the plug on that lineup.
Taiwanese media has reported that Asus is undergoing an “organizational restructuring” that has cut down the number of employees in the company’s PC department across Taiwan and China. An internal Asus letter apparently revealed plans to move many employees to the company’s mobile phone divisions – split into Zenfone and ROG Phone – but were instead laid off.
That is, apparently, because Asus has ended its Zenfone division and instead plans to move those employees into other departments or the ROG Phone team. The (translated) report says:
The person familiar with the matter pointed out that ASUS mobile phones are divided into ROG and Zenfone series, but now the latest Zenfone 10 will be the last generation of this series, and the Zenfone team will be merged into other departments in the future, or directly into the ROG team.
It’s said that Zenfone 10 is the last device Asus will produce in the Zenfone lineup which has been underway since 2014. The Zenfone series has never been a particularly big player in the Android space, with the lineup taking a backseat in the United States and still being a minor player in other markets. Recent iterations have seen high praise, though, with Zenfone 9 and 10 both being lauded for excellent battery life, good software, and the rare use of a compact display.
Asus has yet to speak out publicly on this report, but Digitimes reported on the company’s restructuring efforts back in July.
Asus Zenfone 10 pre-order phase opens up in the US at $699
Almost two months have passed since the Zenfone 10 from Asus was launched in Europe. Now, that same Zenfone 10 is available for pre-order in the US and is hitting an easy-to-swallow price point.
Starting today, the Asus Zenfone 10 is available to pre-order in the US and on paper, it looks like a perfectly competent device. The design is unique and somewhat endearing with the massive dual lenses protruding from the back. That style paired with some rather enticing colorways sets a nice tone for the device.
Internally, it’s not so bad, either. The Asus Zenfone 10 runs a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and comes in two variants – 8GB + 128GB or 16GB + 256GB. That added memory will give a boost to mobile gamers and other users much the same. At 4,300mAh, the battery should give enough juice for the day, though that entirely depends on how efficient Asus is able to make the device.
The display panel is AMOLED and hits FHD+ at 2400 x 1080. It’s covered by a Gorilla Glass Victus panel and hits up to 144fps with a relatively high Hz rating. The back holds dual 50MP sensors and a 13MP ultrawide sensor under the bulbous lenses included.
Overall, the Android 13 device looks to be a strong contender for a daily driver. With pre-orders starting at $699, the Zenfone 10 sits at a reasonable price point. How performance backs that price up, we don’t know. If Asus is able to implement a light skin of Android 13 with an easy-to-use UI, the Zenfone 10 should be a good device.
Zenfone 10 pre-orders shipments are set to begin sometime around September 11. Those who pre-order the Zenfone 10 will get a free pair of ROG Cetra TWS earbuds, which adds a $99 value to the $699 phone.
ASUS announced the ROG Phone 6 and ROG Phone 6 Pro back in July 2022 with all of the usual fanfare. Both phones use Qualcomm’s top-tier Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset and are jam-packed with the usual slew of advanced cooling and control options we’ve come to expect from ASUS gaming phones. That announcement was followed by a long period of silence, which had us convinced that the Taiwanese giant had just decided to simplify its lineup this year and forego an “Ultimate” edition.
Fortunately for all the mobile gaming pros and fanatics out there, that’s not the case. The silence was soon broken by rumors of a MediaTek-powered variant of the ROG Phone 6, which turned out to be true. Enter the ROG Phone 6D and 6D Ultimate. The “D” in the name stands for “Dimensity,” and both phones are based on the MediaTek Dimensity 9000+ top-dog chipset. A bold and unusual move on ASUS’ part.
Disclaimer. We can not guarantee that the information on this page is 100% correct.
Not only is ASUS taking up a MediaTek chip this time around, but it is also clearly staking quite a bit on it by giving it the “Ultimate” moniker. Today we have the ROG Phone 6D Ultimate in for review. Just like its historical predecessors, the Ultimate edition is largely based on the vanilla design, but with some small additions here and there as a sort of “icing on the cake”. This year the Ultimate doesn’t get extra inputs but rather a new AeroActive Portal – a motorized air duct that gives the AeroActive Cooler 6 attachment a channel to directly cool the innards of the device.
It, along with the potential cooling and performance benefits it provides to the Dimensity 9000+ chipset, will be the focal point of this review. We will be referring back to our extensive ROG Phone 6 Pro review for any bits we’ve already covered regarding hardware or software.
Just to clear up some potential confusion points, this is the review of the ROG Phone 6D Ultimate, which currently sits at the top of the ROG Phone 6 lineup. It has a Dimensity 9000+ chipset, just like the vanilla ROG Phone 6D, but unlike the ROG Phone 6 and 6 Pro, which use the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1. The ROG Phone 6D Ultimate also exclusively features the new AeroActive Portal and, unlike the other phones in the lineup, always comes bundled with an AeroActive Cooler 6 in the box. Hope that clears some points up, and speaking of the cooler accessory, before we move on to performance, thermals, battery, charging and camera tests, let’s take a glance at the retail package.
Unboxing
ROG Phones have traditionally made a statement with their retail boxes. ASUS decided to start toning down that particular aspect of the experience a while back, and currently, most of the phones in the ROG Phone 6 lineup just come in regular two-piece boxes. Not the 6D Ultimate, though. It ships in a hexagonal prism box which is quite eye-catchy.
The box employs a two-piece slide-out construction that also feels futuristic and a bit like unveiling a weapon. There is definitely enough material to keep the phone safe during shipping, which is great to see. And most of the space is surprisingly well used on the inside of the box.
Once you pay up for an Ultimate edition, Asus delivers all of the trimmings. The cradle slides out to reveal the bottom compartment, charger, and cable. The HyperCharge charger is an extremely compact and surprisingly light unit with up to 65W of Power Delivery output over a Type-C port. Asus relies on entirely standard PD + PPS to do its fast charging, which is a real treat to see. It is rated for 5V/9V/12V/15V @ up to 3A, 20V @ up to 3.25A and PPS 3.3-11V@3A, 3.3-21V@3.25A for a max of 65W. This versatile charger can easily be used to even power some modern laptops. You also get a nice black braided USB Type-C to Type-C cable in the box.
There is also a case included with our unit, which according to Asus, should be part of the retail package. Check with your local store for details on that, though. This is not the Asus AeroActive case that came with our ROG Phone 6 Pro unit, but rather the much thinner case with more and bigger holes that ships with the AeroActive Cooler 6 if you purchase that separately.
And last but definitely not least, the AeroActive Cooler 6 comes bundled with every ROG Phone 6D Ultimate unit. Also in the box – is a SIM ejector tool, some leaflets and an oddly-shaped ROG card that is meant to be used as part of an ASUS AR setup experience.
Competition
Availability for the Asus ROG Phone 6D and 6D Ultimate is still not completely ironed out at the time of writing this review. We know these phones won’t be coming to every region where the ROG Phone 6 and 6 Pro are available. Notably, they won’t be coming to North America. Some other regions, like Europe, will be getting a choice between all four ROG Phone 6 variants.
Asus isn’t necessarily positioning the Dimensity variants higher or lower than Qualcomm ones. Instead, these are offered as an alternative so that they reach the widest possible audience.
That Ultimate bundle with the ROG Phone 6D Ultimate (16GB LPDDR5X RAM and 512GB ROM) is priced at €1399 MSRP. Remember, that includes an AeroActive Cooler 6, which is an €89-value. A non-ultimate ROG Phone 6D with the same MediaTek Dimensity 9000+ chipset and 12GB/256GB starts at €949, but it has a ROG Vision matrix RGB logo on the back instead of a display.
Left to right: ROG Phone 3, ROG Phone 6D Ultimate, ROG Phone 5
In any case, we would be remiss if we didn’t mention the ROG Phone 6 and 6 Pro as the most viable alternatives to the 6D and 6D Ultimate. The ROG Phone 6 start at €999 in Europe for the base 12GB/256GB configuration. The ROG Phone 6 Pro is only available in one configuration – the 18GB/512GB white model we reviewed with an MSRP of €1299 (w/ VAT), which puts it at the about the same price level as the 6D Ultimate if you factor in the extra price of the Aeroactive cooler.
If you find yourself considering the ROG Phone 6 Ultimate, we can already assume that (1) you are after a gaming phone and that (2) money is no object. Well, holding on to the second assumption, let’s look into other gaming alternatives starting with the Xiaomi Black Shark 5 Pro. Some of its important highlights include a 6.67-inch, 10-bit, 144Hz, HDR10+ OLED display, Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset with up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of NVMe SSD storage, stereo speakers, a potent 108MP main camera and slide-out magnetic physical triggers for game mapping. It costs a lot less than the ROG Phone 6 Pro, but you could also save a bit more and get most of the same experience with the vanilla Black Shark 5 too.
Asus ROG Phone 6 Pro • Xiaomi Black Shark 5 Pro • ZTE nubia Red Magic 7S Pro • Lenovo Legion Y70
Another big name in gaming is ZTE’s gaming brand, Nubia. Currently, its headliner is the Red Magic 7S Pro. Some of its highlights include a built-in cooling fan to keep the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 at bay. A 6.8-inch, 10-bit, 120Hz AMOLED panel with Gorilla Glass 5 protection. Stereo speakers, a 5,000 mAh battery with 65W charging and up to a whopping 1TB of storage with 18GB of RAM.
Lenovo has a challenger in the ring as well, in the face of the Legion Y70. The Legion line is a bit newer to the market and still lacks the kind of pedigree some of its rivals have, but that shouldn’t reflect poorly on the device itself. Despite its lower model number, it is newer and better than its Y90 sibling. It is rocking the latest Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset and up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. Also, a 6.67-inch, 144Hz, HDR10+ OLED, stereo speakers, 5,100 mAh battery and 68W fast charging.
verdict
Putting a MediaTek chipset inside a ROG Phone is an interesting experiment and a fascinating first for the lineup. One that was bound to happen sooner or later. It definitely proved that the Dimensity 9000+ has the “oomph” required to compete with the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 in raw performance. Asus engineers did an amazing job overclocking and squeezing every last bit of performance from the chip. The addition of the Aeroactove Portal has undoubtedly helped them achieve this task.
We had a wonderful time with the ROG Phone 6D Ultimate. It chewed through anything we threw at it and did so in style with all of the usual ROG bells and whistles present.
However, we are not sure whether the phone is worthy of the Ultimate moniker. We saw its benchmark scores fall slightly behind the ROG Phone 6 Pro in more graphics tests than one.
It also exhibited slightly more thermal throttling than the ROG Phone 6 Pro with or without the Aeroactive cooler attached.
Then, the battery draw in standby was slightly worse than the ROG Phone 6 Pro. And finally, its camera image quality was also slightly behind the 6 Pro.
And we won’t even go into debates around MediaTek vs. Qualcomm drivers, optimization and third-party support for niche gaming purposes like emulators.
In the end, the ROG 6 Ultimate feels like a version that’s 99%-as-good as the ROG 6 Pro but certainly not improved in any way.
The bottom line is that the ROG Phone 6D Ultimate would have probably been the top-dog gaming phone in isolation, but it still gets outshined by its sibling – the ROG Phone 6 Pro.
If it has been Asus’ strategy to diversify the chip supplier and have an equally good ROG phone made with MediaTek silicon, well, they’ve succeeded. We don’t think anyone would notice the subtle differences between the two phones. It’s impressive to think that MediaTek is closing the gap on Qualcomm when it comes to flagship chipset performance.
But the extra overclocking and cooling ingenuity it took on Asus’ part also highlighted that the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipsets remain class-leading. MediaTek won’t be breathing on Qualcomm’s neck just yet – at least not this year.
With all the extra work that Asus has put into making the ROG Phone 6D Ultimate, we’d say users will be happy with either flagship ROG phone. You might have your preference, but we’d say – go for whichever is more easily available near you or with whichever one is cheaper. They are both really good.
Pros
Toned-down, but still ROG-inspired gamer’s design with great build quality.
IPX4 certified body.
AirTigger 6 ultrasonic touch sensors remain industry-leading for their precision and versatility. Motion controls are extended and improved from last gen.
Simplified side port is now just a regular Type-C port – major durability improvement over last gen.
Industry-leading stereo speaker performance, complete with gaming-specific sound tweaks.
One of the best around 10-bit, HDR10+, AMOLED screen, 165Hz refresh rate.
Solid battery life. Rich battery health prolonging options. Fast charging (65W charger bundled).
AeroActive Portal allows the MediaTek Dimensity 9000+ to reach the level of the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1.
Great Android implementation, an unparalleled number of game tweaks, control-mapping and performance options.
Solid daylight photos, as well as low-light images.
Very good video quality, impressive EIS.
Cons
Available accessory ecosystem is significantly smaller than on older models.
Rather basic camera setup, compared to typical 2022 flagships. 8K video recording is capped at 24fps.
The ROG Phone 6 Pro exhibits less thermal throttling with or without the fan attached and has more consistent graphics benchmarks scores.
The ASUS ROG Phone 6D is an excellent choice not just for gaming but also for everyday use. We’re already past the point of gaming phones severely lacking in the camera department and this has become a viable all-rounded with great performance to boot.
Disclaimer. We can not guarantee that the information on this page is 100% correct.
Performance
Kicking off the benchmark suite with Antutu v9, the ROG Phone 6D has a stellar start as it easily achieved the top spot here. This means that the Dimensity 9000+ is packing quite a lot of firepower, CPU-wise at least, so not using a Snapdragon chip doesn’t mean you get weak performance.
A similar pattern can be seen in Geekbench 5, though it does perform significantly better in X-Mode. Highly likely, it doesn’t need to run in high power most of the time to be more battery-efficient, but it can really go the mile if you ever need the performance. The only devices that beat it are the iPhones, which shouldn’t be a surprise.
Moving on to 3DMark, we decided to only focus on Wild Life as most flagship and gaming devices nowadays are too strong for the other tests. It performs reasonably well in Wild Life Unlimited, with a stability rating of 81.6% and 99.6% for standard and X-Mode respectively. This means that generally, you can expect consistent performance over a long use period.
This is likely due to the improved GameCool 6 thermal system, featuring Boron Nitride thermal compound, larger vapor chamber and graphite sheets for better heat dissipation. I genuinely believe you don’t need the AeroActive Cooler 6 to keep it running cool for most mobile games out there. Compared to the ROG Phone 6 Pro, the 6D loses out here likely due to the Pro having a stronger GPU, but the difference won’t amount to much when you’re actually gaming.
Lastly on PCMark’s Work 3.0, the ROG Phone 6D already had good numbers in standard mode, but it nearly crushes the entire competition in X-Mode. The only thing that managed to beat it is the ROG Phone 6 Pro in X-Mode with its Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip. If this isn’t clear enough for you, then let me spell it out; the Dimensity 9000+ chip is a great chip as far as general performance is concerned, and is more than enough for everyday use.
For the battery life, we couldn’t include the ROG Phone 6 Pro here as I realized that it had adaptive brightness enabled during the PCMark Work 3.0 endurance test, which explains the unnaturally high numbers. Regardless, the ROG Phone 6D still managed to give out impressive numbers, and you’re better off using the Auto refresh rate instead of intentionally using the lowest one to save battery. You can easily expect all-day battery life unless you’re doing a mobile gaming marathon.
It’s great that ASUS decided to include a 65W charger in the box, as I believe it’s more than adequate for most users. Some devices aren’t including chargers and while other competitors are including chargers as high as 120W, that is more of a luxury at this point. I can say that for sure as I get good charging speed out of this, and here are the results:
15 minutes = 49%
30 minutes = 83%
36 minutes = 100%
Camera
Gaming phones aren’t usually great in taking photos but just like its Snapdragon counterpart as well as its predecessor, that isn’t the case with the ROG Phone 6D. It’s worth noting that despite having 50MP, it saves the images in 12.5MP pictures as it’s using a Quad-Bayer sensor, but there is a mode that allows you to capture 50MP photos.
Generally, pictures come out relatively pleasing with good contrast and more natural colours as opposed to being oversaturated or bland. There is some heavy sharpening, especially with smaller details, but no artifacts here. There is no telephoto camera but it can capture decent 2x digitally zoomed shots.
The telephoto camera is comparable but certain things may look a bit odd depending on what you capture, likely due to the chip’s ISP. The macro camera isn’t particularly bad but the lack of autofocus is a bit of a shame since the fixed focus is a bit too far to take decent macro shots. The front camera is pretty decent, and it easily differentiates the subject from the background for bokeh shots, but pictures can come out a bit grainy and the skin softening effect can be rather extreme at times.
The Good
The ASUS ROG Phone 6D was a bit of an oddity for me when you consider the other variants that exist. After laying my eyes on it, this is arguably the best looking one with its Space Gray colour scheme. Phantom Black looks too bland and Storm White is too flashy, so this hits the perfect spot. However, looks are subjective so it might not necessarily be your cup of tea.
Just like the other variants, the use of AirTriggers is great as you have more options in how you would to interact with mobile games. Sure, not every game will support its use and at times, the results can be weird but more and more games have added support for it so it shouldn’t be a problem. Personally for me, I would prefer physical buttons but I’d rather have this than to have none at all.
Unsurprisingly, the display on the ROG Phone 6D is one of the best around. It has a whopping 6.78-inch AMOLED display with Full HD+ resolution, 165Hz refresh rate, 720Hz touch sampling rate, and peaks out as 1,200 nits brightness. In simpler terms, you get a large display that is smoother than most other devices in the market, has fast response, and is capable of producing vibrant colours. Together with its excellent stereo speakers that produces loud, clear audio with a hint of bass, this is a multimedia beast that is great for games and videos.
In terms of size, I personally feel that this hits a nice spot as it’s big but it’s longer than it is wide, making it easy to use it with one hand. This length also makes it more comfortable to hold and control as the AirTriggers are more spaced out and you get to see more with your fingers not blocking the screen as much compared to shorter, wider displays.
The Bad
While I did mention that I like the size of the ROG Phone 6D, I personally feel that it could be a bit lighter. At 239g, it is a heavy device, and it’s definitely gonna be an issue if you put in your pockets as your pants might slide down. If you’re the kind of a person who puts their smartphones in a carrying pouch, bag or something similar, then this wouldn’t be a problem for you. I don’t really feel that it’s too heavy to hold as the weight is distributed fairly evenly across a long device, so it’s not tiring to hold for long hours.
Like other ROG Phones, this one lacks wireless charging. For most people who are considering a gaming phone, they would emphasize more on fast charging rather than this but giving people the option would have been nice. The lack of it is certainly not a dealbreaker, but it’s at least worth pointing out.
Another issue I have with the ROG Phone 6D is that it’s not much different from the standard ROG Phone 6. Especially when you consider the same retail price, I don’t see the point of offering both in the same market. It’s understandable if they offer both in different markets / countries as it might be more cost-effective to use one chip in one region over the other but to offer both in the same market is an odd choice.
If I had to pick, I would choose this one as it has better thermal efficiency on its own, but that comes at the cost of a weaker GPU. If you want as high of a performance as possible, going for the standard ROG Phone 6 is fine since the heat issue can be countered with the use of the AeroActive Cooler 6. This is why I say you’ll be fine either way, it’s just a matter of use case.
One thing worth pointing out is that for water and dust resistance, it only has an IPX4 rating. This means that it wasn’t tested for dust resistance but for water resistance, it is resistant to water splashes in any direction. It would be fine against some rainwater and sweat but ideally, you wouldn’t want it inside a body of water regardless of depth. I personally feel that it could be better since plenty of other devices today have reach IP67 or IP68 but I believe it can’t go any higher for now due to its thermal system.
Lastly, and this isn’t a problem with this device specifically but rather with the ROG Phone 6D Ultimate. At RM4,999, I don’t quite see why you would want to spend that much, an extra RM1,500 to be precise, just to get the AeroActive Cooler 6, AeroActive Portal, and an extra 4GBs of RAM. That money could be better put towards accessories for the standard model, other items, or for a rainy day. 12GB RAM is plenty enough already, 16GB is just overkill.
ASUS ROG Phone 6D Verdict
The ASUS ROG Phone 6D is an excellent choice not just for gaming but also for everyday use. We’re already past the point of gaming phones severely lacking in the camera department and it has become a viable all-rounded with great performance to boot. Your only dilemma would be choosing between this or the standard ROG Phone 6 but either way, both devices will be more than able to serve you well.
I do believe we have come to the limits, or close to it, for high end smartphones that the benefits of having a stronger chip is minimal for the most part. For next year, the focus should either be on efficiency, having more apps take full advantage of strong hardware, or an evolution to justify pushing the limits of performance even further other than just Genshin Impact. After all, what’s the point of pushing to 240Hz if most apps and games ends up throttling or can only do 60FPS and run at 60Hz at best?
POSITIVES
+ Solid performance
+ All-day battery life with satisfying charging speed (65W)
+ The best looking ROG Phone thus far with good build quality
+ AirTriggers are great to have, support has improved
+ Large, excellent AMOLED display with fast response and 165Hz refresh rate
+ Loud stereo speaker setup with good audio quality and a hint of bass
+ Good size for one-handed use
+ Wide angle and telephoto camera produce nice results
+ Attractive price point
NEGATIVES
– Rather heavy
– No wireless charging
– Macro camera fixed focus is a bit too far
– Not much different from ROG Phone 6
– 6D Ultimate is too pricey
– Only IPX4 water resistance
Hey everyone, this is Glenn from Sydney CBD Repair Centre, and today we have an Asus Rog Phone 7 with a broken display. This repair will require a significant amount of time, so let’s dive right in.
Asus has made remarkable progress since the original Rog Phone, and this one is the latest version at the time of recording. The client has requested a display replacement, even though it is still functional. However, having broken glass right at your fingertips can be perilous, posing a risk of injury. Hence, we will address this concern by performing a complete screen replacement on the Rog Phone 7.
Firstly, we will remove the back cover, which has never been opened before. The adhesive is quite strong, but with the appropriate amount of alcohol, we will safely detach it without causing any damage to internal components. And there it is, off.
For those familiar with the layout of the Rog Phone 5, you will find this layout quite similar. There is a board on top, followed by a battery, two layers of boards in the middle, another battery, and a daughter board at the bottom. Our focus will be on the two middle boards and the daughter board.
These two boards are stacked together, forming a dense configuration of internal components within the Rog Phone 7. We will remove the cover for the middle boards and separate them from each other. Likewise, the daughter board is located at the bottom, and we will address it accordingly.
Now, let’s move on to the replacement display, which is remarkably thin. Rest assured, it is compatible with this specific model. Additionally, we will carefully remove the battery on top of the daughter board, as each battery is densely packed and as thick as the entire smartphone. Our attention is primarily on the display connector, so we temporarily block the adhesive in that area.
With the battery removed, we can now proceed to detach the broken display, following a similar process used to remove the back cover. As we perform this operation, the display may incur further damage. Therefore, it’s wise to wear a protective glove, especially on the left hand. Maintaining professionalism, we smoothly remove the display connector and pull it through the housing slot.
Once the damaged display is off, we are left with remnants of shattered glass and adhesive residue.
We meticulously scrape off the residue and clean the housing. This process may take some time. [Music]
As you can see, it may appear messy at first glance, but David, having encountered this scenario countless times with other smartphones, knows exactly how to handle it. Some shards of glass may be clinging to the corners and sides where the damage originated from. Now, the housing is clean and ready to accept the replacement display.
In a test fit, we ensure the display fits perfectly without any bends or misaligned corners. We apply liquid adhesive and verify that everything is clear before installing the replacement display. It’s a straightforward process: align, insert the connector through the slots, and verify that the front-facing camera remains adhesive-free. After conducting thorough checks, we securely press the display in place. At the back, we ensure the display connector is connected to the main board.
Based on our experience with repairing the Rog Phone 5S, we know that the Rog Phone 7 follows a unique and distinct approach for replacing the front display. While several components, including batteries and daughter boards, need to be removed, David is now more adept at the process. However, due to the number of parts involved, it will still take considerable time.
The Rog Phone, where Rog stands for Republic of Gamers, is Asus’ gaming branch. This smartphone serves as a gaming equivalent to a gaming PC, built to deliver high-quality graphics and exceptional performance with its fast processors and high-end components. We ensure that everything is aligned and connected before closing up the device.
If you’re located in Australia, feel free to visit Sydney CBD Repair Centre.
David and I will personally assist you, diagnose the issue with your smartphone, and discuss the possible solutions. For those unable to visit us in person, you can conveniently mail in your damaged Rog Phone, especially if you’re overseas. We’ll handle the repair in our shop and send your fixed smartphone back to you. Rest assured, David will ensure that your smartphone is ready for gaming.
As you can see, we’re performing additional tests while allowing the glue to cure. We’ll clean up the residue on the side, close up the device, and the repair will be complete. I’ll now install the back cover on the smartphone. v
If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment down below. Don’t forget to like and subscribe. As always, it’s a pleasure to have you here.
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The new ROG Phone has arrived a little bit earlier than its usual schedule this year, but you won’t hear us complaining. Asus has simplified the lineup this time around, and there are just two devices – the ROG Phone 7 and the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate Edition. Both have essentially the same specs, sans for the ROG Vision display on the rear of the Ultimate and its AeroActive Portal for additional cooling, which is only present on the Ultimate.
We’ve already taken a look at the Ultimate model, and now it’s time for the regular ROG Phone 7 to get the review treatment. You can thus expect many of the same features to make an appearance and a few references to the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate review.
Asus didn’t change a whole lot with the new ROG Phone 7 generation. Most features are carried over from the ROG Phone 6, which is a good thing. After all, why change something that is clearly working?
Disclaimer. We can not guarantee that the information on this page is 100% correct.
Asus just went out to refine the phone in every way possible. The highlights include better computational performance, better speaker performance, and a brighter AMOLED display.
Other key features are still present as well, like the sturdy aluminum body and dual-glass design with Gorilla Glass Victus on the front and an ingress protection rating. The massive 6,000 mAh battery with 65W fast charging is also here, and so are the impressive controls and connectivity options, including the ROG AirTrigger inputs and the side port for accessories like the AeroActive cooler.
Other things that unfortunately haven’t changed with this generation of the ROG Phone 7 include the camera setup, which appears to have been borrowed straight from the ROG Phone 6 and still lacks a telephoto cam. Wireless charging is also still a notable omission from the phone.
Add all of the pieces together, and you end up with a rather familiar ROG Phone 7 that sticks to the same core formula as before, with more or less iterative upgrades. Even so, we still believe it has what it takes to maintain its gaming crown. Let’s dive in.
Unboxing
First things first, let’s unbox the ROG Phone 7. Unlike its Ultimate sibling, the regular ROG Phone 7 comes in a much simpler two-piece cardboard box. It is still adorned with some “gamery” graphics, so you know what kind of product you are getting. The box is thick, sturdy, and good enough to keep the phone safe.
One thing worth pointing out straight away regarding the contents of the box is that the regular ROG Phone 7 does not come with the AeroActive Cooler 7 in the box like the Ultimate does. It’s a separate optional purchase (€110 at the time of writing).
Our unit came with a bumper case, which is a great extra accessory. Also in the box is the Asus 65W wall charger and a USB Type-C to Type-C cable to go with it.
Competition
The ROG Phone line is a lot of things for different people, but it has never been cheap, that’s for sure. Pricing has reached more reasonable levels, especially including optional accessorizing within the now significantly smaller ecosystem. Still, the ROG Phone 7, and particularly the 7 Ultimate, are luxury products. The regular ROG Phone 7 starts at €999 for the 12GB/256GB version and goes to €1199 for the 16GB/512GB version, whereas the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate, in its single 16GB/512GB configuration, retails for €1399, bundled with the AeroActive Cooler 7.
If you are after the ROG Phone 7, it is probably safe to assume that you would like a gaming phone and are pretty flexible with your budget. Unfortunately, most dedicated gaming brands out there haven’t been quick enough to update their offers to the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, and we can’t recommend those in earnest.
The latest nubia Red Magic 8 Pro is based on the newest Qualcomm chip. Its starting MSRP is even lower than that of the ROG Phone 7, which is a plus. The Red Magic 8 Pro delivers a 6.8-inch, 10-bit AMOLED display that’s not quite as quick as the ASUS‘ at 120Hz refresh rate. However, it does have a noticeably higher resolution of 1116 x 2480 pixels. The Red Magic 8 Pro also has pressure-sensitive capacitive gaming triggers on the side, just like the ROG Phone 7, as well as beefy stereo speakers and a large 6,000 mAh battery with fast charging. The camera setup is quite similar to the ROG Phone 7’s, with a 50MP main camera, 8MP ultrawide and a 2MP macro.
ZTE nubia Red Magic 8 Pro • Motorola Edge 40 Pro
A less-gamery option to consider would be the Motorola Edge 40 Pro. It is a proper flagship with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset and a 10-bit, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision 6.67-inch, FullHD+ OLED display with a 165Hz refresh rate. The Edge 40 Pro also does well with high refresh rate gaming. It also has stereo speakers and an IP68 ingress protection rating. The battery is a bit smaller at 4,600 mAh but much quicker to charge and still does great in endurance testing. The Edge 40 Pro also has a versatile camera setup with a 50MP main and 50MP ultrawide snapper alongside a 12MP telephoto.
The ROG Phone 7 hasn’t changed all that much compared to its predecessor, and that’s neither a new nor a bad trend with Asus devices. There are a few specs touch-ups here and there, like the boosted display performance, but at its core, the ROG Phone 7 remains a very familiar device.
It’s a device still laser-focused on delivering the best possible mobile gaming experience. And Asus remains barely challenged for yet another year, with most manufacturers focusing on creating more mainstream products.
Not only does the ROG Phone 7 leverage the best possible hardware around, but it does so in a unique way, optimizing everything from low-level integration to high-level software. The flexibility and number of tuning options on offer are still unmatched, and so is the versatility of the in-depth control mapping and macro system.
Despite an ever-shrinking accessory ecosystem, we still believe the ROG Phone remains on top of the gaming crowd. Their dedication to gaming remains so impressive that it alone earns it the champion title.
Honestly, the ROG Phone 7 generation doesn’t have many obvious shortcomings. Cooling has degraded a bit ever since the excellent ROG Phone 5 generation, which now sort of necessitates the purchase of an AeroActive Cooler to make the most of the ROG Phone 7. There is also the question of cameras. Asus just doesn’t prioritize these in any way, leaving the ROG Phone 7 behind your average 2023 flagship in that regard.
Neither of these criticisms is that new or a true “showstopper,” and fans of the ROG Phone line will know what they are getting into with the latest ROG Phone 7.
The steep starting price of around €999 isn’t new either. Though, given everything that the handset brings to the table, we might argue that it is downright competitive in the current market. We’d even say it’s the more sensible purchase than its more expensive sibling – the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate. Coming with the same pedigree but offering a more affordable price, the ROG Phone 7 is the gaming champion to beat and an incredibly well-crafted device that gets two thumbs up from us.
Pros
Toned-down, but still ROG-inspired gamer’s design with great build quality.
IP54 certified body. Gorilla Glass Victus on the front, Gorilla Glass 3 on the back.
AirTigger, ultrasonic touch sensors, remain industry-leading and are very precise and versatile.
Significantly improved internal cooling design with a new “rapid-cycle” vapor chamber.
AeroActive Cooler 7 now cools the front of the device and also has a built-in subwoofer.
Industry-leading stereo speaker performance, complete with gaming-specific sound tweaks.
Gorgeous 10-bit, HDR10+, AMOLED screen, 165Hz refresh rate and now with improved 1500 nits of peak brightness and real-time SDR to HDR conversion.
Amazing battery life, even at full 165Hz. Rich battery health prolonging options. Very fast charging (65W charger bundled).
Flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset with unparalleled performance tuning.
Great Android implementation, unparalleled game tweaks, control mapping and performance options. Two major OS updates and four years of security updates.
Solid daylight photos, as well as low-light images. Impressive selfie quality. Feature-rich camera app.
Very good video quality, impressive EIS.
Cons
Available accessory ecosystem is not as wide as older models.
The accessory connector is back to having POGO pins, which may be prone to breaking.
AeroActive Cooler 7 is now required to make the most of the available hardware and it will cost you.
Rather basic camera setup, compared to typical 2023 flagships. 8K video recording is capped at 24fps. The Selfie video is now capped at 1080p.
Asus has a very limited presence in the mobile space as a whole. So when a new model comes out once or twice a year, it’s an occasion – especially when it is a Republic of Gamers phone. It’s that time of year again, and now the new ROG Phone 6 is a reality.
Despite its extremely limited lineup as a whole, Asus tends to overcomplicate the different variants of the ROG Phone. Last year the ROG Phone 5 was quickly succeeded by the ROG Phone 5s mostly due to timing around Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888+ chipset. The situation was complicated further by introducing Pro and Ultimate SKUs to the mix and some regional market differences in specs.
This time around, it appears Asus and Qualcomm managed to coordinate a bit better. The ROG Phone 6 is coming out slightly past its due date but has the latest and greatest Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 under the hood. Hopefully, this means no “s” variants in a couple of months, and as an added bonus, this makes the ROG Phone 6 more interesting for us since it is one of the first production devices with the chip to come by the office.
Asus ROG Phone 6 Pro specs at a glance:
Body: 173.0 x 77.0 x10.3 mm, 239g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass 3), aluminum frame; IPX4 water resistant, PMOLED display (on the back), Pressure sensitive zones (Gaming triggers).
What we have for review at the office is actually the ROG Phone 6 Pro. As far as we can understand, the current lineup consists of a Pro and a vanilla ROG Phone 6, which share almost all of their internal specs, except maximum RAM. The vanilla tops out at 16GB of RAM while the Pro gets 18GB. Both use the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 and are otherwise nearly identical in terms of features. Well, sans the slightly different back design with the ROG Vision secondary display, which is reserved for the Pro.
Left to right: ROG Phone 3 • ROG Phone 5 Pro • ROG Phone 6 Pro
The ROG Phone 6 and ROG Phone 6 Pro come with dual Nano-SIM slots. Asus reps also confirmed that there would be potential differences market to market, which you do have to check with your local store. These are likely to mostly be limited to memory configurations, but we can’t rule out some color options popping up here and there differently.
As far as we currently know, the ROG Phone 6 will be available in either Phantom Black or the frosted Storm White finish. Whereas the Pro will only be available in white, like the one, we have.
Asus previously had white reserved for its Ultimate skew but decided to make it widely available this year due to fan interest in the color. Last but not least, concerning models and configurations, we believe both the vanilla and Pro models are going global this year.
Circling back to the ROG Phone 6 as a whole, just like last year, it represents an iterative rather than a major upgrade over the previous generation. Asus has successfully homed in on the gaming formula, or at least its take on it, and has been tweaking it and keeping it fresh and current for some time now. No fault in that approach since there are few devices out there quite as “tricked out” as the ROG Phone in almost every aspect.
This year, the AeroActive cooler is arguably the bit that has received the most attention and a major overhaul. Now it even sports an active Peltier element for improved cooling. But, we’re getting ahead of ourselves.
Unboxing
Before we really dive into the ROG Phone 6 Pro, let’s start with its retail box contents. In keeping with ROG tradition, it is a real treat. The whole thing is shaped like a trapezoidal prism and features a very nifty slide-out mechanism. Once that is engaged, magnets hold an inner segment of the case closed as a sort of “flap” to cover the cradle that holds the phone itself snugly in place.
The cradle slides out to reveal the bottom compartment, charger, and cable. The HyperCharge charger is an extremely compact and surprisingly light unit with up to 65W of Power Delivery output over a Type-C port. Asus relies on entirely standard PD + PPS to do its fast charging, which is a real treat to see. It is rated for 5V/9V/12V/15V @ up to 3A, 20V @ up to 3.25A and PPS 3.3-11V@3A, 3.3-21V@3.25A for a max of 65W. This versatile charger can easily be used to even power some modern laptops. You also get a nice black braided USB Type-C to Type-C cable in the box.
There is also an Aero Case included with our unit, which according to Asus, should be part of the retail package. Check with your local store for details on that, though.
In case you are wondering, you don’t get the AeroActive cooler in the standard bundle. That needs to be purchased separately and comes with its own compatible case in the box.
The only other thing you get in the retail box is an oddly-shaped plastic card that you have to scan as part of the ROG AR initial activation experience for the phone.
Competition
The ROG Phone line is a lot of things to different people, but it has never been cheap and affordable. To be fair, pricing, especially including optional accessorizing within the now significantly smaller ecosystem, has been coming down to more reasonable levels. Still, the ROG Phone 6 and ROG Phone 6 Pro are very much luxury products.
Left to right: ROG Phone 3 • ROG Phone 6 Pro • ROG Phone 5 Pro
The ROG Phone 6 start at €999 in Europe for the base 12GB plus 256GB configuration. The ROG Phone 6 Pro will be only available in one configuration – the 18GB/512GB white model we are reviewing with an MSRP of €1299 (w/ VAT).
If you find yourself considering the ROG Phone 6 Pro, we can already assume that (1) you are after a gaming phone and that (2) money is no object. Well, holding on to the second assumption, let’s look into other gaming alternatives starting with the Xiaomi Black Shark 5 Pro. Some of its important highlights include a 6.67-inch, 10-bit, 144Hz, HDR10+ OLED display, Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset with up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of NVMe SSD storage, stereo speakers, a potent 108MP main camera and slide-out magnetic physical triggers for game mapping. It costs a lot less than the ROG Phone 6 Pro, but you could also save a bit more and get most of the same experience with the vanilla Black Shark 5 too.
Xiaomi Black Shark 5 Pro • ZTE nubia Red Magic 7 • Lenovo Legion Y90
Another big name in gaming is ZTE’s gaming brand Nubia. Currently, its headliner is the Red Magic 7, which despite its lower price and relative market position, honestly looks like a better deal than the Red Magic 7 Pro. Compared to its sibling, it has a faster 165Hz, 6.8-inch, 10-bit AMOLED display and better battery endurance, despite its smaller battery. Other than that, it is also rocking a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset with up to 18GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, stereo speakers, programmable gaming capacitive triggers, and an internal fan.
Lenovo has a challenger in the ring as well in the Legion Y90. The Legion line is a bit newer to the market and still lacks the kind of pedigree some of its rivals have, but that shouldn’t reflect poorly on the device itself. We haven’t reviewed the Y90, though, so we don’t have any first-hand experience to share.
Our verdict
Not a lot has changed going from the ROG Phone 5s to the new ROG Phone 6 and ROG Phone 6 Pro. There is the mandated chipset change to the latest and greatest Qualcomm has to offer and a few specs touch-ups here and there, plus a newfound IPX4 ingress protection rating. Fundamentally, the core formula hasn’t changed, and that’s arguably a good thing.
Even with stiffening competition in the realm, we maintain that ASUS remains king of the mobile gaming hill. Granted, the once fantastic accessory ecosystem is but a shadow of its former glory, but other than that, the sheer laser focus on gaming is ever so impressive.
The ROG Phone 6 Pro leverages some of the best possible hardware in a unique way, optimizing everything from low-level integration to high-level software for the best possible gaming experience. The flexibility and number of tuning options on offer are still unmatched, and so is the versatility of the in-depth control mapping and macro system.
Honestly, the ROG Phone 6 Pro has very few shortcomings. There is the arguably inferior thermal management compared to previous generations that sort of necessitates the additional purchase of the AeroActive Cooler 6. And then there is also the modest camera setup compared to any 2022 flagship.
And that leads us to price. Starting at €999 for a base ROG Phone 6 and €1299 for the ROG Phone 6 Pro, we are looking at a device that rubs shoulders with the best of them. Luckily, beyond its gaming prowess, the ROG Phone 6 Pro is also a very well-rounded device with one of the best displays and audio setups around and a truly amazing battery life. In that sense, maybe it can even compete with the Galaxy S22’s and iPhone 13’s of the world. Whether or not that’s a fair competition in your view is an entirely personal stance. As it currently stands, the ROG Phone 6 Pro gets two thumbs up from us, and we’ll leave it at that.
Pros
Toned-down, but still ROG-inspired gamer’s design with great build quality. White variant now widely available.
IPX4 certified body – first on a gaming phone.
AirTigger 6 ultrasonic touch sensors remain industry-leading, are very precise and versatile. Motion controls are extended and improved from last gen.
Simplified side port is now just a regular Type-C port – major durability improvement over last gen.
Industry-leading stereo speaker performance, complete with gaming-specific sound tweaks.
One of the best around 10-bit, HDR10+, AMOLED screen, 165Hz refresh rate.
Amazing battery life, even at full 165Hz. Rich battery health prolonging options. Very fast charging (65W charger bundled).
Fastest-available Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset.
Great Android implementation, an unparalleled number of game tweaks, control-mapping and performance options.
Solid daylight photos, as well as low-light images. Impressive selfie quality.
Very good video quality, impressive EIS.
Cons
Available accessory ecosystem is not as wide as for older models.
AeroActive Cooler 6 does not come bundled.
Thermal management is not as good as on the older ROG Phone 5/5s. AeroActive Cooler 6 is now required to make the most of the available hardware.
Rather basic camera setup, compared to typical 2022 flagships. 8K video recording is capped at 24fps.
Do you even need a gaming phone when handsets like the iPhone 13 Pro Max or Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra are such capable pocket powerhouses? Asus thinks so, and the ROG Phone 6 is its latest attempt at giving you a smartphone by daylight, and handheld console by neon lights of your RGB-lit den.
If you’re not a gamer, then the ROG Phone 6 isn’t for you. It’s that simple. Starting with its design, this phone looks like it could transform into a tiny robot and take over the world; you’ll probably either love it or hate it. We love it.
Both the ROG Phone 6 and 6 Pro get a color screen around the back, a feature that was previously reserved for the Pro version. Also new, the ROG Phone 6 is available in both black and white – the latter looking particularly sleek when matched with the new selection of off-white accessories.
Given that the phone also sounds good and lasts a full day without a midday charge – thanks to its huge 6000mAh battery – it’s safe to say our general impression of the ROG Phone 6 has been an excellent one. That said, it isn’t perfect.
While gaming phone cameras are usually mediocre to bad, the ROG Phone 6‘s is just good enough. This phone is pricey, so it’s natural for us to expect a little more – possibly OIS on the main lens, a bit of telephoto reach or a wide/macro camera with autofocus.
The phone also misses out on wireless charging, which is becoming more ubiquitous, and is something of a must in the ROG Phone 6’s price bracket.
Despite those quibbles, the ROG Phone 6 is still the very best gaming phone you can buy. While it costs more than the Poco F4 GT, it’s more powerful and features a richer accessory suite. The Red Magic 7 and 7 Pro are also cheaper alternatives but lack the polish Asus brings to the table.
Asus ROG Phone 6: price and availability
Starts at £899 (US price TBC)
Available in three versions
Regional availability TBC
The Asus ROG Phone price ranges from high to eye-watering, starting at £899 for the standard version with 256GB storage and 12GB RAM. Alternatively, for £999, you can pick up the phone with 512GB storage and 16GB RAM. If you want to spend even more, the Pro version, which also has 512GB storage, but takes the RAM up to 18GB, – and adds an LED light on the back – costs £1,199. US pricing will be confirmed imminently, so we’ll update this as soon as Asus announces it.
This is the same pricing structure we’ve seen from Asus’s ROG Phone line before – charging more than much of the gaming phone competition but delivering a superior user experience. The Red Magic 7 starts at £529, in contrast, and is a great option for anyone who doesn’t mind a few rough edges. That said, Asus offers more storage at the ROG Phone 6’s starting capacity and a much more refined software experience.
We know the phone’s coming to the UK and will be available from Asus’s online store. Other regions and retailers are yet to be confirmed.
Value score: 4/5
Asus ROG Phone 6: design
Striking gaming phone look
Available in two styles
Excellent accessory support
As far as gaming phones go, the ROG Phone 6 is one of the more elegant options around with its curved, smooth, pearlesque, frosted glass back, and its rounded metal sides. If you close your eyes while holding it, despite being big, it’s still a comfortable, premium smartphone – nothing too standout. Open your eyes though, and you’ll be sucked into a world of RGB lighting, second-screen action, and Stargate-style glyphs.
Measuring 173 x 77 x 10.3mm, the ROG Phone 6 is a tall, relatively narrow thing that’s thicker than most smartphones, but doesn’t quite feel unwieldy. At 239g, it’s one of the heaviest phones on the scene, with the iPhone 13 Pro Max weighing just one gram more at 240g.
The curvy, frosty back and matte sides do make the ROG Phone 6 feel rich and alluring, but it is pretty slippery, so you’ll want to put a case on as soon as you start using it. Luckily, in the box, you get a lightweight, hard plastic shell that protects the corners and adds a little extra grip.
The ROG Phone’s screen is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus, and while the phone doesn’t sport IP68 water or dust resistance, it’s the first gaming phone with IPX4 splash-resistant certification. As for color options, the standard ROG Phone 6 is available in Phantom Black and Storm White, while the 6 Pro is available exclusively in Storm White.
Dotted around the curved metal frame of the ROG Phone 6are more ports than we’re used to seeing. In addition to the 3.5mm headphone jack – a unicorn by today’s high-end smartphone standards – there’s a second USB port on the side of the phone. This is for accessories, like the dock and fan, but also makes for a comfortable charging option when gaming in landscape orientation.
Asus doesn’t install a pre-fitted screen protector on the phone, but does offer up an official option as a separate purchase. We had no issues with the in-display fingerprint scanner, and also set the phone’s face unlock up to ensure we could get into it quickly.
The most standout design highlight of the ROG Phone 6 is definitely on the back. Sprinkled among a bunch of etchings and visual flourishes – as well as a confident, angular camera bump – is an OLED screen. This is horizontal on the Pro model, pictured above, and pitched at an angle on the standard ROG Phone 6.
More than just a flashy highlight for gamers, Asus adds some utility to the second screen. It can display your notification icons, and battery capacity while charging. Really though, who are we kidding? This thing is totally unnecessary – pure indulgence and we’re more than okay with that.
Asus ROG Phone 6 scorecard
Attributes
Notes
Rating
Design
Love it or hate it, the premium finish and gaming phone highlights make the ROG Phone 6 a standout in its category.
4.5/5
Display
While the ROG Phone 6’s screen isn’t the sharpest around, it’s exactly where it needs to be for a gaming phone, and the image quality and brightness are on point.
4.5/5
Performance
Asus is the first to market with Qualcomm’s latest processor, which, matched with effective cooling ensures performance, whether gaming or simply using your phone is excellent.
5/5
Camera
The ROG Phone’s weakest area is its camera, despite improvements over its predecessor. Nevertheless, the main camera still impresses with good looking photos and videos.
3.5/5
Battery
With a bigger battery than the most smartphones and fast charging, it’s little wonder the ROG Phone 6’s battery impressed us. The only thing missing is wireless charging.
5/5
Software
Asus has finetuned its gaming software to near-perfection over the years, and the latest iteration is stellar. We also like the dialled back theme that feels more stock.
4.5/5
Value
While you can get a better camera phone for less, the ROG Phone 5 is the best gaming phone around, and that helps justify its confident, but not unreasonable price.
Buy it if…
You want a powerful gaming phone
The ROG Phone 6 is an incredibly powerful gaming phone that can handle even the more power-hungry games without getting too hot under the collar.
You love gaming accessories
Whether you want to clip the ROG Phone to your Xbox controller, use it like a Nintendo Switch with the Kunai Gamepad, or keep it cool with a fan – you can Megazord your ROG Phone 6 with a whole bunch of great-looking, RGB-lit gaming gear.
You have battery anxiety If you just use your ROG Phone 6 like a smartphone, then you can be confident it won’t die after a day. With its huge 6,000mAh battery, it easily makes it into a second day – and if you’re very careful, possibly even a third.
Don’t buy it if…
You’re on a tight budget The ROG Phone 6 is the most expensive gaming phone out now, and if you plan on picking up all its accessories, you’ll be spending a sizeable chunk of change on all of that. Past-gen ROG phones or the Poco F4 GT could be good alternatives.
You have shaky hands or love zooming
The phone’s camera is good, but it struggles in dimly-lit scenes, where hand shake can creep in and result in blurry photos. The camera also misses out on a telephoto camera, so you can zoom in up to around three times before things start to fall apart.
You love wireless charging
Gaming phones like the ROG Phone 6 don’t tend to pack wireless charging. That said, you can get plenty of very good wireless charging phones that pack stacks of power so look to phones like the iPhone 13 Pro Max or Galaxy S22 Ultra.
Gaming phones are always powerful, but they’re seldom polished. The ROG Phone 6 is both, matching best-in-class performance with effective cooling and a rich selection of accessories. While we wish Asus went a bit further with the camera and wireless charging, there are enough standout and unique highlights here to make it the best gaming phone available at launch.
Pros
Excellent battery life
Great selection of accessories
Powerful and stays cool
Bold, bright, smooth screen
Cons
No wireless charging
Weak camera mix for the price
Pricier than competition
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