A while ago it looked like gaming phones were about to go mainstream as several tier 1 brands (including Samsung) showed an active interest in joining “specialized” companies such as Asus and Razer to help grow the relatively small niche and appeal to a wider and wider audience.
After all, that didn’t exactly happen, leaving hardcore gamers with few really great mobile options, especially in markets like the US. Perhaps the overall best option is still the ROG Phone family, whose sixth installment has been
revealed rather discreetly earlier in the day†
The Asus ROG Phone 6 will be available in “regular” and Pro versions in the near future… ROG Phone 5 sets a new (Android) standard in raw speed with Qualcomm’s state-of-the-art Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor under the hood.
(Not) too cool for school
Of course, that’s far from the only cutting-edge part of these bad guys, who are focused inside and out not only on delivering unparalleled long-term gaming experiences with a massive 6,000mAh battery, but also on staying nice and cool during mentioned extended play sessions.
To make that happen, both the internal GameCool thermal system and the external clip-on AeroActive Cooler accessory have been upgraded to their sixth iteration, leveraging a slew of different advanced technologies to prevent overheating in the most demanding possible scenarios. to prevent.
With a bigger-than-ever vapor chamber (among other much-improved parts), the GameCool 6 system promises to lower the CPU temperature of the ROG Phone 6 by up to 10 degrees Celsius, which may not seem like much until you factor in the higher temperatures as well. up to 25 degrees, the AeroActive Cooler 6 add-on can lower the “surface temperature near the CPU”.
If that sounds a little too extreme, don’t worry, Asus’ latest mobile powerhouse also packs the necessary tech to ensure CPU temperatures don’t drop dangerously low when you’re playing less demanding games.
Light, camera, action!
As always, the funky RGB lighting system on the back of the phone is by far the most notable design aspect, at least as far as the “standard”
ROG Phone 6 is worried. The
ROG Phone 6 ProIn the meantime, it mainly distinguishes itself from its slightly more modest sibling with a small 2-inch OLED panel on the back that uses a unique technology called ROG Vision to display various eye-catching animations.
While not incredibly useful from a pragmatic perspective, this secondary display will certainly help set the Asus ROG Phone 6 Pro apart from all the others. best gaming phones out there in terms of aesthetics and even customization, allowing users to create their own personal animations.
In addition to all the nifty cooling tricks, powerful new SoC, and decidedly eye-catching (usually in a good way) design, the main 6.78-inch Samsung-made AMOLED display is without a doubt a major selling point for both the ROG Phone 6 and 6 Pro. take from ROG Phone 5’s already stunning 144Hz refresh rate to a whole new level of fluidity.
That’s right, you’re looking at the 165Hz refresh rate here, which Asus presents as a much more drastic upgrade over the 120Hz technology supported by most modern high-end Android phones than you might expect.
Unfortunately for shutterbugs, arguably the world’s most advanced smartphone display isn’t backed by an equally impressive camera setup. Sony’s “flagship” IMX766 50MP sensor is mated to a 13MP ultra-wide-angle lens and 5MP macro lens on the back of the ROG Phone 6 and 6 Pro for what sounds like a decent but not exactly outstanding imaging experience.
The devil is in the details
There’s clearly a good reason why the cameras aren’t on par with Samsung’s For example, Galaxy S22 Ultra offers in the photography department, which is the retail price of the Asus ROG Phone 6 and 6 Pro.
At least on the old continent, you’re looking at starting prices of $999 and $1,299 respectively, meaning these bad guys in the US will likely cost a thousand and a thousand and three hundred dollars, respectively, when (and if) they reach the North American region.
That’s pretty steep already, and with powerful dual speakers on the front, a blazing fast 65W charger in the box, Android 12 pre-installed on the software side, 5G connectivity (depending on the individual market and carrier), and all the other amazing specs and features. features mentioned above, some compromises had to be made in order not to exceed $1,500 or so.
There are, of course, no compromises to be found in the storage and memory departments, with the ROG Phone 6 Pro packing 512 and 18 (!!!) gigs respectively, and the non-Pro model “settling” for 256GB of local digital hoarding space and your choice from 8 or 12 GB of RAM.
Weighing in at 239 grams, these ultra-high-end gaming phones are clearly just as bulky as their predecessors, while offering the bare minimum (IPX4) in terms of water resistance and a pair of ultrasonic buttons that guarantee gestures of all kinds. come in handy… once you get the hang of them.
Overall, this is certainly not your typical Android flagship package, aimed at a very specific group of users who, however, will probably never consider the Galaxy S22 Ultra a worthy alternative.
