The ROG Phone 9 helps you game with even more AI
20/11/2024
Translation: machine translated
Asus was the fastest: the ROG Phone 9 is the first smartphone presented for Europe with the new Snapdragon 8 Elite. Among other things, the manufacturer uses this to give you a helping hand with AI when gaming.
As a gaming smartphone, the ROG Phone 9 comes with a number of gimmicks. These include AirTrigger for controlling games, a customised cooling system, AI gaming functions and 648 programmable mini LEDs on the Pro model.
A special rear panel that doesn't always stand out
The back of the ROG Phone 9 has a matt finish. Asus promises that the crystallised nano-texture "provides a silky feel and offers optimal protection against fingerprints".
Source: Asus
There are 648 programmable mini LEDs on the back of the ROG Phone 9 Pro, which the manufacturer refers to as "AniMe Vision". These are not visible in idle mode, but can display various ready-made or customised animations. With the "AniMe Play function", you can even play pixel games on the back of the smartphone. This is controlled via the touch controls or the smartphone's shoulder buttons called AirTrigger.
AI helps with gaming
Asus uses the power of the Snapdragon 8 Elite not only to display games in the best possible graphics on the ROG Phone. The manufacturer has also further developed its AI tools for this purpose
- X Sense 3.0: AI image recognition is designed to simplify gaming tasks: According to Asus, this includes automatically collecting items or automatically improving character skills.
- X Capture 2.0: is also an AI image recognition system that recognises and records important events during gameplay.
- AI Grabber 2.0: The AI text recognition is designed to make it easier to search for tips and has been given a translation function in the latest version.
- An AI noise cancellation is designed to eliminate unwanted noises and ensure clear communication with fellow players.
The features at a glance
Except for the mini LEDs on the back, the ROG Phone 9 and its Pro variant have almost the same features. Both have a 6.78-inch AMOLED display with Full HD+ resolution, 120 Hertz refresh rate and a maximum brightness of 2500 nits.
The three cameras on the back are divided as follows: 50-megapixel main camera, 13-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera and a 32-megapixel telephoto camera. The front camera has 32 megapixels for selfies.
Source: Asus
The battery of the ROG Phone 9 has a capacity of 5800 mAh. By comparison, the large masses are close to 5000 mAh. The battery is charged via cable with up to 65 watts or wirelessly via the Qi standard with up to 15 watts. The gaming smartphone is ready for Wi-Fi 7 and uses Bluetooth 5.4, but you can also connect headphones via cable to the 3.5 mm jack.
The second difference between the smartphone variants is the memory. The ROG Phone 9 has twelve gigabytes of RAM and 256 or 512 gigabytes of storage space. The ROG Phone 9 Pro has 16 and 512 gigabytes - a special edition even has 24 gigabytes and 1 terabyte of storage capacity.
Accessories: cooler and controller
As in the past, Asus also offers suitable gaming accessories for the ROG Phone 9. The AeroActive Cooler X Pro is designed not only to further improve cooling, but also to add two more physical buttons. In this context, the manufacturer speaks of a "console-like control experience".
The ROG Tessen mobile controller is also all about control. It is primarily intended for longer gaming sessions and is designed to put the smartphone on a par with other portable gaming consoles.
Price and availability
The ROG Phone 9 will officially go on sale on 2 January 2025, with the recommended retail price in Germany starting at 1099 euros for the ROG Phone 9 and 1299 euros for the ROG Phone 9 Pro. I do not yet have any prices for Switzerland.
Header image: Asus
As a primary school pupil, I used to sit in a friend's living room with many of my classmates to play the Super NES. Now I get my hands on the latest technology and test it for you. In recent years at Curved, Computer Bild and Netzwelt, now at Digitec and Galaxus.