ROG Phone II: Features, Performance, and More

The ROG Phone II is a beast of a device, packed with features that'll make any gamer or tech enthusiast swoon. It boasts a 6.59-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, making for a silky-smooth gaming experience.

One of the standout features of the ROG Phone II is its powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ processor, which provides lightning-fast performance and efficient battery life. This chip is a real game-changer, offering a significant boost in speed and responsiveness.

The ROG Phone II also boasts an impressive 12GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage, making it a great choice for those who need plenty of space for games, apps, and other files. This level of storage is perfect for heavy users who don't want to worry about running out of space.

The ROG Phone II has a 6.59-inch 1080p AMOLED display with a 19.5:9 aspect ratio.

This display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 6 and supports DCI-P3 and HDR10 with 240 Hz touch sensing.

The phone's refresh rate can be configured to 60/90/120 Hz in the phone settings, and it has a 120 Hz refresh rate as standard.

The ROG Phone II is powered by a 6000 mAh battery, which is quite large and should provide all-day battery life.

Fast charging is supported at 30 W, and you can also use the phone to charge other devices at 10 W.

The phone has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ SoC and speed-binned Adreno 640 GPU, which should provide smooth performance for gaming and other demanding tasks.

You can choose from 8 or 12 GB of RAM and 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB, or 1 TB of non-expandable UFS 3.0 storage.

The phone has two LED modules next to the camera, one of which acts as a flash and the other is an RGB LED used to light up the optional Lighting Armour case.

Curious to learn more? Check out: Samsung Galaxy W

The ROG Phone II's display is a major highlight of the device. It features an AMOLED screen that's capable of up to 120 frames per second, making it a great choice for gamers.

The screen size has increased to 6.6 inches, with a resolution of 2340x1080 pixels. This results in a 19.5:9 aspect ratio, which is perfect for watching movies or playing games.

The ROG Phone II has the brightest display among gaming smartphones, with a maximum brightness of 592 cd/m². However, it's worth noting that the brightness is not evenly distributed, and other devices like the iPhone 11 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus have brighter screens.

Here's a comparison of the ROG Phone II's display with other devices:

The ROG Phone II's display also has very stable viewing angles, making it easy to view content from different angles.

The ROG Phone II has a dual camera system that's perfect for capturing life's moments. It features a primary sensor and an ultrawide sensor.

The main lens has a Quad-Bayer 48 MP unit, while the ultrawide lens has a 13 MP unit. Neither of the lenses has OIS, but the main lens has PDAF and Laser AF.

Users can select Night mode and Pro mode as well, which can be a game-changer in low-light situations. The camera's Night Mode can sometimes help, although it may take a few additional seconds to capture.

The rear cameras are capable of shooting 4K video at 30 or 60 fps, in addition to 1080p at 30, 60 or 240 fps and slow-motion 720p at 480 fps. Gyro-EIS augments video, but it is not supported if 240 fps or 480 fps is used.

The front camera has a 24 MP sensor which can record 1080p video at 30 fps. Both the front and rear cameras can film panoramas and utilise HDR.

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The ROG Phone II is a beast when it comes to performance, thanks to its Snapdragon 855+ processor and 12GB of RAM. This combination makes apps open quickly and multi-tasking a breeze.

One feature that's worth mentioning is the "X Mode" that raises the minimum CPU frequency for better game performance. This is especially useful for demanding 3D games.

For another approach, see: Sony Xperia X Performance

The battery life of the ROG Phone II is also impressive, with a 6,000mAh battery that's near-impossible to kill in a single day. I was able to use it for over 4 hours of watching Hulu and YouTube, plus another hour of regular usage, and still have half the battery remaining.

Screen flickering due to PWM can be a real issue for some users, but in the case of the ROG Phone II, it's not a major concern. The display backlight flickers at 510 Hz, which is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering.

The frequency of 510 Hz is indeed high, and this device's PWM is only noticeable at brightness settings of 99% and below. This means you can still use your phone at full brightness without experiencing any flickering.

In fact, 53% of all tested devices don't use PWM to dim the display, so this is a relatively common issue. If PWM was detected, the average frequency was around 8214 Hz, with a minimum of 5 Hz and a maximum of 343500 Hz.

For another approach, see: Why Is My Phone Not Compatible with Some Apps

Here's a quick comparison of the ROG Phone II's PWM frequency with other devices:

Overall, the ROG Phone II's PWM frequency is quite high, making it less likely to cause issues for most users.

The ROG Phone II's software is a game-changer, with features like X Mode that raises the minimum CPU frequency for better game performance.

The X Mode is a great addition, allowing you to quickly change the screen brightness, notification settings, and enable X-Mode while gaming. You can also view the current FPS/temperature and record the screen.

Game Genie is another fantastic feature that appears when you swipe from the left corner while playing games. It lets you quickly change settings and start a livestream, making it easy to share your gaming experience with others.

The Armory Crate app is a convenient way to start games and set custom options for each game. You can even set X-Mode to automatically start for your more demanding 3D games.

The phone's performance is lightning-fast, thanks to the Snapdragon 855+ processor and 12GB of RAM. Apps open quickly, and multi-tasking is a breeze.

Battery life is another area where the ROG Phone II excels, with a whopping 6,000mAh battery that's near-impossible to kill in a single day. I put it to the test and was still left with half the battery after a day of heavy usage.

The ROG Phone II has a range of first-party accessories available, including a clip-on fan and a full-blown second screen, which I got to test and share my thoughts on.

One of the accessories included in the box is the Aero Active Cooler II, which is not present in the Strix edition. The box also contains a SIM card removal tool, user guide, ZenEar Pro headset, light case, and charger with cable.

The phone also comes with a 24-month warranty, giving you peace of mind in case anything goes wrong.

The ROG Phone II comes with a bunch of accessories in the box, including a SIM card removal tool, user guide, Aero Active Cooler II, ZenEar Pro headset, a light case, and the charger with the cable.

You can also buy additional accessories like the Mobile Desktop Dock and the WiGig Display Dock Plus separately. The Aero Active Cooler II is not included in the Strix edition.

The phone comes with a 24-month warranty.

Here's a rundown of the accessories you can buy separately:

The ROG Phone II has a well-built design, with the ROG logo dominating the back of the device. The fingerprint scanner is located below the touchscreen.

The dock connector is still on the left side of the phone, and the invisible sensor buttons are on the right side. This layout is convenient for gaming and other activities.

A 3.5-mm plug headset is included in the box, making it easy to connect your favorite audio gear to the phone.

The ROG Phone II's software is a modified Asus skin based on Android 9.0 "Pie", but can be configured to use the standard ZenUI 6, which functions very similarly to stock Android.

You can choose from two preloaded gaming-focused apps: ASUS Armoury Crate and Game Genie. Armoury Crate gives users advanced control over the hardware and software, allowing per-game performance profiles to be set up, and enabling detailed configuration of the RGB LEDs on the phone and its accessories.

The ROG Phone II also comes with a built-in screen recorder that can capture audio, a customizable DTS audio equalizer, and scrolling screenshots.

One of the standout features of the ROG Phone II is its performance. It uses the Snapdragon 855+, which is a slightly overclocked version of the processor that most other 2019 flagships use, combined with a whopping 12GB of RAM.

Battery life is also a strong point of the ROG Phone II, with a massive 6,000mAh battery that makes it near-impossible to kill the phone in a single day.

For another approach, see: Asus ZenFone 6

The ROG Phone II has a game-specific settings app called Game Genie, which appears when you swipe from the left corner while playing games. You can quickly change the screen brightness, change notification settings, enable X-Mode, view the current FPS/temperature, record the screen, and even start a livestream.

The phone also has an 'X Mode' that raises the minimum CPU frequency for better game performance.

Here are some of the key features of the ROG Phone II's software:

The ROG Phone II is a powerhouse of a device, with Asus combining very powerful hardware with well-optimized software. Future smartphones with the Snapdragon 855+ are unlikely to feature 12 GB of RAM and the same level of power management.

The gaming phone is a good overall package, but justifying its high weight becomes quite hard if you're not interested in gaming. The Elite version with the cooler has an MSRP of 899 Euros, which is quite steep.

If you value performance and gaming above all else, the ROG Phone II is a great option, but for the average person, other devices might be a better buy. The Galaxy S10+, Note 10, and Pixel 3 are all more practical choices.

The ROG Phone II's lack of water resistance and wireless charging is a notable drawback. However, if you want the best smartphone gaming experience possible, or a 120Hz screen, this phone might be worth considering.

The ROG Phone II is a powerhouse of a device, but it's not without its drawbacks. It's huge, heavy, and unattractive, making it a bit of a beast to carry around.

One of the biggest cons of the ROG Phone II is its price. It costs a lot of money to unlock the potential of this phone, but there are some redeeming features that make it worth considering.

The ROG Phone II has a 120Hz refresh rate display, which is great for gaming, but it's only as good as the content that supports it. Thankfully, there are plenty of games from the Google Play Store that are optimized to run at up to 120 frames per second.

Here's a comparison of the ROG Phone II with some of its competitors:

Overall, the ROG Phone II is a great device for gamers, but it may not be the best choice for everyone.

The ROG Phone II has some drawbacks that might make it a less appealing option for some people. It's huge and heavy, weighing in at 240 grams. This can be a problem if you're looking for a phone that's easy to carry around.

The phone's size and weight also make it less attractive, which might be a concern for those who value aesthetics. On the other hand, the phone's design does have some thoughtful touches, like the USB-C charge port on the bottom that won't distract you while gaming.

If you're on a CDMA network, like Verizon or Sprint, or if you're on T-Mobile (which is missing some T-Mobile bands), this phone might not be the best choice for you.

In the realm of gaming smartphones, the Asus ROG Phone 2 stands out with its impressive 87.2% rating, thanks to its powerful SD 855+ processor and 512 GB UFS 3.0 Flash storage.

The Asus ROG Phone 2 weighs in at 240 g, making it a bit on the heavier side, but its sizeable 6.59" screen is well worth it, offering a crisp 2340x1080 resolution.

In contrast, the Asus ROG Phone from 2018 has a slightly lower rating of 88.2% but still packs a punch with its SD 845 processor and 512 GB UFS 2.1 Flash storage.

Here's a comparison of some of the top gaming smartphones:

The Apple iPhone 11 Pro, on the other hand, has a more compact 5.80" screen but still manages to pack a powerful A13 Bionic processor and 256 GB NVMe storage.