The ASUS ROG Phone II Review: Mobile Gaming First, Phone Second
by Dr. Ian Cutress on September 30, 2019 11:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Mobile
- Asus
- Qualcomm
- Smartphones
- ROG
- RGB
- Snapdragon 855 Plus
- ROG Phone II
Conclusions
In the past, we’ve had two very distinct markets at play: handheld consoles with a dedicated ecosystem for gaming, and smartphones for making calls and doing everything online. Trying to bridge the gap between these two markets typically involves starting with one specific device and working towards the middle: the ASUS ROG Phone II starts with the concept of a phone and works towards a dedicated gaming console.
Is this direction the correct way to go? Handheld consoles work great because the hardware is cheap, the gaming titles are dedicated and optimized, and communities build around them. Smartphones work great because of the wealth of apps built for them integrate a lot of device features and enable both a strong workflow and social media integration. Smartphones don’t work great because the game model is substantially different, and handheld consoles don’t do workflow because the app ecosystem isn’t geared that way. It’s a catch-22 either way.
What ASUS wants to do with the ROG Phone II is build one of the best gaming experiences on Android. If we leave handheld consoles to the side for the moment, and imagine what we want out of smartphone gaming on Android, and the ASUS hits a lot of boxes: a high performance SoC with an tuned OS and high performance mode, strong front facing speakers, a high resolution high refresh-rate display, a long life battery, and accessories to help enable a better user experience. Ultimately, ASUS pitches the ROG Phone II as a gaming platform first, that just happens to take phone calls.
But the crux of it all, for me, is that it all comes down to whether gaming on Android is even a thing worth considering. If that is a thing, then ASUS has produced a great solution for it.
Let me put this into two boxes:
At $899, ASUS has created an impressive flagship smartphone that has a long list of bonus features. Dual front facing speakers, 120 Hz display, 6000 mAh battery, high performance, Wi-Gig, the list goes on: all a user has to put up with is a slightly heavier-than-normal device, that just happens to be a phone as well.
At $899, ASUS has created an expensive handheld console. There’s nothing this device can run that a standard flagship smartphone can’t, and at the end of the day our traditional view of a gaming console revolves around unique experiences. What gaming ASUS does enable is some of the best on the Android market, but it’s expensive when compared to something like the Switch.
Would I recommend the ROG Phone II? It’s a lot of hardware as a smartphone. But even though gaming is the focus of the device, I don’t know anyone who buys a smartphone specifically with gaming in mind. For that, handheld consoles do the job.
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PeachNCream - Tuesday, October 1, 2019 - link
Ian doesn't mention a weakness to kryptonite and I didn't see it wearing a cape so at this point the answer is unclear.Notmyusualid - Sunday, October 6, 2019 - link
Ha!Chad - Tuesday, October 1, 2019 - link
Pretty amazing device. Glad to see someone pushing boundaries in some ways.sonicmerlin - Tuesday, October 1, 2019 - link
If they want to make a "gaming phone" why not add some physical controls like the Nintendo Switch?hemedans - Thursday, October 3, 2019 - link
This Asus phone has physical control like switch, but you have to buy them separate.sonicmerlin - Tuesday, October 1, 2019 - link
I just realized I can't edit my comment so... at least include a controller accessory that attaches to it directly and acts as a cover as wellDianaDSmith - Wednesday, October 2, 2019 - link
sherazNotmyusualid - Wednesday, October 2, 2019 - link
As a ROG2 owner, happy to see you reviewed this 'phone'.I didn't buy this for gaming.
For me, the purchasing decision lay with the battery size, the front facing speakers (great for GPS in the rental car to be heard), the dual sim & dual 4G (it was 4G+3G on S8+), headphone jack, and finally, lack-of curved screen - which I shall never part money for again.
Mine is the 128GB/8G version, it was too cheap to ignore.
Oddly, my Slingshot Extreme Physics score is 4,837 vs your 4,541 (ran Sep 27, 2019 22:08, check it online), which would easily top your chart. Glitch in the matrix? Dunno.
I have a Chinese ROM, (and it was updated this morning). Whilst its rare to see the fact that it is a Chinese ROM, you do see it from time to time, in some screens, despite being set to English.
I had it on launch-day. There was no 'sim card manager' in the s/w!?! I was unable to change data sim, choose a sim with which to respond with sms etc without popping a sim out to force a pop-up. This has now been corrected.
Additionally, I initally never saw my dual sims report 4G & 4G. This has also been somewhat corrected, but as I sit in the UAE now, I am 3G & 4G. There is no way to force 4G & 4G from the menus. It will either do it (not often) or not, you have no choice. You can however set 3G & 3G, or 2G & 3G etc (but why). On the plus side, whichever sim is chosen for data, with take over the 4G role. So something here still very much requires attention.
I miss the wireless charging, but the battery-size somewhat negates that. It was nice with the Samsung to drop it on the pad, everytime I sat down at the desk, and know it would be further topped-up when I picked it up to walk away again. And it was nice having the water protection as well, (considering we have a pool), as I have drowned a new handset before...Hmm, maybe I should back this thing up.
s.yu - Wednesday, October 2, 2019 - link
What did you get to cover the back?Notmyusualid - Wednesday, October 2, 2019 - link
It shipped with a clear plastic hard case. But I changed it for a clear rubberised one.