CES 2024 It was Asus’ launch of the Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro mobile phone, the latest mobile device designed exclusively for gamers.
English-language Digital Trends journalist Andy Boxall had access to a mobile phone and here are his main impressions:
- Yes, this is an Asus Republic of Gamers (ROG) smartphone aimed at mobile gamers, but it is also different from all the others that came before it. If you were expecting the ROG Phone 8 Pro to be an uncompromising gaming juggernaut, prepare to be a little surprised by what it offers. Really is.
- It’s powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, 16GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage, but you can also get a monster version with 24GB of RAM and 1TB of internal storage.
- There’s a 6.78-inch Samsung LPTO flexible AMOLED touchscreen with a maximum refresh rate of 165Hz for some games and 1 to 120Hz the rest of the time. It also has a touch sampling rate of 720Hz and a huge maximum brightness of 2500 nits. It sits under flat glass, with smaller bezels than previous ROG phones, in a metal body that measures 8.9mm thick and weighs 228 grams. For the first time, Asus has provided the ROG Phone with IP68 water and dust protection.
- On the back, there is a 50-megapixel main camera with Asus’ 6-axis gimbal stabilizer, which is also seen on the Asus Zenfone 10, along with a 13-megapixel 120-degree wide-angle camera and a 32-megapixel telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. Pixel binning means that photos taken at this zoom level will have a resolution of 8 megapixels. There’s a 32MP selfie camera on the front, and inside the phone is a 5,500mAh battery and a completely redesigned cooling system made up of everything from copper heatsinks and graphite sheets to boron nitrate injected into cavities to aid heat transfer so you can game for hours.
- Another new feature from ROG is wireless charging, which complements the 65W wired HyperCharge option, which can charge the battery to maximum in about 40 minutes. ROG Phone 8 Pro wouldn’t be complete without AirTriggers mounted on each shoulder, which can be assigned to different controls in any game. The back of the phone also features a new mini-LED display that displays up to 20 different animations for different scenarios.
- As for the software, it comes included. Android 14 and the ability to choose between Asus’ own theme or a more standard option, as well as a host of AI features (because it’s 2024). The main mode is X Sense 2.0 for gaming, which allows you to quickly move through scenes and perform actions such as auto-grab, launch lock, and tap to exit. Other features include AI noise cancellation for calls and in-game chat, a semantic search system that also works offline, and an AI wallpaper system.
- ROG Phone 8 Pro will seem quite familiar to fans of the series. This is a gaming phone with most of the gaming features you need. However, unlike previous ROG phones, it’s not just for gaming, and you’ll realize that as soon as you pick it up. It’s thinner and lighter, shorter and wider than the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate. This makes it feel like a “regular” phone in your hand, without the clunky feel of older models.
- The flashing lights are still on board (a key feature of the ROG Phone), and the hidden LED panel looks amazing, as does the side-mounted USB-C charging port. But left behind are motorized thermal vents for more cooling, some of the craziest style and color options, dedicated docking ports, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The FHD+ display resolution is also slightly lower than expected. The bezels around the screen have been kept to a minimum, which will please as many people as possible and irritate them as it makes sense on a phone that is often used in portrait orientation when gaming.
- Asus has not yet confirmed a release date for the ROG Phone 8, but it will be sold in the US like previous versions. The standard ROG Phone 8 costs $1,099 with a special pre-order price of $999, while the ROG Phone 8 Pro costs $1,199. If you want the ROG Phone 8 Pro Edition, it will cost $1,499.
Source: Digital Trends
