[UPDATE] ASUS ROG Phone Hands-on Impression

As we’ve been speculating on the ROG Phone since April 2017, we finally got to see it and feel it in our hands! The ROG Phone is the first Android gaming-centric phone by Asus ROG which combines the world’s fastest speed-binned 2.9Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor with an innovative state-of-the-art cooling system that ensures sustainable frame rates. With beautiful HDR displays, the AirTriggers and tactile enhancements contribute to your gaming experience.

*Update: The price has revealed and check out our full review here!

Check out our first-hand experience of the ROG Phone below:

If you think it’s just a mobile phone, it’s more than that! The phone has an exclusive collection of transformative expansion accessories like a dock which connects your mobile device to your desktop. It doubles as a screen and battery, adding in console-like controls with a wireless display.

Specifications

Processor	World’s fastest, speed-binned 2.96GHz octa-core Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 845 Mobile Platform
GPU	Qualcomm® Adreno™ 630
UI	ROG Gaming UI
Display	6.0“ 18:9 (2160 x 1080) AMOLED 90Hz refresh rate with 1ms pixel response time Follow @GamerBraves 108.6% DCI-P3 color gamut 10000:1 contrast ratio Capacitive touchscreen with 10-point multitouch (supports Glove Touch) Discrete image processing chip supports HDR display
Dimensions	158.8 x 76.2 x 8.6mm
Weight	200 g
Battery	4,000mAh
Memory	LPDDR4 8GB RAM
Storage	UFS 2.1, 128 / 512GB
Sensors	Accelerometer, e-compass, proximity sensor, hall sensor, ambient-light sensor, fingerprint sensor, gyroscope, 2 x ultrasonic AirTrigger sensors
Wireless connectivity	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	Supports GPS, aGPS, Glonass, BeiDou
I/O ports	Side: Custom USB-C™ Supports 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: USB-C™ Supports USB 2.0 / fast charging (QC3.0/PD3.0) (20W) / Direct Charge 3.5mm headphone jack
Front Camera	8MP
Main Camera	12MP + 8MP (120° wide-angle)
Voice Wakeup	Yes
Speakers	Dual front-facing stereo speakers with smart amplifier 24-bit/192KHz hi-res audio DTS Headphone:X™ 7.1 virtual surround-sound Qualcomm® aptX™ high-definition Bluetooth® wireless audio
NFC	Supported

As seen in the specifications table above, with the 2.96Ghz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor accompanied with the gaming-optimized Adreno 630 GPU, it becomes one of the world’s most high-end mobile phones that is specifically made for gaming. With the innovative GameCool vapor-chamber cooling system, it keeps your games running at top speeds with ultra-smooth frame rates and if that’s not enough, there’s also a detachable AeroActive Cooler for your extra cooling needs.

As seen from above, the Dual Screen Dock allows you to connect with a monitor which can be used to project maps, items, or your game statistics to be shown there. Currently, the Dual Screen Dock works for Garena’s Free Fire and Asphalt 9 and is to be bought separately. This also allows users to launch 2 different apps at the same time, for instance, your Twitch on the top screen while you game on the bottom screen.

Capable of displaying a constant 90Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time, your games are ensured to run smoothly. Thanks to the AMOLED screen with HDR visuals, it provides stunningly detailed visuals with realistic colors, so you can watch your HD videos too while you’re taking a break from gaming!

If you’re into hardcore competitive gaming, the ROG Phone is equipped with the ultra-responsive AirTriggers and an advanced haptics Precision control which are programmable sensors that provides you the best responsive times you need while gaming. An integrated ROG Game Center can monitor the phone’s memory usage and be optimized for your game experience. With a side-mounted port for a comfortable landscape grip, it will provide you further comfort that leaves cables out of the way while you’re gaming on it.

The ROG Phone will be launched worldwide somewhere in 2018, starting from Taiwan, then mainland China, South East Asia and Japan. Europe and North America will follow suit later. The related peripherals mentioned will be available in bundles and are currently scheduled for August or September.