All smartphones can run games. It features a range of high-performance weapon-style accessories, powerful graphics and processing capabilities, and a fancy design. The ROG Phone formula is still relevant in 2022, with the latest gaming mods as well as much-needed general updates in image quality and durability.
Asus ROG Phone 6 Pro – Design, Accessories, and Features
We've seen a lot of black phones over the years, especially black ROG phones. So you can imagine our delight when we discovered a matte white, pearlescent phone peeking out at us as we unboxed the device. It's the first time the color white has been available on standard non-Pro ROG Phones.
The back of the phone is decorated with glyphs and squiggles, reminiscent of the mystique of a sci-fi movie with aliens. And while the phone doesn't look as evil as last-gen ROG phones, it's still a smartphone clearly designed for gamers.
There's also a ROG Vision screen on the back of the phone. Yes - a screen on the back of the phone. Called ROG Vision OLED, this color display dynamically shows different images depending on what you're doing with the phone. So when you're charging it, the strip shows the charging process. When you're playing a game, the words "Game Start" light up. Also, you can see your notifications when the phone is on the floor. That's a lot of stuff and, of course, completely unnecessary. But it's also fun, grabs attention, and is well integrated into the overall design.
Two key design differences distinguish the Vanilla from the Pro version. The first is that the rear screen, which is angled on the standard models, is horizontal on the 6 Pro (when the phone is held in landscape mode). The Pro model also has the "dare to play" lettering backlit for added RGB effects.
The front of the ROG Phone 6 mainly consists of the screen. Above and below it are the 12 MP front-facing camera and stereo speakers. On the back is a triple camera system, in addition to the visual flourishes already mentioned.
With a weight of 239 g, the ROG Phone 6 is one of the heaviest phones we have tested. In comparison, the Honor Magic 4 Pro weighs 215 g and is only surpassed by the iPhone 13 Pro Max, which weighs 240 g. With its curved sides and tall shape, the ROG Phone manages to not look completely inelegant despite its weight and thick 10.3 mm depth.
Asus' eccentric gaming accessories have always helped the brand stand out from the crowd, and there's no shortage of add-ons to supercharge the ROG Phone 6. We tested the new AeroActive Cooler 6 and the updated ROG Kunai 3 gamepad (prices for both to be confirmed). There's also a clip to connect the phone to a gamepad, a USB-C dock, and a range of cases to suit your style.
The AeroActive Cooler 6, pictured above, is an absolute RGB-flashing behemoth that clips onto the phone while plugging into the USB-C port. It features three levels of fan power as well as a cooling element mode
Asus Rog Phone 6 Review: Price And Availability
Exactly when you'll be able to buy the ROG Phone 6 depends on where you are, but we do know that it's been confirmed for the UK via Asus' online store. The phone will be available in a range of variants and prices, starting with 256GB of storage and 12GB of RAM (£899) and going up to 512GB of storage and 16GB of RAM (£999).
Asus has also announced a Pro version of the ROG Phone 6, which has virtually identical specs to the standard device, but adds LED lighting on the back and increases the RAM to 18 GB (£1,199).
Asus Rog Phone 6 Review: Display
With a 6.78-inch Full HD AMOLED display, the ROG Phone 6 offers the same screen as its predecessor at first glance. However, the refresh rate can be turned up to 165 Hz in the settings, which corresponds to the reigning champion of refresh rates, the Red Magic 7.
The Samsung-made AMOLED panel also has a touch sampling rate of 720 Hz, which means you can expect fantastic response time whether you're gaming, typing, or swiping through websites or feeds.
The screen is pleasantly bright at 800 nits in standard mode and reaches a peak brightness of 1200 nits when the adaptive mode is enabled. This means that outdoor viewing is no problem even in bright sunlight. However, make sure to activate the automatic brightness setting if you have trouble seeing the screen - 800 nits are not bright enough even for the sunniest areas.
Asus Rog Phone 6 Pro – Gaming And Performance
Like everywhere else, the ROG Phone 6 Pro leaves little to be desired in terms of performance. It is equipped with the Snapdragon 8+ Gen1 chipset - practically a souped-up version of the 8 Gen1 - and is supported by 18 GB of LPDDR5 memory. It is also paired with 512 GB of fast UFS 3.1 storage.
Every second of every interaction, the ROG Phone 6 Pro feels like it's racing. Jumping back and forth between apps isn't a problem, as the absurd amount of RAM can store more than I ever thought it would. After driving around with the phone, answering a text message, and playing an entire match in Apex Legends, I could still jump into another game and pick up right where I left off.
When it comes to gaming, the phone is also tough. In several games of Apex Legends, it showed no signs of problems with UltraHD graphics and a high frame rate. Even when you crank up the frame rate beyond that, it continues to work smoothly. Despite Asus' best efforts, it still struggles with heat, and although the phone settles at just over 100 degrees after a long game, that's a heat that leads to sweaty palms and fingers.
The phone's controls feel responsive when gaming, perhaps due in part to the phone's speed, but also to the high sample rate. However, the "shoulder buttons" don't feel as good as the physical buttons presented and ingeniously incorporated in last year's Black Shark 4.
Speed inside and outside of games is also helped by the fast network connection. Wi-Fi 6E is supported, though I could only see Wi-Fi 6 speeds on my home router. 5G connectivity is on deck, and though an initial test saw the phone clocking over 700Mbps on my T-Mobile connection in Chicago, reception and access to high-speed bands proved less reliable. In places where I would normally have at least slow 5G reception with my Galaxy S20, I was often in the slow lane on 4G or even 3G networks. This, along with the fact that the ROG Phone 6 Pro initially launched outside of the US, suggests that it may not have the best radios for US customers.
While you may get caught looking for a signal, it's not as likely that you'll have to beg for the battery. The ROG Phone 6 Pro's 6,000 mAh is enough for all-day use, even if you throw in a few games. In my testing, I never saw the battery use less than a third of its capacity at the end of the day, and I did some gaming, some entertainment, and even some mobile hotspot use during that time. A 105-minute movie streamed over Wi-Fi, with the display set to about 75% brightness and the volume through the speakers set to maximum, used only 14% of the battery. And the speakers held up surprisingly well when fireworks were constantly set off outside on the 4th of July.
Asus Rog Phone 6 Review: Cameras
If Asus could be caught slacking anywhere, it’s with the cameras. The ROG Phone 6 and 6 Pro both include a trio of cameras on the back, and they’re truly nothing to get excited for.
Here are the cameras the ROG Phone 6 Pro packs:
- 50MP Wide
- 13MP Ultrawide
- 5MP Macro
- 12MP Selfie
In terms of photo and video quality, we are satisfied but not overwhelmed by the results. Photos taken with the ROG Phone 6 have good contrast - but sometimes too much. They are also heavily sharpened, which looks good in some scenes, but photo purists will appreciate a more restrained approach to in-camera processing. However, if you're not a photo purist, the ROG Phone 6's new main sensor implementation will give you plenty of detail and extremely Instagram-worthy shots.
The lack of an optical image stabilizer (OIS) slows the phone down in low-light scenes. When the light gets past a certain point, the ROG Phone 6 activates Night Mode, and as you can see in the examples below, it works well to bring out extra detail. However, in good but not very good lighting, this mode is not automatically activated, and photos can look soft unless taken with a rock-solid hand.
Asus Rog Phone 6 Review: Battery And Charging
With its 6,000 mAh battery, Asus' ROG Phone 6 has one of the largest batteries in the industry. The standard capacity these days is around 4,500-5,000 mAh for Android phones. There is no wireless charging feature, but the ROG Phone 6 can be charged quickly with a 65-watt charge rate, from 0 to 100 percent in about 45 minutes.
How long the battery lasts really depends on how you spend your day. If you use the ROG Phone 6 as a phone, it will last forever, with only 80% of the battery drained after just over 16 hours with the screen on. That's Oppo Find X5-level longevity, and it's exceptional.
Games and the phone's powerful X-Mode naturally drain the battery faster, and if you use a fan or the Kunai Gamepad with the clip-on case, you have to expect a significant reduction. Nonetheless, we were never overwhelmed with the ROG Phone 6 as it lasted from morning to night with over 30 percent in the tank, except on the most strenuous test and gaming days.
Asus Rog Phone 6 Review: Verdict
The ROG Phone 6 is not the best phone of 2022, but it is the best gaming phone we have tested. The competition is strong, but the alternatives lack the sophistication that Asus brings to the table. One could argue that Asus has played it safe. From the front, the ROG Phone 6 looks identical to the ROG Phone 5 and 5s, and we'd like to see Asus mix things up even more. Nonetheless, the phone does its job with a higher level of polish and a richer set of accessories than alternatives like the Red Magic 7 and Poco F4 GT.
Could the ROG Phone 6 be better? Absolutely. We would have liked to see wireless charging, optical stabilization (OIS) on the main camera, and better secondary cameras. Apart from that, its gaming improvements are outstanding and unique, so this might not matter for the main target group.
0 Comments