The Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro is a gaming smartphone from top to bottom , and as you ’ll get hold out , from front to back as well . But is it still a proper casual flagship machine in addition to being able to provide all the sport gaming clobber when I want it ?
This was the direction Asus get hold of with theROG Phone 8 Pro , which ended up being surprisingly sensitive , at least compare to theROG Phone 7 Ultimate . I ’m very happy to say the ROG Phone 9 Pro continues the vogue and has even brought back a lilliputian bit of the rage that define the serial in the past times in a very unexpected way .
Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro: specs
13MP ultrawide
32MP telephoto , OIS , 3x optical zoom
15W wireless charge up
Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro: design
Asus toned the look of the ROG Phone serial down with the last coevals , and it has mostly repeated the same purpose for the latest model . If you thought Samsung was unsound for slightly refining but never really change the look of its phones , then the ROG Phone 9 Pro will likely make you pretty mad . Thankfully , the company has n’t entirely abandoned what made previous ROG Phones fun , as there ’s a dual - color Mini - LED show on the back , which Asus calls the AniMe Vision display . It demonstrate phone position entropy like the shelling charge , notifications , and the metre . We ’ll come back to what draw the AniMe displayreallyspecial in a moment .
The ROG Phone 9 Pro has the same dimensions as the ROG Phone 8 professional , but is a feeling labored at 227 gram , making it a heavyweight in your pocket , and up there with theiPhone 16 Pro Maxand theSamsung Galaxy S24 Ultra . Unlike those two earpiece , the ROG Phone 9 Pro ’s glass back panel has a silky lusterlessness grain , which , along with the quite flat metal chassis , allow very little raw traveling bag . There ’s something about the ROG Phone 9 Pro that make me habituate more pressure when holding it than I do with other devices , and fatigue gradually cringe in when browse the web or using apps like Reddit .
Leaving this aside , the ROG Phone 9 Pro continues the tradition of being designed for play and let in neat feature that enhance gameplay . There are two USB - ascorbic acid charging ports — an offset one on the end and a central one on the side — a 3.5 millimeter headphone squat , and a pair of shoulder joint - mounted touch controls called AirTriggers . This is one of the ROG Phone 9 Pro ’s best feature , as the AirTriggers are tactual and exact , make them highly useable . A welcome IP68 dust and water immunity rating make it suitably durable , too .
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It ’s hard to call the ROG Phone 9 Pro attractive with its Brutalist - inspired material body , hard line , virgule cuts , and nigrify - out coloring material strategy . It ’s most definitely functional , but it ’s not quite as well-heeled as it should be , and you should also carry to grip the phone heavily if you use it without a case .
Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro: performance
The ROG Phone 9 Pro is one of the first smartphones to launch with the latestQualcomm Snapdragon 8 Eliteprocessor indoors , and it ’s a serious power station with an huge 4.32Ghz clock speed . It ’s accompanied here by 16 GB of RAM . If you purchase the top ROG Phone 9 Pro Edition , it comes with a whopping24 GB of RAM . It ’s ridiculously powerful . Asus has updated its cooling system to cope with the micro chip . There ’s an even larger black lead cooling sheet , and the promise it will keep heat energy away from your hands and keep chassis rates in games higher for retentive .
While highly expect , there ’s also some trepidation around the Snapdragon 8 Elite due to it runningvery hot inside the Realme 7 Prowe tested late . How does it do in the ROG Phone 9 Pro ? I have n’t noticed any heat buildup during normal use , ranging from app use to watching video . Notably , during my fourth dimension with the phone , a software update did get in specifically addressing benchmark app performance . Running the 3DMark ’s intensive 20 - hour Solar Bay Stress Test show that even with this update and all the earphone ’s inner cooling , the scrap still render plenty of passion .
It does notoverheat , but by the end of the trial , I considered the phone ’s frame almost too red-hot to hold comfortably . The back of the phone is also hot than I gestate , sure far beyond what we saw with theSnapdragon 8 Gen 3 . The ROG Phone 9 Pro ’s temperature pass on 51 degrees Centigrade ( nearly 124 degree Fahrenheit ) during the test and took up to 16 % of the battery to go , making it clear that the speech sound was working hard .
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What ’s the takeaway here ? The Snapdragon 8 Elite run hot , but it does n’t cause the telephone set any operable problems . bench mark test do n’t reflect worldwide use , but can replicate the stress of spiel high - performance games for long period of time . I ’ve been using the top ROG Phone 9 Pro Edition , which has a crazy 24 GB of RAM . The chip ’s mega clock speeding and the monumental amount of RAM make the telephone set more powerful than my laptop , which is an harebrained program line .
A side of the phone ’s public presentation that deserve peculiar extolment is the audio . The stereo speakers have been tune up by Dirac to produce a fantastic , full , well - attack speech sound that ’s perfect for play and video . fatigue earpiece , and there ’s musical accompaniment for Hi - Res Audio and Hi - Res Wireless , Snapdragon Sound , and every AptX solution you could name . There ’s even a intensity divider ascendence for games with a picture - in - picture screen active . The audio capability and performance of the ROG Phone 9 Pro is unmatched by another current phone .
Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro: playing games
think back I read there was something very peculiar about the AniMe Vision display on the back of the phone ? Well , you could play plot on it . Yes , really . There are four dissimilar retro minigames , and you control the “ action ” using the AirTriggers while holding the phone “ backward . ” These are not advance plot in the tenuous , but I admit I ’ve had more playfulness playing them than I did playing many other bountiful - name titles I use to test phones . It ’s the silly characteristic I ’ve examine on a phone in geezerhood , but I utterly love it and adore that Asus has find oneself a fun and innovative way to convey some of the gambling madness back to the ROG Phone .
Asus has several particular software features that make its gaming speech sound unparalleled . The primary ones are X Mode , which maxes out performance , and Game Genie , which lets you customise how the telephone set exercise when playing games . New AI - found features admit X Sense , which uses image recognition to automobile - tight - forward dialogue , help oneself break up routes , and motorcar - upgrade skills in sure game , includingGenshin Impact , Arena of Valor , andHonkai : Star Rail . X Capture auto criminal record key instant in your biz .
I ’ve play several 30 - bit sessions ofAsphalt Legends : UniteandMobile Legends : Bang Bang , and it ’s a great gameplay experience . There ’s no heat buildup inAsphalt , and restrained heating system generate playingMobile Legends , but nothing close-fitting to the levels in the bench mark tests . The AirTriggers are easily customized and can raise games with complex control condition system . The berm curb , along with the many particular gambling modes , place the ROG Phone 9 Pro apart from other flagship earpiece when play games .
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The 6.78 - inch AMOLED covert get a refresh rate boost to 185Hz , but it ’s applied in the Game Genie setting and is n’t for regular use . I ’ve recreate games at 165Hz — the uttermost available in general function — and at 185Hz and ca n’t find any difference , as it ’s smooth and fuzz - free in both . Otherwise , the 2,400 x 1,080 pixel resolution , 720Hz soupcon sample distribution rate , and 2,500 nit peak brightness is all the same as the ROG Phone 8 Pro .
Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro: software
Android 15is installed , and as with other ROG Phone models , there ’s a pick of a loud substance abuser interface or a received Android one , with masses of customization to make the organisation look and go how you want . As usual , you may change the look of the image , the colour scheme , ROG base , and all the different sounds . All are really well made , and although they wo n’t be to everyone ’s taste , I love the amount of alternative you get .
As you ’d expect , Asus has added a selection of AI features to the software system . These include Google’sCircle to Search , a semantic search , AI Transcripts , and an AI Call displacement that works regardless of whether both parties are using an ROG Phone 9 Pro . All AI features piece of work on the sound rather than in the cloud and were first insure on theAsus Zenfone 11 .
I ’ve found the ROG Phone 9 Pro ’s software system to be reliable and gratifying to utilise , and I have come up up with my own tailored style that I like . regrettably , the on-going update support strike behind the competition , with Asus promising just two major Android version updates and five geezerhood of surety updates . When Google , Samsung , and OnePlus all bid five twelvemonth or more of major version updates , this is a disappointment , regardless of how you experience about whether you ’d realistically still own the phone in three eld ’ time or not .
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Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro: camera
The ROG Phone 9 Pro is n’t the phone to buy if you take mobile picture taking seriously . The main camera is a 50 - megapixel Sony Lytia with Asus ’ improved 6 - axis gimbal , which now compensates for five degrees of motion . It ’s joined by a 32MP telephoto lense for 3x optical zoom and a 13MP wide - slant tv camera . The hardware is essentially the same as on the ROG Phone 8 Pro , by from using a dissimilar 50MP chief sensor , which is disappointing , but somewhat understandable consider the sound ’s focus .
Photos assume with the main photographic camera are decent , but they can stand from noise , and there ’s obvious smoothing when you wait cautiously . The images can also lack some of the colourful punch delivered by the wide - angle camera . It does not seem to be a big step forward over the one used for the ROG Phone 8 Pro . While I prefer the colors and contrast of the spacious - angle camera , the dissonance and sharpening are even worse . This theme continues when you use the 3x optical zoom .
On the software side , Asus has introduce Photo Vibes , which are filters that are similar toApple ’s Photographic Styles . Unlike the iPhone , they can only be utilise when you take the photograph , not after editing . No one should buy the ROG Phone 9 Pro for the camera , and it ’s inauspicious that the package has not been sufficiently meliorate or better optimize for the new sensor . I have sex from the ROG Phone 8 that the rest of the hardware is competent .
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Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro: battery and charging
A 5,800mAh assault and battery resides inside the ROG Phone 9 Pro and has serious staying power . anticipate six hours of screen - on cosmopolitan use on a single mission , while a 40 - minute YouTube TV at 1440p uses up just 3 % , exhibit splendid efficiency from the Snapdragon 8 Elite . Asus says the battery will power through four - and - a - one-half hours of a uninterrupted , grueling gaming session .
Recharging can be performed wirelessly at 15 James Watt , but more quickly using the 65W wired charger in the box . It supports the USB PD 3 PPS standard so you may expend any compatible fast charger . The specification are the same as those of the ROG Phone 8 Pro , and it take around 45 minutes to charge the battery fully . The side - mount USB - degree Celsius embrasure is made for powering the phone while still playing game , and in the Game Genie menu , it can be trade to a ring road mode , so it only powers rather than charges , reducing heat and maintaining operation .
Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro: Which model should you choose?
I ’ve been reviewing the ROG Phone 9 Pro Edition , which is the top model available from Asus this twelvemonth , but there are two other versions of the phone to conceive . The range starts with the ROG Phone 9 , and it does not have the AniMe Vision ’s games , but a simpler edition of the display with 85 light-emitting diode dots compared to the 648 loony toons on the ROG Phone 9 professional . It gets a 5MP macro tv camera instead of the telephoto camera , and a uttermost of 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage space .
The ROG Phone 9 Pro and 9 Pro Edition are the same aside from the RAM and storage space boost , and the cellular inclusion of the AeroCooler X Pro in the box of the 9 Pro Edition . Whether this is deserving it reckon on how long you ’re going to play games for , and which stake you regularly play . If you ’re playing top , diagrammatically intensive games for more than a span of hours a Clarence Shepard Day Jr. , then it may be worth it .
Why ? The AeroCooler X Pro connects using the side USB - C port on the phone , and has a built - in lover power by it . Additionally it adds a subwoofer for the audio , a pair of physical shoulder joint buttons , a kickstand , and another 3.5 mm headphone squat . There ’s also an RGB dialog box because it ’s a gambling phone .
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Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro: price and availability
Like previous modelling , the Asus ROG Phone 9 serial publication has a staggered sack agenda . At the clip of writing , preorders for the Asus ROG Phone 9 serial publication in Europe and the U.K. start on November 19 , with shipments start in December . Asus plan to release the ROG Phone 9 serial in the U.S. in January 2025 , with more information coming presently .
The standard ROG Phone 9 with 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of memory board quad will be $ 999 , and the 16GB/512 GB ROG Phone 9 Pro will be $ 1,199 . The top ROG Phone 9 Pro Edition , which get with the AeroCooler X Pro , with its insane 24 GB of RAM and 1 TB of storage space , will be $ 1,499 . For reference , the ROG Phone 8 Pro was also $ 1,199 at launching .
The ROG Phone 8 Pro competes with theiPhone 16 Pro , theSamsung Galaxy S24 Ultra , and theGoogle Pixel 9 Pro . All are worthy alternatives , representing thebest phonesyou can buy at the moment . However , none have the same gambling - specific feature of speech and software , but they can still act all the top plot . As to whether the ROG Phone 9 Pro is the good choice for you , it ’ll be down to how important mobile gambling is to you .
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Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro: Should you buy it?
I ’ve felt a pang of disappointment using the ROG Phone 9 Pro . Not because it ’s bad ( far from it ) , but because it ’s extremely standardised to the ROG Phone 8 Pro . From the overall design , dimensions , and screen to the television camera and charging , it ’s the same headphone . The ROG Phone 8 Pro was a young beginning for Asus and the ROG Phone line , and it ’s a shame its transposition has n’t moved things ahead again .
There ’s no question it ’s a glorious phone for gaming . The AirTriggers are still the full of their variety that I ’ve examine . The audio performance vanquish the competition every time . The immensely brawny Snapdragon 8 Elite — which may be all some need to regard in term of buying the phone — does n’t seem to get too red-hot outside of some benchmark mental test and is influence up to be very efficient . lend the AeroCooler X Pro accessory , and you ’ve got a unique play telephone set that will be someone ’s dream equipment . If that ’s you , and you do n’t own the ROG Phone 8 Pro , you ’re go to love it .
For everyone else , it ’s a tough call . The ROG Phone 9 Pro is a gently updated ROG Phone 8 professional , and if you did n’t jump on that one , then this one wo n’t be for you either . The one final thing I ’ll say is the silly minigames on the ROG Phone 9 Pro ’s AniMe Vision display are in all likelihood my preferent thing about the whole phone , and maybe make it worth buy if you leave out the days when nomadic games were simple affairs .
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