Last year, the Asus ROG Phone 8 took a big step forward with its IP68 rating and telephoto lens. However, Asus has kept the core idea of its lineup intact – it’s a gaming phone first and foremost. With the new ROG Phone 9 and 9 Pro, the company has further beefed up the performance to meet the expectations of gamers.
Both models are powered by the powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, which comes with 16GB of LPDDR5X (9600 Mbps) RAM and up to 512GB of UFS 4.0 storage in the base version. The Pro model increases these specs to 24GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. According to Asus, the Snapdragon 8 Elite delivers 45% faster CPU, 40% faster GPU, and 40% faster NPU performance compared to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 used in the previous generation.
The cooling system has been significantly redesigned: the area of the graphite sheet has increased by 57%, which allows the new devices to work several degrees cooler than the 8 series models. Additionally, an improved active cooler is offered. The AeroActive Cooler X Pro is equipped with a built-in subwoofer that provides 2.1 sound. This feature was present in the AeroActive Cooler 7, but was removed in last year’s Cooler X and is now back. The cooler also has two hardware buttons on the shoulder, which correspond to the AirTriggers buttons built into the smartphone itself. The cooling system has become even more efficient thanks to fan blades that are 12.5% larger and improved thermal paste, which provides a 29% increase in cooling efficiency.
As always, the ROG Phone series stands out from the crowd thanks to its wide selection of branded accessories. The included AeroCase and optional Chill Case both feature “sound redirection,” a design that routes audio from the bottom-firing speaker forward, which, when combined with the front-firing top-firing speaker, provides a better stereo sound.
Like the previous version, the Asus ROG Phone 9 and 9 Pro feature 6.78-inch FHD+ AMOLED displays with 1,600 nits of brightness in high-brightness mode (peak: 2,500 nits) and 107% coverage of the DCI-P3 color space. An upgrade this year is the ability to enable a 185Hz refresh rate via Game Genie (up from 165Hz last year), though this feature will only be supported in select games.
The new ROG Phone 9 and 9 Pro also add a second display of sorts. Both models now feature AniMe Vision, a mini-LED panel. The ROG Phone 9 has 85 LEDs (versus just four RGB LEDs on the previous base model), while the ROG Phone 9 Pro has 648 LEDs, almost double the 341 on the 8 Pro. This technology has practical applications: the Pro’s AniMe Vision resolution allows it to display text in Chinese and Japanese, as well as load GIF animations. In addition, you can play four retro games (based on Breakout, Snake, Invaders, and one more) on the AniMe Vision display. AirTriggers are used for control, turning the back of the phone into a gaming platform.
Both phones are equipped with 5,800 mAh batteries, which is 300 mAh larger than their predecessors. The battery lasts up to 4.5 hours of active gaming and retains 80% of its original capacity after 1,000 charge cycles (about three years of use). 65W USB-C charging allows you to charge your smartphone from 0 to 100% in 46 minutes (instead of 39 minutes for the previous model), and wireless charging supports up to 15W.
Now let’s talk about the cameras. The main module is a 50-megapixel Sony Lytia 700 sensor measuring 1 / 1.56 inches, now with improved 6-axis hybrid stabilization, which corrects + / – 5 ° instead of the previous + / – 3 °. On the back panel there is also a 13-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera, and for selfies – a 32-megapixel camera with an RGBW sensor and a lens with a focal length of 22 mm. The telephoto module is only available in the Pro version: it uses the same 3x 32-megapixel module (1 / 3 “) as last year. In the basic version of the ROG Phone 9, it is replaced by a 5-megapixel macro camera, which was not available in the ROG Phone 8.
A few extra details: The ROG Phone 9 and 9 Pro, as expected, feature a 3.5mm headphone jack. It’s tuned using Dirac technology and supports high-resolution binaural audio called Dirac Virtuo. Wireless capabilities include aptX Lossless support, and the device is certified for Hi-Res Audio and Hi-Res Audio Wireless.
The previously mentioned Chill Case is a passive cooling solution equipped with a built-in vapor chamber. It helps distribute heat evenly, reducing device temperatures by up to 17%. The case also features audio redirection for an improved stereo sound experience.
Asus guarantees two major OS updates for the ROG Phone 9 and 9 Pro, and security updates will be available for five years, which is a year longer than the ROG Phone 8.
