ROG Phone 8 Pro – review of a gaming smartphone from ASUS

For a long time, ROG gaming smartphones have maintained a recognizable design and had a number of their own features. And despite external updates, each subsequent model was somewhat similar to the previous one. This year, the smartphone changed its body more radically, reduced its dimensions, and now has competitive water and dust protection. At the same time, most of the previous advantages have not been lost in the new version. Recently, a new top model got into our hands, and today we will tell you more about ASUS’ ROG Phone 8 Pro.

ROG Phone 8 Pro specifications

Package contents

Unfortunately, we got the smartphone only with a proprietary power supply. However, the rest of the package is much more interesting. The gadget is sold in a large box, which is even included in the first setup. Along with it, there’s a protective case, a powerful power supply with a separate wire, a pin for opening the SIM card compartment, and the most expensive package also includes an additional external cooling unit (which also has a separate case).

You can add another case option and display protection to this. ASUS offers such accessories. It’s not a given that other manufacturers will pay much attention to a niche line, so you shouldn’t expect a large selection of such things. However, this will definitely not be a problem for fans of gaming smartphones.

Design and usability

ROG Phone 8 Pro, in the best traditions of today, is built of glass panels on the front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2) and back (Gorilla Glass), and they are held on an aluminum base. At the same time, the overall design of the device is more reminiscent of a stylish Stealth smartphone with a matte back cover. Nevertheless, the logo, GL HF and DARE TO WIN inscriptions, and other features of the case will still give away its gaming origin.

The body of the ROG Phone 8 Pro model also features a new matrix display – AniMe Vision. It has 341 LED pixels. With their help, the device can display a set of various information messages (battery power, current status, camera timer, etc.), as well as display both branded and custom images that you can even draw yourself. This is an interesting and unusual accent on a smartphone. And owners of other devices from the manufacturer that also have such displays will be able to better unite the current lineup of gadgets with an additional common feature.

Backlight settings are made through the ARMOURY CRATE app (a familiar name for ROG users):

Another relevant update was the reduction in the size of the case. The predecessor with dimensions of 173×77×10.3 mm and weight of 239 grams was significantly larger. The new model offers more pleasant figures: 163.8×76.8×8.9 mm, 225 grams. However, this is still a large device, which, for example, is slightly larger than the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (162.3×79×8.6 mm, 232 grams). Yes, the case will make the smartphone bigger, but the new gadget will still be more comfortable than last year’s model.

The large camera unit does not improve the situation either. The smartphone will not lie flat on a flat surface (which is also a common feature for almost all competitors). Visually, it also adds “solidity” to the device. However, it doesn’t cause any major inconveniences, and its design is an unnecessary accent of gaming origin.

Ports remain among the interesting features of the ROG Phone 8 Pro. Most of the usual controls are placed as standard, but there are two USB-C ports. On the bottom edge, one has been moved to the left corner, and in addition to it, there is another on the left side. The additional port will help you connect an external AeroActive Cooler or charge your smartphone while playing games in horizontal screen orientation. And another nice bonus on the case is the classic wired headphone port, which has long been missing from most other smartphones.

ROG Phone fans will be pleased with another great update this year. This time, despite the relatively large number of ports, the smartphone has received better protection against water and dust – IP68. That is, with the new model, you can already be much calmer than before when in contact with water. However, it should be remembered that any manufacturer warns that this protection may lose its qualities over time, so you should not dive into the water with your smartphone for fun.

At the same time, it’s best to keep in mind that large glass cases are often not very resistant to various kinds of damage. ROG Phone 8 Pro is perfectly assembled and there are no hints of problems. However, the glass still remains fragile, and under load, the structure develops weaknesses. However, the new model performs much better in such tests than it did before.

And continuing with the topic of interesting features of this gaming model, it remains to mention AirTriggers. They are also not a new functionality, and now they are not ultrasonic (though they have not become noticeably worse). And their position has not changed. So, on the right side there are two triggers near the corners, which can be used to set certain actions in games. Given the overall large size of the case, not every owner will find it convenient to use them right away (with my small hands, I need to adjust to make it more or less comfortable). However, this is an additional tool that can help in certain games, and other smartphones don’t have it.

So the new ROG Phone 8 Pro, while retaining most of the advantages of its predecessors, has also managed to add significant updates. The design, of course, is a matter of personal preference, but personally, I like the current version much better. And the advantages of the new generation do not end there.

Display

In this section, ROG Phone 8 Pro will offer fewer updates, but there are some really nice things. The reduction in body size did not affect the display, which remains 6.78 inches. The resolution has decreased slightly (2400×1080 pixels) due to the change in the aspect ratio to 20:9 (it was 20.4:9). At the same time, for an average user, such corrections are unlikely to be very noticeable, but it will still add minimal comfort when using it.

Similarly, the matrix remains one of the fastest. If usually even the flagships of competitors practically do not exceed the 120 Hz refresh rate limit, then gaming models can boast of better options. And this display also has a 165 Hz option. In addition, the user can choose the desired frequency depending on the current tasks and mode of operation. And since the new model has an LTPO screen that can lower the frequency to 1 Hz, you can save some battery power.

However, now the screen has a separate notch for the front camera. This is a traditional solution for modern smartphones, which made it possible to remove the enlarged bezel. But in games, the user will have a black “spot” on the image. In most cases, I think this is no longer a problem, but those buyers of ROG Phone 8 Pro who had previous versions of this smartphone and spent a lot of time playing games may not like this update.

ROG Phone 8 Pro uses a Samsung matrix, so the colors are very good. The user is given a choice between Optimal, Natural, Cinematic and Standard profiles, as well as Custom for those who prefer to customize the saturation level. Additionally, each profile provides manual color temperature correction. By default, Standard and Cinematic will offer a temperature closer to the reference, and the latter will also offer extended color gamut. Other options are “colder”. I chose Cinematic, which, subjectively, is the most suitable for such a screen.

Cinematic profile measurements:

Standard profile measurements:

Like most of the latest flagships, this model has also significantly increased its brightness. Thus, at its peak, the display is capable of displaying up to 2,500 cd/m², when its predecessor could show no more than 1,500. Under normal indoor conditions, our colorimeter showed a maximum of 833 cd/m² and a minimum of 6. There are no significant complaints about the light sensor, and in game mode the display automatically becomes noticeably brighter. 

Safety

ROG Phone 8 Pro’s shortcuts remain standard for most Android smartphones. Face scanning is performed by the front camera. As in most cases, darkness or large glasses are weak points for this unlocking method. However, in all other situations, there were no significant difficulties.

The fingerprint sensor located under the screen can be a safety net. Personally, I would have been more comfortable if it had been a centimeter or so lower, but it wasn’t too difficult to get used to its location. Also, it is an optical scanner, not an ultrasonic one, so at night its operation may briefly “flash” white light in the eyes.

But this is one of the best scanners of its kind I’ve ever seen. I got the impression that it is not much inferior in speed to ultrasound versions, it works surprisingly quickly and accurately. Yes, from time to time it happened that I had to try again, but these were rather exceptions to the rule and did not cause unnecessary discomfort.

Audio

Previously, ROG Phone smartphones had speakers directed at the user from both edges of the display. However, the current model has a more standardized location. Thus, the lower speaker has moved to the corresponding edge of the bezel. This did not cause any problems, and the sound quality remains at a high level (for smartphones). For games, there is a good stereo effect, and for video and music, there is enough volume, with a hint of bass.

The earpiece speaker is located in a thin but long notch above the display. It is almost invisible. In principle, the sound quality during phone calls can be rated as “good”, but we had higher expectations from a smartphone with this price. The same is true of microphones: they transmit voice quite well, but for some reason, artifacts (short-term “bubbles” and similar sounds) can appear relatively often in a conversation, which should definitely not be there. And they happen regardless of the operation of the proprietary noise reduction system.

When it comes to listening to music with headphones, ROG Phone can offer more flexibility than most smartphones. Of course, there’s Bluetooth for wireless options, but for your favorite wired headphones, the smartphone has a 3.5mm jack. So you won’t need an adapter or a special USB-C headset. So yes, even in 2024, there are smartphones with this exotic connector. At the same time, when connected, the system will offer a number of additional sound settings and spatial audio, regardless of the type of headphones.

Performance and software

Predictably, the performance of a gaming smartphone is powered by Qualcomm’s top-of-the-line mobile processor. With all the features of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and Adreno 750, ASUS has added its own developments to maintain stability (from the design of the evaporation chamber and the use of custom internal elements to external active cooling).

In its maximum configuration, the smartphone has as much as 24 GB of LPDDR5X, which is generally more than in basic gaming computers (not to mention conventional models). And all this is complemented by a UFS 4.0 drive with a capacity of up to 1 TB. That is, with performance at the level of modern flagship smartphones from competitors, ROG Phone 8 Pro has more RAM and promises improved performance thanks to cooling.

For communication, the smartphone supports 5G (and two SIM card slots), Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, and can work with several popular navigation systems.

As for the actual work, the manufacturer has added several options for performance modes through the familiar ARMOURY CRATE utility, a mobile analog of the one for PCs from ASUS. The owner was given a choice between: X Mode (gaming mode), Dynamic (optimization for daily work), and Ultra Durable (maximum energy conservation). That is, the user can decide for himself whether he needs to use all the resources for productivity or, on the contrary, to minimize the charge consumption.

And yes, these modes do have their own optimizations. Performance tests have shown some difference in performance. But here you should also take into account the total processor power, which not all games can use to the maximum. Therefore, in general, if the user leaves the Dynamic mode for all cases, this will be enough. However, the smartphone can switch to a more powerful mode when launching games, so you don’t have to go back to the app to do this. And it’s a pleasure to play with such a processor anyway.

Tests in X Mode:

Tests in Dynamic mode:

Tests in Ultra Durable mode:

As for stability, there is also a certain difference in performance depending on the active mode. However, in this case, it is the most productive mode that is most representative of a gaming smartphone (moreover, it is the one that the smartphone activates for demanding tasks). And here, despite the noticeably warm body, ROG Phone 8 Pro did a great job, showing 82.6% in the Solar Bay test and 77% in Wild Life Extreme. And this was without additional cooling, which could theoretically improve the already very good results.

Even quite long gaming sessions are not a problem. You can feel the heat on the case, but like the aforementioned tests, games do not affect the temperature. In principle, a similar story is repeated with varying degrees of success with “ordinary” flagship smartphones, but ROG Phone can provide not only additional external cooling, but also controls that other smartphones do not have. This not only makes the gaming experience easier, but also gives you a certain advantage. The only thing you’ll have to get used to is the new controls. However, 24 GB of RAM may still be superfluous: the system will not keep many applications in memory and will close certain programs and games over time. Therefore, owners of simpler configurations will not lose much (except, obviously, a terabyte drive).

Android 14 has also undergone some changes. Among the cosmetic tweaks to the ROG UI, there are branded wallpapers, animations, Always-On screen savers, icon sets, and more. There is also a section in the settings with tips that will better demonstrate all the new features of ROG smartphones, and the first power on will take the user through a small information sidequest. And while playing games, the user has a separate Game Genie menu where they can activate certain functions (for example, AirTriggers), adjust the volume and brightness, change the refresh rate, turn off notifications, and more.

Cameras

This year, ROG Phone 8 Pro will offer much more interesting camera capabilities. The main unit has lost the macro sensor, and a telephoto sensor has been installed in its place. This is the right decision, because macro is hardly more useful than optical zoom. So now the list of main cameras looks like this:

• wide-angle main camera – 50 MP, ƒ/1.9, 24 mm, 1/1.56″, 6-axis stabilization;
• ultra-wide-angle – 13 MP, ƒ/2.2, 13 mm, 120°
• telephoto – 32 MP, ƒ/2.4, 3× optical zoom.

In other words, the new model will be able to be more flexible when it comes to photographic capabilities. The loss of macro will be almost imperceptible to the vast majority of users. But this is not the only update.

Instead of the Sony IMX766, the ROG Phone 8 Pro has an IMX890 as its main sensor. As usual, the camera will take a 12-megapixel photo out of 50 MP in standard mode. In the daytime, it manages to convey the overall scene well, and post-processing adds saturation and shadows quite gently. So there shouldn’t be any problems with sufficient lighting.

Video recording has some peculiarities. The maximum resolution can be 8K, although it would be better to lower it. However, the video will be a bit overexposed, and the sound recording, as is often the case with Android smartphones, is not the best. And to get additional image stabilization, you’ll have to take another step down in video size. The detail of the recording will be affected accordingly, but the motion compensation will be better. 

An example of 4K video with conventional stabilization:

An example of Full HD video with HyperSteady stabilization:

With the night mode, you’ll have to hold the smartphone a little longer than with the usual flagship devices. However, the photos will be good. Yes, this is not a standard for working with light (there are too many shadows, somewhere the overall brightness could be lower…), but the quality is definitely enough for both “keepsakes” and posting to your own social networks.

It’s also not new that an ultra-wide-angle camera not only has a noticeably lower resolution, but also receives less light. Thus, when the sun is covered by clouds or there is no sunlight at all, the photos will be a bit darker. However, it will not be difficult to capture everything you need in the photo, the image correction at the edges of the pictures is excellent, and the location of the camera on the smartphone is good enough to avoid accidentally leaving your fingers in the photo.

This camera can record video in Full HD at most, and this is also not the best aspect of its capabilities. Therefore, it will be difficult to recommend this smartphone to those buyers who primarily need good video quality. However, let’s face it – gaming smartphones are definitely bought with a different intention.

Night scenes are also more difficult for the ultra-wide-angle sensor than the main one. However, the overall result is much better than I personally expected. The photo will not look as if it was washed with bleach, conveying more or less correct lighting. However, the less light there is, the more problematic areas will appear in the image.

The new telephoto sensor, which provides 3x optical zoom, is a good addition to the cameras’ overall capabilities. It also uses pixel binning technology, so you can get 8-megapixel images as a result. They are not bad, but with backlighting, the main object can be darker than necessary. But you can also “tighten” this moment in the editor.

Interestingly, in low light conditions, the smartphone does not switch to the crop from the main camera, but still uses telephoto. And in principle, it’s also quite good. Yes, the photos will be dark, but I don’t want to complain too much about it (especially considering that the cameras in ROG Phone are not really a big deal).

The 32-megapixel front-facing camera also produces 8-megapixel photos. With an aperture value of ƒ/2.5, it is quite sensitive to lighting conditions, so there is still a desire to “tighten” the exposure of the finished photo. In night mode, post-processing seems to add artificial sharpness, while “hiding” noise quite aggressively. But in general, the photos are still satisfactory. 

The logic of the camera app is in line with current standards, so you won’t need to learn the general features for a long time. The only special feature here is the activation of the stabilization mode when shooting video, which requires lowering the recording resolution. Everything else is the same as in most other smartphones.

Battery life

Battery capacity is another point where ROG Phone 8 Pro has not added, but lost a little. Of the 6,000 mAh from its predecessor, 5,500 remained. However, it’s hard to say that the device has suffered much from this. Both in the standard Dynamic and Ultra Durable modes, the battery life test was able to complete at over 17 and a half hours.

Of course, it was enough for my standard working day with a decent margin (mostly more than 40% of the charge). On the other hand, mobile gamers who tend to spend an hour or two with a demanding game will still have to keep a charger nearby. The battery will be discharged faster when using X Mode (the same autonomy test in this mode is reduced to 10 hours), and if you add AeroActive Cooler to the mix, it will be even more difficult for the battery.

Fortunately, the smartphone has a powerful power supply included (65 W), as well as convenient charging options. It takes less than an hour to fully restore the charge. There is also support for induction charging (15 W), but there may be inconsistencies with vertical charging stations due to the difference in the height of the contact pads.   Of course, there will be no such problem with “lying down” options. And to power other gadgets, there is support for reverse charging (10 W).