Asus is taking advantage of CES 2024 to unveil its ROG Phone 8 range, high-end smartphones tailor-made for gamers. Power and design are there to offer maximum pleasure to gamers.
The ROG (for Republic Of Gamers) range from Asus is best known for its powerful gaming PCs. Since 2018, the manufacturer has also applied it to smartphones designed for gaming, the ROG Phone. Models robust enough to tackle demanding games in all conditions. For this CES 2024, Asus is perpetuating the tradition and unveiling its new ROG Phone 8, so as not to let Nubia, the other specialist in mobile gaming (read our review of the RedMagic 9 Pro) occupy the field alone. The new ROG Phone 8 comes in three versions and shares some common features. Starting with the SoC. For a powerful device, Asus had no choice but to move towards Qualcomm’s new chip. The ROG Phone 8 is powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (3.3 GHz) and can carry up to 24 GB of RAM and 1 TB of storage.
For the design, Asus showed more wisdom. The device loses a little weight compared to the previous model (225 g compared to 246 g for the ROG Phone 7) and is also less thick (8.9 mm compared to 10.5 mm). On the back, the little touch of eccentricity (we remain in the gaming world all the same) is embodied by a mini LED screen capable of displaying small animations. Amusing.
The photo section is for once not left aside. The device has a 50 Mpx wide-angle main module, a 13 Mpx ultra-wide-angle module and a 32 Mpx 3x telephoto lens.
On the front side, the ROG Phone 8 is based on a 6.78-inch LTPO Oled screen (refresh rate from 1 to 120 Hz) capable of increasing to 165 Hz and, according to the manufacturer, offering a brightness of 2,500 nits.
Finally there remains the battery. Although more compact than the previous model, the ROG Phone 8 has a 5500 mAh battery. It offers fast charging (Asus promises a complete charge from 0 to 100% in 39 minutes) and also allows Qi2 wireless charging at 15 W. Finally, and this is a first for a gaming smartphone, the device is certified IP68 to resist water (immersion) and dust.
The ROG Phone 8 is therefore available in three versions. The first has 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage. It is priced at 1099 euros. The ROG Phone 8 Pro has 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage space for 1199 euros. Finally, the ROG Phone 8 Pro Edition offers 24 GB of RAM and 1 TB of storage space. It comes with the AeroActive Cooler X, an external fan which is attached to the back of the device.
This accessory (compatible only with ROG Phone 8) is also sold alone at the price of 80 euros. The entire ROG Phone 8 lineup will be available starting January 31.