Asus ROG Phone 6 Pro review

Gaming telephones are a comparatively trendy idea, with the primary handsets arriving simply 5 years in the past. A number of manufacturers have been vying to your consideration since then, together with Razer, Black Shark and Crimson Magic. 
 
But it surely’s Asus that has emerged because the market chief, going above and past what you’d anticipate from any telephone. Nonetheless, ROG (Republic of players) Telephones are sometimes dearer than rival handsets, so it’s not at all times an apparent alternative. 
 
Relating to the ROG Telephone 6 Collection, issues get much more difficult. There are common and Professional fashions to select from, with the latter reviewed right here.  

Does it do sufficient to justify the premium price ticket, or would paying much less nonetheless get you all the things you need from a gaming telephone? I spent a number of weeks with 6 Professional to search out out. 

Design and construct

• Premium however cumbersome design 
• Eye-catching gamer aesthetic 
• Secondary show has restricted performance 

The ROG Telephones have by no means tried to cover the truth that they’re gaming telephones, and that’s no totally different right here. Asus has caught with a cumbersome, imposing design for the 6 Professional, within the data that it’ll not be to everybody’s tastes.  

A handset that weighs 239g may also put individuals off, though it’s not a lot heavier than the Galaxy S22 Extremely (229g). Certainly, I had no drawback holding the telephone for lengthy durations, though any one-handed utilization is sort of uncomfortable. 

That’s primarily attributable to a big 6.78in show, with Asus choosing small bezels moderately than a notch of any sort. It provides the 6 Professional a lovely symmetry, particularly when gaming in panorama mode. 

Asus has put this house to good use, providing twin front-facing audio system and a 12Mp selfie digital camera. The latter can be used for face unlock, however the optical in-display fingerprint scanner is mostly higher for comfort and safety. My expertise utilizing the sensor was largely optimistic, though it wasn’t fairly as seamless as I’d hoped. On a number of events, I needed to regulate my grip or take away extra moisture earlier than it might work correctly. 

Flipping the telephone over reveals that traditional gamer aesthetic the ROG Telephone is thought for. It’s notably obvious on the eye-catching ‘Storm White’ mannequin I examined, but it surely’s additionally obtainable in ‘Steel’ when you’d favor a extra muted design. 

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

The secondary ‘ROG Imaginative and prescient’ show makes its return to the again of the telephone, however shifts to a vertical place on the correct aspect. It may be used to show battery share, incoming calls and particulars about equipment you’ve linked, however there’s nonetheless no help for notifications. This is among the key upgrades in comparison with the common mannequin, but it surely provides comparatively little to the general expertise. 

Choosing metallic on the again of the telephone provides to the general weight, however makes the 6 Professional really feel impressively sturdy. It’s additionally the primary technology of ROG Telephone with any official waterproofing ranking – IPX4 – which means it’s secure from splashes of water. You continue to received’t need to drop it within the pool, although, as this isn’t lined. 

The opposite defining function on the again of the telephone is a triple rear digital camera module. It has a brand new form and has shifted up the gadget barely in comparison with earlier ROG telephones, however this a delicate change I quickly forgot about. Regardless of it making a slight digital camera bump, utilizing the 6 Professional face up on a desk isn’t a problem. 

The perimeters of the gadget make it very clear which method spherical you ought to be gaming. On the correct (or high, when used horizontally), you’ll discover energy and quantity controls, alongside twin shoulder triggers. In the meantime, the other aspect provides a second USB-C port to allow you to comfortably play video games whereas charging. 

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

It’s a easy however very efficient design, with the side-mounted port taking precedence ought to each be linked on the similar time. The twin SIM card tray subsequent to it provides a splash of blue on the white mannequin, but it surely doesn’t help expandable storage by way of microSD. 

The one different design function of be aware is a 3.5mm headphone jack, nestled discreetly subsequent to the opposite USB-C port. This turns into the top-right nook when gaming in panorama mode, which doesn’t are inclined to get in the way in which when you’re plugged in.

Show and audio

• Beautiful 165Hz OLED show 
• Spectacular 720Hz contact sampling 
• Wonderful audio system 

The ROG Telephone 6 Professional’s show is similar to its predecessor. It’s nonetheless a 6.78in, 2448×1080 OLED panel, however the most refresh charge is now 165Hz moderately than 144Hz. This can be a delicate change, however brings it degree with the Crimson Magic 7 and seven Professional as one of many highest refresh charge telephones you should buy. 

The responsiveness and fluidity it presents is gorgeous, however most individuals are higher off staying in ‘Auto’ mode. This will robotically transfer between 165Hz, 144Hz, 120Hz, 90Hz and 60Hz relying on the app or scenario, saving battery life with out impacting efficiency. 

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

Asus has additionally improved the telephone’s contact sampling charge, a measure of the variety of occasions a show can register contact enter each second. It’s now 720Hz, matching what you’ll discover on the Crimson Magic 7. The Crimson Magic 7 Professional is even larger at 960Hz, however drops right down to a 120Hz show refresh charge to attain it. 

Even in on a regular basis utilization, it’s arduous to not be impressed by the 6 Professional’s show. It delivers glorious element and vibrant colors, making for an immersive viewing expertise. The panel additionally will get impressively vivid, reaching 500 nits at max brightness in testing. Consequently, out of doors visibility in most situations isn’t an issue. 

Audio is one thing that’s usually missed on trendy smartphones, however the ROG Telephone 6 Professional makes it a precedence. A big front-facing speaker combines with the earpiece for a stereo setup that’s very spectacular.  

Music and sport sound results are wealthy and full-bodied, serving to to essentially add to the general expertise. You additionally get a satisfying hit of bass, one thing that’s usually missing on different handsets. After all, you possibly can at all times join Bluetooth headphones or wired audio units by way of the three.5mm jack when you’d favor. 

Specs and efficiency

• Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 and 18GB RAM 
• Stellar efficiency, however can run scorching 
• 512GB non-expandable storage 

The ROG Telephone 6 Professional’s most notable improve may be discovered beneath the hood. It makes use of the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, Qualcomm’s new top-of-the-line 5G chip. On the time of writing, it’s one among solely three handsets on sale to make use of it, however a lot extra are on the way in which.  

Efficiency features in comparison with the common 8 Gen 1 are minor, however you’ll discover a much bigger bounce in comparison with the sooner Snapdragon 888+ that powered the ROG Telephone 5S and 5S Professional. Right here, Asus pairs it with an Adreno 730 GPU and 18GB of RAM on the one configuration obtainable. 

That is arguably probably the most highly effective telephone you should buy proper now, so it ought to come as no shock to study that efficiency is stellar. The 6 Professional handles each demanding sport you possibly can throw at it with ease, whether or not it’s Name of Responsibility: Cellular, PUBG Cellular, FIFA Cellular or Actual Racing 3. 

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

Nonetheless, none of these video games can output at 165Hz, and even 144Hz. Solely a small collection of titles help these ultra-high refresh charges, and so they’re in all probability not what you’re shopping for this telephone for. Subway Surfers and Hill Climb Racing are a pleasure to play, however even some finances telephones can run these video games easily. 

The ROG Telephone 6 Professional barely breaks a sweat most of time, and it looks as if the gadget has loads of efficiency in hand. That’s much more obvious once you use it as a daily smartphone, the place it feels virtually ridiculously overpowered. 

Nonetheless, that’s not essentially mirrored within the benchmarks beneath, with the 6 Professional supposedly lagging behind some rivals:

With no built-in fan, the telephone will get noticeably heat to the contact after just some minutes. Asus depends on an improved thermal system to get the job completed, but it surely’s noticeably much less efficient.

You possibly can join the non-obligatory AeroActive Cooler 6 for an prompt hit of cooling, but it surely’s cumbersome and annoying to make use of. No marvel Asus solely recommends utilizing it once you’re gaming for longer than an hour. 

Whereas on the topic, it’s value highlighting one other accent you should buy for the 6 Professional. The Kunai 3 Gamepad transforms the telephone into a correct console by way of two totally different modes.  

You possibly can dock the controls on all sides of the telephone for a Change-like expertise or mix them into an Xbox-style controller that connects by way of Bluetooth or USB-C. Solely a handful of video games are supported, however enjoying the likes of Asphalt 9 was a variety of enjoyable. 

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

As I alluded to earlier, there’s no expandable storage on the 6 Professional. You’ll should be happy with 512GB, though that’s a lot for most individuals. 

Battery and charging

• 6000mAh whole battery capability 
• Very good battery life, even at 165Hz 
• 65W quick charging, plus further options 

Just like the final 4 generations of ROG Telephone, the 6 Professional is supplied with twin 3000mAh batteries, offering a complete capability of 6000mAh. That’s nonetheless one of many largest you’ll discover in any handset, so there was no actual purpose to improve it. 

Certainly, battery life is among the telephone’s key strengths. With the refresh charge set to ‘Auto’ mode, I might comfortably get a full day of reasonable utilization, plus an hour or two of gaming. For on a regular basis use circumstances, you’re nearer to 2 days. 

Inside testing backs that up. With the brightness set to a reasonably typical 200 nits, I recorded 11 hours and 51 minutes in PC Mark’s battery benchmark. Slightly than present a measure of screen-on time, this goals to simulate real-world utilization. It was additionally carried out at 165Hz and with none battery saver modes turned on – altering both of those will extend battery life even additional. 

Once you do run out, Asus helpfully contains its 65W quick charger within the field, which can be utilized with both of the USB-C ports. My pattern went from 0-59% in quarter-hour, then 88% by the half-hour mark. In beneath 45 minutes, the gadget was totally charged – that’s per Asus’s claims. 

To assist extend the battery’s lifespan, you possibly can even set it to cease charging when it hits 80% or 90%, which continues to be a lot for a full day’s common utilization. It’s also possible to schedule it to solely cost at sure occasions, akin to within the jiffy main as much as your alarm. There’s no wi-fi charging right here, however it is a nice substitute. 

Digicam and video

• Spectacular 50Mp principal sensor 
• Ultrawide and macro much less spectacular 
• First rate selfie digital camera 

The ROG Telephone 6 Professional’s principal focus is gaming, but it surely must be a strong common smartphone too. In that regard, cameras are crucially essential. 

Curiously, the 6 Professional makes use of a 50Mp principal digital camera moderately than the 64Mp one on the 5S Professional. Nonetheless, the next megapixel rely not often interprets into robotically higher picture high quality. That is an upgraded sensor, and I used to be impressed with the stills it produced. 

That’s notably obvious in good lighting situations, the place it produces vibrant pictures brimming with element. These aren’t fairly true to life, but it surely means many individuals received’t must edit their images later.

It dealt with some tough shadows higher than anticipated, avoiding overexposing the background. Pictures of structure are an actual energy, but it surely additionally performs nicely in road images and panorama imagery. Nonetheless, with no devoted depth sensor, portrait-style pictures are underwhelming. Edge detection is an actual difficulty, though you possibly can change the quantity of background blur after the picture is taken.  

It’s nice to have the pliability of an ultra-wide lens, however at 13Mp it’s a noticeable drop in high quality. You possibly can nonetheless get some pleasing pictures, however lots of the delicate particulars are misplaced and the sky tends to be overexposed. The 5Mp macro sense avoids a few of these points, however delivers poor close-up pictures with washed-out colors. 

There’s a software-based night time mode too, but it surely doesn’t do an excellent job of brightening or including element to low-light pictures. 

Thankfully, the 12Mp selfie digital camera is way more usable. It nonetheless struggles in harsh lighting, however more often than not you’ll get a crisp shot that retains loads of particulars within the background. 

See a variety of digital camera samples within the slideshow beneath: 

On the video aspect, the 6 Professional can seize footage as much as 8K at 24fps. However for most individuals, the default 1080p at 30fps will just do effective. There’s no OIS, however digital picture stabilisation on the principle and ultrawide lenses helps video to stay regular more often than not. 

Software program and updates

• Zen UI & ROG UI over Android 12 
• A number of further instruments for players 
• Solely two years of updates 

On the ROG Telephone 6 Professional, you’ll discover a mixture of Asus’ Zen UI and ROG UI skins over Android 12. Regardless of this, it’s surprisingly much like the model you’ll discover on Pixel telephones, with rounded icon corners, the brand new fast settings design, and a Google Uncover feed subsequent to the house display. 

Nonetheless, the ROG tweaks kick in when you activate X Mode, Asus’ devoted house for gaming. When activated, it’s an efficient solution to increase sport efficiency and minimise the distracting impact of notifications.  

The Armoury Crate companion app presents a variety of customisation choices, however most of those add little to the general expertise. A social feed often known as ‘ROG Join’ could also be extra helpful, however just for sure individuals. 

When you’ve began enjoying, Recreation Genie kicks in with fast entry to all of the instruments you’ve come to anticipate from gaming telephones – together with a number of totally different efficiency modes. 

When it comes to software program updates, Asus ensures two main variations of Android for its telephones. Meaning the ROG Telephone 6 Professional will solely get Android 13 and its successor (probably Android 14), with safety updates coming to an finish after round 24 months. 

That meets Google’s minimal suggestions, however many telephone firms are way more beneficiant lately. Contemplating you’re spending a lot on the 6 Professional, it actually must be lasting greater than two years. 

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

Worth and availability

Contemplating all the things you’re getting right here, it’s no shock to study that the ROG Telephone 6 Professional doesn’t come low cost. There’s just one configuration obtainable, providing 18GB of RAM and 512GB of storage for £1,099/€1,299. Pre-orders shall be stay in early August however a particular launch date isn’t but identified. The telephone shall be obtainable within the US sooner or later, however Asus hasn’t revealed when.

Its worth places it firmly in flagship telephone territory, and it’s the most costly gaming telephone by far. Because it seems, the common mannequin (from £899/€999) is the following most reasonably priced, with the Black Shark 5 Professional and Crimson Magic 7 Professional considerably cheaper. 

It’s additionally value contemplating whether or not you actually need a gaming telephone. At this worth, you possibly can get an iPhone 13 Professional or Samsung Galaxy S22 Extremely, each of which supply flagship-level efficiency and a 120Hz refresh charge inside a extra well-rounded gadget, with for much longer software program help.

The ROG Telephone 6 Professional is an unbelievable telephone, however it is extremely costly.

Verdict

The ROG Telephone 5S and 5S Professional have been somewhat underwhelming by Asus’ lofty requirements, however the firm has emphatically put that proper this time round.  

The ROG Telephone 6 Professional is powered by the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, Qualcomm’s newest top-of-the-line chip. Mixed with 18GB of RAM, you’ll wrestle to search out higher efficiency on any smartphone.  

The telephone additionally has the joint-highest refresh charge of any telephone at 165Hz, bettering a show that was already glorious. Due to the 6000mAh battery, battery life stays an actual spotlight. 

Elsewhere, you now get a greater principal digital camera on the again than on older fashions, plus IPX4 water resistance for the primary time and a few spectacular charging options. 

Nonetheless, it’s not all excellent news. The opposite rear cameras are underwhelming, whereas a heavy, cumbersome design received’t please all cell players. Asus nonetheless hasn’t included a built-in fan both, so the telephone can run scorching except you join an exterior model that’s offered individually. 

None of those must be dealbreakers on a gaming telephone, however they turn out to be extra important once you’re paying quite a bit. In case you don’t want 18GB of RAM or a small secondary show on the again, the common ROG Telephone 6 (or one thing much more reasonably priced) might supply all the things you need for much less. 

Specs

• Android 12 with ROG UI & Zen UI 
• 6.78in FHD+ (1448×1080) AMOLED show, 120Hz refresh charge, 720Hz contact sampling 
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 
• 18GB RAM 
• 512GB inside storage (non-expandable) 
• 50Mp principal lens with EIS 
• 13Mp ultrawide lens with EIS 
• 5Mp macro lens 
• 12Mp selfie lens 
• Fingerprint scanner (in-screen) 
• Bluetooth 5.2 
• GPS 
• NFC 
• 5G 
• Twin-SIM 
• IPX4 ranking 
• Twin 3000mAh non-removable batteries (6000mAh whole capability) 
• 65W wired charging 
• 173 x 77 x 10.3 mm 
• 239g