Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro

Among this year's key smartphone launches, few have been as consistent in their design philosophy or as stubborn in pushing the boundaries of what we understand by the traditional smartphone form factor as Asus' ROG Phone series. Whereas most other competitors, including flagships like Samsung's S Ultra series, are often more conservative with annual upgrades, Asus' only reservation seems to be what is physically possible.

It's not that they change the shape every year, but that each time they offer a pretty simple pitch to the consumer: "the best of the best - nothing less". The ROG Phone 9 has just been unveiled, we've been playing with it for a few weeks, and we're happy to say that this latest addition to the now legendary line-up keeps the proud tradition alive.

We think we can easily start this review with something as simple as a list of key specifications. This is, after all, a spec phone, and part of the story of the ROG Phone 9 is really just looking at the spec list, so here it is:

• Snapdragon 8 Elite (3nm)


• Adreno 830 GPU-unit


• 24GB LPDDR5X RAM


• 1TB UFS 4.0-space - NFTS support if you want to expand further


• IP68-certification, headphone jack with extended 32-bit/384kHz DAC


• WIFI 6E, Bluetooth 5.4


• 5800mAh battery


• 65W wired charging (you get a charger in the box), 15W wireless charging, 10W reverse wireless charging


• Three separate camera lenses (standard wide, 3x optical telephoto and 120 degrees ultra-wide)

That's quite a list, isn't it? Each of these are individual pieces of the overall puzzle, but tell exactly the same story - that Asus always gives you a decent amount of premium components, and that each ROG Phone justifies its high price as one of the few flagships.

On that list, you won't even find some of the ROG Phone 9's most impressive features. We're reviewing the Pro version, which comes equipped with AniMe Vision on the back, 648 programmable mini-LEDs that can display a range of Asus-designed animations, and you can also design your own. The best part is that this isn't a display as such, so if you don't want it switched on, it's totally invisible. It even supports AniMe Play, which allows you to play small games exclusively through the back. It's brilliant.

There are also upgraded features inside, such as the new GameCool 9 system. The new system sits more directly on top of the SoC, uses a larger graphite plate, has a large vapor chamber on top and much, much more. It's extremely technical and we don't yet know if other phones will have trouble cooling the prepared Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, but we didn't experience any slowdown in Genshin Impact at all and it's pretty much the most demanding thing you can do with your smartphone today.

You no longer need to use your AeroActive Cooler to get a headphone jack - it's built right in this time, but the new AeroActive Cooler X Pro offers a larger fan and delivers 29% more efficient cooling according to Asus. Again, we had no thermal difficulties in our tests and couldn't really get the ROG Phone 9 to show any signs of thermal throttling. This means that the phone works as intended, but at the same time it's hard to pinpoint whether it's individual initiatives and components that are particularly effective, or whether it's a combination.

You also get AirTriggers again on the top that are more precise than ever before and dedicated accessories like Asus' own ROG Tessen that only enhance the gaming experience.

And then there are the new cameras. Asus has previously stated that their cameras were capable but not rigorously focused, and we applauded that. This time, however, they've gone more ambitious, delivering a 24mm f/1.9 50 megapixel wide lens with PDAF and gimbal-based stabilisation. It's flanked by a 32 megapixel f/2.4 telephoto with 3x optical zoom and optical stabilisation, and a 13 megapixel ultra-wide at 120 degrees. Make no mistake; these images are fine. With plenty of natural light, you get decent HDR performance, good dynamic range and okay colour chemistry. There are no red flags to be found here right away, and specifications that are rooted in hardware, such as optical zoom and the FOV of the ultra-wide lens, are fine. But as soon as a given subject or scenario really requires automatic processing, it's clear that Asus just doesn't have the data bank that Samsung, Apple and Google can draw from. The result is just rarely calibrated as masterfully as we've become accustomed to. This is fine, but it's not why you should buy a ROG Phone 9 - there are plenty of other reasons.

However, we have to praise the phone's gimbal-based stabilisation, which really surprised in most tests. This is in line with what we know from the latest iPhones or Google Pixel 9 Pro XL. It's really smooth.

Asus knows how to create a ROG Phone and has done it so well so many times now that we can afford to directly expect something unforgettable. The ROG Phone 9 is worthy of its legacy, and while the increased focus on the camera isn't exactly a slam dunk, it's always great to witness a ROG Phone launch.