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Take a look at the Asus ROG Phone in all its mobile gaming glory

Look out Razer Phone 2, there's a new gaming phone in town.

Patrick Holland
Patrick Holland has been a phone reviewer for CNET since 2016. He is a former theater director who occasionally makes short films. Patrick has an eye for photography and a passion for everything mobile. He is a colorful raconteur who will guide you through the ever-changing, fast-paced world of phones, especially the iPhone and iOS. He used to co-host CNET's I'm So Obsessed podcast and interviewed guests like Jeff Goldblum, Alfre Woodard, Stephen Merchant, Sam Jay, Edgar Wright and Roy Wood Jr.
Aloysius Low Senior Editor
Aloysius Low is a Senior Editor at CNET covering mobile and Asia. Based in Singapore, he loves playing Dota 2 when he can spare the time and is also the owner-minion of two adorable cats.
Patrick Holland
Aloysius Low
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1 of 31 Josh Miller/CNET

Update, May 13: We compared the Asus ROG phone to the Razer Phone 2, Nubia Red Magic Mars and Black Shark to see which is the best gaming phone. The in-depth testing covered everything from game play and processing power to cooling systems and screens. Read: Best phone for gaming in 2019: Razer 2 vs. Asus ROG, Nubia Red Magic Mars, Xiaomi Black Shark.

If you're looking for a true gaming phone, then you may want to skip the Razer Phone 2 and go straight to the one true phone designed for gaming.

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2 of 31 Aloysius Low/CNET

It's truly a gaming machine disguised as a phone.

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3 of 31 Josh Miller/CNET

ROG stands for Republic of Gamers. It's the name of Asus' line of computers and peripherals aimed at gaming.

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4 of 31 Josh Miller/CNET

It packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, a dedicated side port for charging, add-ons for cooling and ultrasonic shoulder buttons.

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5 of 31 Aloysius Low/CNET

The rear of the ROG Phone looks like it's meant for gaming, especially with those copper heat sinks.

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6 of 31 Aloysius Low/CNET

And of course the logo lights up.

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7 of 31 Aloysius Low/CNET

There's no notch on this phone. Just a copper-plated front speaker grill.

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8 of 31 Aloysius Low/CNET

There's a control panel that lets you monitor what's going on in your phone just like a PC.

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9 of 31 Aloysius Low/CNET

Like most phones, it will also have a charging port at the bottom. But unlike most phones, it still has a 3.5mm headphone jack.

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10 of 31 Aloysius Low/CNET

The ROG Phone also has a side port for charging.

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11 of 31 Aloysius Low/CNET

There are pressure sensitive AirTriggers on the corners of the phone that can be used as bumper buttons during gameplay.

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12 of 31 Josh Miller/CNET

The ROG phone is designed to support a bunch of performance accessories including a detachable fan called the AeroActive cooler.

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13 of 31 Josh Miller/CNET

This AeroActive is included with the phone.

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14 of 31 Josh Miller/CNET

And of course the logo on the fan glows, too.

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15 of 31 Aloysius Low/CNET

The ROG's AeroActive cooler drops the temperature of the phone rapidly.

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16 of 31 Aloysius Low/CNET

The AeroActive add-on looks like a belt clip.

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17 of 31 Aloysius Low/CNET

The AeroActive cooler along with a software setting called "X mode" allow the processor to run at higher speeds longer.

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18 of 31 Aloysius Low/CNET

Here's how the AirTrigger can be configured -- you can select where on the screen it will activate, letting you configure the best way for you to play your games.

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19 of 31 Josh Miller/CNET

The AeroActive cooler doesn't have a flat base to act as a stand. However, if you find the right cushion, you can prop it up.

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20 of 31 Aloysius Low/CNET

Asus also built some serious gaming accessories for the ROG including this TwinView dock. The phone sits on top, while it runs the game on another display below.

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21 of 31 Aloysius Low/CNET

There are shoulder buttons as well on the back.

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22 of 31 Aloysius Low/CNET

The TwinView Dock has a slot for an SD card as well.

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23 of 31 Aloysius Low/CNET

There's an opening for the camera.

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24 of 31 Aloysius Low/CNET

The second screen is designed to look just like the ROG Phone.

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25 of 31 Aloysius Low/CNET

This is the ROG inside the Mobile Desktop dock.

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26 of 31 Aloysius Low/CNET

With pretty much every port you can imagine, the Mobile Desktop Dock lets you mirror your game onto a bigger screen.

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27 of 31 Aloysius Low/CNET

This is the Gamevice controller accessory for the ROG.

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28 of 31 Aloysius Low/CNET

It has joysticks, triggers, bumpers, a D-pad and a bunch of buttons.

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29 of 31 Aloysius Low/CNET

The Gamevice turns your ROG phone into a Nintendo Switch.

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30 of 31 Josh Miller/CNET

The Asus ROG phone starts at $899 which converts to £690 and AU$1,265.

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