The Asus ROG Phone 3 is designed for video games like PUBG Mobile. But it is usually a preview of options that different extra mainstream telephones would possibly undertake over the subsequent yr or two.
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Gaming telephones have a distinct segment viewers, however their options are sometimes adopted by extra mainstream telephones later down the road. An awesome instance of this are shows with excessive refresh charges, which first confirmed up in 2017’s Razer Phone and the unique Asus ROG telephone in 2018. Now telephones just like the Galaxy S20, the OnePlus 8, 8 Pro, Motorola Edge and Edge Plus all have excessive refresh price screens. Asus’ latest gaming telephone is the third iteration of the aforementioned ROG telephone, generally known as the ROG Phone 3. The telephone takes all its {hardware} and cranks it as much as the subsequent stage, with the purpose of getting the very best efficiency of any Android telephone. At the ROG 3’s coronary heart is the brand new Snapdragon 865 Plus processor that enables it to be 10% quicker than the common 865 processor present in different premium Android telephones.
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After spending time with it, I discovered that the ROG 3 does the truth is stay as much as its claims and is actually probably the most highly effective Android telephone we have ever examined thus far. But the efficiency would not cease there. The ROG 3 has extra RAM than most individuals’s laptops and one of many largest batteries discovered on any telephone at this time. Asus lent us a preproduction ROG 3 with preproduction software program and as such I can solely give an in-depth hands-on of the telephone as a substitute of a completely rated overview. Also, Asus hasn’t introduced a worth for the ROG 3 — which is one more reason why I am unable to give an official worth judgement. If it has the identical $900 price ticket as final yr’s Asus ROG Phone 2 although, I’d haven’t any hesitation recommending it. Heck, with the 5G help, I can see this justifiably being a $1,000 telephone. The Asus ROG Phone 3 will probably be accessible within the US this fall.
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Asus ROG Phone 3: We go hands-on with probably the most highly effective…
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Asus ROG 3 is probably the most highly effective Android telephone The ROG 3 leaves all different Android telephones within the mud. Its mixture of that 865 Plus processor, 16GB of RAM (although there may be additionally a 12GB model) and UFS 3.1 storage makes this an absolute monster. When I put the telephone into X mode (aka efficiency mode), it isn’t solely quicker than each Android telephone we have examined this yr, I can use it for lengthy durations of time for gaming with out experiencing any dip in efficiency. Asus stated that we might take a look at the efficiency of the preproduction ROG 3. So we did. My overview pattern’s software program construct is model quantity 17.0822.2005.11. Below are the outcomes of our efficiency assessments so you’ll be able to see the way it stacked up in opposition to a handful of Snapdragon 865-powered flagship telephones. 3DMark Slingshot Unlimited
Note:
Longer bars point out higher efficiency
Geekbench v.5.0 single-core
Note:
Longer bars point out higher efficiency
Geekbench v.5.0 multicore
Note:
Longer bars point out higher efficiency
When I’m not gaming, all that energy helps apps open up quick and animations look buttery clean. Its 144Hz show (which I’ll get into later) together with every thing else about this telephone makes the remainder of my world appear gradual now. This form of peppiness and velocity at my fingertips is completely addictive and I’m undecided how I’ll return to a “slower” telephone. X mode lets the Snapdragon 865 Plus processor push itself to the max. An modern cooling system and separate fan that you simply connect assist hold the ROG 3 acting at excessive speeds for lengthy durations of time.
Patrick Holland/CNET
The ROG 3’s buttery clean 144Hz show It’s close to unattainable to explain how “alive” a 144Hz display appears like. Though the ROG 3 is not the primary telephone with a 144Hz display (that honor goes to the RedMagic 5G telephone) it is nonetheless compelling. When I’m going again to my work telephone with its 60Hz show, it appears a lot extra blurry and is sort of irritating to make use of. The display has a contact price of 270Hz as properly, which suggests when your finger faucets or swipes on it, that the telephone registers them as shortly as doable. This makes gameplay appear loads quicker and I by no means felt I used to be ready round for a gun to fireplace or a bounce to occur after tapping on the display. The Asus ROG Phone 3 has a display with a 144Hz refresh price. Graphics and animation look clean and engrossing.
Patrick Holland/CNET
And if onscreen controls aren’t sufficient, there may be the third era of AirTriggers that allows you to use the edges of the telephone like shoulder buttons. You can assign on-screen controls to the AirTriggers. And you should utilize the AirTriggers as buttons or swipes, which made gameplay in PUBG Mobile extra immersive and extra like a recreation controller. But the display is not excellent. The high quality of the ROG 3’s 6.59-inch AMOLED is nice, however it may be sharper. It nonetheless has an HD decision and I want textual content appeared extra crisp. The Asus ROG Phone 3 has a huge battery The ROG 3 is powered by a 6,000mAh battery. So you get the very best Android efficiency with out sacrificing on battery life. I ran a looped video take a look at at 50% brightness and the refresh price set at 144Hz in Airplane mode and the ROG 3 lasted 24 hours and 3 minutes. While now we have extra assessments to run — and I’ll replace this piece when these numbers are available in — that’s spectacular. Obviously when gaming, the telephone is not going to final 24 hours straight. But I had no drawback making it by a 2.5-hour gaming marathon enjoying PUBG Mobile, Asphalt 9, Alto’s Odyssey and Sdorica. The Asus ROG Phone 3’s heft comes in-part from its 6,000mAh battery.
Patrick Holland/CNET
On prime of that, the ROG 3 has probably the most intensive choices for battery care and longevity that I’ve seen on any telephone. There are quite a lot of methods to optimize the battery life, together with numerous energy and financial savings modes, customizable schedules for energy mode and restrictions on battery charging. Asus ROG Phone 3 is identical chunky behemoth As spectacular because the specs are on the ROG 3, maybe probably the most spectacular factor Asus did was to make it precisely the identical dimension and form as final yr’s ROG 2. That means it will possibly reap the benefits of the entire similar quite a few equipment Asus makes for ROG telephones like circumstances and gamepads. Though Asus has new variations of most of its ROG equipment to tempt you and your pockets additional. This additionally signifies that the ROG 3 has the identical chunky behemoth heft as earlier than. It weighs over half a pound, so for those who’re a small telephone lover, simply look away. Though I would not advocate becoming it in small denims pockets and going about my day, the heft feels good, particularly when enjoying video games.
Despite the identical dimension and form, there are some variations within the our bodies of the ROG 3 and ROG 2. Namely, there is not any headphone jack on the ROG 3 except you utilize the included fan attachment. Also, it has a much bigger digicam bump. The Asus ROG Phone 3 would not have an IP score for mud or water resistance and lacks wi-fi charging. As for its aesthetics, the ROG 3 is glossy and even a contact understated in comparison with the ROG 2. The copper warmth sink sits underneath a clear sliver of the Gorilla Glass 3 again, which I assumed seemed intelligent. It’s form of like how Lamborghini’s makes use of a glass cowl over their engines. In reality each, the ROG 3 and a Lamborghini share an analogous over-the-topness relating to type and efficiency. The ROG 3 sports activities 5G While gaming is the ROG’s foremost focus, it is usually a 5G telephone and can work on US carriers that provide sub-6 5G, which incorporates AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint. The space the place I stay would not have 5G protection, however I’m excited to see how the battery handles these calls for. The ROG 3’s triple rear cameras Though the telephone has the very best digicam array on any Asus ROG telephone thus far, the telephone’s triple rear cameras are in the end simply first rate. It’s not going to be named the very best digicam of 2020 and even shut. There are three rear cameras: a foremost 64-megapixel digicam, an ultrawide-angle digicam and a macro digicam.
Patrick Holland/CNET
Photos from the primary 64-megapixel digicam look good, particularly when taken with HDR. Skin is smoothed a bit greater than I’d want and colours skew a tad magenta. The foremost 64-megapixel digicam makes use of pixel-binning to create detailed 16-megapixel photographs in good and medium lighting.
Patrick Holland/CNET
The ROG 3 can seize quite a lot of element in good gentle.
Patrick Holland/CNET
The ROG 3 renders pores and skin slightly tender. Some individuals could want this, however I’m not one in all them.
Patrick Holland/CNET
There is an evening mode which really produces some stellar photographs. Night mode on the ROG 3 actually impressed me.
Patrick Holland/CNET
The ultrawide angle digicam is strong and matches the primary digicam extra so than final yr’s ROG 2. This signifies that the visible distinction in picture high quality will not be as noticeable between the primary and ultrawide cameras. The ultrawide digicam could make topics look further dramatic.
Patrick Holland/CNET
The foremost digicam gives up higher element and dynamic vary than the ultrawide. Though the ultrawide digicam comes near capturing comparable colours. Also, discover the magenta hue within the sky.
Patrick Holland/CNET
And then there’s the macro digicam, which is enjoyable to make use of however feels a bit extra like a gimmick as a result of it isn’t one thing I’d use loads versus say a telephoto digicam.
Impressively, the ROG 3 can shoot 8K video. Take a have a look at the video above to see 8K video straight out of the Asus ROG Phone 3. In some conditions it appears good, however there may be quite a lot of banding — particularly when capturing a sky or in low-light conditions. The ROG 3’s different enhancements Compared to the ROG 2, the ROG 3 makes strong tweaks and enhancements to just about every thing. It runs Android 10 with Asus ZenUI and there is a darkish mode too. The telephone’s removable fan, which known as the AeroActive Cooler, now has a kickstand. And identical to earlier ROG telephones, there’s a second USB-C port/accent port on the left facet for horizontal gameplay. The ROG 3 comes with a 30W charger and also you get three months of Google Stadia Pro without spending a dime. I stay up for testing the Asus ROG 3 extra particularly when its closing software program comes out. Asus ROG Phone 3 specs vs. Motorola Edge Plus, Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra, OnePlus 8 Pro, LG V60 ThinQ
Asus ROG Phone 3
Motorola Edge Plus
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra
OnePlus 8 Pro
LG V60 ThinQ 5G
Display dimension, decision
6.59-inch AMOLED; 2,340×1,080 pixels
6.7-inch FHD OLED
6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X
6.78-inch AMOLED; 1,440×3,168 pixels
6.8-inch OLED; 2,460×1,080 pixels
Pixel density
391ppi
TBA
511ppi
513ppi
395ppi
Dimensions (Inches)
6.73 x 3.07 x 0.39 in
6.34 x 2.81 x 0.38 in
2.99 x 6.57 x 0.35 in
6.51 x 2.93 x 0.35 in
6.67 x 3.06 x 0.35 in
Dimensions (Millimeters)
171 x 78 x 9.85mm
161.1 x 71.4 x 9.6 mm
76.0 x 166.9 x 8.8mm
165 x 74.4 x 8.5 mm
169.3 x 77.6 x 8.79mm
Weight (Ounces, Grams)
8.48 oz; 240g
7.16 oz; 203g
7.76 oz; 220g
7.02 oz; 199g
7.72 oz; 218g
Mobile software program
Android 10
Android 10
Android 10
Android 10
Android 10
Camera
64-megapixel (foremost), 13-megapixel (ultrawide), 5-megapixel (macro)
108-megapixel (commonplace), 8-megapixel (telephotos), 16-megapixel (macro/ultrawide-angle)
108-megapixel (wide-angle), 48-megapixel (telephoto), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), time-of-flight digicam
48-megapixel (commonplace), 48-megapixel (ultrawide), 8-megapixel (telephoto), 5-megapixel (‘shade filter’)
64-megapixel (commonplace), 13-megapixel (wide-angle), time-of-flight digicam
Front-facing digicam
24-megapixel
25-megapixel
40-megapixel
16-megapixel
10-megapixel (commonplace)
Video seize
8K
6K
8K
4K
8K
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
64-bit octa-core processor (Max 2.7GHz + 2.5 GHz + 2.0 GHz)
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
Storage
512GB (UFS 3.1)
256GB
128GB, 512GB
128GB, 256GB
128GB
RAM
12GB, 16GB
12GB
12GB, 16GB
8GB, 12GB
8GB
Expandable storage
No
Up to 1TB
Up to 1TB
No
2TB
Battery
6,000mAh
5,000mAh
5,000mAh
4,510mAh
5,000mAh
Fingerprint sensor
In-screen
In-screen
In-screen
In-screen
In-screen
Connector
USB C
USB-C
USB-C
USB-C
USB-C
Headphone jack
No
Yes
No
No
Yes
Special options
5G enabled, 144Hz refresh price show, 30W quick charging vis Quick Charge 4.0, AirTriggers, removable fan with built-in headphone jack
5G enabled
5G enabled; 120Hz refresh price; 100X zoom; water-resistant (IP68)
5G enabled; Warp Charge; reverse wi-fi charging; water-resistant (IP68); 120Hz refresh price
5G connectivity; water-resistant (IP68); wi-fi charging, Fast Charging 4.0
Price off-contract (USD)
TBD
$999 Verizon unique
$1,399 (128GB), $1,599 (512GB)
$899 (8GB RAM/128GB), $999 (12GB RAM/256GB)
$800 (with out Dual Screen case); $900-$950 (with)