ASUS launched the ROG Phone 6 a few months ago, one of the latest gaming smartphones you can get right now. I’ve been using the phone for more than a month and here’s the full review.
ASUS ROG Phone 6 Specs
- 6.78-inch Full HD+ 165Hz/1ms AMOLED HDR10+ display
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor
- Up to 16GB LPDDR5 RAM
- Up to 512GB UFS 3.1 storage
- Cameras
- Rear: 50MP Sony IMX766 main + 13MP ultra-wide + 5MP macro
- 12MP selfie camera
- 6,000mAh battery with 65W ROG HyperCharge
- Android 12
Design
The front of the ROG Phone 6 looks the same as before, you get stereo speakers on the front with thick bezels. The buttons and ports are also located in the same positions, though the side-mounted connector is now just the USB-C port, which also means you can’t mount the old AeroActive Cooler to the phone. There’s no rubber flap to cover the side-mounted USB-C port as well, but the phone does support IPX4 water resistance.
The back of the ROG Phone 6 has a slightly different design, which still houses an AniMe Matrix-inspired RGB-lit ROG logo. The shape kind of reminds me of the ROG Strix Arion, which is an SSD enclosure. It looks closer to the Pro model, which has a color ROG Vision mini-display on the back.
Display
The ROG Phone 6 sports a 6.78-inch Full HD+ 165Hz/1ms AMOLED HDR10+ display and its touch response rate has been doubled up to 720Hz, which is the highest touch sampling rate you can get in a phone right now. It is still the same fast and vivid display with an optical in-display fingerprint sensor that works well.
Performance
Powering the ROG Phone 6 is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor with up to 16GB LPDDR5 RAM and 512GB UFS 3.1 storage. This time around, the base model has 12GB LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB UFS 3.1 storage, more than its predecessor. It comes with the upgraded GameCool 6 cooling system that has an optimized thermal design that cools the CPU from every direction.
ASUS took three different approaches to keep the phone cool while gaming. Firstly, the Boron Nitride (BN) thermal compound on one side of the CPU reduces thermal throttling during short gaming sessions. Secondly, the enlarged vapor chamber and graphite sheets dissipate heat from the other side of the CPU more efficiently during mid-length gaming sessions. And finally, for long-term stability, the new AeroActive Cooler 6 incorporates an AI-powered active cooling system, using a Peltier cooling element that provides additional surface cooling with a fan positioned exactly over the location of the system-on-a-chip (SoC). Unfortunately, ASUS didn’t include the AeroActive Cooler 6 for the base model.
Software
The software experience is quite similar to its predecessor, you get the Armoury Crate and Game Genie apps to customize your own gaming settings such as toggling on/off X Mode, customizing AirTriggers, adjusting the fan speed, and more.
Camera
In terms of camera, the ROG Phone 6 still packs a triple-camera setup on the back but the main camera is now a 50MP Sony IMX766 sensor. Completing the trio is a 13MP ultra-wide camera and a 5MP macro camera. For some reason, its front camera is now a 12MP unit instead of the 24MP one from its predecessor.
Image quality certainly is better than its predecessor, but it’s still a shame that the main camera is not optical image stabilized. Given the fact that it’s a gaming phone, don’t expect it to be as good as current flagship phones.
Battery Life
The ROG Phone 6 still has a 6,000mAh battery with a 65W ROG HyperCharge. Its battery life is still the best in the market. Based on my usage, I was able to get 2 days of battery life easily with some light gaming here and there, browsing the web, and watching YouTube videos. This is unquestionably the phone with the best battery life.
Final Words
The ASUS ROG Phone 6 retails at RM3,599 (12GB+256GB) and RM4,399 (16GB+512GB), respectively. You can also go all the way to the top-of-the-line model ROG Phone 6 Pro, which retails at RM4,999 (18GB+512GB) and comes with a color ROG Vision mini-display on the back. My verdict remains the same as the ROG Phone 5s — if screen quality, performance, and battery life are important to you, just go right ahead and buy it. The only two factors that will stop you from getting this phone are the bulky size and it doesn’t have a flagship-grade camera setup.
Buy Here
Yay
- Great display
- Top-notch performance with good cooling
- Great battery life
Nay
- No AeroActive Cooler 6 included in the box for the base model
- Bulky design
- Average camera
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