Asus today announced the ROG Phone, a device meant specifically for games and gamers. Asus created the phone from the ground up with gaming in mind and made a number of choices to ensure the phone delivers. To start, Asus worked with Qualcomm on a custom version of the Snapdragon 845 that handles clock speeds up to 2.96 GHz. The processor also ups the minimum clock speed to keep games running smoothly. The 845 is paired with 8 GB of RAM, 128 GB of storage, and an Adreno 630 GPU. In order to accommodate the heat generated by this processing power, Asus gave the phone a vented copper cooling panel on the rear. The AMOLED display measures 6 inches with full HD+ resolution at 90 Hz for quicker refreshing during games. Asus says the screen has 108.6% DCI-P3 color gamut and a 10,000:1 contrast ratio for deep blacks. It includes a discrete imaging processing chip to support HDR playback. In other to deliver high-quality sound during games, the ROG features dual front-facing stereo speakers with 24-bit high-resolution audio at 192 KHz. It supports DTS Headphone and 7.1 virtual surround sound, in addition to Bluetooth aptX HD. Asus developed what it calls "air triggers" at the corners of the phone, which are pressure sensors in the frame to accommodate gaming actions. The ROG packs a large 4,000mAh battery with rapid recharging. The ROG includes a 12-megapixel standard-angle camera and an 8-megapixel wide-range camera on the back, with an 8-megapixel camera on the front. The ROG phone supports a number of accessories, including the AeroActive Cooler, a snap-on fan that cools the phone while also providing landscape access to the USB-C port and 3.5mm headphone jack during gaming. This accessory boosts battery recharge times thanks to support for 20W charging. Other accessories including a full hand-held gaming rig and a PC dock. The Asus ROG Phone will go on sale during the third quarter. Pricing wasn't announced.


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