Gaming phones aren’t a new concept. Theyve even been around before the influx of touch screen smartphones with the launch of the N-Gage along time ago. We even had that Sony Xperia Play with built in slide-out controller, which some have called for a sequel. That being said, last year Razer launched their first smartphone aimed directly at the gaming market and it certainly sparked a lot of interest.
ASUS have been working on their own gaming centric device, and are using the Republic of Gamers brand to show their being serious. The device certainly includes a wide range of features and high end specs that certainly put it ahead of the Razer phone in general, but also specifically for gaming.
We have a 6-inch AMOLED display with 2,160 x 1,080 resolution and 18:9. The display will be running at 90hz, which is lower than the Razer’s 120hz, but being AMOLED over LCD, it will certainly have its benefits. It also supports HDR content as well.
The design is very ASUS ROG and even includes an RGB logo on the back that can be controlled and sync with other Aura apps. The round design and non-subtle design and shapes definitely make for a unique and mostly good looking device. Thankfully we get front facing stereo speakers, which is almost a must for a true gaming device.
The glass on the front, along with exposed copper and stylish placement of the fingerprint sensor are sure to make this a very identifiable device. Which can’t be said for a lot of smartphones today. The phone does come in at 200g, making it would of the heaviest on the market.
Being a gaming phone, ASUS included ultrasonic AirTrigger shoulder sensors that act as shoulder buttons when playing games.handy when you want a more comfortable position when playing in landscape and allow you to cover less screen with your fingers.
Inside we have the latest Snapdragon 845 chipset from Qualcomm along with 8GB’s of RAM. This device is completely designed to run at the max possible speed the chipset can provide. Inside we have a GameCool 3D Vapour-Chamber with copper heat-spreader. ASUS are also including an active fan attachment in the box for when things get really hot, which adds USB Type-C and headphone back.
Funny enough, the device includes 3 USB type-C connections, mainly for the attachments that the device will support, and also so you can have it plugged in at different angles so it doesn’t disrupt your hold on the device when gaming.
Storage wise we get 128GB internal, with a 512GB model arriving possibly after initial launch. Sadly there is no MicroSD slot, so no way to expand the memory.
Those side USB Type-C connections allow for more than just the fan. The also support the a Dock for connecting your device to a TV/Monitor or directly to your PC. There will also be a TwinView Dock which adds a secondary display and 6,000mAh battery, very Nintendo DS like (Picture below.
The Twinview dock will require game developers to take better advantage off, and might not necessarily add much functionally other than having an extra screen for other content, or perhaps a comment section if you were live streaming. It does include proper triggers underneath, which like the ultrasonic sensors, are customizable. It does also include an SD card slot, which could be handy.
There is also a WiFI 802.11AD dock that allows you to stream directly to your TV with line of sight. This works alongside controller attachments that work similar to the Nintendo Switch, by adding joysticks and buttons.
Lastly, we have dual 12MP and 8MP camera’s on the rear of the device, with the latter offering a 120-degree field of view. We mentioned the 200g weight the device has, but thankfully that’s less concerning since we also get a 4,000mAh battery as well.
There is no word on pricing, definite availability for the device, other than Q3. That also doesn’t account for what regions the phone will launch in. We’re guessing it’s not going to be the cheapest high-end phone on the market, but hopefully we hear more soon.
