The Asus ROG Phone 3 is designed for video games like PUBG Mobile. But additionally it is a preview of options that different extra mainstream telephones may undertake over the following yr or two.
Patrick Holland/CNET
Gaming telephones have a distinct segment viewers, however their options are sometimes adopted by extra mainstream telephones later down the road. An excellent 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, referred to as the ROG Phone 3. The telephone takes all its {hardware} and cranks it as much as the following degree, with the intention of getting the most effective efficiency of any Android telephone. At the ROG 3’s coronary heart is the brand new Snapdragon 865 Plus processor that permits it to be 10% sooner 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 actually reside as much as its claims and is really essentially the most highly effective Android telephone we have ever examined so 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 right now. 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 an alternative of a totally rated evaluate. In truth, the ultimate software program is due out on the identical day this story publishes. Also, Asus hasn’t introduced a value 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 seemingly be out there within the US this fall.
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Asus ROG 3 is essentially 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 sooner 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 evaluate pattern’s software program construct is model quantity 17.0822.2005.11. Below are the outcomes of our efficiency assessments so you possibly can 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 the whole lot else about this telephone makes the remainder of my world appear gradual now. This type of peppiness and pace at my fingertips is totally 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 revolutionary cooling system and separate fan that you simply connect assist preserve 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 not possible to explain how “alive” a 144Hz display seems to be 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 seems to be a lot extra blurry and is sort of irritating to make use of. The display has a contact price of 270Hz as properly, which implies when your finger faucets or swipes on it, that the telephone registers them as shortly as potential. This makes gameplay appear rather a lot sooner and I by no means felt I used to be ready round for a gun to fireside or a soar 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.
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And if onscreen controls aren’t sufficient, there may be the third era of AirTriggers that permits you to use the edges of the telephone like shoulder buttons. You can assign on-screen controls to the AirTriggers. And you need to use the AirTriggers as buttons or swipes, which made gameplay in PUBG Mobile extra immersive and extra like a sport controller. But the display is not good. The high quality of the ROG 3’s 6.59-inch AMOLED is sweet, 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 big battery The ROG 3 is powered by a 6,000mAh battery. So you get the most effective 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 we’ve got extra assessments to run — and I’ll replace this piece when these numbers are available — that’s spectacular. Obviously when gaming, the telephone is not going to final 24 hours straight. But I had no downside making it via a 2.5-hour gaming marathon taking part in PUBG Mobile, Asphalt 9, Alto’s Odyssey and Sdorica. The Asus ROG Phone 3’s heft comes in-part from its 6,000mAh battery.
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On prime of that, the ROG 3 has essentially the most in depth choices for battery care and longevity that I’ve seen on any telephone. There are a wide range 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 essentially 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 could possibly make the most of the entire identical quite a few equipment Asus makes for ROG telephones like instances 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 when you’re a small telephone lover, simply look away. Though I would not suggest becoming it in small denims pockets and going about my day, the heft feels good, particularly when taking part in 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 no headphone jack on the ROG 3 until you utilize the included fan attachment. Also, it has an even 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 smooth and even a contact understated in comparison with the ROG 2. The copper warmth sink sits beneath a clear sliver of the Gorilla Glass 3 again, which I assumed regarded intelligent. It’s type of like how Lamborghini’s makes use of a glass cowl over their engines. In truth each, the ROG 3 and a Lamborghini share an analogous over-the-topness on the subject of fashion and efficiency. The ROG 3 sports activities 5G While gaming is the ROG’s foremost focus, additionally it is a 5G telephone and can work on US carriers that supply sub-6 5G, which incorporates AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint. The space the place I reside 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 most effective digicam array on any Asus ROG telephone so far, the telephone’s triple rear cameras are finally simply first rate. It’s not going to be named the most effective 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 principle 64-megapixel digicam look good, particularly when taken with HDR. Skin is smoothed a bit greater than I’d desire and colours skew a tad magenta. The foremost 64-megapixel digicam makes use of pixel-binning to create detailed 16-megapixel pictures in good and medium lighting.
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The ROG 3 can seize a variety of element in good gentle.
Patrick Holland/CNET
The ROG 3 renders pores and skin slightly mushy. Some individuals could desire this, however I’m not one in all them.
Patrick Holland/CNET
There is an evening mode which truly 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 principle digicam extra so than final yr’s ROG 2. This signifies that the visible distinction in picture high quality shouldn’t be as noticeable between the principle and ultrawide cameras. The ultrawide digicam could make topics look additional dramatic.
Patrick Holland/CNET
The foremost digicam affords up higher element and dynamic vary than the ultrawide. Though the ultrawide digicam comes near capturing related 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 rather a lot versus say a telephoto digicam.
Impressively, the ROG 3 can shoot 8K video. Take a take a look at the video above to see 8K video straight out of the Asus ROG Phone 3. In some conditions it seems to be good, however there may be a variety 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 the whole lot. It runs Android 10 with Asus ZenUI and there is a darkish mode too. The telephone’s removable fan, which is 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 aspect 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 look ahead to testing the Asus ROG 3 extra particularly when its remaining 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 (customary), 8-megapixel (telephotos), 16-megapixel (macro/ultrawide-angle)
108-megapixel (wide-angle), 48-megapixel (telephoto), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), time-of-flight digicam
48-megapixel (customary), 48-megapixel (ultrawide), 8-megapixel (telephoto), 5-megapixel (‘coloration filter’)
64-megapixel (customary), 13-megapixel (wide-angle), time-of-flight digicam
Front-facing digicam
24-megapixel
25-megapixel
40-megapixel
16-megapixel
10-megapixel (customary)
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)