Asus' new ROG Phone II is an Android specs powerhouse
If you want a fully loaded phone, Asus has the device for you.
Asus' ROG Phone II goes all-out on specs.
Samsung, OnePlus and Huawei often raise the bar on power with every iteration of their popular Android phones . With its newest gaming ROG phone , however, Asus is truly throwing everything in -- including the proverbial kitchen sink. A successor to last year's original ROG Phone, the company's new ROG Phone II builds on the gaming bonafides with the latest components 2019 has to offer.
Powered by Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 855 Plus and improved Adreno 640 graphics, the device packs 12GB of LPDDR4X RAM, a 6.59-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate for smooth gameplay, an under-display fingerprint sensor, 6,000-mAh battery and either 128GB or 512GB of built-in UFS 3.0 storage.
The front camera is a 24-megapixel shooter while the rear has two sensors: the main sensor capable of 48-megapixel shots and a 13-megapixel ultrawide lens with a 125-degree field of view.
In addition to a USB-C port on the bottom of the phone, the ROG Phone II has a USB-C port on the side, as well as an orange proprietary port for accessories.
There's a standard 3.5mm headphone jack on the bottom of the device, as well as two USB-C ports. The first port, located on the bottom of the device, can be used to fast charge the phone using Qualcomm's Quick Charge 3.0. A second USB-C port can be found on the side and takes advantage of USB 3.1 Gen 2 -- it can output 4K video through DisplayPort 1.4 and gives the phone faster charging via Qualcomm's Quick Charge 4.0.
Those worried about marathon game sessions heating the phone can cool it off with an attachable fan (!).
Asus has also added a second proprietary port on the side for hocking up docks and accessories, such as its AeroActive Cooler II clip-on fan. AirTriggers, the company's sensors along the corners of the phone that can function as bumper buttons, have also been updated for lower latency.
Shrunken bezels along the top and bottom of the display house the ROG Phone II's front-facing speakers. As one would expect with a gaming phone, there's an RGB logo along the back with colors controlled via an app.
With Google's forthcoming Stadia platform and Microsoft's xCloud set to hit phones later this year, it remains to be seen if mobile gaming will warrant such a powerful piece of hardware. Also unclear are exactly when the new ROG Phone II will debut and how much it will cost.
CNET has reached out to Asus for more information and will update if it responds.
