The Asus ROG Phone series has carved a niche for itself as the go-to choice for mobile gamers. With the ROG Phone 8 and 8 Pro, Asus is back with another iteration that boasts top-of-the-line specs, gaming-centric features, and a bold design. But is it enough to maintain its throne as the king of gaming phones? Let’s dive deep into our review to find out.
Design and Display
The ROG Phone 8 and 8 Pro retain the aggressive gamer aesthetic that the series is known for. The back panel features a bold geometric design with RGB lighting accents, while the side-mounted charging port and air triggers hint at its gaming pedigree. The Pro model takes things a step further with a micro LED dot matrix display on the back that can be customized with animations and notifications.
The 6.78-inch AMOLED display boasts a buttery smooth 165Hz refresh rate and a 720Hz touch sampling rate, ensuring ultra-responsive gameplay. Colors are vibrant and punchy, and brightness is excellent. Whether you’re battling orcs in Diablo Immortal or racing through Asphalt 9, the visuals are simply stunning.
Performance and Cooling
Under the hood, the ROG Phone 8 and 8 Pro pack the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, paired with up to 24GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 1TB of UFS 4.0 storage. This powerhouse of a combination delivers blistering performance, making even the most demanding games run flawlessly. To keep things cool during intense gaming sessions, Asus has equipped the phones with a sophisticated cooling system that includes a vapor chamber and a fan. The optional AeroActive Cooler X further enhances cooling, taking performance to another level.
Gaming Features
The ROG Phone 8 and 8 Pro are loaded with features designed to give gamers an edge. Air triggers on the shoulders provide tactile feedback for a console-like gaming experience. There’s also an ultrasonic rear touch sensor that can be mapped to various actions in games, giving you additional control. Asus’ Armory Crate app lets you tweak various settings, including performance modes, fan speed, and RGB lighting, to personalize your gaming experience.
Camera
While not the main focus, the ROG Phone 8 and 8 Pro offer surprisingly good cameras. The triple-lens rear setup consisting of a 50MP main sensor, a 13MP ultrawide sensor, and a 32MP telephoto sensor captures detailed and vivid photos. The front-facing 32MP camera is great for selfies and video calls.
Battery Life and Charging
The ROG Phone 8 and 8 Pro pack a 6000mAh battery, which is one of the largest in any smartphone. This translates to excellent battery life, even with the demanding 165Hz refresh rate enabled. You can easily game for hours on end without having to worry about running out of juice. The phones also support 65W fast charging, which can top up the battery from 0 to 100% in around 45 minutes.
Verdict
The Asus ROG Phone 8 and 8 Pro are undoubtedly some of the best gaming phones on the market. They offer top-notch performance, a beautiful display, and a plethora of gaming-centric features. The optional AeroActive Cooler X takes things even further, pushing the performance envelope even further. While the design might not be for everyone, there’s no denying that these phones are beasts when it comes to gaming. However, the hefty price tag and lack of a notification LED might give some buyers pause.
Here’s a quick summary of the pros and cons:Pros:
- Top-of-the-line performance with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset
- Smooth 165Hz refresh rate display
- Excellent cooling system with optional AeroActive Cooler X
- Plenty of gaming-centric features
- Good cameras
- Long battery life with fast charging
- Expensive
- Bold design might not be for everyone
- No notification LED
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