Asus’ ROG Telephone 9 evaluate: a gaming standout

One of many main boons within the smartphone house in recent times is gaming — and never the bloatware form. As a substitute, it is the gradual adoption of higher-performance video games and cloud gaming. I’ve wished to be an avid supporter of cell gaming for years at this level, however there have been hurdles stopping this from changing into a platform I exploit extra usually. Once I had the prospect to go hands-on with Asus‘ ROG Telephone 9, I felt as if this may very well be a brand new lease on life as a cell gaming participant.

Asus’ ROG Phone 9 is developed to be a cutting-edge gaming-first smartphone. With all the trimmings of the ROG design philosophy, Asus packs in a collection of nice options to complement and energy the gaming experience. The ROG Telephone 9 sequence is complemented with a Professional lineup. Nonetheless, even the bottom mannequin has a noticeably strong battery and a show that begs for video games to be performed on it. Sadly, the ROG Telephone 9 underwhelms in terms of day-to-day use, particularly relating to its digital camera.

Advisable

Asus ROG Telephone 9

Asus’ ROG Telephone 9 is a sturdy gaming-first smartphone with innovating {hardware} and software program perks made to play cell video games, together with AirTriggers and AI-driven options.

Professionals

• Beautiful AMOLED Show
• AirTriggers are a smooth addition
• As much as 21 hours of battery

Cons

• Gamer-first design and UI is ugly
• Digital camera high quality is subpar

See our course of

How we test and review products at Pocket-lint

We do not do arm-chair analysis. We purchase and check our personal merchandise, and we solely publish purchaser’s guides with merchandise we have truly reviewed.

Worth, availability, and specs

The Asus ROG Telephone 9 launches on Tuesday, November nineteenth. The bottom mannequin of the sequence is out there for $1,000. The system comes with a stunningly crisp 6.78-inch AMOLED E6 show. This display options LTPO expertise, with a dynamic refresh price between 1 and 120Hz. Nonetheless, ROG Telephone 9 does supply as much as 185Hz when utilizing its Sport Genie for an excellent smoother gameplay expertise. The show additionally helps a peak brightness of two,500 nits, serving to colours and distinction keep vivid even when open air within the daytime.

Trying on the inside specs, the bottom ROG Telephone 9 helps as much as 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. The digital camera array helps a 50-megapixel Sony Lytia f/1.9 essential lens and a 32MP f/2.4 telephoto lens with a 13-megapixel ultra-wide Free-form lens. The front-facing digital camera is a 32-megapixel ultra-wide lens. Powering the cellphone is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, leveraging a 5,800mAh battery.

All of that is wrapped in a 6.4 x 3 x 0.35-inches (163.8 x 76.8 x 8.9mm) type issue. Out there in storm white and phantom black, the ROG Telephone 9’s physique encompasses a crystallized nano-texture. Lastly, the system helps AirTrigger buttons on the proper facet of the unit. These act as refined triggers that replicate using a controller.

Asus additionally gives a number of AI-powered options throughout the ROG Telephone 9 sequence. Many of those, unsurprisingly, are designed for use whereas enjoying video games. These which are obtainable for traditional day-to-day use aren’t all that distinctive or thrilling. It is also odd that after spending the yr testing numerous Android telephones, the ROG Telephone 9 would not assist Circle to Search at launch (although it’s being added throughout This autumn 2024).

Associated

9 Asus ROG Ally tips and tricks: Level-up your handheld console

The Asus ROG Ally is a robust handheld PC, and with the following tips and tips, you will get much more out of your gaming expertise with it.

What I like in regards to the ROG Telephone 9

Asus’ ROG Telephone 9 bridges the hole between smartphones and the Steam Deck

Asus’ ROG suite is fairly well-known. The ROG Telephone, nevertheless, flies a bit beneath the radar. Nonetheless, it suits inside the Republic of Gamer household properly. A lot of the corporate’s experience in gaming {hardware} comes over into the cell market. Whether or not or not the design philosophy is your model, the ROG Telephone 9 was made to play video games on. The very first thing I did when testing the ROG Telephone 9 was set up a small assortment of titles.

After all, the cell sport on everybody’s thoughts proper now could be Pokémon TCG Pocket. It is a sport that I’ve famous a number of body price dips when enjoying on iPhone 15 Pro, particularly whereas scrolling the Marvel Picks display. Definitely, Pokémon TCG Pocket is just not setting benchmarks for the ROG Telephone 9. Nonetheless, it reveals that the dynamic refresh price on the AMOLED show does wonders, even for extra passive video games and in-app experiences.

The place the ROG Telephone 9’s gaming capabilities start to shine is when approaching extra performance-intensive video games. Putting in titles like Name of Obligation: Warzone Cellular and Genshin Impression, I obtained an opportunity to see the ROG Telephone 9 shine beneath extra demanding circumstances. Based mostly on Geekbench 6 benchmarks, the ROG Telephone 9 garnered a 3,207 CPU ranking with a ten,186 GPU ranking. Due to the Snapdragon 8 Elite‘s efficiency, Name of Obligation: Warzone Cellular ran silky easy with no noticeable display tearing throughout on-line matches.

Utilizing the AirTriggers on the facet of the system, I used to be capable of mimic using aiming down sight and taking pictures my weapon like I do when enjoying on Xbox or PlayStation. With Genshin Impression, Asus bakes in its X Sense AI options. Utilizing picture recognition expertise, objects have been robotically picked up, and an auto-run capacity was obtainable. I can not assist however attest that this use of AI is extremely modern for the ROG Telephone 9. Sadly, the obtainable titles that use X Sense are few and much between.

Fortunately, given it invested a lot into its gaming suite, Asus additionally included a really respectable battery this yr. Based mostly on common use with intermittent video streaming and gaming, I squeezed round 21 hours of battery life out of the ROG Telephone 9. To no shock, the longevity of the battery life dwindles exceptionally whereas gaming. Even when I used to be utilizing Xbox Cloud Gaming to stream some video games whereas watching TV, I might usually run the battery dry for round 5 hours. Asus can be optimizing the thermal cooling of the system. There’s the cumbersome ROG AeroActive Cooler bought individually to extend the cooling primarily based on the CPU temperature. Nonetheless, I can not think about utilizing this whereas on the go.

Associated

Players already sinking millions into new Pokémon mobile game

Pokémon TCG Pocket solely launched final week, however the sport is already making tens of millions of {dollars} and has reached over 10 million downloads.

What I do not like in regards to the ROG Telephone 9

The ROG Telephone 9 is a beast for gaming however performs it protected elsewhere

Asus would not draw back from this being a really ‘gamer’ smartphone for higher or worse. I am not an enormous fan of how the ROG design philosophy interprets as a smartphone. The rugged angular edges of the digital camera bump look gaudy to me. I perceive the enchantment of getting a textured rear for a gaming cellphone. Nonetheless, the ROG Telephone 9 feels a bit low-cost in my hand.

Had I used this as my main system over an prolonged interval, I might most likely spend money on a case to cowl it. The corporate set a precedent of the ROG Telephone 9 being a gaming system. That is very obvious within the inventory UI after organising the system. The app icons for the Telephone, Digital camera, and Gallery apps are removed from smooth in comparison with different Android gadgets.

I am additionally frankly underwhelmed by the digital camera array of the ROG Telephone 9. It is undoubtedly not Asus’ robust go well with. I am removed from a shutterbug however I may instantly see the disparity in images taken from my iPhone 15 Professional and the ROG Telephone 9. On the Asus-made cellphone, images look crisp and vivid. Nonetheless, as quickly as I pulled them onto my PC, they seemed way more lifeless and washed out. I needed to edit and bump the distinction in every of them for this evaluate simply to make them a bit extra interesting for me to have a look at.

Associated

6 camera apps that got me thinking creatively with my iPhone

All it’s important to do is level and shoot to take a superb photograph on iPhone, however you may have extra enjoyable fussing with the settings in these apps.

Do you have to purchase the ROG Telephone 9?

An ideal cell gaming rig in case you ignore gaming handhelds

It is simple that Asus packed in spectacular {hardware} to assist refine the ROG Telephone 9. The smartphone options ample processing energy and a stellar battery to service on-the-go gaming. Sadly, I believe in doing so, the ROG Telephone 9 would not do a lot to face out as a smartphone. Throughout all of its cellphone properties, Asus performs it fairly protected.

As a cell gaming smartphone, the ROG Telephone 9 will serve you properly. Should you’re grinding by means of Genshin Impression or wish to play some video games by way of the cloud, you may probably benefit from the consumer expertise. My solely want is that the standard of its gaming efficiency was maintained throughout the board. Should you’re within the ROG Telephone 9 for its gaming capabilities completely, I might nearly be extra compelled to counsel an ROG Ally or a Steam Deck as an alternative.

Advisable

Asus ROG Telephone 9

Associated

Google could be adding yet another AI feature to search

Outcomes are up to date in real-time, providing sooner and extra conversational outcomes whereas looking out.