Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro Review - The Everyday Gaming Smartphone

Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro Review: The Everyday Gaming Smartphone

The Asus ROG Phone 9 and Phone 9 Pro are the latest additions to the Republic of Gamers (ROG) family, and they mark a significant departure from the company’s previous gaming smartphones. While past models were hyper-focused on gaming, these new devices aim to strike a balance between gaming prowess and everyday usability. But has Asus found the winning formula? In this review, we’ll take a closer look at the ROG Phone 9 Pro and determine whether it’s truly a gaming smartphone for the masses.

Design and Build

The first thing you’ll notice about the ROG Phone 9 Pro is its sleek and stylish design. Gone are the sharp edges and aggressive lines of previous ROG phones; instead, this device features a more streamlined look that’s both visually appealing and comfortable to hold. The 6.7-inch AMOLED display dominates the front of the phone, with minimal bezels and a small chin at the bottom. The back is made of glass, which adds a touch of elegance and sophistication to the overall design.

The Phone 9 Pro also features a unique cooling system, which consists of a vapor chamber and a heat spreader. This helps keep the device running smoothly even during extended gaming sessions. The phone’s build quality is top-notch, with a sturdy frame that exudes a sense of premium craftsmanship.

Display and Audio

The AMOLED display on the ROG Phone 9 Pro is simply stunning. It produces rich, vibrant colors and deep blacks, making it perfect for gaming and multimedia consumption. The screen also supports HDR10+, which enhances the visual experience even further.

In terms of audio, the Phone 9 Pro boasts dual front-facing speakers that deliver crisp and clear sound. The speakers are tuned by audio experts at Asus, and they offer a surprisingly good listening experience for a smartphone. Additionally, there’s support for DTS:X Ultra, which provides an immersive 3D audio experience that’s perfect for gaming.

Gaming Performance

But what about the gaming performance? After all, this is a ROG phone, and gamers expect nothing but the best. Rest assured, the Phone 9 Pro delivers. It packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor, 12GB of RAM, and up to 512GB of UFS 3.0 storage. This hardware configuration provides seamless performance even during the most demanding games.

The Phone 9 Pro also features Asus’s HyperFusion technology, which combines the power of two separate GPUs to create a single, more powerful graphics processing unit. This results in faster frame rates and lower latency, making for a smoother gaming experience.

Software and User Interface

The ROG Phone 9 Pro runs on Android 11 out of the box, with Asus’s custom ROG UI skin on top. The software experience is surprisingly intuitive and user-friendly, with features like a dedicated gaming mode, called Armoury Crate, that optimizes performance for gaming sessions. There are also plenty of customization options, such as the ability to map gesture inputs and create macros for specific games.

The Armoury Crate app also offers real-time monitoring of CPU and GPU temperatures, which is a nice touch for gamers who like to keep an eye on their phone’s performance. Additionally, Asus has promised two years of software updates, which ensures that the Phone 9 Pro will stay up to date with the latest gaming trends and features.

Battery Life and Charging

The ROG Phone 9 Pro is equipped with a large 6000mAh battery that easily lasts a full day of moderate use. Of course, heavy gaming sessions will drain the battery faster, but Asus has included a fast-charging feature that replenishes up to 50% of the battery in just 30 minutes.

Camera Performance

The camera on the ROG Phone 9 Pro is surprisingly good for a gaming smartphone. It features a 64MP primary sensor, which captures crisp and detailed images in most lighting conditions. There’s also a 13MP front-facing camera that’s perfect for selfies or streaming live gameplay.

The camera software is user-friendly, with plenty of features like optical zoom, portrait mode, and more. The phone can also record videos in 4K at up to 60fps, which is impressive for a smartphone.

Conclusion

The Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro is an impressive gaming smartphone that manages to strike a perfect balance between gaming prowess and everyday usability. The sleek design, stunning display, and powerful audio make it a joy to use for both gaming and multimedia consumption.

The phone’s gaming performance is top-notch, thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor and HyperFusion technology. The custom ROG UI skin offers plenty of features that gamers will appreciate, such as real-time monitoring of CPU and GPU temperatures and the ability to map gesture inputs.

The battery life is excellent, and the fast-charging feature ensures that you can quickly top up your phone when needed. The camera performance is also surprisingly good for a gaming smartphone.

In conclusion, the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro has truly found the winning formula. It’s an exceptional gaming smartphone that’s also an excellent everyday device. If you’re in the market for a new phone that can handle both work and play with ease, this is definitely worth considering.

FAQs:

1. Is the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro only for gamers? No, the Phone 9 Pro is designed to appeal to both gamers and non-gamers alike. Its sleek design, stunning display, and powerful audio make it an excellent everyday smartphone, while its gaming performance and features will still satisfy even the most demanding gamers.
2. Does the Phone 9 Pro support 5G connectivity? Yes, the ROG Phone 9 Pro supports 5G connectivity, ensuring that you can enjoy lightning-fast speeds and low latency when gaming or streaming content online.
3. How does the Phone 9 Pro’s cooling system work? The Phone 9 Pro features a vapor chamber and heat spreader that work together to dissipate heat away from the processor and other components, ensuring that the phone runs smoothly even during extended gaming sessions.
4. Is the ROG UI skin user-friendly? Yes, the custom ROG UI skin on top of Android 11 is surprisingly intuitive and user-friendly, with plenty of features that gamers will appreciate. The software experience is also optimized for gaming, making it easy to navigate and access key features during gameplay.
5. What are the camera specifications for the ROG Phone 9 Pro? The ROG Phone 9 Pro features a 64MP primary sensor, a 13MP front-facing camera, and supports up to 4K video recording at 60fps. The camera software is also user-friendly, with plenty of features like optical zoom, portrait mode, and more.