The ROG Phone 5 Ultimate from Asus has 18 GB of RAM and a rear OLED screen

Asus is growing with its newest gaming phones. The ROG Phone 5 line will begin shipping worldwide this month, costing 799 euros (about $ 950) for the basic configuration with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of fast UFS 3.1 storage. Each configuration has a 6.78 inch FHD + OLED screen with a refresh rate of 144 Hz and a touch sampling rate of 300 Hz. In addition, the headset made a comeback after being absent from the ROG Phone 3, this time with a quadruple DAC for high-resolution audio. (In case you’re wondering where ROG Phone 4 went, Asus skipped number four, as OnePlus did, due to its similarities to the word “death” in some Asian languages.)

The most notable changes of the last generation are exclusive to some even more expensive configurations, the ROG Phone 5 Pro and Ultimate (of which I published an analysis), which was launched in April for 1,199 euros (approximately $ 1,420) and in May for 1,299 euros (about $ 1,583), respectively. Both models have twice as much storage and more RAM (starting with 16 GB on the Pro and going up to 18 GB on the Ultimate); come in limited edition colors; and have two additional ultrasonic touch sensors than the standard model, located close to where your ring fingers can stay while holding the phone in landscape mode. You will also receive a case and an AeroActive Cooler 5 fan attachment with clip for purchase with the Pro or Ultimate phone (which adds two more buttons connected to the fan).

The new Asus gaming phones are not much of a variation from their predecessors, although the hardware and software are more refined. I reviewed the ROG Phone 5 Ultimate, and while it fulfills its promises to be a juggernaut of specifications and features in some smart ways, paying $ 1,580 for it seems exorbitant. Even the basic $ 950 setup is not what I would find affordable.

Ultimate and Pro include “ROG Vision”, a feature that sends predefined or customized text or graphics to your backward-facing OLED screen. It is a version of the Asus “Anime Matrix” effect used on the Zephyrus G14 gaming laptop, allowing you to personalize your phone if you wish. The standard ROG Phone 5 simply has a backlit ROG logo, which some may find to be a special touch.

I open all the resources of the review. But if you are just passing through and want to know everything about the specs, I have attached a practical table just for you.

Cameron Faulkner / The Verge photography