Gamer's dream: ASUS ROG Phone - pros and cons

ASUS has long been engaged in the production of computer hardware, laptops and other components of digital technology. But she is also known for her gaming accessories under the Republic of Gamers brand. Founded in 2006, the ROG sub-brand has quickly established itself as one of the best manufacturers of computer hardware designed specifically for creating gaming solutions.

Until now, she specialized in computers, laptops and peripherals - keyboards, mice, headsets, etc. But in July 2018, Republic of Gamers turned their eyes to the mobile market. With her inherent creativity, she approached the development of a new gaming smartphone ASUS ROG Phone, which almost immediately garnered thousands of praise. Let's see if he deserves it or not.

Equipment

Already at the unpacking stage, the phone makes it clear that we have the most gaming smartphone in front of us. The box is made in the form of an oblong pyramid in stylish black with beveled corners, similar to the prototype of some futuristic warehouse.

Its content, by the way, is quite consistent with the external image. So, the kit includes:

• The device itself;
• TypeC cable with a visual length longer than many models, it also has a fabric winding like a gaming device;
• Special adapter with built-in fan and two connectors for TypeC cable and headphones;
• Quick Charge 4.0+ charger.

Design

The appearance of the phone demonstrates all the beauty of gaming devices. It looks very unusual, especially for a smartphone. More like a professional gaming device. Actually, this is how he positions himself

The body of the phone is a metal frame with dust and moisture protection according to the IP68 standard. The back panel is glass. It contains 3D Corning gorilla glass. The dual camera is located on a non-standard-shaped site in the form of a rectangle with one cut off corner. The flash bulb is also irregularly shaped with sharp corners. Slightly below is a trapezoidal fingerprint scanner.

On the right side, closer to the middle, there is a cutout in which the outlets from the steam chambers used for the processor cooling system are located. Naturally, they are also rectangular.

In the center is the Republic of gamers logo with RGB backlighting, which looks very cool. In general, in general, the whole design of the back of the smartphone looks like a demonstration of ASUS 'unhealthy love for corners and rectangles. Everything according to the canons of real gaming design.

Most of the front panel is occupied by a display with an aspect ratio of 18: 9, which is covered with a durable protective 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass without any monobrow. Two stereo speakers at the top and bottom of the panel are designed to create high-quality surround sound in 7.1 format.

Below is the USB TypeC port and 3.5mm headphone output.

On the left side is a custom USB TypeC port that acts as a dedicated connector for connecting additional accessories. There is also a Dual sim tray for two SIM cards of the Nano-Sim format

The dimensions of the device are 158.83 x 76.16 x 8.65 mm. Moreover, it has a rather impressive weight of 200 grams.

On the right are the volume buttons and the unlock key. Also on both sides of the right side panel are ultrasonic triggers, Air triggers, using a vibration-based response system. This allows you to feel every touch and not think about whether you pressed the electronic button or not.

Display

The screen of this wonderful phone is a 6-inch AMOLED with a resolution of 2160x1080 pixels (FullHD +) with a 90-Hz screen refresh rate.

Definitely the most optimal solution for a gaming smartphone, since at the moment even the most powerful processor cannot guarantee the ideal operation of heavy mobile games at 120 Hz and higher.

The display response time is 1ms, which is about 15 times faster than the screens of conventional smartphones.

With normal daily tasks, this is not noticeable, but in games, especially in dynamic scenes, it can be important and will definitely add pluses to the pleasure of your gaming experience.

The screen has an incredibly rich color gamut, making up as much as 108.6% of the DCIP3 color space with an incredible 10,000: 1 contrast ratio. The screen also has activated modes:

• Gaming HDR;
• Mobile HDR;
• SDR to HDR.

They allow you to adapt your phone to different user modes.

In addition, the screen has a 10-touch multi-touch and supports interaction with the screen with gloves.

In general, the characteristics of the screen are more than impressive.

General characteristics

In the table, we will quickly go over its extremely impressive characteristics. However, a detailed consideration is clearly indispensable here, because it seems that every centimeter of the phone is trying to arouse admiration from a potential buyer.

CPU

In this colossus is the most powerful, nimble and productive processor available at the moment, the 8-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 845. Yes, not a simple version, but an OS version, overclocked specifically for this device.

It is built on a single-chip platform, like all other Snapdragon processors.

Its processing power is determined by 4 Kryo 385 Gold cores, which in the regular version of the Snapdragon 845 work at 2.8 GHz. Here they are overclocked to 2.96 GHz. Moreover, according to the assurances of manufacturers, he is able to keep this frequency indefinitely in games.

These four cores are used to perform the most difficult and demanding tasks, and they are the ones that consume most of the power used by the processor to operate.

The other four cores are referred to as energy efficient and are used to carry out day-to-day tasks such as running firmware and routine computing. They consume significantly less power, operate at 1.8 GHz and carry the name Kryo 385 Silver.

The processor itself is created using the latest generation technology from Samsung: 10nm LPP FinFET.

Unlike the LPE technology used in previous Qualcomm processors, the new technical solution has allowed to increase performance by 10% without increasing power consumption, or to reduce power consumption by 15% without losing performance.

By the way, this overclocked processor is even faster than the Snapdragon 850, which is used in ASUS laptops.

Therefore, it is not surprising that according to the results of the synthetic test AnTuTu, the gaming smartphone from ASUS scored 304,000 performance points, which makes it almost the fastest and most powerful in the world at the moment. It is second only to Huawei Mate 20, but which of the smartphones will show itself better in games, the question is not even worth it.

The Adreno 630 graphics accelerator, considered the best at the moment, can easily pull the ultra-graphics settings of any games.

Memory

Of course, the amount of RAM in the gaming device should be as high as possible. ASUS understood this perfectly, so they shoved as much as 8 GB of RAM into the phone. This should be enough for absolutely any games for several years to come.

Despite the fact that the SIM card slot cannot be used for an additional microSD card, this is not required, since the volume of the built-in memory in the phone is 128 GB in the basic version, and as much as 512 GB in the extended one. So you don't have to worry about running out of space for games on your phone.

OS and software

The operating system here uses Android 8.1 Oreo with a special gaming firmware ROG Gaming X. The shell has an aggressive design, made in black and red colors, so typical for gaming platforms.

It comes preinstalled with the ROG Game Center app, which allows you to monitor the level of used power of the processor and graphics accelerator.

It also keeps track of the amount of internal memory and the currently used RAM.

In addition, there are settings for the fan speed in the connected cooling module and the backlight on the back cover.

We should also mention the "X-Mode" mode. By activating it, the phone throws all resources for playing game applications. The RAM is cleared of third-party tasks, previously unused processor cores are used.

The designers even took care of the visual changes upon activation. Now, by clicking on the "X" Mode icon, if you are using a standard cube screensaver, its edges move apart, and the red color of the design becomes even more saturated.

Camera

The rear camera is double.

The main one, despite the small resolution of 12 megapixels, allows you to take high-quality pictures, thanks to the excellent aperture settings at f / 1.8, four-axis optical stabilization and phase detection autofocus. It also has an advanced Sony IMX363 sensor, which allows you to take bright photos even in the dark.

The camera can record video in all currently available formats, including 4K

Also, according to the developers, the now popular artificial intelligence system is used here, which allows, when focusing on an object, to automatically select the best parameters for a photo. However, it is often problematic to determine whether this is the merit of AI or the same autofocus.

The additional one has an 8 megapixel sensor with a wide-angle lens, which allows you to cover a viewing angle of 120 degrees. The photos on it are pretty average, slightly blurry due to the not very good aperture setting of f / 2.2.

This is especially noticeable in low light conditions. While not surprising here, this is a common problem with all wide-angle cameras in smartphones.

The front camera is not of much interest. Everything is quite standard: 8MP resolution with a viewing angle of 84 degrees, aperture with an f / 2.0 slit, no autofocus. And of course, the selfie parameters, how can we go without them. In general, the front-end turned out to be quite mediocre, clearly does not reach the flagship devices.

Battery

The phone's battery is quite impressive, at 4000 mAh. According to the developers, it can support the autonomy of the phone during active games for up to 7 hours with Wi-Fi turned on. You can watch YouTube videos for 11.5 hours without interruption. If the battery is low, then charging does not take long thanks to Qualcomm Quick Charge 4.0 technology.In 35 minutes the battery can be charged up to 60% of the total capacity.

This amount of charge is quite enough for comfortable work, besides the phone already weighs quite a lot and with a larger battery, weight could really be a problem, especially considering the fact that the phone is played, usually keeping it on the weight.

This device, however, provides special accessories for games, but more on that below.

Features:

Electronic triggers

First of all, it is worth talking about the unusual Air Trigger electronic trigger system. They are positioned so that the index fingers rest directly on them while playing. Electronic buttons respond to a pressing force of 20 grams and communicate this with vibration.

They are programmable for various functions. Depending on the game, you can hang different macros on them, or use them for convenient shooting in shooters.

Cooling system

The cooling system, made in the form of steam chambers, works according to the following principle:

A special liquid is pumped into one of the chambers. When the processor heats up, liquid evaporates, cooling it down. Then this vapor passes into another chamber, where it cools, turns back into liquid and is sent to the first chamber. With this circulation, cooling is carried out.

In addition to the evaporation chambers, the multilayer cooling system also includes a copper heat sink and a carbon fiber cooling plate.

It sounds, of course, very cool, but there is one question:

The efficiency of this system is highly dependent on the location of the processor. If the processor, as usual, is on the motherboard from the display side, then it will be quite problematic to remove heat from it, despite the copper heat sink. We hope the developer will take this moment into account.

We'll talk about the second cooling issue when we look at accessories.

Accessories and peripherals

In addition to the basic configuration of this model, there is also an extended edition. It comes in a stylish suitcase with a combination lock. This is not only a desire to show off a unique box, but a necessity. Since the developers have made a number of additional devices and it would be problematic to fit them into something smaller.

You can also buy them separately, of course.

So let's take a look at them:

External cooling system AeroActive Cooler

For those who like to play games under the scorching sun, or for additional cooling of the processor at especially high loads, the kit (even the basic one) includes a removable AeroActive Cooler fan, which is attached to a special connector. It is powered by a battery and has 2 additional outputs: USB TypeC and 3.5mm audio jack for headphones. They are all brought down so as not to interfere with the game.

In general, such an external active CO is a rather interesting solution, however, glass lids, as you know, conduct heat rather poorly, and this fact casts doubt on its effectiveness. Well, okay, let's leave it on the conscience of the developers.

Gamevice controller

ASUS has decided to please console lovers with a wonderful addition to their new invention. The controller is divided into two halves, between which a connecting tape is stretched. It attaches on both sides of the phone and turns into a full-fledged game console, like a sony playstation. Although, in terms of functionality, it resembles another product from Sony - the Dualshok joystick.

Now all actions that were previously performed using the on-screen buttons or the gyroscope can be performed using the joystick, which is incomparably more convenient. This accessory is perfect to while away the time on long trips or to keep yourself busy during a long wait.

It is compact and does not take up much space, so it can easily fit even in a jacket pocket, even in a backpack, and playing with it is a pleasure.

ASUS WiGig Dock - station for fast Wi-Fi connection

This station can be used for high-speed wireless connection to a TV or any device with HDMI output.The station itself operates from a regular 220V outlet and is connected via an HDMI cable to the device, and the phone itself is connected to it via the WLAN 802.11ad wireless protocol. It allows you to transfer data at speeds up to 4.6 Gbit / s over a distance of up to 10 meters.

When connected via this station, the image will be displayed on the screen almost instantly without any delay. And you can display absolutely everything: from photos to demanding games or videos in 4K resolution.

Professional Dock

This station is essentially a basic compact device for expanding the capabilities of a smartphone. By connecting it via USB TypeC to the ROG phone, you get two USB 3.1 ports, HDMI and an Ethernet port. It is compact and convenient to take for a visit, and you can connect, for example, a keyboard and mouse to the USB outputs.

Mobile Desktop Dock

But this is a more interesting thing. In essence, it allows you to turn your ROG Phone into a real PC. Even a computer motherboard will envy the number of outputs on it. She has everything you need to connect and even more:

• Four USB 3.1 outputs;
• TypeC port for charger;
• HDMI 2.0 port;
• One output for connection to the Display Port monitor;
• Ethernet connector;
• 3.5mm microphone jack;
• 3.5mm headphone jack.

By connecting it to a monitor, and it can even be connected to a 4K monitor, and by plugging the keyboard and mouse into the corresponding input, you can play mobile games with the maximum convenience that a personal computer can provide.

TwinView Dock

If you were missing the feel of a full-fledged gaming console when plugging in a Gamevice controller, then TwinView Dock is here to fix that. By attaching your smartphone to this accessory, you get an extra screen.

It looks exactly like a smartphone and has the same resolution. At first glance, you might even think that there are two phones here. This station has an additional 6000 mAh battery, which simultaneously serves as a power source for the second screen and additional power for the ROG Phone itself.

It also houses additional TypeC connectors (how could it be without them), a memory card slot, 3.5 audio output for headphones and additional cooling. It also has 2 mechanical trigger buttons for maximum convenience.

The second screen duplicates the image from the first one and it is convenient to use it for control so that your fingers do not block the picture from the display. You can also use the sticks on the back of the station for control.

Case

Among other things, there is a cover in the kit. We already thought that the engineers from ASUS would screw a couple of USB outputs and a memory slot to it, but they limited themselves to an ordinary plastic cover.

Her style is in harmony with the design of the smartphone itself. It has cutouts for the camera and biometric scanner, as well as a hole in the middle for everyone to see the beautiful, iridescent logo of the Republic of Gamers.

Price

And now for the bad news. This miracle of technology is expected to cost a pretty penny.

It is quite problematic to find it in stores in Belarus, Russia or Kazakhstan, but its price in online stores is:

• $ 900 for the base package, which includes a 128GB phone and an external cooler.
• $ 1100 will cost a smartphone with 512 GB of internal memory without additional accessories, except for a cooler.
• $ 1600 will cost a complete set.

Advantages and disadvantages

• Beautiful gamer design. The smartphone looks bright and aggressive. After the domination of boring iPhone-like models in the market, this device looks fresh and original. At the first glance at it, it is difficult to contain an enthusiastic "wow".
• Interesting display with unusual characteristics. Despite the fact that there are screens with brighter and more vibrant colors, few screens have such color space coverage and incredible contrast. And you won't find such refresh rate and response time anywhere else.
• Smart processor. Practically the smartest at the moment, and in games he has no equal at all.
• Nice rear camera.Oddly enough, but the rear 12 megapixel camera can take pictures at the level of flagship models.
• Diverse periphery. The sheer number of plug-ins allow the phone to fulfill its full gaming potential.
• Sound. Two speakers deliver great stereo sound. The sound through the headphones also proved to be excellent.

• Front-camera. Fairly mediocre front camera with no autofocus. However, it is doubtful that anyone who bought this phone will use it at all.
• The situation with the cooling system is not entirely clear. Especially with regards to the plug-in cooler. Is it that effective because of the glass panel?
• Peripheral compatibility with mobile games. Since, apart from ASUS, no one has rolled out so many additional gaming devices to the phone on the mobile market, it is not entirely clear how the games will behave if you want to play using, for example, a Gamevice controller, nevertheless, according to reviews, everything works fine so far.
• And of course the price. Not everyone can afford to buy such a phone in a complete set. And for $ 1600, you can build yourself a pretty decent computer for gaming.

Output

Summing up all of the above, the phone is undoubtedly very interesting. In the segment of gaming smartphones, he is the undisputed leader. Nobody except ASUS bothered so much with the gaming component of phones. So if you really like to play on your smartphone, and you already have a gaming PC, then this option is perfect for you.

If you do not take into account the price factor, the main question is the demand for this device. There are still quite a few games on smartphones that require such a serious approach.

Nevertheless, their number only increases over time and slowly but surely the line between the PC and the smartphone is erased. Games are gradually gaining their mobile versions and it is only a matter of time before such devices fill the shelves of digital technology stores. And now ASUS has already taken the first serious step in this direction.