Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro Review: Features, Price, and Performance

Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro:

Network & Technology

• Network Support: GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G

Launch Information

• Announced: November 19, 2024
• Status: Available (Released November 20, 2024)

Body & Build

• Dimensions: 163.8 x 76.8 x 8.9 mm (6.45 x 3.02 x 0.35 in)
• Weight: 227 g (8.01 oz)
• Build:
  • Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2)
  • Glass back (Gorilla Glass)
  • Aluminum frame
• SIM:
  • Nano-SIM + eSIM
  • Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM
• Water & Dust Resistance: IP68 (dust/water resistant up to 1.5m for 30 minutes)
• Special Features:
  • Mini-LED programmable matrix (648 dots) on the back
  • Pressure-sensitive zones (Gaming triggers)

Display

• Type: LTPO AMOLED, 1B colors, 185Hz, HDR10, 1600 nits (HBM), 2500 nits (peak)
• Size: 6.78 inches, 111.0 cm² (~88.2% screen-to-body ratio)
• Resolution: 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~388 ppi density)
• Protection: Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2
• Additional Features: Always-On display

Platform

• OS: Android 15, up to 2 major Android upgrades
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM8750-AB Snapdragon 8 Elite (3 nm)
• CPU: Octa-core (2x4.32 GHz Oryon V2 Phoenix L + 6x3.53 GHz Oryon V2 Phoenix M)
• GPU: Adreno 830

Memory

• Card Slot: No
• Internal Storage/RAM:
  • 512GB 16GB RAM
  • 1TB 24GB RAM
  • UFS 4.0
• External Storage: NTFS support for external storage

Camera

• Main Camera (Triple):
  • 50 MP (wide), f/1.9, 24mm, 1/1.56", 1.0µm, PDAF, gimbal OIS
  • 32 MP (telephoto), f/2.4, 3x optical zoom, 1/3.2", 0.7µm, PDAF, OIS
  • 13 MP (ultrawide), f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚
  • Features: LED flash, HDR, panorama
  • Video:
    • 8K@30fps
    • 4K@30/60/120fps
    • 1080p@30/60/120/240fps
    • 720p@480fps
    • Gyro-EIS, HDR10+
• Selfie Camera:
  • 32 MP, f/2.5, 22mm (wide), 1/3.2", 0.7µm
  • Features: Panorama, HDR
  • Video: 1080p@30fps

Sound

• Loudspeaker: Yes, with stereo speakers
• 3.5mm Jack: Yes
• Audio Quality: 32-bit/384kHz Hi-Res & Hi-Res wireless audio

Comms

• Wi-Fi: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct
• Bluetooth: 5.4, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless
• Positioning: GPS (L1+L5), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC (L5), GLONASS
• NFC: Yes
• Radio: No
• USB:
  • USB Type-C (side), DisplayPort 1.4
  • USB Type-C (bottom), OTG

Sensors

• Fingerprint: Under display, optical
• Other Sensors: Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass

Battery

• Type: 5800 mAh
• Charging:
  • 65W wired, PD3.0, PPS, QC5 (100% in 46 minutes)
  • 15W wireless (Qi)
  • 10W reverse wired

Miscellaneous

• Colors: Phantom Black
• Models: AI2501-16G512G-BK, AI2501-24G1T-BK
• Price:
  • $1,199.99 (USD)
  • £1,185.92 (GBP)
  • €1,298.85 (EUR)

Tests

• Performance:
  • AnTuTu: 3042971 (v10)
  • GeekBench: 10179 (v6)
  • 3DMark: 6718 (Wild Life Extreme)
• Display: 1958 nits max brightness (measured)
• Loudspeaker: -26.7 LUFS (Good)
• Battery (new): Active use score 16:41h

The Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro is the latest addition to the Republic of Gamers (ROG) lineup, offering powerful performance, advanced gaming features, and ultra-premium design. The ROG Phone 9 Pro is one of the best choices for mobile gamers, with powerful hardware, a range of dedicated gaming features, and a sleek design. In this review, we analyze the device's key features, performance, display, camera, battery life, and software to see if it lives up to your expectations.

Design and Finish :

The Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro maintains the bold, futuristic design that is characteristic of ROG phones. The device features a 6.78-inch AMOLED display with an aluminum and glass body that gives it a premium feel. The back of the phone features the signature RGB-lit ROG logo, giving it a unique visual nod to its gaming heritage. The design is aggressive yet elegant, aimed at gamers who want a phone that stands out. The Aura RGB lighting on the back is customizable, allowing users to customize the lighting effects to suit their style and gaming setup.

The device is relatively large and heavy, weighing around 239g, which is what you'd expect from a flagship gaming phone. So it's a bit bulky compared to a traditional smartphone, but it's well-balanced in the hand and the build quality feels solid and durable. The front features a Corning Gorilla Glass Victus display for added protection against scratches and drops. The side-mounted USB-C charging port is thoughtfully designed for landscape gaming, keeping the charging cable out of your hand during extended gameplay.

Screen:

ROG Phone 9 Pro features a 6.78-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with a 165Hz refresh rate and 720Hz touch sampling rate. The display is simply stunning, offering vibrant colors, deep blacks and a smooth, responsive touch experience. The 165Hz refresh rate is perfect for competitive gamers who want ultra-smooth visuals, while the 720Hz touch sampling rate provides incredibly fast and accurate touch response, giving gamers a competitive advantage. With a peak brightness of 1200 nits, the display is clear even in bright outdoor environments, making it a great choice for gamers who enjoy playing games in a variety of lighting environments. The excellent color accuracy and contrast make it suitable for gaming as well as watching movies and media.

Overall, the ROG Phone 9 Pro's display is one of the best in a smartphone, providing an immersive and smooth gaming experience that will appeal to both casual and professional gamers.

Performance :

The Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro is powered by Qualcomm's latest flagship processor, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset. This, combined with a massive 16GB RAM, ensures the device can handle even the most demanding games and applications with ease. Performance is lightning fast, and users experience minimal stuttering even while performing intensive multitasking or playing graphic-intensive titles such as PUBG Mobile, Genshin Impact, and Call of Duty Mobile.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor is optimized for both performance and efficiency, and when paired with the Adreno 740 GPU, gaming performance is simply exceptional. The phone can run games at the highest settings without any noticeable lag or frame drops. Whether you're playing at 120Hz or 165Hz, the ROG Phone 9 Pro ensures that your games stay smooth and responsive all the way to the end. Additionally, the device comes with UFS 4.0 storage that offers ultra-fast read and write speeds, allowing apps and games to load almost instantly.

Cooling System :

To prevent thermal throttling during intense gaming sessions, the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro is equipped with the GameCool 9 cooling system. These include an advanced VC (Vapor Chamber) cooling system, a 3D vapor chamber, and heat dissipation areas that keep the phone cool even during long gaming marathons. The device also supports the AeroActive Cooler 9 accessory (sold separately), which further improves cooling and keeps the phone at an optimal temperature under heavy loads. This ensures stable performance without overheating, making it ideal for long gaming sessions.

Camera System :

Since the ROG Phone 9 Pro is primarily aimed at gaming, the camera setup is not the main selling point of this device. But it still offers a great camera for everyday photography tasks.

The rear camera system includes a 50MP primary sensor, a 13MP ultra-wide lens, and an 8MP telephoto lens. While the camera quality can't compete with flagship devices like the iPhone 15 Pro or Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, the ROG Phone 9 Pro is more than capable of taking high-quality images in a variety of situations. The primary sensor takes crisp, detailed photos in bright environments, and the ultra-wide lens gives you more flexibility.

Low-light photography is decent, but it's clear that this phone is focused on gaming and not camera performance. The front camera has a 32MP sensor, which is great for video calls and selfies, but again, it's not the most powerful component of the phone.

Battery life and charging :

The ROG Phone 9 Pro is equipped with a 6,000mAh battery, which has enough capacity to enable long gameplay periods without needing to charge frequently. With typical usage such as gaming, watching media, and web browsing, the phone's battery will easily last a day. However, intensive gaming may drain the battery faster, but the large capacity makes it above average durability for a gaming smartphone.

In terms of charging, the ROG Phone 9 Pro supports 65W fast charging, which means you can charge it from 0% to 100% in about 45 minutes. The fast charging feature is very useful, especially when you need to get back to the game in a hurry. It also supports reverse charging, so you can charge devices such as wireless earphones or other smartphones.

Software :

The ROG Phone 9 Pro runs on Android 13 and ROG UI. This customized user interface offers several features specifically tailored for gamers, such as: Game Genie, which gives you quick access to performance checks, screen recording, and more during gaming sessions. In addition, the X-Mode feature optimizes system resources when needed to maximize performance. ROG UI allows for extensive customization, including performance optimization, RGB lighting control, and game-specific profiles to improve your overall gaming experience. ROG UI is packed with features, but may take some getting used to for users accustomed to the standard Android experience.

Conclusion :

The Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro is a beast of a device that offers industry-leading performance, premium display quality, and a feature set specifically tuned for gamers. From the 165Hz refresh rate display to the powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, it's clear that ASUS designed this phone to deliver the best possible mobile gaming experience.

The 6,000mAh battery ensures long-lasting performance, and the GameCool 9 cooling system and AeroActive Cooler 9 options keep the device cool even during long sessions. The camera system is good but doesn't quite match the phone's gaming capabilities, and 65W fast charging means you won't have to wait long to get back into the action.