ASUS Unveils Its Latest 9 Series Gaming Smartphone

ASUS Republic of Gamers has launched the latest iterations of its gaming smartphones – the ROG Phone 9 and ROG Phone 9 Pro.

The new ROG Series 9 duo builds on the best features found in previous iterations and delivers some of the best gaming performance ever seen in a mobile.

Both smartphones boast a stunningly vibrant and responsive 6.78-inch AMOLED display, featuring a remarkable 185Hz refresh rate that can handle even the most graphically intensive games. They also come equipped with the AniMe Vision display – a beloved feature among ROG Phone gamers – allowing users to customize the behavior of the display’s mini-LEDs to suit their preferences. The ROG Phone 9 Pro includes an impressive 648 mini-LEDs that can be programmed by users, surpassing all previous ROG Phone models. Furthermore, ASUS has incorporated resilient Corning Gorilla Glass for added durability, along with a 10-point touchscreen that remains functional even when users are wearing gloves. With a peak brightness of 2,500 nits, both devices provide excellent visibility in bright sunlight.

Powered by Qualcomm’s latest flagship mobile chipset the Snapdragon 8 Elite – the best chip currently available for Android devices – the ROG Phone 9 and ROG Phone 9 Pro are so advanced in terms of both performance of graphics that ASUS is confidently comparing gaming on its new phones to playing “like a console.” The Snapdragon 8 Elite includes an Oryon CPU, Adreno 830 GPU, as well as an AI-focused Hexagon NPU, or neural processing unit, the part of the phone responsible for all AI tasks. ASUS says that the new chipset offers “significant enhancements” over the one found in the previous version of its gaming phones, helping “to ensure that even demanding titles with the highest graphic settings offer an ultrasmooth and lag-free experience.”

Regarding memory and storage, both models are equipped with 12GB of high-speed LPDDR5X RAM as a standard feature. The ROG Phone 9 offers 256GB of storage, whereas the ROG Phone 9 Pro boasts double that capacity with 512GB available (there is also a 1TB variant).

The cameras on both smartphones are the same. The primary camera features a Sony Lytia 700 sensor, boasting a resolution of 50 megapixels and a size of 1/1.56”. It has a maximum aperture of F1.9 and includes optical image stabilization. Users can capture images in both JPEG and RAW formats. Additionally, there is a 13-megapixel ultrawide lens with a 120° field of view, along with a 5-megapixel macro camera.

Being powerhouses that will generate heat, ASUS has had to implement a sophisticated cooling system in both models: the built-in ROG GameCool 9 internal cooling systems can work independetaly, or can be paired up with the clip-on AeroActive Cooler X Pro external cooler.

The speakers on the phones incorporate OZO Audio technology, utilizing artificial intelligence to minimize external sounds such as wind, while also delivering high-fidelity 3D spatial audio.  

And for those gamers who prefer to use the phone by itself (in other words, without using an externa controller) ASUS’ AirTrigger touch system creates virtual “L” and “R” shoulder triggers on the top corners of the device, allowing users to press these as though they were a regular button – upon pressing them, users receive haptic feedback to confirm the button push has been registered with the device.

The ASUS ROG Phone 9 and ROG Phone 9 Pro are available now priced at £949.99 GBP / $999.99 USD and £999.99 GBP / $1,199.99 USD respectively. The 1TB version of the Phone Pro 9 is £1,299.99 GBP / $1,499.99 USD.