Since gaming and performance go together, when a gaming smartphone is released, you can be sure it’s been powered up.
The new Asus ROG Phone 6 recently went on sale in South Africa and is one of the first dedicated gaming smartphones you can buy locally.
This device belongs to the company’s Republic of Gamers sub-brand, which specializes in gaming-related hardware and components such as laptops, monitors, headsets, and accessories.
Asus ROG Phone 6
What’s in the Box?
The ROG logo is printed all around the box, and this box is quite large in comparison to other manufacturers who are opting for eco-friendlier, more compact packaging.
Upon opening the box, you find
- a protective cover
- a SIM tool with the ROG brand
- user guide
- an augmented reality card
- A USB-C cable with braided wires
- This 65W fast charging plug can get your battery from 0 to 100% in a mere 42 minutes.
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Minute Details
When you turn your phone over, you will observe outstanding details on the back that set it apart from other high-end phones.
It has
- red accents
- Lights with Red, Green, and Blue colors
- Republic of Gamers logo
- The camera sticks out, so it never lies flat.
- “dare to play” is printed in neon purple.
If all of this is overwhelming, you can just use the plain cover that comes included in the box – which isn’t a bad idea considering how expensive the phone is.
Specifications
With premium features and some of the highest specs available on a mobile device, this phone is well-made and worth the investment.
- a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor
- The Adreno 730 GPU is featured.
- 16GB memory
- 512 gigabytes of storage
- a screen refresh rate of 165Hz.
Samsung’s current flagship models, the Z Fold 4 and Flip 4, both come with the same Snapdragon chip.
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Is It Really Better as a Gaming Phone than a Standard High-End One?
When you begin to set up this gaming phone, you know it’s not a regular phone. It offers videos and experiences that other phones don’t have.
AR Card
To get a glimpse of the gaming features, there is an AR card included in the box which can be scanned with a phone.
The AR card details AirTriggers, two ultrasonic sensors that are used when playing games. When held in a vertical position while playing, it enhances the experience.
- tap
- swipe
- horizontal or vertical slide
- dual-action
- dual partition
- dual control
- Press and lift
- gyroscope aiming.
It may seem overwhelming, but this is what really makes this phone stand out from premium smartphones.
The Android 12-powered device only relies on gestures for navigation, and there are no soft buttons as seen with a typical Android phone.
Armoury Crate App
The Armoury Crate app on the phone serves as a gaming area, located in the middle of the bottom section. You shouldn’t have a problem finding it – inside you can find the games library, console mode, featured games, and your profile.
Search for Games
You can search games based on criteria such as 165Hz, 144Hz, 120Hz, ROG select, GamePad, or AirTriggers depending on what is most important to you.
Although it’s laborious to search for games, as there is no search bar, you can scroll through the lists to find one. When you click on it, the game will install via the Play Store.
Performance Modes
The Phone 6 has specialized performance settings.
- Switch to X Mode for an optimal gaming experience
- Dynamic is designed to be used frequently.
- Ultra Durable will keep power intact.
X Mode gives you the optimal gaming experience with customizable RGB lighting.
Cooling System
Although the phone has its own cooling system, it can still get heated up when you play a resource-intensive game.
Is It a Decent High-End Phone When You Aren’t Gaming?
The phone has top-notch specs for performance, so it’s highly unlikely to disappoint in that area.
Battery
The phone’s battery life is great thanks to its large 6000mAh battery, the largest I’ve ever seen on any phone.
If you’re wanting to extend battery life, even with X Mode activated, you can switch to ultra-durable mode.
To be frank, due to its 65W power brick, it only takes 45 minutes or less to get a full charge, so you don’t need to worry.
Cameras
The cameras of this device offer 50MP main shooting, 13MP ultra-wide, and 5MP macro. Point-and-shoot pictures with HDR look satisfactory without being over-saturated.
The front-facing 12MP selfie camera does its job well, and portrait mode offers the same face-enhancing features that many Asian smartphones are known for, such as altering skin tone, smoothing or illuminating skin, and making your eyes bigger and cheeks thinner.
This gaming phone may have 8K video recording and 4K live streaming on the rear and front camera respectively, but it’s not a photography powerhouse like Samsung’s Z Fold 4. Just remember that a gaming phone isn’t designed with photography in mind.
AirTriggers
The AirTriggers offer multiple useful shortcuts including app launching, mode selection, and other actions. Furthermore, the 5G supports dual SIM via two physical nano slots.
Sound Quality
The sound quality is so remarkable that you don’t need headphones -although a 3.5mm audio jack is also included.
The bottom right placement of the speaker isn’t that ideal, as when gaming horizontally it can get in the way. If you plan on using it out and about, consider connecting Bluetooth headphones instead.
Conclusion
The Asus ROG Phone 6 is a great gaming phone due to its Armoury Crate app and AirTriggers – two features that separate it from other premium smartphones.
You can instantly activate X Mode without lag, making it perfect for consuming multimedia content.
If you primarily use your phone for gaming, this is the one to get. Just be aware that it doesn’t have the quick and responsive camera found on other Androids or the familiar soft touch buttons.