Asus ROG Cellphone 9 Professional Evaluation: Snapdragon 8 Elite Cell Gaming Unleashed

	Asus ROG Cellphone 9 Professional – Out there for $1,199 (Professional) and $1,499.99 (Professional Version) The most recent Asus ROG Cellphone affords severe gaming efficiency with the Snapdragon 8 Elite and even longer battery life.
	Glorious OLED display Lengthy battery life and quick charging (with included plug) Shoulder buttons are useful for gaming Large storage and RAM Incredible efficiency in X-mode Sharp, vivid show with 120Hz refresh ×Quick 80W charging and included plug ×Glorious efficiency with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 ×Alert slider is again	Extraordinarily excessive value Digicam cannot sustain with equally priced telephones Solely two OS updates

Most fashionable telephones can run hottest video games pretty properly, however if you happen to’re choosy, flagship telephones can typically ship superior visible constancy. If, nevertheless, you demand one of the best cell gaming expertise attainable, you want one thing purpose-built for gaming on the go. The most recent Asus ROG Cellphone 9 Professional comes with the brand-new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, extra RAM than a whole lot of computer systems, and configurable triggers buttons. There’s even an non-obligatory cooling fan.

The ROG Cellphone 9 Professional is the quickest Android smartphone by any measure, nevertheless it additionally instructions a premium. The bottom mannequin ROG Cellphone 9 begins at $1,000, and the Professional begins at $1,199.99. Essentially the most succesful model is a staggering $1,500 (the Professional Version), nevertheless it comes with the cooling fan accent. Is blazing efficiency price such a considerable premium? Let’s discover out.

Asus ROG Cellphone 9 and 9 Professional Options and Specs

Asus has been making Android telephones below its ROG model for years, however final 12 months marked a giant change for the product line. Asus left behind the aggressive gamer aesthetic for a barely extra refined design. There are nonetheless gaming options galore, however just like the ROG Cellphone 8, the ROG Cellphone 9 does not scream “gaming cellphone.”

The ROG Cellphone 9 Professional cuts an imposing silhouette with its IP68 matte black physique. It is also fairly heavy at 227g, which is just about 10g lighter than Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 6 foldable cellphone. The facility and quantity buttons are simple to seek out by really feel, they usually’re very clicky. Nonetheless, they’re additionally wobbly sufficient which you could hear the aluminum rattle while you press them. This is not a dealbreaker, however a $1,500 cellphone shouldn’t have unfastened buttons.

The ROG 9 Professional sports activities a giant 6.78-inch OLED display. It is solely 1080p, however the density nonetheless appears to be like adequate at that dimension. The panel is totally flat, however the glass cowl curved only a bit on the edge to easy the transition to the aluminum body. Most telephones have a single port and a few buttons, however the ROG Cellphone 9 Professional has much more happening.

There’s an optical fingerprint scanner below the show, and it does not appear to have modified from final 12 months. It really works properly sufficient, although it is slower than the sensors on equally priced telephones. It unlocks the cellphone on the primary strive more often than not, nevertheless it’s noticeably slower than the ultrasonic sensors utilized in Samsung and Google telephones now.

On the underside edge, this cellphone has a USB-C port and a 3.5mm jack—a real rarity in 2024. That is additionally the place you may discover the SIM tray, and there isn’t any eSIM assist on this cellphone stateside. On the best edge, you’ve got acquired the facility and quantity buttons. That is additionally the place Asus has added the Air Triggers, that are each simply mappable to in-game controls. On the left aspect is a second USB-C port that may cost the cellphone whereas gaming and in addition hook up with the AeroActive Cooler X Professional, which is included with the Professional Version we have been testing.

The again of the cellphone is nearly similar to final 12 months’s machine, a easy expanse of flippantly textured glass with a couple of model marks and a racing stripe. The glass is not very grippy, however we do just like the fascinating texture. The cameras once more reside in a big squircle-shaped module. It stands out starkly from the again of the cellphone, making certain this machine won’t ever lay flat on a desk.

The AniMe Imaginative and prescient LEDs are again, too. Final 12 months’s cellphone dropped the LCD of older ROG Telephones in favor of the illuminated dot matrix, and the ROG Cellphone 9 improves on it. The ROG 9’s AniMe Imaginative and prescient has 648 LEDs below the again glass, twice as many as final 12 months’s cellphone. Most of them are white, however there is a financial institution of pink LEDs under that. Asus has included quite a few animations and standing shows which you could toggle on and off within the settings, and you’ll add your individual photographs too. If you would like this a part of the cellphone flashing continuous, that is an possibility. Alternatively, you possibly can solely use it for choose functions like previewing calls and checking charging standing.

The utility of AniMe Imaginative and prescient is questionable, however Asus is doing the whole lot in its energy to make the function enjoyable. It is type of working, too. The ROG Cellphone 9 Professional features a suite of easy retro-inspired video games for AniMe Imaginative and prescient managed with the shoulder buttons. There’s an countless runner, an Asteroids knock-off, a Breakout clone, and snake. The video games, which have on-line leaderboards, are surprisingly enjoyable and work properly. We would prefer to see extra video games added sooner or later, although.

One of many major complaints with Asus’ 2023 ROG redesign was the lack of front-facing audio system. The ROG Cellphone 9 does not change that—you continue to have one speaker within the earpiece and one bottom-firing—however the official instances now embody a “cone” that redirects sound towards you from the underside speaker. It is a considerate change, however we’re happier to see the underside speaker positioned in such a manner that it is unlikely to be blocked by your hand in panorama orientation. The audio is mostly effective for a cellphone however should not it’s greater than that for such a premium machine?

Asus ROG Cellphone 9 Professional: Software program, AI Expertise And Replace Help

The ROG Cellphone 9 Professional runs Android with  Asus optimized options and a ROG theme. The default ROG theme has a distinctively “gamer” aesthetic with angular app icons and fonts. The inventory Android theme is an possibility although, if you happen to want a extra standard look. We recognize that Asus has separated its system optimizations from the theme, and you’ll toggle on particular person UX enhancements. For instance, you should use considered one of Asus’ fast settings layouts, that are denser than inventory Android, or you possibly can revert to Google’s model. It is the identical for the facility menu, quantity panel, and so forth.

The ROG Cellphone 9 Professional runs Android 15 out of the field, which is an efficient factor as a result of having the newest software program is preferable. It is good to see the newest model of Android as a result of Asus solely guarantees two main OS updates for this cellphone. That is not splendid when a cellphone prices this a lot, however at the least you do not have to burn one of many scant updates simply getting up-to-date.

Naturally, AI is a significant focus of the ROG Cellphone 9. Qualcomm says its newest cell chip reaches new heights in NPU throughput, which can theoretically make AI options extra highly effective. The cellphone has numerous AI instruments we have seen on different gadgets, like cellphone name translation, and AI transcripts within the recorder app. You may as well seek for photographs within the gallery app with key phrases.

A lot of Asus’ AI options are particular to gaming. For instance, X Sense integrates with choose video games like Genshin Influence to automate choosing up gadgets, operating lengthy distances, and different tedious issues. You may as well file gameplay with the ROG Cellphone’s pop-up in-game menu, and AI might be employed to mechanically file and save vital moments. Once more, this requires a supported recreation. 

Briefly, this cellphone is overflowing with options—even Samsung cannot contact the sheer variety of toggles, buttons, and menus on the ROG Cellphone 9 Professional. It may be somewhat overwhelming, however this machine is aimed toward avid gamers. If you happen to’re deep right into a cell recreation to the purpose you’d think about shopping for an ultra-premium gaming cellphone, you in all probability need all these options so you possibly can tune the cellphone’s conduct to your preferences. The ROG Cellphone 9 positively delivers for choosy avid gamers.

Asus ROG Cellphone 9 Professional: Cameras, Pattern Pictures And Efficiency

The Asus ROG Cellphone 9 Professional has a triple digital camera array similar to final 12 months’s cellphone. There is a 13MP ultrawide digital camera, a 32MP 3x telephoto, and a 50MP major. Whereas the primary shooter’s decision stays at 50MP, the sensor has been upgraded to a Sony Lytia 700 from the IMX890 of final 12 months’s mannequin.

With the best lighting, the ROG Cellphone 9 Professional can take some good photographs. The colours are good, and publicity instances are manageable even for motion pictures. Nonetheless, the colours aren’t constant throughout the three shooters. The primary and ultrawide cameras are roughly true-to-life, however the telephoto appears to be like a bit muted. The ultrawide additionally retains edge distortion to a minimal.

When lighting is poor, publicity instances improve markedly in comparison with different telephones on this value vary. That makes it troublesome to reliably seize motion. Night time mode photographs will not assist with that, however you may get some good pictures with boosted element in case your topic is stationary. The cellphone additionally has pretty good stabilization—you possibly can shoot longer Night time Mode photographs with out worrying about minor jostling. Asus says it will possibly eradicate 5 levels of motion compensation, 2 levels larger than final 12 months’s cellphone.

Low gentle, no night time mode

There’s a normal softness to the ROG Cellphone 9’s photographs that you do not see with Google or Samsung cameras. Nonetheless, we’re noticing some enhancements versus final 12 months’s ROG Cellphone. The 9 Professional retains a bit extra element, and the low-light efficiency is okay as an alternative of poor. We would chalk that as much as the brand new Sony sensor, which guarantees improved photographs in darkish settings.

Night time Mode

The bottom mannequin ROG Cellphone 9 drops the telephoto and has a macro shooter as a replacement. Some telephones use ultrawide sensors with autofocus to take macro photographs with out a devoted lens, however the ROG Cellphone 9 Professional does not try this, which looks like a missed alternative contemplating the bottom mannequin has that performance.

Prime to backside: Ultrawide, Major, 3x Telephoto

To provide you a way of how the totally different focal lengths of the three rear shooters have an effect on composition, we have offered the pattern pictures above. As you possibly can see, there is a stark distinction in attain from the ultrawide to the telephoto digital camera.