ASUS ROG Phone 5 Archives

When ASUS sent the ROG Phone 5 for review, there was something that said it wasn’t a typical gaming phone. Be it its suave packaging or its sheer presence; the ROG Phone 5 enamoured us even before we booted it up. Having experienced ROG Phone 3 prior to this, we knew we were in for a treat. Nevertheless, after thoroughly examining it and testing its limits, here’s our review of the ASUS ROG Phone 5:

First impressions:

The phone reeks of performance, and it is made clear right from the get-go. It is equipped with heavy-duty machinery explicitly designed for gaming. It gets a 6.78” HDR10+, 144Hz, AMOLED display custom made for ROG Phone 5 by Samsung. It is one of the fastest displays available. The display is 23% brighter than the previous ROG Phone while allowing a minimum brightness of only five nits. The ROG Phone 5 gets a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G Mobile Platform paired with up to 16GB of RAM. It is accompanied by an overclocked Adreno 660 GPU that delivers 35% better performance than the last generation of the ROG Phone.

Performance:

As if those specifications didn’t speak for themselves, the phone is a monster in gaming. It utilises an MMT design consisting of two 3000mAh batteries that allow for 65W charging while discharging will produce less heat during demanding tasks such as gaming. The 2-cell design also makes it possible to position the motherboard in the middle of the frame, creating a perfect weight balance and superior cooling solution. This ensures extended hours of gaming without the phone becoming a microwave oven!

The highlight of the phone is the AirTrigger 5 – Invisible ultrasonic buttons and Motion sensor trigger. It offers better sensitivity, better positioning (closer to edge for smaller hands) and plenty of new motion control gestures. Up to 18 specific touchpoints on the screen can be mapped (with the AeroActive Cooler 5 and ROG Phone 5 Pro or Ultimate). Owners can even use the AirTrigger 5 system outside of games to activate beneficial actions or apps with a simple squeeze motion while in portrait mode.

Verdict:

While the phone demands a respectable starting price tag of Rs 50,000, it is undoubtedly one of the best gaming devices available on the market. Although it has drawbacks such as a heavy body and an average camera, an ardent gamer would be more than happy with the performance that the ROG Phone 5 offers!

Gaming expert and tech giant ASUS has officially launched the latest entry in its ROG Phone series, the ROG Phone 5. Built with dedicated gaming hardware and supported by an extensive list of gaming paraphernalia, the ROG Phone 5 poses as a serious competitor in its segment. That said, here is everything you need to know about the ROG Phone 5.

Display:

ASUS has equipped the ROG Phone 5 with a 6.78” HDR10+, 144Hz, AMOLED display custom made for ROG Phone 5 by Samsung. It is one of the fastest displays available. The display is 23% brighter than the previous ROG Phone while allowing a minimum brightness of only 5 nits.

Processor:

The ROG Phone 5 gets a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G Mobile Platform paired with up to 18GB of RAM. It incorporates an overclocked Adreno 660 GPU that delivers 35% better performance than the last generation of the ROG Phone.

Battery:

The battery utilizes an MMT design consisting of two 3000mAh cells that allow for up to 65W fast charging and produce less heat during demanding tasks such as gaming. The dual-cell design also makes it possible to position the SoC in the middle of the frame, creating a perfect weight balance and superior cooling solution via an external cooler (sold separately).

Hardware:

The ROG Phone 5 has two symmetrical 7-magnet 12×16 Super Linear Speakers powered by Cirrus Logic CS35L45 mono amplifiers. ASUS has reintroduced the 3.5mm jack that was missing from the ROG Phone 3. The phone has a side-mounted port that gamers can use to charge the phone while gaming in landscape mode. It also works with USB-C to HDMI, USB-C headphones or the AeroActive Cooler 5.
However, the phone’s highlight is the AirTrigger 5 – touch-based ultrasonic buttons & motion sensor trigger. It offers better sensitivity, better positioning (closer to edge for smaller hands) and plenty of new motion control gestures. Up to 18 specific touchpoints on the screen can be mapped (with the AeroActive Cooler 5 and ROG Phone 5 Pro or Ultimate). Users can even use the AirTrigger 5 system outside of games to activate useful actions or apps with a simple squeeze motion while in portrait mode.
The company’s signature AeroActive Cooler also gets upgraded with a new layout. The GameCool 5 cooling system sits right above the CPU and can, without much noise, deliver up to a 10°C drop in CPU temperature without any external power needed. It also adds two physical AirTrigger buttons, a kickstand and a 3.5mm headphone jack so you can charge the phone while using the standard 3.5mm headphones without any cables getting in the way.

X-Mode & Armoury Crate:

X-Mode and Armoury Crate are the cornerstones of performance tuning and customization in the ROG Phone series. X-Mode allows the user to set a wider variety of performance parameters, from CPU/GPU performance to touch sensitivity settings and display refresh rate.
Through Armoury Crate, users can customize performance, touch, display and network-related settings on a game-by-game basis.

Multiple Optional Gaming Accessories:

ROG Kunai 3 Gamepad for ROG Phone 5 (updated version) – A modular gamepad with two sizes that Users can also attach to the phone via a special bumper. You can control any game with the ASUS Game Genie Key Mapping feature.
Professional Dock – An expansion dock that allows ROG Phone 5 to connect to an HDMI display and two more USB devices to utilize the ASUS Game Genie Key Mapping feature.
ROG Clip – Attach your phone to a PS4, Xbox or Stadia controller with an adjustable arm.
Lighting Armor Case – Protective case designed for the ROG Phone 5. It has a big light-up ROG logo powered via pogo-pins. It does work with the Pro and Ultimate editions, but the ROG Vision display will, of course, be covered.

The ROG Phone 5 will be on sale in India from April 21, 2021, and will be exclusively available on Flipkart. It will have a base price of Rs 49,999 for the 8GB+128GB variant and will go up to Rs 79,999 for the top-spec 18GB+256GB Ultimate edition.