Today at Computex 2018, ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) is unveiling the much rumoured gaming-centric smartphone – the ROG Phone. It is the first ROG gaming smartphone and also the first of its kind to come with a 3D vapour-chamber cooling system. Packed with the top-of-the-line specs and gaming oriented designs, this will be the greatest contender against the Razer Phone and Xiaomi Blackshark.

ROG Phone Specs

  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, speed-binned @ 2.96 GHz
  • Qualcomm Adreno 630
  • LPDDR4 8GB RAM
  • UFS 2.1, 128 GB / 512 GB
  • 6.0-inch 18:9 1080 x 2160 AMOLED
    90 Hz refresh rate with 1ms response time
    108.6% DCI-P3 colour gamut
    Discrete image processing chip with HDR
  • Accelerometer, e-compass, proximity sensor, hall sensor, ambient light sensor, fingerprint sensor, gyroscope, 2 x ultrasonic AirTrigger sensors
  • 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ad 2×2 MIMO
    Wi-Fi Direct and Wi-Fi Certified WiGig 802.11ad wireless display support
    Bluetooth 5.0
  • GPS, aGPS, Glonass, BeiDou
  • Side I/O: Custom USB-C USB 3.1 Gen 1 / DP 1.4 (4K) / fast charging (QC 3.0 + QC 4.0 / PD 3.0) (15W)
    ASUS HyperCharge direct charging
  • Bottom I/O: USB-C USB 2.0 / fast charging (QC3.0 / PD3.0) (20W) / Direct Charge
    3.5mm headphone jack
  • Rear Camera: 12 MP + 8 MP (120-degree ultra wide
  • Front Camera: 8 MP
  • Dual front-facing stereo speakers with smart amplifier
    24-bit/192KHz hi-res audio
    DTS Headphone:XTM 7.1 virtual surround-sound
    Qualcomm aptXTM high-definition Bluetooth wireless audio
  • 158.8 x 76.2 x 8.6 mm
  • 200 grams
  • 4000 mAh
  • ROG Gaming UI with Android 8.0 Oreo

Speed-binned 2.96 GHz SDM845 Processor

ASUS ROG is working closely with Qualcomm to obtain the special version of the Snapdragon 845 processor that is almost 200 MHz faster (5.7%) than the stock configuration (2.8 GHz). Paired with the powerful Adreno 630 GPU @ 710 MHz, 8GB LPDDR4 RAM and UFS 2.1 internal storage, the ROG Phone will fly through all the games without any issue.

In fact, during our hands-on session, the phone is capable of running two graphics demanding games on the TwinView Dock at the same time.

High-Quality Gaming-Grade Display

ASUS ROG Phone

ASUS ROG has opted for a 90Hz display instead of the premium 120Hz, for the reason that the latter one would require additional processing power and generate more heat. In other words, the processing power as of now is more efficient to run a 90Hz 1080p display. Not to mention the AMOLED panel has a 1ms response time.

ASUS even made a comparison against the Razer Phone’s 120Hz IGZO display where they boast that the ROG Phone’s AMOLED display has much better picture quality, wider colour gamut, higher dynamic range, deeper blacks and thinner.

Gaming Peripherals Support

Through the custom USB-C connector and Bluetooth 5.0, the ROG Phone is capable of connecting to various accessories such as gaming keyboard/mouse and gamepads. Thanks to the USB 3.1 protocol, users can even connect to an external display and multiple USB devices.

AeroActive Cooler

The detachable AeroActive Cooler is a unique cooling solution that mounts to the back of the phone. It has an additional USB-C connector and 3.5mm audio jack as well.

ROG TwinView Dock

The TwinView Dock is a unique handheld docking mechanism that features a built-in 6000 mAh battery, the same 6-inch 18:9 1080p 90Hz 1ms AMOLED display, and an extra pair of stereo speakers.

After docking the ROG Phone into it, the phone would drive two screens at the same time while the dock charges the phone. When the dock’s battery runs dry, the dock will no longer work as it does not draw power from the phone.

As of now, ASUS ROG is still working with game developers in developing games that could support dual screen, therefore, right now you can either run 2 apps or play 2 different games at the same time with the TwinView Dock.

ROG Mobile Desktop Dock

The Mobile Desktop Dock converts the ROG Phone into a desktop gaming machine. It has all the required I/O ports:

  • 3.5mm microphone & speaker port
  • HDMI
  • Display Port
  • Gigabit LAN Port
  • 4 x USB 3 ports
  • Thunderbolt 3 port

ROG GameVice Controller & WiGig Wireless Display

The GameVice controller connects to the phone via the USB-C port at the bottom and instantly transforms the ROG Phone into a Nintendo Switch.

Also shown here is the WiGig Wireless display over the 802.11AD WiFI. I couldn’t tell if there’s any delay or latency with the wireless display streaming technology. So, thumbs up from me.

ROG Delta Headset

Also announced during the press event is the ROG Delta headset with USB-C connectivity. Featuring HiFi-grade ESS quad-DAC and ASUS Essence drivers for clear and true-to-life audio. It is also the first gaming headset with circular-rainbow RGB lighting effects.

Pricing & Availability

The ROG Phone will be available worldwide from Q3 2018 onwards, starting from Taiwan, then Mainland China, South East Asia and Japan. Europe and North America will follow.

Related peripherals will be available in bundles, which is scheduled for August/September 2018.

No pricing and availability date for Malaysia market as of now. We will keep you guys updated.

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