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ASUS officially announced the ROG Phone 6 and ROG Phone 6 Pro on July 5. Introducing the mobile gaming world to the latest superpowered handset. While we have loved the ROG Phone 6 Pro and covered a lot about how the device performs in our review, there’s a lot more to actually know about the phone. So we’ll be covering that information here.
ASUS’s ROG Phone brand has come a long way since the days of the original phone. And although that particular device was among the best for mobile gaming even back then, ASUS has really added some spit and polish to its most recent offering. Quite simply, this is the best ASUS has ever produced and it finally feels like it can be a worthy daily driver for the majority of users.
With all of that said, let’s dive a little more into the phone series. If you’re considering buying one, then it won’t hurt to know more about it.
When do the ROG Phone 6 and ROG Phone 6 Pro launch?
ASUS hasn’t officially launched the phone yet but it did begin pre-orders on July 5, the day of its announcement. ASUS also noted that the device would ship to buyers “a few weeks later” which means it should be shipping out to those who pre-ordered sometime next week or the week after.
Right now the device is only available for pre-order in the UK, Europe, and Taiwan. With no official release time for the US. ASUS did officially launch the ROG Phone 5 in the US though, so its predecessor will eventually make it stateside as well.
It’s just a matter of time. That being said, the device will probably reach US consumers before the end of the year.
Update: September 9, 2022
The ROG Phone 6 and ROG Phone 6 Pro are now available for pre-order in the US via Amazon. They will be available for pre-order through the ASUS Store in the near future.
How much does the phone cost?
This will depend on where you buy it and what model you get. The ROG Phon 6 with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage is £899 in the UK and €999 in Europe. The ROG Phone 6 with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage increases the price to £999 in the UK and €1,149 in Europe.
And finally, the ROG Phone 6 Pro, which comes with 18GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, is £1,099 in the UK and €1,299 in Europe. As of right now there are no official prices for the US. And there likely won’t be any confirmed US prices until after ASUS officially announces when the US release date is. At which point it will probably open up pre-orders as well.
ASUS also lists an 8GB RAM model of the ROG Phone 6 on its US site, but no prices are listed and it does not seem to offer this model in the UK at all. So configuration availability is definitely subject to region.
Update: September 9, 2022
US pricing for the device starts at $999. This is for the 12GB RAM/256GB storage model. The 16GB RAM/512GB storage model retails for $1,099, and the ROG Phone 6 Pro, which comes with 18GB of RAM and 512GB of storage will retail for $1,299.
How many models of the ROG Phone 6 are there?
There are two models of the device, with a combined total of four configurations. This includes three configurations of the ROG Phone 6, and one configuration of the ROG Phone 6 Pro.
So this year ASUS has decided to cut things down. With the ROG Phone 5, it launched three different models. The 5, 5 Pro, and 5 Ultimate. Then it also ended up launching the 5s and 5s Pro. This year, ASUS has essentially packed everything that would have been in an Ultimate into the 6 Pro, and everything that would have been in a Pro and 5s models into the second configuration of the 6.
In our opinion, this makes everything way easier. And it’s less convoluted for the consumer. Having too many models to choose from just leads to indecision which can lead to no sale. ASUS appears to be trying to make things simpler here.
What are the full specs for the device?
The specs for the most part are the same across all four configurations that ASUS is offering. With the only changes being the amount of RAM, and how much storage you have. The ROG Phone 6 also doesn’t come with an LCD display on the back like the Pro model. And instead uses a customizable RGB pattern like on last year’s ROG Phone 5s. The rest of the specs however are the same. So here’s the breakdown of what you get.
- Colorways – Phantom Black and Storm White for the ROG Phone 6, and Storm White for the ROG Phone 6 Pro
- Processor – Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 Mobile Platform with Adreno 730
- Memory – 8GB/12GB/16GB for the ROG phone 6, and 18GB for the ROG Phone 6 Pro
- Storage – 256GB and 512GB for the ROG Phone 6, and 512GB for the ROG Phone 6 Pro
- Display – 6.78-inch Samsung AMOLED with 2448 x 1080 resolution and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus
- Refresh rate – 165Hz
- Rear camera – Main Sensor: Sony IMX766 50MP image sensor – plus 13MP ultrawide sensor and 5MP macro sensor
- Front camera – 12MP sensor
- Video – 8K UHD at 24fps, 4K UHD at 30fps and 60fps, 1080p FHD at 30fps and 60fps, 720p HD at 30fps and 60fps
- Speakers – Dual front-facing stereo speakers with Dirac HD sound
- SIM – Dual SIM card slots
- Battery – 6,00mAh high-capacity battery with Quick Charge 5.0 support
- Sensors – In-display fingerprint sensor, accelerometer, face recognition, e-compass, gyroscope, proximity sensor, ambient-light sensor, ultrasonic sensors for AirTrigger 6 and grip press
- Power adapter – 65W USB-C power adapter
- Water resistance – IPX4
- Weight – 239g
- Dimensions – 173 x 77 x 10.3 mm
Does the phone have expandable storage?
No. The ROG Phone 6 series does not come with expandable storage. Like many of today’s devices, you get what comes in the phone and that’s it. Luckily, with the ROG Phone 6 and ROG Phone 6 Pro, your options are 256GB or 512GB. Which is quite a lot and most people who would buy this device would probably struggle to use it all up.
That doesn’t mean it’ll be enough for everyone. But for a phone, it’s exceptionally easy to get by with ether of these amounts. Thanks to the advancement of cloud gaming and cloud storage. Which ultimately means you use up less room for storing games, apps, music, movies, photos, videos, documents and more.
Do the ROG Phone 6/6 Pro have any accessories?
The ROG Phone 6 series has a few official accessories, and a relaunch of one accessory from last year. There’s the all-new AeroActive Cooler 6 which comes in the box, as well as a shell case in the box. There’s also an optional shell case, an optional protective case from Devil Case, and an optional tempered glass screen protector.
ASUS also re-released the ROG Kunai 3 gamepad in Storm White to match the new White color of both the ROG Phone 6 and ROG Phone 6 Pro. Lastly, ASUS is launching a new set of true wireless earbuds for the phone that can be transformed into a wired pair, and a phone clip for third-party controllers.
Is The ROG Phone 6 running on Android 12?
Yes. ASUS ships the ROG Phone 6 and ROG Phone 6 Pro with Android 12 out of the box. So there’s no need to update the software to be on the newest version of Android. Which makes sense given that the ROG Phone 5 received the Android 12 update officially well before the 6 and 6 Pro were announced.
Update: February 21, 2023
As of February 21, 2023 ASUS has begun pushing out the update for Android 13 to the ROG Phone 6 and ROG Phone 6 Pro. This means most or all ROG Phone 6 and ROG Phone 6 Pro owners should have Android 13 running on their devices by the end of the week.
Does the phone have good battery life?
The phone has excellent battery life. After all, this isn’t too difficult to achieve when there’s a 6,000mAh high-capacity battery powering your experiences.
In short you can easily get by on two days of use with a single charge. Maybe more. That will naturally change based on how you use the phone. For example, if you sit down for a few hours of gaming with a graphically demanding game like Genshin Impact or Diablo Immortal, then your battery can certainly lose about 50% of its power in that time. Even then that doesn’t matter too much since the phone charges up very rapidly in a short amount of time.
There are some ways you can mitigate the battery drain though. For starters, utilize the phone’s different performance profiles in the Armoury Crate app. There’s X Mode, Dynamic Mode, and Ultra Durable. If you’re looking to conserve battery while still gaming, then set it to dynamic once you’re in your game of choice. You can do this by opening the Game Genie dashboard once the game is loaded up.
Secondly, make sure you tune the game’s graphics down. This will help the game use less power to function optimally. And should result in overall less power draw from the battery. You can also turn off anything that isn’t really necessary to the gaming experience. Like the LCD display and RGB lighting on the back of the phone. And finally, either stick with the speakers for audio or use wired headphones, and turn down the screen brightness as much as you’re willing to tolerate.
Does the ROG Phone 6 have a 3.5mm headphone jack?
Yes. ASUS is still implementing the use of a 3.5mm headphone jack on its latest gaming phones. So if you prefer the wired experience, you can plug in your favorite headset. Or you can try and snag ASUS’s snazzy new true wireless earbuds that come with a wired attachment. This way you can use them wireless for somethings and wired for others.
Does the phone still have AirTriggers?
Absolutely. These are a staple of the ROG Phone series and ASUS likely plans on never getting rid of them. And rightfully so. They’re an easy way to implement extra controls for gamers without having to actually add on physical controls. That being said, there are some differences this year.
The new AirTriggers actually do more than the ones on last year’s ROG Phone 5 series devices. With the AirTriggers 6 offering up to 9 different gestures. However, there are no longer any back ultrasonic triggers on the back like there were on the ROG Phone 5 Ultimate. Instead ASUS seems to have incorporated the functions of those into the AirTriggers on the top.
How is the camera quality?
Chances are if you’re buying a gaming phone, you’re buying it mostly for the gaming prowess. You may be less concerned with how it performs in the picture taking department. But, that doesn’t mean you won’t use the camera at all, right? This is after all likely to be your main phone. Unless you’re a user who has more than one device, and use this strictly for gaming, this will be your only device and thus the only phone camera you have at your disposal.
So you probably want the camera to perform at least decently. We can say that the camera performs admirably. It won’t be the best phone camera on the market, but it will provide you with pretty good pictures in this day and age.
Especially if you’re coming from a phone that’s at least two or three years older. As long as you’re aware that the camera on the ROG Phone 6 and ROG Phone 6 Pro won’t outdo the likes of the Pixel 6 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max, and Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, then you should be pretty happy with it. Then again, some of this might be subjective and you may find that the camera in your own opinion, is just as good.
Does the ROG Phone 6 stay cool when gaming?
The short answer is yes and no. The phone does stay cool (to a point) during gaming sessions. But it can still get warm to the touch the longer you play and if the game is more graphically demanding. In those cases, ASUS recommends using the AeroActive Cooler 6 that comes with the phone.
Specifically it recommends using this attachment if you plan to play longer than one hour. Temperatures are also lower compared to last year’s ROG Phone 5 series. So all-in-all, the phone can stay cool while you game and ASUS has managed to lower the temps from its previous model. That’s a win in our book. However, just know you need to temper your expectations.
The phone will not be completely cool to the point that you won’t notice the heat being put out by the CPU and GPU. And again it all depends on the game you’re playing. For example, playing a game like Alto’s Odyssey for two or three hours straight isn’t going to increase the phone temperatures too much. So keep that in mind.