ASUS ROG Phone 5 focuses on audio quality for mobile gamers

It has been just over seven months since ASUS launched its ROG Phone 3 gaming smartphone, but the company is already launching a complementary model to join Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 group. The last series is dubbed the ROG Phone 5 (skipping the “4” due to tetrafobia; you obviously don’t want to associate games with death), and although it may just seem to have some minor cosmetic changes, the insides have been completely renovated for better heat dissipation , weight distribution and audio performance. As a bonus, there is also a Pro model plus a limited edition ROG Phone 5 Ultimate, with the latter boasting an incredible 18 GB of RAM.

Let’s get the basics out of the way first. In addition to the processor, all three models share the same 6.78 inch Samsung E4 AMOLED screen, which has the same 144 Hz refresh rate as before (so Nubia wins this round with 165 Hz), but with a slightly higher resolution high 2,448 x 1,080 and a slightly faster touch rate of 300 Hz – giving you an edge over other players in terms of responsiveness and accuracy. For those who are wondering, ASUS says that there are now more than 200 games that support the 144 Hz refresh rate, with titles that include Rockman X Dive, Dead cells, Shadowgun Legends and more.

ASUS claims that this panel is also 23 percent brighter (up to 800 nits across the panel), while pushing the darkest setting to 5 nits with minimal distortion – the latter making a noticeable difference in the dark areas in the videos. It is also rated with a wide 111 percent DCI-P3 range, 150.89 percent sRGB range, precision Delta-E <1 and HDR10 + support. And yes, there is still an optical fingerprint reader on the display here.

As much as I like the improvements on the screen, it wasn’t until I started a game of PUBG I noticed that this screen has rounded corners than before, that cut out some information and buttons. Fortunately, I could go into the game’s graphics settings and adjust the “non-standard screens” parameter, but that could become a problem for other titles that don’t have that option.

Another less obvious but notable update applied to the ROG Phone 5 is the ultrasonic shoulder trigger feature. The new AirTrigger 5 buttons bring more sensors (nine instead of seven) in the same space for greater sensitivity and accuracy, and are now placed closer to the edges to accommodate smaller hands. As before, each AirTrigger supports swipe gestures, swipe gestures (horizontal and vertical), continuous trigger (long press to simulate multiple clicks) and double partitioning, offering a wide range of customizable options. Although, personally, I think the good old standard mode is enough for my first person shooter.

While most smartphones feature an L-shaped logic board with the processor placed near the top, ASUS has found a way to place the Snapdragon 888 right in the middle of the ROG Phone 5 – away from both hands when in landscape mode. This is mainly due to the MMT (Middle Middle Tab) battery technology, which has a higher energy density, thus allowing for a split cell design without sacrificing the generous total capacity of the 6,000 mAh battery. As a bonus, the two cells also offer better weight distribution and thermal control – battery temperature up to 7 degrees Celsius lower when using 30W of charge and up to 3 degrees Celsius lower when using 65W (as supplied with the ROG Phone 5) , according to for ASUS.

This new internal layout, along with the taller body, thinner screen panel, new side door and the lack of an external 5G modem (thanks to the Snapdragon 888), allowed ASUS to squeeze extra space into the ROG Phone 5’s front stereo speakers. sound. They have the same chamber space of 1.2 cc each, thus allowing for symmetrical audio performance as well as enhanced richness (the ROG Phone 3 actually had a smaller speaker chamber on one side). In addition, the new Cirrus Logic CS35L45 mono amplifier driving each 12×16 mm 7-magnet speaker is apparently 21 percent more powerful than before. (It is also important to note that the ROG Phone 5 still has quadruple microphone noise cancellation.)

However, the hardware alone does not complete the puzzle. Following the impressive results on the ROG Phone 3, ASUS continued its partnership with Dirac to adjust audio on the ROG Phone 5. The Swedish audio specialist presented a dedicated smartphone solution, which apparently resulted in more accurate calibrations to mitigate distortions, improving perceived bass, broadening the sound stage and more on this new gaming phone. ASUS also took advantage of Dirac’s MIMO (Multiple-Input and Multiple-Output) technologies – previously reserved only for luxury cars – to co-optimize both speakers as a system for a better overall acoustic response.

In a quick comparison with the ROG Phone 3 and the ROG Phone 5, the audio improvement was noticeable. In the rainy Tokyo scene, where Natasha met Hawkeye in Avengers: Endgameeverything seemed more superficial on the older phone, with the metallic noise of rain dominating the dialogue and the music. The ROG Phone 5, on the other hand, looked taller, richer and deeper. The difference was quite surprising, given how impressed I was with the ROG Phone 3. Then I realized that I could enable a “cinema” option in AudioWizard’s new “scene effect” setting, which further increased the perceived bass.

ASUS has not forgotten the headset users who still prefer the good old 3.5mm connector. The ROG Phone 5 won an ESS Saber ES9280AC Pro Quad DAC, which apparently can provide a “best in class” signal-to-noise ratio of 130 dB and can also drive headphones with slightly higher impedance (above 50 ohm) using output 2Vrms. This should go well with the newly launched ROG Cetra II Core headphones, which offer a seemingly impressive range of 20Hz-40kHz. But if you want a wireless option, ASUS is also launching the ROG Strix Go BT II today, which offers up to 45 hours of battery life along with AI noise cancellation.

On the photography side, you’ll also find the same set of cameras across the ROG Phone 5 series. In fact, the four shooters are identical to those on the ROG Phone 3. The rear trio includes a 64MP f / 1.8 main camera (Sony IMX686 sensor ), an ultra-wide 13MP f / 2.4 125 degree camera and a 5MP f Macro / 2.0 camera, while the front has a 24MP f / 2.45 selfie camera.

Things get a little more interesting with the ROG Phone 5 Pro and the limited ROG Phone 5 Ultimate. The first thing you’ll notice is the small colored PMOLED “ROG Vision” screen on the back, which allows you to display customizable graphics for incoming calls, billing, games and other scenarios. With the Ultimate edition, ASUS chose a bold move by equipping it with a monochromatic rear screen to match its matte white finish. In addition, both models offer two additional capacitive touch areas on the rear panel, in case you still need more mappable buttons for your heavy game.

By the way, it’s worth pointing out that the updated Game Genie app here offers an “Esports Mode”, which enables “do not disturb”, but disables all key mappings, macros, quick controls and more (without AirTriggers and without panels touch buttons). This can be useful for tournament organizers who want more control over fair play. Game Genie now also offers audio sensation for selected games (namely PUBG), which automatically maps specific sounds like, say, shooting, for tactile feedback, and different weapons provide a different feel to make the game more engaging. But again, Esports mode turns off the tactile audio feel.

Much like the “Dao” edition of Nubia Red Magic 6 Pro, the ROG Phone 5 Ultimate offers even 18 GB of LPDDR5 RAM (provided by SK Hynix), although it shares the same 512 GB UFS 3.1 storage as the 5 Pro, which contains 16 GB of RAM. The Ultimate edition will also come with a gift box containing a baseball cap, a towel, a deck of cards, badges, stickers, mask cap and more.

ASUS rarely fails us when it comes to the range of accessories for the ROG Phone series, but with the ROG Phone 5, he finally decided to retire the DualView TwinView Dock and Mobile Desktop Dock. ASUS admitted that these two devices were simply too expensive, which was probably an indication of poor adoption.

On the other hand, ASUS has made a new AeroActive Cooler 5 that now blows directly at the hot spot, thanks to the repositioning of the processor. The company claims that this clipped fan, with the help of the steam cooling chamber and graphite sheets inside, offers a CPU temperature of up to 10 degrees Celsius lower, as well as a surface temperature of up to 15 degrees Celsius lower. In addition, this attachment not only acts as a support, but also adds two physical buttons. In other words, this means that with AeroActive Cooler 5, you get a total of four mappable buttons on the back of the Pro and Ultimate editions. Unfortunately, if you are purchasing the normal ROG Phone 5, you will have to purchase this fan separately.

The ROG Phone 5 series also supports the Gamepad Kunai 3 similar to the Switch, as long as you have the updated version that comes with a bumper that fits the body a little longer. Other optional accessories include the ROG Gaming Clip for connecting console controllers (for Xbox, PlayStation and Stadia), the new ROG Lighting Armor Case 3 (which uses the pogo pins on the redesigned side port) and the ASUS Professional Dock (for HDMI and USB expansion).

It seems that ASUS has once again delivered a well thought out package for mobile players, thanks to its engineering focus on audio performance, buttons and cooling, with the ROG Vision screen of the Pro and Ultimate editions serving as the icing on the cake. We are waiting for confirmation of a US release of the ROG Phone 5 series, but for now, we know that the regular version will be released this month, ranging between 799 euros (8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage) and 999 euros (16 GB + 256 GB) in Europe. The Pro edition will be launched in April for 1,199 euros (16GB RAM + 512GB), followed by the Ultimate edition in May with a price of 1,299 euros (18GB + 512GB).