ASUS ‘ROG Phone 5 focuses on sound quality for mobile gamers

It’s been just over seven months since ASUS launched its ROG Phone 3 gaming smartphone, but the company is already releasing a follow-up model to join Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 party. The latest series is called ROG Phone 5 (skip the “4” due to tetraphobia; you obviously do not want to associate games with death), and although it seems to make only minor cosmetic changes, the interior has been completely revamped. for better heat dissipation, weight distribution and sound performance. As a bonus, there is also a Pro model plus a limited edition ROG Phone 5 Ultimate, with the latter having a whopping 18 GB of RAM.

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

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

As much as I improved the performance, I first started a game from PUBG that I noticed that this screen has rounder corners than before, which cut off information and buttons. Luckily, I can go to the game’s graphics settings and adjust the “non-default screens” parameter, but this can become a problem for other titles that do not have such an option.

Another less noticeable but noticeable upgrade applied to the ROG Phone 5 is the ultrasonic shoulder trigger feature. The new AirTrigger 5 buttons pack more sensors (nine instead of seven) in the same space for enhanced sensitivity and accuracy, and they are now placed closer to the edges to accommodate smaller hands. As before, each AirTrigger supports swipe gestures, sliding gestures (both horizontal and vertical), continuous trigger (long press to simulate multiple clicks), and dual partition, offering you a wide range of customizable options. Although it’s personal, I find that the good old standard mode is already sufficient for my first-person shooters.

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

This new internal layout, along with the higher body, thinner display panel, new side-mounted port and lack of an external 5G modem (thanks to the Snapdragon 888), has enabled ASUS to add extra space in the ROG Phone 5’s front stereo press. speakers. These rooms each have the same 1.2 cc room, which allows for symmetrical sound performance as well as enhanced richness (the ROG Phone 3 actually has a smaller speaker room on one side). On top of that, the new Cirrus Logic CS35L45 mono amplifier that drives every 7-magnet 12x16mm speaker is apparently 21 percent more powerful than before. (It is also noteworthy that the ROG Phone 5 still has a quad-microphone noise suppression.)

Hardware alone, however, does not complete the puzzle. Following the impressive results on the ROG Phone 3, ASUS has continued its partnership with Dirac for audio tuning on the ROG Phone 5. The Swedish sound specialist has since devised a dedicated solution for smartphones, which has apparently led to more accurate calibrations to dampen the distortion. , enhances the perceived bass, broadens the sound stage and more on this new game phone. ASUS has even used Dirac’s MIMO (Multiple-Input and Multiple-Output) technologies – previously reserved for luxury cars only – to optimize both speakers together as one system for a better overall acoustic response.

In a quick comparison with the ROG Phone 3 and the ROG Phone 5, the sound enhancement was noticeable. In the rainy Tokyo scene where Natasha Hawkeye found Avengers: Endgame, everything sounds shallower on the older phone, with the thin rainfall sound dominating the dialogue and music. The ROG Phone 5, on the other hand, sounded louder, richer and deeper. The difference was quite surprising, given how impressed I was already with the ROG Phone 3. Then I realized that I could activate a “cinema” option in the AudioWizard’s new “scenario effect” setting, further enhancing the perceived bass strengthen.

ASUS has not forgotten headphone users who still prefer the good old 3.5mm connector. The ROG Phone 5 has acquired an ESS Saber ES9280AC Pro Quad DAC, which apparently can deliver a “best class” signal-to-noise ratio of 130 dB, and can also drive headphones with slightly higher impedance (more than 50 ohms) using 2Vrms output. It should match well with the newly released ROG Cetra II Core earbuds, which offer a seemingly impressive 20Hz-40kHz range. But if you want a wireless option, ASUS is also releasing 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 will also find the same set of cameras in the ROG Phone 5 series. In fact, the four shooters are identical to those of the ROG Phone 3. The rear trio features a 64MP f / 1.8 main camera (Sony IMX686 sensor), a 13MP f / 2.4 125-degree ultra-wide camera and a 5MP f / 2.0 macro 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 limited ROG Phone 5 Ultimate. The first thing you notice is the small “ROG Vision” PMOLED color screen at the back, which allows you to display customizable graphics for incoming calls, loads, games and other scenarios. With the Ultimate edition, ASUS has chosen a bold move by equipping it with a monochrome rear screen to match its matte white finish. Furthermore, both models offer two additional capacitive touch areas on the back panel, if you need even more push-button buttons for your hard play.

Speaking of which, it’s worth noting that the updated Game Genie app here offers an ‘Esports mode’, enabling “do not disturb” but all key assignment, macros, quick controls and more disable (so no AirTriggers and no rear touch panels). This can come in handy for tournament organizers who want more control over a fair game. Game Genie now also offers sound haptics for games (namely PUBG), which automatically maps specific sounds such as shooting, on haptic feedback, and different weapons offer different feelings to make the game immersive. But again, Esports Mode eliminates sound haptics.

Like the Nubia Red Magic 6 Pro “Dao” edition, the ROG Phone 5 Ultimate even offers a generous 18 GB of LPDDR5 RAM (supplied by SK Hynix), although it has the same 512 GB of UFS 3.1 storage as the 5 Pro, which contains 16 GB. memory. The Ultimate edition also includes a gift box with a baseball cap, a towel, a pack of playing cards, badges, stickers, mask cover and more.

ASUS rarely let us down when it comes to the range of accessories for the ROG Phone series, but with the ROG Phone 5, it finally decided to eliminate the dual screen TwinView Dock and Mobile Desktop Dock. ASUS conceded that these two devices were simply too expensive, which was probably a hint of poor acceptance.

On the other hand, ASUS has made a new AeroActive Cooler 5 that now blows directly into the hot spot, thanks to the repositioning of the processor. The company claims that this ignition fan, with the help of the steam cooling chamber and graphite plates on the inside, delivers up to 10 degrees Celsius lower CPU temperature, as well as up to 15 degrees Celsius lower surface temperature. On top of that, this attachment not only doubles as a kickstand, it also adds two physical buttons. In other words, with the AeroActive Cooler 5, you get a total of four mapable buttons on the back of the Pro and Ultimate versions. Unfortunately, if you get the regular ROG Phone 5, you have to buy this fan separately.

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

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