The Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate is a gaming telephone that takes just a few small steps ahead with its design, and substantial leaps forward relating to its internals and software program. The telephone, revealed Thursday with a beginning value of $1,000, retains lots of the design aesthetics and persona of final 12 months’s Asus ROG Phone 6 Pro. These embody its LED indicator on the again, a 6,000mAh battery that may simply final two days and a extremely responsive touchscreen with a 720Hz contact sampling charge. But it is inside the place probably the most substantial modifications are together with an upgraded Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip and new software program options for customizing sport play. There’s even a hidden door on the again of the telephone, dubbed the AeroActive portal, that opens whenever you connect the included AeroActive Cooler 7 fan. This door helps blow cool air instantly into the telephone to maintain it from overheating throughout longer gaming classes. These gaming-specific options arrive alongside enhancements to how the brand new ROG features as a telephone, too. Asus is committing to 2 years of software program updates and 4 years of safety updates. That’s on the low aspect in comparison with the 4 years of software program updates Samsung supplies for its Galaxy S sequence, but it surely’s nonetheless good to see Asus now decide to such a help timeline. The Phone 7 Ultimate additionally has a Background mode to set an automated activity up in any sport and have that run when you use the telephone for anything.
LikePlacing designLots of customized optionsAeroActive Portal opening for cooling
Don’t LikeTall and heavyPhotos lack detailNo wi-fi charging
Yet even with these enhancements, the Phone 7 Ultimate nonetheless prioritizes gaming over different features and options that usually get the highlight on this value vary. Specifically, the Asus telephone is tall, partly as a result of the front-facing digicam is positioned in a bezel above the 6.7-inch AMOLED display as a substitute of inside a show cutout like on many different Android telephones. This may gain advantage players since you do not have something obstructing the gameplay in your display. But should you’re used to a large-screen telephone just like the Galaxy S23 Plus or the iPhone 14 Pro Max, you would possibly wince on the ROG being even greater than its show. The telephone additionally feels heavy, coming in at 239 grams (only a gram shy of the iPhone 14 Pro Max) in contrast with the equally sized 196-gram Galaxy S23 Plus. The telephone lacks wi-fi charging however makes up for that with speedy wired 65W charging. And sure, the facility brick is even included within the field. Background mode permits you to proceed operating a sport when you use your telephone to do different issues.
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Photography is ok. It’s not in the identical league as what the cameras and software program shoot on equally priced Galaxy or Pixel telephones. Photos from the Phone 7 Ultimate have an affordable quantity of element in each indoor and outside settings. The Phone 7 Ultimate additionally arrives as the hand-held PC gaming market is gaining traction, with Asus itself even saying the ROG Ally as a competitor to the Steam Deck. While the Phone 7 Ultimate is not claiming to be the cellular gaming machine on your PC sport library, it does embody a number of options and customizations for these looking for to get probably the most out of video games constructed for Android.
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Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate specs, software program and gaming efficiency The Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate has specs which may outperform your PC, though it is not making an attempt to be one. The overview unit I examined contains 16GB of reminiscence and 512GB of space for storing, which is a small step down from the 18GB of RAM seen on final 12 months’s Phone 6 Pro, however nonetheless a ridiculous quantity. Alongside the aforementioned Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, the telephone has a Qualcomm Adreno 740 GPU. The Phone 7 Ultimate’s show has a 165Hz refresh charge. It runs Android 13, has two front-facing stereo audio system and a headphone jack. Like with final 12 months’s Phone 6 Pro, the telephone’s rear LED show exhibits customizable animations and notification icons. There’s two USB-C ports, one on the underside and one other on the left aspect, meant to make it simpler to cost whereas taking part in a sport horizontally. Passthrough charging can also be accessible, which helps you to play video games with out charging the battery so the telephone does not get hotter. You can add a persistent gauge throughout video games displaying stats just like the temperature of the telephone, frames per second and the battery.
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The Phone 7 Ultimate is particularly speedy, and after I open video games I can simply crank up the graphics and body charge settings to their highest. Setting Fortnite to run at 90 frames per second did not lavatory down the telephone, nor did taking part in Mortal Kombat at 160 frames per second. Even video games that do not help a excessive body charge nonetheless profit from the Snapdragon chip and the telephone’s reminiscence. For occasion Marvel Snap’s playing cards animations seemed very clean as did Mario Kart. In benchmark exams, the Phone 7 Ultimate carried out corresponding to telephones just like the Samsung Galaxy S23 and the OnePlus 11. While uncooked energy is not essentially what separates gaming telephones from mainstream ones, it does underscore that Asus’ software program additions and {hardware} customizations are targeted on its gamer viewers.
Benchmarks
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Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate
Galaxy S23
Galaxy S22
iPhone 14
iPhone 14 Pro
Pixel 7 Pro
OnePlus 11
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Higher scores are higher
3DMark frames per second
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Asus ROG Phone 7 Pro
Galaxy S23
Galaxy S22
iPhone 14
iPhone 14 Pro
Pixel 7 Pro
OnePlus 11
Note:
Higher scores are higher.
The Phone 7 Ultimate emphasizes horizontal sport play. It has an up to date model of its AirTriggers system to program the telephone’s numerous sensors on a sport by sport foundation. Like RedMagic gaming telephones, you should utilize the corners of the telephone to reply as shoulder buttons. For occasion, when taking part in Fortnite, I arrange the appropriate shoulder button to shoot and the left shoulder button to swap between aiming modes. The Game Genie dashboard permits you to activate lots of the telephone’s settings while you’re taking part in a sport.
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Asus additionally permits you to program the telephone’s gyroscope for numerous movement controls and gestures. Overall, there’s quite a lot of choices for those who hyperlink to tinker, however I want to see Asus embody advised controller templates for well-liked cellular video games in future updates. There’s additionally program macros — a sequence of instructions that repeat time and again — which, when mixed with Background mode, permits you to set and overlook sure sport duties. In order to guard your telephone’s battery, a persistent notification will show when a sport is in Background mode so you ultimately bear in mind to show it off. The AeroActive Cooler 7 attaches to the again of the telephone. When hooked up, a door opens on the telephone to let in additional of the fan’s air.
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Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate cooling system The Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate makes cooling a precedence, whether or not or not you might be utilizing the included AeroActive Cooler attachment. Asus designed the within of the telephone to assist with warmth dissipation, and whereas I might definitely really feel the telephone grow to be heat whereas taking part in video games or quick charging, it was by no means uncomfortable to carry. Though including a case goes an extended solution to preserve warmth away out of your arms. According to the telephone’s temperature gauge, after 30 minutes of gameplay it reached 40 levels Celsius (104 levels Fahrenheit). The AeroActive Cooler plugs into the aspect USB-C port and clamps down over the facility button. The attachment has cooling followers and opens the hidden door on the again to push cool air inside. There’s additionally programmable buttons and LED lights on it. During one other 30-minute stretch of gameplay with the fan hooked up, the telephone’s temperature dropped to 38 levels Celsius (100 levels Fahrenheit). Cooling apart, the AeroActive Cooler seems like there is a massive metallic spider on the again of the telephone. It’s uncomfortable, particularly after I performed touchscreen-heavy video games. The accent additionally has a kickstand for propping it up on a desk and utilizing a Bluetooth sport controller, which might be extra comfy. The backside of the cooling accent contains one other USB-C port and a headphone jack.
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Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate cameras, pictures The Phone 7 Ultimate has a 50-megapixel most important digicam, a 13-megapixel ultrawide digicam and an 8-megapixel macro digicam. The front-facing digicam has a 32-megapixel sensor. There’s Portrait mode and Night mode. You can file movies at 8K 24fps (frames per second) and in 4K at both 60fps or 30fps. Photo of Citi Field taken on the Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate.
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Photos are ample. The Phone 7 Ultimate carried out simply superb in quite a lot of settings like at Citi Field or in Central Park for a marriage. This is not going to be a telephone that you simply use for taking one of the best Instagram pictures, but it surely works as a solution to seize a fast image in most environments. Wagner Cove in New York’s Central Park, taken on the Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate.
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On the entire, Phone 7 Ultimate pictures lacked element, particularly in comparison with photographs from my iPhone 12 Pro Max. Take a have a look at the pictures under of me standing in Central Park. You can see the flowers’ particulars considerably clearer within the iPhone photograph. I’m shocked at how totally different the lighting seems within the two pictures. Here’s the Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate’s photograph
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And this is the one from the iPhone 12 Pro Max.
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The Asus’ Portrait mode fared barely higher, regardless of the background blur on the flowers wanting inconsistent. Selfies equally lacked element, however the front-facing digicam is serviceable for video calls. Photo and video seize is a typical compromise for many gaming telephones.Using Portrait mode on the Phone 7 Ultimate helped carry out extra shade throughout this Central Park scene.
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Indoor front-facing digicam photograph on the Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate, taken whereas filming the video overview for this telephone.
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Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate backside line The Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate is tailor-made for cell phone players that wish to tweak Android video games whereas taking part in them at their highest graphics settings. New additions just like the telephone’s new Snapdragon chip, controller choices and upgraded cooling system additional refine that have, whereas offering a pointy refresh charge with quick speeds that profit non-gaming duties like apps and studying. Most individuals will probably be happier with a telephone like a Galaxy S23 that has higher cameras and a slimmer physique. Also, many Android video games run simply superb on common telephones. For a gamer that places specs above all and desires tons and many customizable choices, this ROG Phone 7 Ultimate is filled with them. We have not but reviewed the competing RedMagic 8 Pro sequence which has the identical chip with a decrease $649 beginning value. However, the software program expertise on the Asus is superb, reaching a pleasant stability between being a gaming machine and a cell phone. How we take a look at telephones Every telephone examined by CNET’s critiques crew was truly utilized in the true world. We take a look at a telephone’s options, play video games and take pictures. We look at the show to see if it is vivid, sharp and vibrant. We analyze the design and construct to see how it’s to carry and whether or not it has an IP-rating for water resistance. We push the processor’s efficiency to the extremes utilizing each standardized benchmark instruments like GeekBench and 3DMark, together with our personal anecdotal observations navigating the interface, recording high-resolution movies and taking part in graphically intense video games at excessive refresh charges. All the cameras are examined in quite a lot of situations from vivid daylight to darkish indoor scenes. We check out particular options like night time mode and portrait mode and evaluate our findings in opposition to equally priced competing telephones. We additionally take a look at the battery life by utilizing it each day in addition to operating a sequence of battery drain exams. We consider further options like help for 5G, satellite tv for pc connectivity, fingerprint and face sensors, stylus help, quick charging speeds, foldable shows amongst others that may be helpful. And we after all stability all of this in opposition to the value to provide the verdict on whether or not that telephone, no matter value it’s, truly represents good worth.