Review of the Asus ROG Phone 6 Pro: Taking full advantage of mobile gaming


With its sixth effort, ASUS has improved its hardware approach much as Google has. The Asus Rog Phone 6 Pro 5g is a noticeable improvement over the ROG Phone 5 from the previous year, with a continued focus on offering the greatest mobile gaming experience available.

Gaming is good alternative to a combination of strong hardware and practical software, but those planning to use it as their daily car can have occasional annoyances. The ROG 6 Pro is a niche product for a narrow market with a ₹82690 INR asking price, yet it shines in that market.

The Asus ROG Phone 6 Pro is the newest model in the ROG family of gaming phones, which are intended to provide faultless performance throughout extended durations of gaming. Despite making compromises with the camera, ASUS has produced a high-end product that achieves its objectives. It is a premium option but ideal for those searching for the greatest mobile gaming experience available, sporting significant upgrades over last year's edition.

SPECIFICATIONS

  • SoC: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
  • Display: 6.78-inch 1080p , up to 165Hz
  • RAM: 18GB
  • Storage: 512 GB
  • Battery: 6000 mAh
  • Operating System: Android 12
  • Front camera: 5 MP selfie
  • Rear cameras: 50 MP, f/1.9 primary / 13 MP, f/2.2 ultrawide
  • Connectivity: Wi-FI 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, 5G
  • Dimensions: 173 x 77 x 10.3 mm (6.81 x 3.03 x 0.41 in)
  • Colors: White / Black
  • Display type: AMOLED
  • Weight: 239 g (8.43 oz)
  • IP Rating: IPX4 water resistant
  • Price: 82458/ 98967 Rs. for Pro
  • Brand: ASUS

Asus ROG Phone 6 Pro: Network compatibility & connectivity

Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, and compatibility for all worldwide 5G bands are included in the ROG Phone 6 Pro. However, US consumers won't be able to utilise the ROG 6 Pro on Verizon or Sprint's networks without CDMA network compatibility (now under T-Mobile).

However, the most important band is available to users of AT&T networks. The core of AT&T's LTE network, the 700MHz band, is supported by the ROG Phone 6 Pro. Sadly, there is no mmWave support, so even while AT&T users should have statewide service, they won't have access to the fast speeds other phones with comparable price tags do.

Users will find support for the majority of big networks in their area outside of the US, where CDMA networks are almost nonexistent. Owners of the ROG Phone 6 Pro, for instance, can access all of the major bands in the UK. While streaming data while testing the phone on the Vodafone network, I had no connectivity difficulties.

I had constant speed and connectivity for the whole month I owned the phone, whether I was making voice calls, streaming music, or video calling pals. It was all pretty apparent. Data connections were reliable because I also tried streaming Halo Infinite on Vodafone's 5G network and had no problems doing so while playing multiple rounds.


Design, features, and what's included in the Asus ROG Phone 6 Pro

The ASUS ROG 6 Pro turns the gamer look back up a notch after ASUS recently softened it. Since the ROG Phone 6 Pro stands out in a crowd, I occasionally had people ask me what in the world I was using while using it as my primary phone.

The ROG 6 Pro's design and functionality are quite similar to those of the ROG 5 from the previous year. The two USB-C ports from the ROG are back, and so are the two touch-based triggers. The twin speakers are still front-facing, and there is still no notch or cutout camera. The power button and SIM slot include different hues, which is good since it adds a flash of colour that is far more elegant than the rest of the design.

A Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, 18GB of RAM, and 512 GB of storage power the ROG 6 Pro. These top-tier specifications are required to run the phone's HD screen at fast framerates.

The display is a 6.78-inch 1080p screen with vivid, vibrant colours that is identical to the one from the previous year. Although a 165hz refresh rate may not be essential, I found myself making an effort to play games with unrestricted frame rates merely to take use of the screen's features. Although you may lock the refresh rate, using the phone's Auto option will allow the frame rate to change according to the battery life, an app, or a game.

The ROG's audio quality hasn't altered much, much like the screen. The two front-facing speakers, high-resolution audio compatibility, and the continued presence of a headphone connection are all there and sound excellent.

The back of the phone has a futuristic appearance, with loads of branding and unused lines and forms. You may remember the exhilarating times when ASUS launched the ROG brand by using the handy "est 2006" symbol that the company provided. It's not too annoying, though. The back OLED panel on the Pro variant is what stands out.

The ROG 6 has an illuminated motto on the back of every version of the device. The lighted slogan is a straightforward light-up sign that displays the phrase "DRIVE TO PLAY" to everyone in your immediate vicinity in the colour of your choice. The other screen, which is exclusive to the Pro model, is a dynamic 2-inch OLED panel that can show data like as battery life, incoming calls, and if X Mode is engaged (more on that later). Given the restricted use cases, you may alter the animations by choosing a pre-made option or downloading files. It's an odd gadget designed with one purpose in mind.

The few use cases imply that the most straightforward and obvious justification for the rear screen's presence doesn't function. It would be great to be able to quickly check the time while my phone is turned over, as I typically do to avoid alerts. Unfortunately, enabling X Mode is the only option to keep your phone's screen on all the time unless it is charging (which drains the battery faster). I'm not completely clear why the screen is there, though it's not a big deal unless you're keen to let people on the train know that you've started playing a game.


ASUS also sells the AeoActive Cooler 6 and the Kunai 3 Gamepad in addition to the phone. These accessories aren't necessary purchases, but everyone who owns a phone and loves playing mobile games will find them useful.

The Kunai 3 Gamepad is essentially the same model as the ROG 5 Gamepad that we had examined, but it shows a sad continuation of a tendency that I had thought ASUS had stopped by this time. Although the phone's offset USB-C connector on the bottom may appear like an odd design choice, it really serves anti-consumer purposes. The majority of the top Android controllers have a USB-C connector that is positioned in the middle, rendering them incompatible with the ROG 6.

That's great if you like the Kunai 3, but I was annoyed by how complicated the controller's many parts were. Although you may leave the controller frame attached, using the phone for other purposes besides gaming is awkward due to the unsightly side rails. I found myself yearning for the Razer Kishi V2's small form, but as was already mentioned, it is wholly incompatible.

The Aero Active Cooler 6 was the outstanding accessory, and I used it far more frequently than the Kunai 3. For the majority of games, the physical triggers offered by the cooler combined with the unseen triggers supplied by the ROG 6 were more than enough. Additionally, the added heft makes for a more comfortable grip and naturally keeps the phone cooler. It didn't seem like the enhanced cooling was essential because the phone never reached hazardous temperatures without it. However, I saw a little decrease in the phone's temperature when it was connected, enabling continuous gaming sessions at a constant temperature.

A charger (no bogus climate statements from ASUS! ), a thin case (not advised for practical protection), a few stickers, and the customary instruction manuals are all included in the box.


Asus ROG Phone 6 Pro: Software, performance, and battery life

ASUS provides a "Classic" or "Default" software experience, similar to earlier versions. "Default" is what you want for the complete gaming experience; "Classic" is your stock Android experience.

"Default" embraces ASUS' brutalist sci-fi design language. Although a touch silly, it wasn't quite as annoying as I had anticipated. It's what I used the majority of the time since switching to the Classic experience occasionally felt abrupt because there are some aesthetics you can't modify (like the fingerprint unlock motion).

The Armory Crate and Game Genie applications have been upgraded from their counterparts from the previous year. The majority of your customization options, including those for the AeroActive Cooler's illumination and the rear LED panels, are located in the Armory Crate. Additionally, a tab listing Asus' suggested games is located there, arranged first by refresh rate. Although it's a useful function for us reviewers, it seems odd to look for games using this criterion. These tabs provide an odd assortment of games, the most of which won't be included in our roundup of the greatest Android games since the majority of the top Android games don't support refresh rates over 60 Hz.

The ROG 6's true hero is The Game Genie. It can be accessed with a fast swipe in any game, so you'll use it frequently. View CPU/GPU statistics, temperature, battery life, and frame rates, as well as basic settings like refresh rate, brightness, and network. You may also view this information as a discrete widget so that you can monitor it while playing games. The ROG's numerous power modes, from X-Mode (performance at all costs) to Ultra Durable, may be be changed via Game Genie (battery life at any cost).

The overlay successfully balances the use of space and information.

The ROG 6 offers, Asus Rog Phone 6 Pro 5g 512gb White
 quite simply, the greatest gaming experience available in terms of performance. I wouldn't have expected anything less, and ASUS meets my expectations well. Thanks to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, games and apps load swiftly, and I had trouble seeing frame rate reductions outside of loading screens. The phone never became too hot to hold, even though I did notice a noticeable rise in temperature when playing games, and the Aero Active Cooler brought the temperature back down to a normal level.

With a 6000 mAh monster battery, Asus provides the power a phone with this much oomph requires for a full day of gaming and other activities. It's a tough job, but someone has to do it, so I gave up my regular responsibilities to spend the day gaming and watching videos for this review. with the frame rate set to 144Hz, the Aero Active Cooler installed, and X mode activated. The ROG 6 Pro was at a healthy 40% towards the end of the day.

In a different test, I used the phone as I usually would, fitting in some video and games throughout the day. I maintained the power settings at Dynamic and put the phone to Auto refresh rate for this. At the end of the day, this only cost me 75%. The best part is that, even when I ran Genshin Impact at its highest settings, I didn't detect any performance degradation. 144hz is fantastic, but it's difficult to justify putting it on until more games support higher frame speeds. In most cases, auto will be the best option.


Cameras on the Asus ROG Phone 6 Pro

To keep costs down, Asus had to make some sacrifices, and the camera was the logical place to start. The ROG Phone 6's triple camera system is adequate, but I found myself yearning for the Pixel 6's amazing quality. It would have been good to see a bit more effort made in this area, especially given the price. Every other phone at this price has excellent cameras, and cheaper phones too, as is the case with my Pixel 6.

A 50MP main lens, a 13MP wide-angle lens, and a 5MP macro lens are part of the ROG Phone 6 Pro's rear camera configuration. Photos are okay, especially in well-lit environments, but those who enjoy getting the ideal image, particularly in unfavourable circumstances, are unquestionably in the wrong place.

Even if a macro camera aids in capturing close-ups, using the main camera's zoom is still preferable.

However, 8K video recordings at 24FPS are available. Although the power did get depleted very quickly, I doubt I'll ever use this function much, but it's interesting to watch such thorough films.

There has a 16MP Sony IMX663 lens in front. It performs an acceptable job at taking selfies, much like the back camera. But to achieve the ideal photo, the illumination must be absolutely correct, just like the back camera.

Thank you

0 Comments