Asus’ ROG Cellphone 9 evaluation: the gaming powerhouse

One of many main boons within the smartphone area lately 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 needed to be an avid supporter of cellular gaming for years at this level, however there was various hurdles in the way in which. 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 probability 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 collection of nice options to complement and energy the gaming experience. The ROG Cellphone 9 collection 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 Cellphone 9 underwhelms on the subject of day-to-day use, particularly concerning its digicam.

Your modifications have been saved

Beneficial

Asus ROG Cellphone 9

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

Professionals

• Gorgeous AMOLED Show
• AirTriggers are a modern addition
• As much as 21 hours of battery

Cons

• Gamer-first design and UI is ugly
• Digicam 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 Cellphone 9 launches on Tuesday, November nineteenth. The bottom mannequin of the collection is accessible 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 Cellphone 9 does supply as much as 185Hz when utilizing its Recreation Genie for a fair 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 cellphone 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) kind issue. Out there in storm white and phantom black, the ROG Cellphone 9’s physique includes a crystallized nano-texture. Lastly, the system helps AirTrigger buttons on the fitting aspect of the unit. These act as refined triggers that replicate the usage of a controller.

Asus additionally provides a couple of AI-powered options throughout the ROG Cellphone 9 collection. Many of those, unsurprisingly, are designed for use whereas taking part in video games. These which are obtainable for normal 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 assist Circle to Search at launch (although it’s being added throughout This fall 2024).

Associated

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

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

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 a bit of below the radar. Nonetheless, it suits throughout 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 type, 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.

After all, the cellular sport on everybody’s thoughts proper now’s Pokémon TCG Pocket. It is a sport that I’ve famous a couple of body price dips when taking part in on iPhone 15 Pro, particularly whereas scrolling the Surprise Picks display. Actually, Pokémon TCG Pocket is just not setting benchmarks for the ROG Cellphone 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 Cellphone 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 Affect, I acquired an opportunity to see the ROG Cellphone 9 shine below extra demanding circumstances. Based mostly on Geekbench 6 benchmarks, the ROG Cellphone 9 garnered a 3,207 CPU score with a ten,186 GPU score. Because of the Snapdragon 8 Elite‘s efficiency, Name of Obligation: Warzone Cellular ran silky clean with no noticeable display tearing throughout on-line matches.

Associated

Google’s new Genie 2 AI model is here, and it wants to suck the soul out of game design

Google’s DeepMind group of scientists and engineers have simply introduced Genie 2, which may auto-generate total 3D online game worlds on the fly.

Utilizing the AirTriggers on the aspect of the system, I used to be capable of mimic the usage of aiming down sight and taking pictures my weapon like I do when taking part in on Xbox or PlayStation. With Genshin Affect, Asus bakes in its X Sense AI options. Utilizing picture recognition expertise, gadgets have been mechanically picked up, and an auto-run capability was obtainable. I am unable to assist however attest that this use of AI is extremely revolutionary for the ROG Cellphone 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 12 months. Based mostly 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 might sometimes run the battery dry for round 5 hours. Asus can also be optimizing the thermal cooling of the system. There’s the cumbersome ROG AeroActive Cooler offered individually to extend the cooling primarily based on the CPU temperature. Nonetheless, I am unable to think about utilizing this whereas on the go.

Associated

YouTube’s hidden gaming section is finally worth checking out

YouTube is beginning to add multiplayer performance to a few of the video games in its Playable video games library.

What I do not like concerning the ROG Cellphone 9

The ROG Cellphone 9 is a beast for gaming however performs it secure 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 attraction of getting a textured rear for a gaming cellphone. Nonetheless, the ROG Cellphone 9 feels a bit of 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 Cellphone 9 being a gaming system. That is very obvious within the inventory UI after organising the system. The app icons for the Cellphone, Digicam, and Gallery apps are removed from modern 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 may instantly see the disparity in images taken from my iPhone 15 Professional and the ROG Cellphone 9. On the Asus-made cellphone, images look crisp and vivid. Nonetheless, as quickly as I pulled them onto my PC, they regarded much more lifeless and washed out. I needed to edit and bump the distinction in every of them for this evaluation 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 you must do is level and shoot to take photograph on iPhone, however you may have extra enjoyable fussing with the settings in these apps.

Do you have to purchase the ROG Cellphone 9?

An amazing cellular gaming rig should you 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 cellphone properties, Asus performs it fairly secure.

As a cellular gaming smartphone, the ROG Cellphone 9 will serve you effectively. When you’re grinding by means of Genshin Affect or need to play some video games through the cloud, you may doubtless benefit from the consumer expertise. My solely want is that the standard of its gaming efficiency was maintained throughout the board. When you’re within the ROG Cellphone 9 for its gaming capabilities completely, I might virtually be extra compelled to counsel an ROG Ally or a Steam Deck as a substitute.

Your modifications have been saved

Beneficial

Asus ROG Cellphone 9

Associated

Balatro just picked up its first major Game of the Year award

Balatro, the roguelike card sport that has endeared many, has gained Apple’s Arcade Recreation of the Yr.