Gaming phones are all about offering high-end specs for a great mobile gaming experience, and ASUS is doing just that with its new ROG Phone II.
The ROG Phone II features a 6.59-inch 2340x1080 AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and it's the first phone to include Qualcomm's gaming-focused Snapdragon 855 Plus processor. Both the CPU and GPU in the SD855 Plus are clocked higher than in the standard SD855, helping you get better performance. ASUS has crammed 12GB of RAM inside the ROG Phone II's body, too.
Another gaming-centric feature of the ROG Phone II are its AirTrigger buttons. Located on the side of the device, they give you extra buttons for your games and an improved software algorithm over the first ROG Phone that lets you rest your fingers on the AirTriggers, meaning you can react more quickly since you're not having to move your fingers to reach for the buttons.
Cooling is important in gaming PCs, and ASUS has placed a focus on it with its gaming phone, too. The ROG Phone II includes a GameCool II heatsink that uses a 3D vapor chamber than can dissipate up to 7.5W of waste heat, and there's a vent on the back of the phone as well. If you want extra cooling, ASUS will sell an AeroActive Cooler II accessory that clips on to the ROG Phone II and directs airflow onto the hottest part of the phone's rear to lower surface temperatures by up to 3.5 degrees Celsius.
Other notable features of the ROG Phone II include a 48MP main camera with Sony IMX586 sensor, a 13MP ultra wide rear camera with a 125-degree field of view, and a 24MP front camera. There's up to 512GB of built-in storage available, an in-display fingerprint reader, dual front-facign speakers, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Powering the whole package is a whopping 6000mAh battery. There are two USB-C ports on the ROG Phone II, with one in a traditional place on the bottom of the device and the other on the side of the phone so that it doesn't get in your way when you're gaming and charging. Both ports support Quick Charge 3.0, but the side port can charge more quickly with QuickCharge 4.0 support. It also includes support for 4K video output using DisplayPort 1.4.
ASUS isn't saying much about the ROG Phone II's pricing or availability quite yet. The original ROG Phone cost $899 when it launched in the U.S. last year, though, and so it won't be a surprise if the ROG Phone II costs at least that much when it's released.
The ROG Phone II looks like a solid improvement over its predecessor, going bigger in every way. It's the first with Qualcomm's new gaming-focused processor, it's got more RAM and a much bigger battery, and the screen is not only larger but it also supports a faster refresh rate. While the high-end specs and gaming PC-inspired design of the ROG Phone II means it won't be for everyone, for those who do a lot of mobile gaming and want a device that can keep up, the ROG Phone II looks like it's more than capable.
