Insane new Android smartphone is ideal for gamers
This new smartphone made for gamers – the Asus Rog Phone 6 Pro 5G – is dripping in over the top gamer-goodness.
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REVIEW
Asus has just come out with two insane smartphones that have a serious focus on gaming. I’ve never seen anything like it. I’m dubbing the Asus ROG Phone 6 5G and Asus ROG Phone 6 Pro 5G, the ultimate android smartphones for gamers. Let’s take a closer look.
Now, for those that like a sleek and simple smartphone, this probably won’t be for you. In fact it’s the complete opposite. Everything from the packaging to the phone itself is dripping in over the top gamer-goodness.
Firstly, unboxing the phone is a whole experience. The box is somewhat hexagonal, with stormtrooper vibes and once you open it up, with its hinged lid, you’ll reveal a special collector card, and the phone slides out from a cleverly designed compartment.
I got the Storm White coloured Asus ROG Phone 6 Pro 5G and the design of the device looks as though ASUS squashed a gaming PC into the form factor of a smartphone. And to be honest, with the specs it boasts, maybe somehow, they did just that.
Features & Gaming Specs
The features of the ROG Phone 6 Pro 5G read like a gaming PC spec sheet. It boasts the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 mobile processor with a clock speed of up to 3.2GHz. The phone also has a 50 per cent faster GPU, 20 per cent more power efficiency and a 15 per cent faster CPU compared to the ROG Phone 5 predecessor (with the Snapdragon® 888). It even has 18GB of LPDDR5 Ram!
If all of this is going over your head, this might not be the phone for you. However, what I can say is that this is probably one of the most powerful android smartphones on the market.
The phone is pretty much made to be drool-worthy for those who love gaming, and more specifically, mobile gaming. And with a large 6.78 inch AMOLED display, covered in Corning® Gorilla® Glass Victus™ and a 165Hz refresh rate, the ROG 6 Pro offers an ultra responsive, best in class, low-latency gaming experience.
Asus did not miss a single detail on this phone. As soon as you start it up you’ll see the Republic Of Gamers logo (ROG) and the operating system graphically screams ‘gamer’. There’s even built-in techy, gamer sound effects that come along with certain button presses and a specially made ‘console’ app that shows you how your phone’s internal system is running, with thermal temperature tracking, CPU and GPU tracking and the ability to tweak the system’s performance.
I haven’t even mentioned that there’s also a small screen on the back yet! That’s right, there’s a little display on the back housing of the phone which can show off your phone’s battery life or just run rad animations. And it makes the phone look incredibly futuristic.
Cameras
It kind of goes without saying, this phone performs incredibly well on all fronts. It’s a complete powerhouse and my time spent using it for gaming and just general use has been awesome. It also sports dual front facing stereo speakers which offer some of the best audio playback I’ve experienced on a phone, and this especially enhances a gaming or movie watching experience.
Now, on paper the cameras sound pretty decent. There’s a Sony® IMX766 50 MP main wide-angle camera with HDR processing, an ultrawide 13 MP second camera, and a macro camera. And on the front there’s a 12 MP selfie camera. In use, the quality was fairly good all round but I can’t say the cameras stack up with any of the flagship iPhones or Samsung devices.
The back cameras still offered up some impressive results, with balanced and true to life colours and better than expected performance in low light. And although the selfie camera didn’t blow me out of the water it also performed well across most lighting conditions. I wouldn’t buy this phone for its camera system but if that’s a lesser used feature for you then you’ll still enjoy quality results.
Battery life
Asus certainly knew where to put their best efforts when designing this phone though because the battery life is no joke. The phone sports a whopping 6000mAh battery, for comparison, the average smartphone has around a 3500mAh battery.
They also include an insane 65W charger in the box which can charge the ROG Phone 6 Pro from 0 per cent to 100 per cent in 42 minutes. You can certainly tell the phone has a big battery because it’s heavier than most phones but I don’t find this to be a hindrance, considering it’s a phone made to support mobile gaming. And most mobile games, especially the more complex ones, are really good at draining a phone’s battery life.
Accessories and Price
Just when you thought it couldn’t get any more impressive, Asus also sells a cooling accessory called the Asus ROG AeroActive Cooler 6. This is pretty much a fan attachment and controller hybrid, sporting 4 additional buttons. The idea is that you can use it for an improved grip, and have four additional physical buttons (instead of just the touchscreen), which will enhance your gameplay. It also looks really awesome and even lights up. The cooler is sold separately though and costs $179, so you’re probably wondering how much the phones retail for.
The ROG Phone 6 5G will set you back $1799 and the 6 Pro 5G costs a solid $1999. This is definitely on the high end if you’re looking for a new smartphone, but at the same time, this is the going rate for a high end smartphone and that’s exactly what this is. I think Asus has hit the nail on the head here while trying to create the ultimate smartphone for gamers.
And if you value specs and performance, have a special love for mobile games, and you want insane battery life, a huge high quality display and an excellent speaker system, then this phone is perfect for you. With specs like this the ROG 6 will certainly offer you longevity so you can be rest assured that if you take the plunge it will be a good investment.
Elly Awesome is an Aussie tech and lifestyle vlogger | @ellyawesometech | YouTube
Originally published as Insane new Android smartphone is ideal for gamers
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