The ASUS ROG Phone 8 Is In the Philippines!

With handheld consoles getting more mainstream and Android really not being optimized for gaming, are gaming phones still necessary?

March 9. The time when there are just too many smartphone releases in a single day. There are three that are significant. First, let’s see what ASUS’ new gaming phone is about, the ROG Phone 8. This phone was revealed at the Transendence Event located at Bonifacio Global City alongside a new ROG Zephyrus gaming laptop of which you need an entire house loan to afford.

It seems like the company has relaxed the series a bit and is less about gaming but more on high performance and general use. Its main improvement are its cameras while the rest of its gaming-centric parts like the chipset and cooling fans, are kept constant.

Of course, the RGB lighting remained. We all know gamers love colorful lights and it couldn’t be a gaming device without them. The phone is also made of metal, comes with an IP68 rating, and its shoulder trigger pads have been redesigned to be more “console-like” as the brand likes to say.

The phone is essentially a modified Zenfone 11 Ultra. This is in line with how gaming phones started. See, Razer back in 2017 launched a phone called the Razer Phone, the first gaming smartphone. Its overall body and designed are taken from a Nextbit Robin, the brand of which the Singapore-based gaming company acquired. This remained the same in the second generation Razer Phone although that one had questionable features that have been removed, such as the 3.5mm jack.

The front features a 6.78″ LTPO3 Samsung-made AMOLED with an adaptive 144Hz refresh rate. Although, the thing with high refresh rates, not every game supports them as Android, as a platform, caters to all kinds of users from the budget-conscious ones all the way to the luxuries. Gaming phones fall close to the latter. The screen is pretty bright, at 2500nits maximum and touch sampling rate is also high, 720Hz. Also, ASUS is probably aware of all the raging gamers who just throw their controllers out of frustration, so to add a layer of protection, the ROG Phone 8 uses Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 tempered glass. You know, just in case.

It may come as no surprise to you but the ROG Phone 8 comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage. While there is no “Ultimate” variant, the ROG Phone 8 Pro comes as its successor, unless Asus goes back to the “Ultimate” moniker. The Pro has 16GB RAM with 512GB storage, or even better, yet more expensive, 24GB RAM and 1TB ROM. Also, this 24/1TB option comes included with the AeroActive Cooler accessory which you snap at the back of the phone then connect it using the given cable directly through to cool your very own ROG Phone 8.

Speaking of cooling, the phone has a big graphite sheet with 360-degree cooling, now on its second generation so not only the back will be cooled but also the entire phone which is crucial for long gaming sessions. You can’t game really when a phone is dead and so to stay in the competition, you and your device needs to have a strong endurance. Well, as for the ROG Phone 8, there is a 5,500mAh battery inside divided into two cells. You can charge this rapidly with the given 65W power adapter, or wirelessly with any Qi 1.3-compatible wireless charger. Power Delivery 3 is also supported.

As for the audio, ASUS kept the 3.5mm jack because it’s still pretty much essential and that they sound magnificently better than most TWS earbuds. Moreover, there is a stereo speaker system here with Hi-Res Audio and Dolby Atmos support. Several carefully placed magnets are located within the speakers to provide an immersive and clear output. Dirac Virtuo Spatial Sound also is present once more which gives a 360°-like experience when using headphones, as if the sound was coming around your head.

Finally, let’s discuss cameras because, coming from the ROG Phone 7, the cameras are a substantial upgrade. There are now three functional cameras on here, keeping up with the latest flagship devices. The primary one is a Sony IMX890 (big surprise), the other is a 32MP telephoto with OIS and 65.3mm focal length, and a 13MP ultrawide. The front features a 32MP sensor installed as a punch hole on the display.

It has 5G connectivity, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC, and Qualcomm aptX codec for enhanced sound. As you would expect, an optical fingerprint sensor is present here too. The phone runs Android 14.

The ROG Phone 8 (12/256) is priced at PHP 50,995 while the Pro starts at PHP 60,995. If you want the phone with AeroActive Cooler included, you need to purchase the ROG Phone 8 Pro for PHP 75,995 and if you do, you’ll also get twice the RAM and storage (24/512).

Colors include Rebel Grey and Phantom Black for the ROG Phone 8 and Phantom Black only for the Pro.

SPECS:

• 6.78″ FullHD+ (2400x1080px) LTPO3 Samsung AMOLED, 144Hz refresh rate, 720Hz touch sampling rate, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, 2500nits peak brightness
  • Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection
  • IP68 water/dust resistance
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4nm)
• CAMERAS:
  • 50MP (Primary), f/1.9, 35mm, 1/1.156″, OIS, Sony IMX890
  • 32MP (Telephoto), f/2.4, 3x optical zoom, 1.4µm, 65.3mm, OIS
  • 13MP (Ultrawide), 120°, 12.7mm
  • FRONT: 32MP, 1.4µm, 22mm, RGBW
• ROG UI based on Android 14
• 5500mAh, 2-cell, 65W Fast Charging, PD3.0, Qi 1.3 Wireless Charging
• USB-C, 3.5mm jack, In-display fingerprint sensor, AirTrigger buttons, Accessory Connector
• Stereo Speakers, Hi-Res Audio (wired and wireless), Qualcomm aptX codec, Dirac Virtuoso Spatial Sound, 32-bit Audio
• 5G services, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC, Wi-Fi Direct
• Phantom Black (ROG Phone 8 and 8 Pro), Rebel Grey (ROG Phone 8 only)
• PRICE:
  • 12/256: PHP 50,995
  • 16/512 (Pro only): PHP 60,995
  • 24/1TB + AeroActive Cooler X (Pro Only): PHP 75,995