Asus ROG Phone 5 review: Over-the-top gaming power

Our Verdict

The ROG Phone five is a powerful device and an excellent gaming machine, but abysmal camera performance holds it dorsum from being a practiced all-around phone.

For

Superb performance
Beautiful AMOLED brandish with 144Hz refresh rate
Splendid bombardment life
Powerful front-facing speakers

Confronting

Disappointing night mode
Bulky and heavy
"Gamer" aesthetic not for anybody
No wireless charging

Tom's Guide Verdict

The ROG Phone 5 is a powerful device and an fantabulous gaming machine, but abysmal photographic camera performance holds it dorsum from beingness a adept all-around phone.

Pros

+
Superb performance
+
Beautiful AMOLED display with 144Hz refresh rate
+
Excellent battery life
+
Powerful front-facing speakers

Cons

-
Disappointing nighttime mode
-
Beefy and heavy
-
"Gamer" aesthetic non for everyone
-
No wireless charging

Asus ROG Phone 5: Specs

Bone: Android 11 / ZenUI
Screen size: half-dozen.78-inch AMOLED (2448 x 1080); threescore - 144Hz
Processor: Snapdragon 888
RAM: 8GB, 12GB, 16GB
Storage: 128GB, 256GB
Rear cameras: 64MP ultrawide (f/1.eight), 13MP ultrawide (f/2.4), 5MP macro (f/2.0)
Front camera: 24MP (f/2.45)
Video: Up to 8K at xxx fps
Battery: 6,000 mAh
Battery life (Hrs:Mins): 12:23 (60Hz) / 10:53 (120Hz) / 10:27 (144Hz)
Charging: 65W
Colors: Phantom Black, Storm White
Size: vi.one ten 2.vii x 0.36 inches
Weight: viii.39 ounces

The ROG Phone five hasn't helped my skepticism regarding dedicated "gaming phones." After all, since these devices use the same system on bit equally the other best Android phones, what advantages could they possibly offering over a regular handset? The improvements seemed marginal, at least to me.

But gaming phones have thrived, in part by pushing features like fast-refreshing displays to the mainstream. And so Asus is back with a new generation of its ROG phone, which will be bachelor in three unlike variations.

That brings us to the crown king of gaming phones, the Asus ROG Telephone 5, the fourth generation gaming phone nether the Taiwanese visitor'south Commonwealth of Gamers brand. Asus has made three versions of this device — the base model, the ROG Phone 5 Pro, and a limited Ultimate edition.

Regardless of which version you opt for, our Asus ROG Telephone v review finds a device jammed pack with hardware and software designed to give you the best gaming experience. It's in the other smartphone features where the ROG Phone 5 comes upwards brusk, however.

Editor's note: We crowned our picks in the Tom's Guide Awards 2021 for phones . The ROG Phone 5 won two highly recommended awards.

Asus ROG Phone 5 review crook sheet

The ROG Telephone 5 uses a custom 6.78-inch FHD+ AMOLED brandish made by Samsung. It's bright, colorful, and perfectly tailored for gaming.
The ROG Phone v produced the best benchmark results of whatsoever Android phone we've tested. information technology managed a three,673 multicore score in Geekbench 5 and 34.8 FPS in Wild Life Unlimited.
The ROG Phone 5's huge 6,000 mAh bombardment lasts for an incredibly long time, fifty-fifty when gaming. With its 65W charger, you tin can recharge the phone in less than an hour.
The biggest problem with the ROG Telephone v is the poor camera operation. Photos look lifeless and deadening, and they lack depth. Dark mode is a travesty.
Sound is a major plus for the ROG Phone 5, including incredible front end-facing speakers and a headphone jack tied to a quad DAC.

Asus ROG Phone 5 review: Release date and price

The Asus ROG 5 is now available in the U.S. having initially launched into the U.K. and Europe. Even so, only the standard $999 model is available, with the top-finish Ultimate handset still missing from American soil.

For residents of the U.K. and Europe, the base ROG Phone 5 with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage is available for €799/£799. You can upgrade the RAM to 12GB and storage for 256GB for another €100/£100. For yet another €100/£100, you tin get 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.

The base model ROG Phone five, which we're reviewing here, comes in ii colors: Phantom Black and Storm White. Both units feature the RGB dot matrix ROG logo on the dorsum for that added flair.

Though not included in this review, there is also a ROG Phone 5 Pro with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage for €1199. Information technology comes out in Apr. Instead of the dot matrix logo on the telephone's back, you get a PMOLED color brandish that Asus calls ROG Vision. It's customizable in the Armoury Crate app, where you tin decide what moving prototype you want to display.

Finally, in that location's likewise the ROG Phone v Ultimate, a commemoration of the ROG make and gamers everywhere. It non but features a unique monochrome body and with a monochrome PMOLED ROG Vision, but it comes with 512GB of storage and a whopping 18GB of RAM. This is a limited edition phone that you can go for €1299, available in May. We have a split up ROG Telephone v Ultimate review if you'd like to cheque that out.

Asus ROG Phone 5 review: Design

The whole look of the black base of operations model ROG Telephone five screams edgy for edginess' sake. It falls into the "gamer" aesthetic and it won't be for anybody. And this is coming from someone who uses a ROG Crosshair motherboard and Strix 2080 Ti in his gaming PC.

One could hope that people accept outgrown the demand for abrupt accents, huge logos, and RGB to prove they're worthy of the title of "gamer," especially on a telephone. Alas, Asus has gone all out with the ROG Phone 5'south blueprint. It won't be for everyone, even those who spend a lot of time playing video games.

I have large hands and the vi.1 x 2.7 10 0.36-inch ROG Telephone 5 however feels bulky and unwieldy, but that's the price of the huge vi,000 mAh bombardment inside it. The half dozen.78-inch display takes upward the front of the phone with minimal bezels all around. There's no pigsty dial or notch for the front camera, which is nestled in the top bezel.

The ROG Telephone 5 features an optical fingerprint sensor built into the display. The feature works OK, though I had trouble with accuracy and fake negatives multiple times a day. The in-brandish sensor on the Galaxy S21 Plus behaves far more consistently.

Tucked away at the very edges of the top and bottom bezels are the front-facing stereo speakers, which are some of the all-time speakers I've heard on a phone. They're punchy, they're powerful, and they'll wow you with their depth. But in that location'southward likewise a headphone jack with a quad ESS DAC, so you tin have an even amend audio experience with the ROG Phone five. I really appreciated this inclusion.

I of the weirdest things about the ROG Telephone five is where Asus placed the phone's ports. The power USB-C port is on the left side underneath a removable (and hands-losable) cover. Alongside information technology is the POGO connector for the optional AeroActive cooler accompaniment, which clips onto the phone. The cooler accessory is a basically a pocket-size fan that attaches to the back of the phone and assists with cooling. The ROG logo on the dorsum of it glows and in that location's a substantial kickstand if you want to prop the telephone up. A second USB-C port lives on the bottom of the frame, but that is used for the Kunai 3 Gamepad.

Besides the cooler accessory, the ROG Phone 5 employs AirTriggers to heave the gaming experience. These ultrasonic shoulder buttons can be mapped to a specific action per game. They don't piece of work perfectly in every title, and in some cases they can be a hindrance, but it's just one more thing to make the ROG Phone feel similar a footstep to a higher place non-gaming phones.

The ROG Phone 5 is a big male child, make no mistake. It's heavy, which leads to quicker wrist and finger fatigue (especially while gaming for long periods of time), but it's also a solid device. Asus did an excellent job with this telephone's build quality, making it feel very premium.

Asus ROG Phone 5 review: Display

The star of the show is the six.78-inch custom AMOLED display manufactured by Samsung. The ROG Phone 5 sports a cute screen, perfect for gaming. It'due south huge, it has excellent color reproduction, and information technology gets plenty bright. I really enjoyed this display while I was using the ROG Phone five.

You also go 4 refresh rate modes to choose from: 60Hz, 120Hz, 144Hz, and Automobile. The latter adaptively changes the refresh charge per unit depending on what y'all're doing. If you're scrolling a lot or playing a game, the refresh rate will ramp up, scaling dorsum down for more static activities. Apparently, 60Hz is the most bombardment-efficient refresh rate, just the 144Hz fashion is available for games that support higher frame rates (like Expressionless Cells).

In its Natural colour scale, the ROG Phone 5 reproduced 180.2% of the sRGB and 127.6% of the DCI-P3 color gamuts. Its Delta-E score, where 0 is perfect, was 0.31. For comparison, in its Natural manner, the Milky way S21 Plus managed 103.8% of sRGB and 73.five% of DCI-P3 with a Delta-Due east of 0.18. (Delta-Due east numbers closer to cipher are more than accurate.)

A acme-tier gaming phone ought to have a brandish to friction match its loftier-end specs and the ROG Phone 5 delivers. Information technology'southward also plenty bright plenty to see outdoors, even in direct sunlight, striking 748 nits in our testing, which is inline with the Galaxy S21 Plus' 747 nits.

Asus ROG Telephone v review: Cameras

The ROG Telephone 5 may exist a gaming telephone, but it notwithstanding features cameras but similar whatever other handset. You get a triple photographic camera array on the back: a 64MP ultrawide master sensor joined by a 13MP ultrawide shooter, and a 5MP macro lens.

Those cameras turned in a disappointing operation. Compared to a comparably priced Milky way S21 Plus, the photos I took with the Asus ROG Telephone 5 didn't impress me. Asus usually does a expert chore with cameras and software, so this is a flake surprising.

In optimal lighting conditions outdoors, the ROG Telephone 5 produces adequate shots with decent colors and depth. Compared to the Galaxy S21 Plus, which likes to overexpose and oversaturate, the ROG Phone 5'due south picture feels a fleck restrained. It's corking, though there'due south something off about it.

In direct sunlight, the ROG Phone five started to stumble. The scarlet of the fire hydrant looks a bit dim, almost toned downwards, in the ROG Phone'south shot. It's a bit more vibrant in the S21 Plus' photograph, merely both phones had a bit of trouble regulating themselves in the harsh sunlight. Overall, though, the Galaxy S21 Plus did a better chore.

Moving indoors, both phones did well with the statuette of Merida. The colors of her hair and wearing apparel look prissy in both images, even if the Galaxy S21 Plus' looks a bit stronger in comparison. These pictures were taken in the late afternoon with soft ambient lighting, but I similar how they both turned out.

Stepping outside for portraits, the ROG Telephone 5 used a relatively mild blur radius in comparison to the Galaxy S21 Plus, but I look very overexposed in the shot. The S21 Plus manages to capture some of the redness in my skin, only its portrait isn't a whole lot better than the ROG Phone five's.

Putting the ROG Telephone 5 up against the Galaxy S21 Plus for night mode, you lot can immediately encounter the difference. It's most like the ROG Phone 5's nighttime mode didn't even endeavor, whereas the grill is really visible in the S21 Plus' photo.

For selfies, the ROG Phone 5 uses a 24MP front photographic camera. It captured the yellow in my camera strap, but the whole photograph looks a flake absurd. The berries and bricks in the background are blurry, too. Overall, this selfie is non one I'd want to mail or share anywhere. The S21 Plus made everything a scrap green, but everything in the shot stayed in focus.

Asus ROG Telephone v review: Performance

The ROG Telephone v is sold on the fact that it's the ultimate mobile gaming automobile, replete with everything you demand to see yourself succeed in your favorite games. While no amount of hardware will make up for a lack of skill or understanding, having the best internals you can possibly get doesn't hurt.

The ROG Phone 5 uses the latest system-on-chip from Qualcomm, the Snapdragon 888, paired with 8GB, 12GB or 16GB of RAM, depending on which configuration yous club. You will want for nothing every bit far as raw performance is concerned. The Snapdragon 888 even so pales in comparing to the A14 Bionic from Apple tree, just it's the best SoC you can become in an Android device correct at present.

This is the best Snapdragon 888 device we've tested thus far. In Geekbench 5, the ROG Telephone 5 (with X-Style disabled) scored 3,672 on multicore. That trounces the Galaxy S21 Plus' 3,300 result, even if information technology comes upwards shy confronting the iPhone 12 Pro'due south 3,880.

In 3DMark'due south Wild Life Unlimited, the ROG Phone five scored 5,806 with an average fps of 34.8. That barely beats the S21 Plus' 33.4 boilerplate fps, but falls behind the iPhone 12 Pro's 39 fps boilerplate.

Anecdotally, this telephone is a monster in games, merely even it struggles with a title similar Genshin Impact on max settings. I saw frame rates billowy between 17 and 45 merely in the main hub area without fighting or anything. In Telephone call of Duty: Mobile, my other favorite mobile game, the ROG Phone v was a champ. I saw consequent frame rates, authentic bear on response, and plenty of battery life to proceed me playing for countless matches (most of which I dominated, I might add).

With the correct profile selected (more on that later), Asus' phone gives yous its all and then some in games. It's besides bad that all this power feels relatively wasted on what's available in Google Play right at present, just that's more a commentary on mobile gaming rather than annihilation against the ROG Telephone 5.

Asus ROG Phone v review: Battery life and charging

The ROG Phone five comes with a total bombardment chapters of 6,000 mAh, split into two 3,000 mAh power packs. This allows for the simultaneous 65W charging speed and for Asus to apply a PCB with the Snapdragon 888 in the heart (for oestrus purposes). These big batteries contribute to the phone'due south overall size, but it's all worth it given how long the ROG Phone 5 can last on a charge.

In our bombardment life test, where the phone is left to endlessly reload webpages over a cellular connection at 150 nits of screen brightness, the ROG Phone 5 performed extremely well. In 60Hz mode, the ROG Phone 5 managed a whopping 12 hours and 23 minutes. In 120Hz mode, that drops to a all the same impressive 10 hours and 53 minutes. Finally, ramping the display upwards to 144Hz nets ten hours and 27 minutes.

In real-world use, the ROG Phone v is a bombardment-life champ. Outside of gaming, I was able to get more than two days of employ before having to accuse again. When gaming, the battery can last for a long fourth dimension, too, even when playing Genshin Impact in 144Hz mode with the AeroActive cooler and Kunai 3 Gamepad fastened.

Asus claims that the ROG Phone 5 can charge from 0% to 70% in but thirty minutes on the 65W charger and to total in nearly an hour. Charging a vi,000 mAh battery from empty to full is a large chore, so that'southward an impressive number. In thirty minutes, the ROG Phone went from 0% to 70% on its 65W charger. It reached 44% in xv minutes.

To make certain that the batteries last long in terms of lifespan, Asus has introduced a few charging modes. The Steady charging mode slows down the charging speed, and so the bombardment volition take longer to make full up, but it'll likewise generate less heat. Scheduled charging is what it sounds like and tin can work with agile alarms (i.due east. the phone stops charging when your morning warning goes off). You can also set an upper charging limit of fourscore%, 90%, and 100% to extend the bombardment's lifespan. Finally, you can go with Bypass charging, which uses the power cable to provide power to the phone without charging the battery itself.

Asus ROG Phone five review: Software and special features

With the ZenFone 6, Asus changed its mobile software direction and introduced a minimal, stock-like Android experience similar you might find on Pixels or OnePlus devices. At that place were several additional features tucked away in the Settings, only the new ZenUI offered users an unhindered software experience. That has continued somewhat with the ROG Phone 5.

ZenUI looks much the aforementioned as earlier, only there are multiple ROG "enhancements" on offer, which look a lot like Asus' ROG Windows software, for better or for worse. I'll give the visitor credit for consistency. I'd say xc% of the ZenUI experience, based on Android 11, is nice, minimal, and more often than not good.

Asus wants the gaming tweaks and additions to add together meaningful value. Past dragging in from the edge of the screen while in-game, yous go a characteristic-packed control panel called Game Genie. This offers shortcuts for optimizing the system for pinnacle gameplay, turning off notifications, blocking navigation, setting refresh rates, and accessing the AirTrigger and macro settings. It also offers some quick stats like your average FPS, CPU temp, and clock speed.

I frankly forgot to use the Game Genie more often than not. Its aesthetic heavily contrasts with the relatively demure default ZenUI wait. I remember the shortcuts are nice, peculiarly for setting up AirTriggers and macros, but I'd rather the blueprint match the rest of the phone rather than some nebulous connectedness to the ROG PC stuff. The ROG software, called the Armoury Crate, in general is full of flashy colors and boisterous, "futuristic" sounds.

Similar its PC brethren, the ROG Phone 5 has different profiles for unlike purposes. Spearheading these is called 10-Mode, which is what Asus considers to be the all-time for gaming. Simply put, Ten-Mode maximizes performance. In that location'due south as well Dynamic, which is my preferred profile — it adjusts to your use and needs accordingly. The Ultra durable profile aims to maximize battery life, while a custom fashion lets you lot tweak settings like you might for your motherboard. You tin can get into some really nitty gritty details here.

The ROG Phone 5 comes with an RGB dot matrix display on the back of the telephone, the colors of which can exist customized in the Armoury Crate. Y'all tin can set the secondary display to react to notifications, games, and some other options. I don't call up information technology'due south really necessary, but it definitely makes the phone stand out.

Asus ROG Phone 5 review: Verdict

If you're looking for ultimate mobile gaming performance, the ROG Phone 5 is definitely at the acme of the list. Its gargantuan battery lasts an incredibly long time, the custom AMOLED brandish is gorgeous, and the raw ability makes almost everything playable at 60 fps or above.

Nevertheless, if taking practiced pictures matters to you, the ROG Phone 5 is just okay. Its night mode falls flat, however. The photos are by no means bad, simply I prefer the ones produced by other similarly-priced phones like the Pixel 5, iPhone 12, and Milky way S21 Plus.

Buy the ROG Telephone v if you want a mammoth battery that's incredibly hard to kill or if you want the peak gaming performance available on Android. It'southward a true curiosity of engineering science to be sure. And you get some actress RGB and gamer flair for your money (if that's your thing), which helps the phone stand out from the oversupply.

Jordan is the Phones Editor for Tom'due south Guide, covering all things phone-related. He's written about phones for over 5 years and plans to continue for a long while to come. He loves nix more than relaxing in his home with a book, game, or his latest personal writing project. Jordan likes finding new things to dive into, from books and games to new mechanical keyboard switches and fun keycap sets. Jordan tends to lurk on social media, but you can best attain him on Twitter.