Abstract
- Asus’ ROG Cellphone 9 affords modern gaming options like AirTriggers and a shocking AMOLED show.
- Battery life is respectable at 21 hours, however day by day use, particularly with the digicam, is underwhelming.
- The ROG Cellphone 9 excels at gaming, however its design does not stand out as a smartphone for non-gamers.
One of many main boons within the smartphone area in recent times is gaming — and never the bloatware sort. 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 cellular gaming for years at this level, however there was various hurdles in the best way. Once I had the prospect to go hands-on with Asus‘ ROG Cellphone 9, I felt as if this may very well be a brand new likelihood to get in on cellular gaming.
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 set of nice options to complement and energy the gaming experience. The ROG Cellphone 9 sequence is complemented with a Professional lineup. Nevertheless, even the bottom mannequin has a noticeably stable battery and a show that begs for video games to be performed on it. Sadly, the ROG Cellphone 9 underwhelms relating to day-to-day use, particularly relating to its digicam.
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Asus ROG Cellphone 9
Asus’ ROG Cellphone 9 is a sturdy gaming-first smartphone with innovating {hardware} and software program perks made to play cellular video games, together with AirTriggers and AI-driven options.
- Beautiful AMOLED Show
- AirTriggers are a smooth addition
- As much as 21 hours of battery
- Gamer-first design and UI is ugly
- Digital camera high quality is subpar
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Value, availability, and specs
The Asus ROG Cellphone 9 launches on Tuesday, November nineteenth. The bottom mannequin of the sequence is out there for $1,000. The gadget comes with a stunningly crisp 6.78-inch AMOLED E6 show. This display screen options LTPO know-how, with a dynamic refresh fee between 1 and 120Hz. Nevertheless, ROG Cellphone 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 Cellphone 9 helps as much as 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. The digicam array helps a 50-megapixel Sony Lytia f/1.9 fundamental lens, a 13-megapixel ultra-wide Free-form lens, and a 5-megapixel macro shooter. The front-facing digicam is a 32-megapixel ultra-wide lens. Powering the telephone is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, which leverages 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. Accessible in storm white and phantom black, the ROG Cellphone 9’s physique incorporates a crystallized nano-texture. Lastly, the gadget helps AirTrigger buttons on the proper aspect of the unit. These act as refined triggers that replicate using a controller.
Asus additionally affords a couple of AI-powered options throughout the ROG Cellphone 9 sequence. Many of those, unsurprisingly, are designed for use whereas enjoying video games. These which might be accessible for traditional day-to-day use aren’t all that distinctive or thrilling. It is also odd that after spending the 12 months testing varied Android telephones, the ROG Cellphone 9 does not help Circle to Search at launch (although it’s being added throughout This autumn 2024).
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What I like concerning the ROG Cellphone 9
Asus’ ROG Cellphone 9 bridges the hole between smartphones and the Steam Deck
Asus’ ROG suite is fairly well-known. The ROG Cellphone, nevertheless, flies somewhat underneath the radar. Nevertheless, it suits inside the Republic of Gamer household properly. A lot of the corporate’s experience in gaming {hardware} comes over into the cellular market. Whether or not or not the design philosophy is your fashion, the ROG Cellphone 9 was made to play video games on. The very first thing I did when testing the ROG Cellphone 9 was set up a small assortment of titles.
In fact, the cellular recreation on everybody’s thoughts proper now’s Pokémon TCG Pocket. It is a recreation that I’ve famous a couple of body fee dips when enjoying on iPhone 15 Pro, particularly whereas scrolling the Marvel Picks display screen. Definitely, Pokémon TCG Pocket will not be setting benchmarks for the ROG Cellphone 9. Nevertheless, it reveals that the dynamic refresh fee on the AMOLED show does wonders, even for extra passive video games and in-app experiences.
Name of Obligation: Warzone Cell ran silky clean with no noticeable display screen tearing throughout on-line matches. Utilizing the AirTriggers on the aspect of the gadget, I used to be in a position to mimic using aiming down sight and capturing my weapon like I do when enjoying on Xbox or PlayStation.
The place the ROG Cellphone 9’s gaming capabilities start to shine is when approaching extra performance-intensive video games. Putting in titles like Name of Obligation: Warzone Cell and Genshin Influence, I bought an opportunity to see the ROG Cellphone 9 shine underneath extra demanding circumstances. Primarily based on Geekbench 6 benchmarks, the ROG Cellphone 9 garnered a 3,207 CPU ranking with a ten,186 GPU ranking. Because of the Snapdragon 8 Elite‘s efficiency, Name of Obligation: Warzone Cell ran silky clean with no noticeable display screen tearing throughout on-line matches.
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Utilizing the AirTriggers on the aspect of the gadget, I used to be in a position to mimic using aiming down sight and capturing my weapon like I do when enjoying on Xbox or PlayStation. With Genshin Influence, Asus bakes in its X Sense AI options. Utilizing picture recognition know-how, objects have been mechanically picked up, and an auto-run capacity was accessible. I can not assist however attest that this use of AI is extremely modern for the ROG Cellphone 9. Sadly, the accessible 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 12 months. Primarily based on common use with intermittent video streaming and gaming, I squeezed round 21 hours of battery life out of the ROG Cellphone 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 would usually run the battery dry for round 5 hours. Asus can also be optimizing the thermal cooling of the gadget. There’s the cumbersome ROG AeroActive Cooler offered individually to extend the cooling primarily based on the CPU temperature. Nevertheless, I can not think about utilizing this whereas on the go.
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What I do not like concerning the ROG Cellphone 9
The ROG Cellphone 9 is a beast for gaming however performs it protected elsewhere
Asus does not draw back from this being a really ‘gamer’ smartphone for higher or worse. I am not a giant fan of how the ROG design philosophy interprets as a smartphone. The rugged angular edges of the digicam bump look gaudy to me. I perceive the enchantment of getting a textured rear for a gaming telephone. Nevertheless, the ROG Cellphone 9 feels somewhat low cost in my hand.
Had I used this as my major gadget over an prolonged interval, I would in all probability put money into a case to cowl it. The corporate set a precedent of the ROG Cellphone 9 being a gaming gadget. That is very obvious within the inventory UI after organising the gadget. The app icons for the Cellphone, Digital camera, and Gallery apps are removed from smooth in comparison with different Android gadgets.
I am additionally frankly underwhelmed by the digicam array of the ROG Cellphone 9. It is undoubtedly not Asus’ sturdy go well with. I am removed from a shutterbug however I might instantly see the disparity in photographs taken from my iPhone 15 Professional and the ROG Cellphone 9. On the Asus-made telephone, photographs look crisp and vivid. Nevertheless, as quickly as I pulled them onto my PC, they seemed much more lifeless and washed out. I needed to edit and bump the distinction in every of them for this overview simply to make them a bit extra interesting for me to have a look at.
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Must you purchase the ROG Cellphone 9?
An excellent cellular gaming rig for those who ignore gaming handhelds
It is simple that Asus packed in spectacular {hardware} to assist refine the ROG Cellphone 9. The smartphone options ample processing energy and a stellar battery to service on-the-go gaming. Sadly, I feel in doing so, the ROG Cellphone 9 does not do a lot to face out as a smartphone. Throughout all of its telephone properties, Asus performs it fairly protected.
As a cellular gaming smartphone, the ROG Cellphone 9 will serve you nicely. In the event you’re grinding by means of Genshin Influence or need to play some video games by way of the cloud, you will possible benefit from the consumer expertise. My solely want is that the standard of its gaming efficiency was maintained throughout the board. In the event you’re within the ROG Cellphone 9 for its gaming capabilities completely, I would virtually be extra compelled to counsel an ROG Ally or a Steam Deck as an alternative.
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Asus ROG Cellphone 9
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