Both models are powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor and come with up to 512GB of storage. They have 6.78-inch OLED displays, the same size as the previous ROG Phone 5S, but the 165Hz refresh rates and 720Hz touch sample rates are both significant improvements over the last model. They feature 6,000mAh batteries, the same as the previous models, and an upgraded triple-camera setup. The Phone 6 will start at €999 and the 6 Pro at €1,299 — they’re set to launch in the UK and Europe first, and Asus says they’ll come later to the US, India and elsewhere. The ROG Phone 6 comes in black and white and the 6 Pro only in white. The biggest difference between the two models is the second OLED screen on the back of the 6 Pro, which is kind of pretty but not very practical. You can also get a bit more RAM in the Pro model – the Phone 6 tops out at 16GB, but the Pro will go up to 18GB. Suffice it to say that the regular model Phone 6 will probably be enough for most people. Asus is clearly trying to create a phone that you could also use as your everyday device. the company has been slowly improving the design of the ROG Phone in recent models so that it doesn’t scream “gamer phone!” so loud. But this is still a gamer phone. Much of the phone’s design is about optimizing cooling, for example, and the phrase “we’ve developed a unique 360-degree CPU cooling technology” was certainly said during the product announcement stream. (The vapor chamber is 30% larger now!) Asus even updated the Aeroactive Cooler accessory, which is essentially a giant clip-on fan that doubles as a simple gaming controller. The phone’s specs are as impressive as ever, especially the display’s refresh rates and responsiveness. But as usual with ROG phones, the question is: to what end? You don’t need 18GB of RAM to play even the most complex games on Android. Asus also has a somewhat poor track record of timely software updates, promising only two years of Android and security updates for these devices. For the price, you can probably find a device to do most phone things better. And even as cloud gaming brings more high-powered games to your smartphone, you just don’t need as much power on the device for them to run well. The ROG Phone 6 is a cool device, but it still doesn’t look very practical.
