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Performance
The ROG Phone 2 features top-of-the-line Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus chipset overclocked to function at 2.96GHz. The octa-core CPU paired with an unlocked Adreno 640 GPU is supported by up to 12GB of RAM and up to 512GB of UFS3.0 storage.
The new Snapdragon 855 Plus SoC is 15% faster (than SD 855) when it comes to CPU performance and graphics rendering along with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Elite Gaming suite. With this, it is the most powerful Android phone out there that one can get their hands on. It just blazes through anything and everything that we throw at it, including a bunch of graphics-intensive Android gaming titles.
Popular games like PUBG Mobile, which recently went live with HDR mode, and Fortnite are locked at 60fps and therefore cannot fully utilize the power at hand. Asus says it’s working with developers to support the high refresh rate of the ROG Phone 2, but we don’t know how long that’s going to take. It could be this year, or it could be next.
While testing the phone, we loaded it up with games that support high refresh rates and some that can up to 120Hz. These include titles like Alto’s Adventure & Odyssey, Asphalt 9. CATS, Marvel Contest of Champions, DragonBallZ: Dokkan Batte, FIFA Mobile, Marvel’s Future Fight, Injustice 2, Shadowgun Legends, Modern Combat 5, Mortal Combat X, Need for Speed No Limits, Pac-Man, Pinout, Plague Inc, Real Racing 3, Shadow Fight 3, Sky Force Reloaded, Sniper Fury, Sonic FOrces, Space Jet, Space Commander, Stick War: Legacy, Stickman Legend, Tekken Mobile, Trials Frontier and Vainglory.
All of these games and more ran on full performance mode on the ROG Phone 2 without a hitch, and we had a great time playing games on it. The shoulder touch-sensitive triggers assisted us in getting those quick kills during the Deathmatch mode, and they’re beneficial during such gameplays.
Though we didn’t need to run benchmarks for the ROG Phone 2 as its performance speaks volumes about its caliber, we went ahead with the AnTuTu Benchmark where the phone scored 395894 points defeating phones like OnePlus 7 Pro, Samsung Galaxy Note 10+, Redmi K20 Pro, OnePlus 7 and Black Shark 2 in its wake.
Asus has focused a lot on the thermal management system of the ROG Phone 2 which includes a vapor cooling chamber, heat dissipation plate, and air vents. The phone runs warm after back-to-back sessions of PUBG Mobile in around 3.5-4 hours with X Mode turned on.
During our AnTuTu testing, we ran the app with X Mode enabled, which provided a free reign to the 3D tests performed by AnTuTu. The phone became increasingly hot near the copper vent after these tests, and we got brilliant benchmark results to prove that. However, the heat doesn’t get unbearable to a point where you feel like turning the phone off.
Other than that, the phone runs on Android 9.0 Pie-based ROG UI, which is the company’s gaming-centric theme for ROG phones. The RGB lighting can be controlled via ROG Aura Sync app that comes pre-loaded on the phone along with the Armoury Crate control app.
This app monitors the real-time performance of the processor and battery and provides additional controls to boost performance during gaming. There’s an X Mode built into the ROG Phone 2 which ensures stable performance but also offers users a chance to boost it significantly by turning on the X Mode.
A high profile allows Asus to cue in dual front-firing speakers which use a 5-magnet design backed by Smart NXP Amplifier. It also supports DTS :X Ultra for enhancing surround sound experience. In our experience, the speakers produced punchy but clear audio even at full volumes. And it can get pretty loud if you know what to play.
There’s an Outdoor mode for listening to music on full volume in open spaces, and a 3.5mm audio jack that is capable of Hi-Res audio output and DTS Headphone:X sound.
Asus ROG Phone 2 features a massive 6,000mAh battery which supports 30W fast charging in addition to a secondary side Type-C port with fast charging, display port and reverse charging support. It is one of the largest battery capacities we have seen on flagship phones, and it ensures that you can game on the go.
We got an 18W fast charging adapter in-the-box which charges up the phone from 0% to 100% in between 125-130 minutes.
The phone can charge up to 4,000mAh in 58 minutes using a 30W adapter, and it can run PUBG Mobile for 7.1 hours at 60fps on a single charge.
If you’re someone who plays a lot of games on their phone, the ROG Phone 2 will last you a full day on a single charge. However, you can expect 2-3 days worth battery life on moderate to low usage patterns.
Supported Accessories
What’s a gaming phone without some complimenting accessories? Thankfully, Asus has made sure that its bunch of accessories will further elevate the gaming experience of the users.
It includes the new AeroActive Cooler II which adds a dedicated fan cooling system and is four times quieter than the earlier version. It cools the chassis temperature by up to 5-degrees and is priced at Rs 3,999.
Next up, we have the ROG Lighting Armour Case, which has an embedded NFC chip that brings new and exclusive themes and wallpapers to the ROG Phone 2. It is priced at Rs 2,999 in India.
The TwinView Dock II has the same display like the one on the ROG Phone 2 along with a 5,000mAh battery and Turbo fan for cooling. The phone can be attached to the dock, and both the screens can be utilized simultaneously. It can be used with the Kunai Gamepad and is priced at Rs 19,999.
Asus ROG Kunai Gamepad is a modern take on gaming controllers. It has a set of 21 keys and can be connected to any phone or PC. It consists of three parts: bumper case, Kunai controllers, and holder. The left and right controllers can also be detached from the base and used separately. It is priced at Rs 9,999.
Besides, Asus also offers a Mobile Desktop Dock for extending gaming experience to a bigger screen with USB and HDMI inputs and is priced at Rs 12,999.
Verdict
Asus ROG Phone 2 builds upon the foundations of the previous generation and brings significant upgrades to the display, sound, performance, and battery capacity. It is a gamer’s phone, and it doesn’t leave any chance in flaunting that aspect.
The RGB logo on the back with leading circuit lines, a large and wide display perfect for gaming & viewing content and a performance that remains unmatched, Asus has created the best gaming phone in the existence of gaming phones.
It has an incredible battery life for its asking price and is the most powerful Android phones that we’ll have this year.
With all that power under the hood, now we need more games that can reap benefits from the overclocked processor. For a gaming phone of this caliber, there aren’t many decent Android games out there yet. However, we expect that to change in the next few years.
Asus ROG Phone 2 looks like a solid sequel and a great gaming device, but if you’re looking to use it as your daily driver, you’ll be hard-pressed to compromise on certain factors like its large profile and weight.
