5 causes I really like the ROG Cellphone 9

The Asus ROG Phone 9 is not like any smartphone I’ve used earlier than. It is constructed from the bottom up with one aim: to be one of the best gaming experience on a smartphone but. In that side alone, it actually exceeds. With its crystallized nano-texture design, angular digicam cutout, and AniMe imaginative and prescient again show, the ROG Cellphone 9 certain is aware of learn how to stand out in a crowd.

From the second I turned on the telephone for the primary time, its stunning AMOLED show entranced me. After setting it up, I used to be greeted by an intro cinematic introducing me to the telephone’s gaming options in an interactive on-rail shooter in a spaceship. I used to be mind-blown.

It felt like I used to be utilizing a gaming handheld just like the Steam Deck, not a smartphone. Nonetheless, regardless of its gaming focus, the ROG Cellphone 9 continues to be an awesome telephone, due to Android 15 and its highly effective {hardware}. Listed here are 5 causes I really like the ROG Phone 9.

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5 A surprising excessive refresh fee show

This telephone has a better refresh fee than my gaming monitor

The ROG Cellphone 9’s 6.78-inch AMOLED show is breathtaking, and it has the best refresh fee I’ve ever used on a telephone, 165Hz. In some supported video games, the refresh fee can get as excessive as 185Hz when utilizing Asus’ Sport Genie characteristic. It’s loopy that the telephone in my pocket has a better refresh fee than the 144Hz monitor I exploit with my gaming PC.

It was onerous to take my eyes away from the display more often than not, even for non-gaming-related duties, like sending a textual content message, replying to an e-mail, or watching a YouTube video. The display has a peak brightness of two,500 nits, and the colours and distinction remained vivid even once I was outdoor with it.

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4 The design rocks

The ROG Cellphone 9 is like no different smartphone

Simply on seems to be alone, the ROG Cellphone 9 stands out in comparison with another smartphone available on the market. Subsequent to my Pixel 8a and iPhone 14 Pro, it pops due to its AniME Imaginative and prescient mini-LED show on the again of the telephone and its crystalized nano-texture glass again cowl. Although, I’ll admit this telephone is an acquired style, and should you aren’t into Asus’ ROG design philosophy, you could have a tough time liking its look.

The AniMe Imaginative and prescient show on the again of the telephone steals the present for me. The telephone has 85 LEDS on the again, and the Asus Armoury Crate app permits you to customise the way it seems. You possibly can have it show the time, your battery life, and even have it react to particular actions in your telephone like taking an image. This characteristic is only a gimmick, however so far as telephone gimmicks go, this one has obtained me bought.

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3 Asus’ Sport Genie is a recreation changer

Fast entry to all of the options you must improve your gaming expertise

Because the ROG Cellphone 9 is a gaming telephone, it has some nifty options that make gaming far more gratifying than it will be on an everyday smartphone — particularly, the AirTrigger system on the facet of the telephone. The AirTriggers basically act as L and R buttons that you’d use on an Xbox or PlayStation controller. Utilizing Sport Genie, you possibly can map the AirTriggers to particular areas of the display so it nearly touches the designated space for you whenever you press the AirTrigger. I examined it on Name of Responsibility: Cell, and it was one of the best expertise I’ve ever had taking part in an FPS recreation on a telephone. The AirTriggers took seconds to arrange and responded immediately when pressed.

One other cool characteristic is the AI Grabber. This AI instrument is supported in all video games on the ROG Cellphone 9 and allows you to spotlight textual content in video games and seek for it on Google with out leaving the app utilizing Sport Genie. It’s like Google’s Circle to Search, however in-game. I examined this in Star Wars: Knights of the Previous Republic, the traditional Bioware RPG from 2003, and I may choose my quest journal and seek for it on Google to seek out out what to do subsequent.

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2 Out-of-this world efficiency

The Snapdragon 8 Elite course of means enterprise

The ROG Cellphone 9 has a Snapdragon 8 Elite processor and could be configured with as much as 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, which is the model I had the chance to check. Let me inform you firsthand that this telephone runs exceptionally nicely. Whether or not leaping between apps, taking part in video games, or searching the net, the telephone all the time felt responsive and by no means missed a beat. The display animations are fluid, and utilizing the telephone for non-gaming functions was nonetheless a pleasure.

Gaming-wise, its Snapdragon 8 Elite processor dominates. I examined Name of Responsibility: Cell and Star Wars: Hunters. Each ran nice with no body fee hiccups in any respect. The telephone additionally has a decent 5,800mAh battery, bigger than the 5,500mAh battery within the ROG Cellphone 8 Professional, supplying you with plenty of juice to recreation for hours with out plugging it in. Steve Vegvari’s Pocket-lint review discovered the telephone lasted 21 hours with intermittent day by day use.

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1 It has a headphone jack

Asus hasn’t forgotten in regards to the 3.5mm port

Lastly, the very last thing I really like in regards to the ROG Cellphone 9 is that it incorporates a headphone jack, which has been extinct for a few years on flagship telephones by different corporations like Apple and Google. At first, I believed: what use is that this to me? I solely actually have wi-fi earbuds for my telephone now. Then I spotted one thing: my SteelSeries gaming headset got here with a 3.5mm audio jack cable, which means I may plug it into the telephone for higher gaming audio.

I perceive why headphone jacks have gone extinct on smartphones, however having one on a telephone explicitly tailor-made for gaming simply is sensible. It permits customers with console or PC gaming headsets to make use of them on the ROG Cellphone. It is a win-win.

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