Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
You belike did n’t expecta flagship smartphone to set up at CES 2024 — a show where mobile news is usually secondary to goggle box , computers , and wearables . But Asus has used its Las Vegas sojourn to reveal the ROG Phone 8 and ROG Phone 8 Pro , the latest models in its long - running gambling phone range .
It ’s not just the timing that ’s unexpected — it ’s the ROG Phone 8 Pro itself . Yes , it ’s an Asus Republic of Gamers ( ROG ) smartphone purpose at mobile gamers , but it ’s also unlike all the others that have add up before it . If you expected the ROG Phone 8 Pro to be an all - out , zero - via media gambling giant , prepare to be a small taken aback by what itactuallyis .
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What you need to know about the ROG Phone 8 Pro
Before we get into what makes the ROG Phone 8 and ROG Phone 8 Pro so surprising , rent ’s verbalize about the specifications , because that ’s stark ROG . There are two good example in the mountain chain , with the ROG Phone 8 professional being the sound I ’ve been try out out , and the one with the high specification . AQualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3processor sits at its heart , backed up by 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of store blank , but you’re able to also get a monster version with 24 GB of RAM and 1 TB of storage .
There ’s a 6.78 - inch LPTO Samsung flexible AMOLED touch screen with a maximal 165Hz refresh charge per unit for some game , while at all other time , it runs between 1Hz and 120Hz . It also has 720Hz touch sample and a Brobdingnagian 2,500 nit maximum luminousness . It ’s congeal under flat chalk , with belittled bezels than previous ROG Phones , in an 8.9 mm thick alloy body that count 228 gram . For the first time , Asus has made the ROG Phone weewee and dust resistant with an IP68 evaluation .
On the back is a 50 - megapixel main camera withAsus ’ 6 - axis gimbal stabilizer , also seen on theAsus Zenfone 10 , plus a 13MP 120 - degree spacious - angle camera and a 32MP telephoto camera with a 3x optical zoom . Pixel binning means the photos taken at this level of rapid growth will be 8 megapixels . On the front is a 32MP selfie tv camera , and inside the phone is a 5,500mAh bombardment and a all revised chill organisation — consisting of everything from atomic number 29 passion swallow hole and plumbago canvas to B nitrate inject into cavity to help heat transfer — to make certain you could game for hours .
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Another new ROG feature of speech is wireless charging , which fall in the 65 - watt HyperCharge electrify pick that postulate the assault and battery to full in about 40 minutes . The ROG Phone 8 Pro would n’t be complete without the AirTriggers climb up on each articulatio humeri , which can be represent to different controls in any biz . There ’s also a novel mini LED display on the back of the phone , which usher up to 20 different animation for different scenario .
For the software , it number withAndroid 14and a choice of Asus ’ own custom topic or a more stock - looking option , plus a variety of AI features ( because it ’s 2024 ) . The elemental mode is X Sense 2.0 for gambling , which will fast - forward cutscenes and do actions like auto pickup , range lock , and tap to break away . Other features include AI Noise Cancellation for calls and for in - game chat , a Semantic Search system that works offline too , and an AI Wallpaper organisation .
The ROG Phone 8 is very similar , but has a dewy-eyed RGB display on the back , rather than the fancy mini light-emitting diode interpretation on the Pro , and it comes with 256 GB of internal store space . you could also get an ROG Phone 8 Pro Edition , which comes with the later AeroCool X sports fan cooling accessory . It has a higher fan speed than former models to chill even more efficaciously , plus it incorporates another RGB show , two physical buttons , and a 3.5 millimetre headphone gob .
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
The specs are familiar, but the phone is not
After reading through the extensive specs , the ROG Phone 8 Pro will vocalise pretty intimate to fans of the series . It ’s a gaming phone with most of the right gambling credential . Unlikeprevious ROG Phones , however , it ’s not only about gambling , and you ’ll know it as shortly as you hold it . It ’s thinner and lighter — and also shorter and wide — than theROG Phone 7 Ultimate . This makes it feel like a “ normal ” phone in your hand , free of the clumsy feel of the erstwhile mannikin .
It ’s a huge change , and one Asus is very keen to accent while at the same metre telling us that the ROG Phone 8 is still very much a consecrated gambling smartphone . It says the ROG Phone 8 Pro still has ROG DNA , but the redesign just makes it more suitable for mundane use , right down to the improved television camera specs and the improver of IP68 and wireless charging . But is that correct ? Well , sort of .
The flashing Inner Light are still on board ( an ROG Phone staple fibre ) , and the hidden - until - light up LED venire looks awesome , and so is the side - go up USB - blow charging port . But run low aremotorized caloric ventsfor even more cool , some of the more mad styling and color choices , and port for special pier . The FHD+ screen firmness of purpose is a little lower than await too . The bezels around the screen have been minimized , which will please as many multitude as it will anger , as they made ripe sense on a phone that will often be defy in portrait preference for gambling .
Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate (left) and ROG Phone 8 ProAndy Boxall / Digital Trends
There ’s no motion these alterations have made the ROG Phone 8 Pro more usable , but mostly for when you ’re not playing game . It has been my primary smartphone for several week now , and its normality reminds me of various chunky Xiaomi flagship earpiece like theXiaomi 13 Ultra . The ROG Phone 7 was a bit of a chore to carry around and use when you were n’t gaming , but that ’s not the case with the ROG Phone 8 professional .
An even bigger challenge?
Asus pronounce the ROG Phone 8 has been shaped base on requests from users , indicating the changes have not come from those who take the headphone , only to throw out it due to its size of it and shape . It suggests even hardcore mobile gamers want the ROG Phone to be more than just a gaming sound , but by following this path , Asus runs the risk of alienate its really hard-core fans who may have purchase the phone on the button because of the aspects that have now been removed .
Why is the ROG Phone 8 professional surprising ? It ’s that Asus has fill this measure at all . The ROG Phone has always been a shameless , no - compromise gambling telephone , and easy the best of its variety you could bribe . Now , although it still has most of the limited gaming element in position , it has edged a lot closer to phones like theSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultra , theGoogle Pixel 8 Pro , and theApple iPhone 15 Pro Max .
If Asus found it unvoiced to compete when it was n’t a direct competitor to these phones , it could have a shock coming when it is one . We will find out if it ’s serious enough to vie in our full review , which is coming soon . If it ’s not , the ROG Phone 8 Pro may have lose the only thing that made it sincerely stand out and such a unique proposition . It could also be the final ( albeit silent ) price of admission that gaming phones do n’t really make sense any longer , and that the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate may be the last real number , no - via media play smartphone we ’ll see .
Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate (left) and ROG Phone 8 ProAndy Boxall / Digital Trends
ROG Phone 8 Pro price and availability
Asus has not support the dismissal date for the ROG Phone 8 yet , but it will be sold in the U.S. , just like old versions . The standard ROG Phone 8 costs $ 1,099 with a special preorder terms of $ 999 , while the ROG Phone 8 Pro monetary value $ 1,199 . If you want the ROG Phone 8 Pro Edition , it will cost $ 1,499 .
Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate (left) and ROG Phone 8 ProAndy Boxall / Digital Trends
