ASUS ROG Phone 9 Series Debuts with Snapdragon 8 Elite, 185Hz Display, and Retro Gaming Features

ASUS has unveiled the highly anticipated ROG Phone 9 series, continuing its legacy of gaming-focused smartphones while pushing the envelope in design and everyday practicality.

Packed with powerful internals, advanced cooling solutions, and gamer-centric features, the ROG Phone 9 and ROG Phone 9 Pro promise to cater to both hardcore gamers and tech enthusiasts.

Snapdragon 8 Elite at the Core

Both the ROG Phone 9 and 9 Pro run on Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, which offers some serious power boosts. Compared to last year's model, the CPU is 45% faster, the GPU has a 40% speed bump, and the NPU (Neural Processing Unit) is also 40% faster.

Memory and storage options differ slightly between the two models. The ROG Phone 9 maxes out at 16GB of RAM and 512GB of UFS 4.0 storage, while the Pro version can go up to 24GB of RAM and a massive 1TB of storage. That's plenty of room for all your games, apps, and media.

Staying Cool Under Pressure

ASUS has upped its cooling game this year. The ROG Phone 9 series features a 57% larger graphite sheet, which keeps the phones running cooler during those long gaming sessions. Accessories like the optional AeroActive Cooler X Pro add even more cooling power and include extra features like a built-in subwoofer for 2.1 audio and shoulder buttons for gaming.

For those who prefer a quieter option, the Chill Case uses a passive cooling system with a built-in vapor chamber. It can reduce temperatures by up to 17%, making it ideal for less intense gaming or day-to-day use.

A Display Designed for Gamers

The display specs remain familiar but with some meaningful updates. Both models feature a 6.78-inch AMOLED screen with FHD+ resolution and up to 1,600 nits brightness in high brightness mode (peaking at 2,500 nits). What's new is the ability to enable a 185Hz refresh rate, up from 165Hz on last year's model, for smoother gameplay in supported titles.

The back of the phone also gets an upgrade with AniMe Vision, ASUS's customizable mini-LED display. The standard model now features 85 LEDs (up from 4 in the ROG Phone 8), while the Pro model boasts 648 LEDs, nearly double the count of its predecessor. You can use this display for animations, notifications, or even play retro games like Snake and Breakout.

Bigger Battery for Longer Play

Battery life sees a modest improvement, with both models packing 5,800mAh batteries, 300mAh more than last year. ASUS claims this will last around 4.5 hours of heavy gaming. The batteries are designed to retain 80% of their capacity after 1,000 charging cycles, roughly three years of daily use.

Charging is rated at 65W via USB-C, with wireless charging at 15W. However, the slightly larger battery means a full wired charge now takes 46 minutes, up from 39 minutes on the ROG Phone 8.

A Gaming Phone with Serious Optics

On the camera front, both models feature a 50MP main camera with a Sony Lytia 700 sensor. Gimbal stabilization has been improved, allowing for +/-5° correction, up from +/-3° last year. The phones also include a 13MP ultra-wide camera and a 32MP front-facing selfie camera.

The Pro model retains the 3x telephoto camera with a 32MP sensor, while the standard ROG Phone 9 swaps it out for a 5MP macro camera.

Audio and Other Features

ASUS continues to cater to audiophiles with a 3.5mm headphone jack, Dirac tuning, and support for high-resolution audio via both wired and wireless options. The phones also support aptX Lossless for wireless Hi-Res Audio.

Pricing and Availability

The ROG Phone 9 series is available for pre-order now, with shipments starting tomorrow in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and mainland China. Europe will see the phones in December, while the U.S. launch is planned for January 2025. Here's how the pricing stacks up: