ASUS adopted an analogous sample with its gaming telephones over the past six years: roll out a tool with aggressive styling, the newest inner {hardware}, huge battery, and distinctive gaming extras together with an exhaustive accent ecosystem. Final yr’s ROG Cellphone 7 Final particularly was excellent, delivering all of the options you possibly can ever ask for in a gaming cellphone.
For 2024, ASUS is taking a special technique — as an alternative of creating a cellphone only for players, the model is rolling out a tool that may achieve this far more, whereas nonetheless being one of the best at gaming. It’s an formidable enterprise, and after utilizing the ROG Cellphone 8 Professional as my day by day driver for simply over three weeks, I can safely say that ASUS managed to drag it off; the machine is a terrific all-rounder that goes above and past a conventional gaming cellphone.
The ROG Cellphone 8 Professional has an all-new design that brings it according to mainstream gadgets, and also you get overhauled cameras with a brand-new telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom, IP68 ingress safety, and wi-fi charging. You additionally get clear software program with loads of distinctive options, and the battery simply lasts two days. Regardless that the cellphone is aimed toward players, it’s simply nearly as good as any conventional flagship in most areas, and that is no small feat.
ASUS ROG Cellphone 8 Professional: Worth and launch date
ASUS unveiled the ROG Cellphone 8 Professional on January 8, and the cellphone is occurring sale in choose international locations beginning January 16. There are two fashions out there at launch: a typical ROG Cellphone 8 that might be bought in Insurgent Gray and Phantom Black shade choices, and an ROG Cellphone 8 Professional mannequin that is debuting in a Phantom Black hue.
The usual mannequin with 16GB/256GB prices $1,099 within the U.S., however these pre-ordering the machine will be capable to choose it up at $999.
The Professional variant is obtainable in a 16GB/512GB model that prices $1,199, and also you additionally get a 24GB/1TB mannequin that comes with the brand new AeroActive Cooler C bundled within the field. That is the one I am utilizing, and it’s debuting at $1,499 globally.
| Class | ASUS ROG Cellphone 8 Professional |
|---|---|
| OS | ZenUI primarily based on Android 14 |
| Show | 6.78-inch 165Hz LTPO AMOLED, FHD+, HDR10+, 2,500 nits, Gorilla Glass Victus 2 |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, Adreno 750, 4nm |
| RAM | 12GB/16GB/24GB LPDDR5X |
| Storage | 256GB/512GB/1TB UFS 4.0 |
| Rear digital camera 1 | 50MP f/1.9 Sony IMX890, 1/1.56-inch sensor, OIS, 6-axis gimbal stabilization |
| Rear digital camera 2 | 32MP f/2.4 telephoto lens, 3x optical zoom, OIS |
| Rear digital camera 3 | 13MP f/2.2 wide-angle lens |
| Entrance digital camera | 32MP RGBW module |
| Ingress safety | IP68 mud and water resistance |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 7, Sub-6 5G, Bluetooth 5.3, dual-band GPS |
| Safety | In-display optical fingerprint sensor |
| Audio | 3.5mm jack, 32-bit/384kHz audio, AptX HD codec |
| Battery | 5500mAh battery, 65W USB PD 3.0 charging, 15W Qi wi-fi charging |
| Dimensions | 163.8 x 76.8 x 8.9mm, 225g |
| Colours | Phantom Black |
ASUS ROG Cellphone 8 Professional: Design
The most important distinction with the ROG Cellphone 8 Professional is the design; ASUS went with a way more conservative design this time round, and that permits the model to focus on a mainstream viewers with the machine. Whereas earlier fashions within the sequence had a lot to supply, the aggressive design with etched traces and big batteries meant that they have been solely a viable choice for fanatic players — that is not the case this yr.Â
The brand new design appears mature, and it offers the machine loads of sophistication — one thing I could not say about its predecessors. Look, I favored the gamer-focused designs of earlier years, however I’ll agree that the brand new design language is far more elegant, and it nonetheless manages to look cool. The again has a satin texture that feels nice to carry and use, and ASUS nailed the in-hand really feel — every little thing from the scale to the burden distribution is excellent.
The digital camera island is bigger than earlier iterations, and that is smart contemplating the brand new lenses on supply. Fortunately, the cellphone would not wobble an excessive amount of when utilizing it on a desk, and the digital camera housing would not stand out — ASUS did job making a cohesive design aesthetic.Â
On that observe, the ROG Cellphone 8 Professional weighs 225g, a full 21g lighter than its predecessor. That makes an enormous distinction in day by day use, and greater than anything, it is this transformation that impacts real-world usability essentially the most. Whereas I used earlier fashions within the sequence as my day by day drivers, they have been heavy and unwieldy at occasions, and having a lighter cellphone is fairly nice.Â
One other design change that I like is the flatter sides; there’s nonetheless a refined curve on the again so you’ll be able to simply maintain the cellphone, however you now get extra width alongside the edges to comfortably maintain the cellphone. And whereas a variety of that gamer aesthetic has given solution to a conventional design, you continue to get RGB lighting with the usual model.
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The Professional mannequin would not get RGB lighting, as an alternative that includes an AniMe Imaginative and prescient panel that makes use of a number of mini-LEDs to indicate off customized designs, incoming name alerts, and far more. I am going to cowl the panel in additional element within the part beneath, however what’s attention-grabbing is that if you happen to do not wish to use the function, you’ll be able to flip it off fully, and it would not appear like the cellphone has a secondary display screen on the again in any respect — once more, this performs into the narrative that ASUS needs a mainstream viewers to purchase the machine.Â
One more design change is the bezels on the entrance, or lack thereof. ASUS used chunkier bezels till final yr, however the ROG Cellphone 8 is getting ultra-thin bezels on all sides, with the cellphone now providing a hole-punch cutout. This transfer was inevitable contemplating all different telephones switched to an analogous system a number of years in the past, and no matter usability, the bigger bezels meant the ROG Cellphone 7 regarded a bit archaic — that is not a problem with this era.
The ROG Cellphone 8 is sleeker as effectively, coming in at 8.9mm, or 1.6mm thinner than its predecessor. You continue to get the ultrasonic AirTriggers on the edges, and like earlier years, they’re simply as customizable. And sure, the three.5mm jack is unbroken as effectively, and also you get ASUS’s AudioWizard function that permits you to customise the sound to a granular diploma. Dirac Virtuo is obtainable too, and it allows you to create digital encompass sound when utilizing IEMs and wi-fi earbuds. And simply to cowl the fundamentals, you get all high-res audio codecs.
The facility and quantity buttons are positioned on the precise, the three.5mm jack is on the backside, and there is a SIM card tray subsequent to it. The USB-C charging port is mounted to 1 nook on the backside, and my favourite function is again: a side-mounted USB-C connector. You should use this to cost the cellphone, and it connects over the identical USB 3.2 Gen 2 customary as the primary port, and is very handy. There’s additionally a nifty again faucet gesture that is customizable, and this can be utilized to launch the flashlight, digital camera, or some other motion.
A key differentiator this yr is the inclusion of IP68 ingress safety, with the ROG Cellphone 8 Professional turning into the primary gaming cellphone to roll out this function. This enables the machine to climate the weather, and within the three weeks I used the machine, I used to be in a position to check its efficacy — it holds up simply in addition to the finest Samsung telephones on this regard.
Rounding out the checklist of exhaustive options, the cellphone comes with an optical in-display fingerprint sensor. It’s ideally positioned, however I had points with the sensor being sluggish to authenticate. It takes a smidgen longer than different telephones to register, and there have been cases the place it didn’t authenticate. Outdoors of that quibble, I did not discover some other points on this space.
General, the ROG Cellphone 8 Professional appears each bit as premium as its price ticket suggests — it is a high-end cellphone that is designed to face out, and it manages to do this with ease.
ASUS ROG Cellphone 8 Professional: Show
ASUS outfitted a 6.78-inch panel on the ROG Cellphone 8 Professional, however as a result of the machine itself is thinner, shorter, and narrower than earlier years, you get the sensation that the panel is way greater. There’s nonetheless the identical 165Hz refresh, however the panel is packing severe upgrades this time: it now goes as much as 2,500 nits, and also you get LTPO tech that dynamically switches the refresh all the way down to 1Hz when viewing static content material. The display screen is protected by a layer of Gorilla Glass Victus 2.
The Samsung AMOLED panel is attractive, providing vibrant colours with wonderful distinction ranges. Whereas the display screen itself is superb, I observed a couple of points: the ambient gentle sensor is not fairly as quick as different gadgets at adjusting display screen brightness when going right into a darkish room, and the function to wake the panel everytime you get a notification would not work — the display screen simply lights up an infinitesimal second.
The Optimum shade mode is enabled out of the field, and colours tend to be a bit cooler; even within the Pure mode, the panel had a distinctly cooler hue. Fortunately, it is fairly easy to tweak the colour stability, and you’ll arrange an always-on mode, allow anti-flicker that reduces pressure on the eyes. The attention safety function now covers all refresh charges, kicking in from simply 1Hz all the way in which to 165Hz.Â
Whereas ASUS was obstinate previously about protecting up the highest and backside parts of the display screen with giant bezels — noting it will make holding the cellphone simpler — the brand new design instantly makes the machine look that rather more fashionable. However if you happen to’re used to the concept of these bezels, you’ll be able to go into Armoury Crate and allow a Centered view that covers up the digital camera cutout.
As you’d think about, the ROG Cellphone 8 Professional holds up extremely effectively in day by day use. Not like Chinese language producers, ASUS would not limit excessive refresh fee gaming in any means, and titles that may make the most of this function are unbelievable on the cellphone. The machine is simply as comfy whereas streaming content material as effectively, and I did not see any points on this space. You get loud stereo sound, and it’s simply nice to have the ability to plug IEMs to the cellphone with no need a dongle; I used the machine with Sennheiser’s wonderful IE600 more often than not.
In fact, you do not simply get one display screen right here — the ROG Cellphone 8 Professional has an AniMe Imaginative and prescient panel on the again that options 341 programmable mini-LEDs. These will be custom-made to indicate textual content, pictures, and different results. You get a sequence of 20 animations put in out of the field, however you’ll be able to at all times make your individual. It additionally reveals battery cost degree, notification alerts, and the time. It was a bit glitchy at occasions as scrolling textual content would not really scroll, however toggling the function on and off sorted out the problem.Â
ASUS ROG Cellphone 8 Professional: Efficiency
An enormous draw with gaming telephones is the {hardware}, and ASUS is aware of a factor or two about delivering an incredible {hardware} package deal. The ROG Cellphone 8 Professional is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, and also you stand up to 24GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. The cellphone has a novel thermal system that is designed to supply lag-free gaming even with prolonged use, and this yr, ASUS is including a second heatsink to extend thermal effectivity.
Principally, that is the finest gaming cellphone you may get in the mean time, and there actually is not some other machine that delivers fairly the identical degree of sustained efficiency in demanding titles. There’s additionally a brand new AeroActive Cooler X that is higher than final yr’s mannequin; it has a built-in kickstand, provides two bodily buttons that may be custom-made to in-game actions, and a 3.5mm jack.
The ROG Cellphone 8 Professional is phenomenal at gaming — that has been the case with its predecessors as effectively. I get to make use of all flagship gadgets launched over the course of the yr, and the place ASUS differentiates itself is the optimization; the ROG Cellphone 8 Professional allows you to play a wider choice of titles at 120fps and past, and it doesn’t throttle even throughout prolonged gaming periods. This is not the case with most different gadgets, which often throttle considerably after hitting the 30-minute mark.
| Class | ASUS ROG Cellphone 7 Final | ASUS ROG Cellphone 8 Professional | iPhone 15 Professional Max |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single-core) | 2008 | 2242 | 2950 |
| Geekbench 6 (multi-core) | 5607 | 6978 | 7381 |
| 3DMark Wild Life Excessive (rating) | 3752 | 5207 | 3648 |
| 3DMark Wild Life Excessive (FPS) | 22.45 | 31.17 | 21.9 |
| 3DMark Photo voltaic Bay (rating) | 4586 | 8655 | 5024 |
| 3DMark Photo voltaic Bay (FPS) | 17.55 | 32.91 | 19.1 |
That is evident in artificial workloads as effectively, and the cellphone hit a stability rating of 93.80% in 3DMark’s Photo voltaic Bay stress check — that is leagues higher than the 40 – 50% that almost all telephones handle.Â
On that observe, the cellphone tends to get sizzling throughout marathon gaming periods, but it surely is not uncomfortable. The one time when the machine bought too sizzling to deal with was after operating 3DMark’s stress check; it went as much as 53 levels Celsius, and that is seven levels greater than the iQOO 12 and Vivo X100 Professional managed.Â
In real-world gaming situations, I did not see the machine crossing 42.3 levels. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 tends to run just a little hotter because it has elevated headroom, however then once more, you get a lot better efficiency.
I additionally like the quantity of customizability you get in the case of gaming. AirTriggers proceed to be a useful utility, and you’ll simply assign in-game actions to the ultrasonic triggers. Equally, Armoury Crate allows you to customise settings for particular person titles, and toggle between utilization modes: Dynamic, Extremely sturdy, and X Mode. X Mode turns issues up a notch and maximizes the machine’s {hardware} potential, Dynamic mode is nice in day by day use, and Extremely sturdy is designed to eke out one of the best battery life.
Due to Sport Genie, you’ll be able to arrange macros, report video games, change notification settings, and a lot extra whilst you’re inside a sport. And if you happen to’re inquisitive about getting the 24GB/1TB mannequin, the bundled AeroActive Cooler X does an incredible job with thermal administration.Â
Should you’re undecided what mannequin to get, the 1TB storage mainly alleviates any worries round operating out of storage. I switched to this machine from the Pixel 8 Professional and its paltry 128GB of storage, and after simply two months of use, I crammed up 85% of the out there storage. I am at the moment utilizing 104GB on the ROG Cellphone 8 Professional, and that’s simply 10% of the full storage on the machine. Loopy.
Coming to connectivity, the ROG Cellphone 8 Professional has Sub-6 5G bands with world connectivity, a Wi-Fi 7 modem that makes a sizeable distinction if you happen to’ve made the swap to a Wi-Fi 7 router, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, and dual-band GPS. There’s additionally a extremely good vibration motor, and it delivers good suggestions when utilizing the keyboard and navigating the UI.
ASUS ROG Cellphone 8 Professional: Battery
ASUS supplied a 6,000mAh battery in earlier iterations of ROG Telephones, however this yr, the model is providing a 5,500mAh battery. Whereas it’s smaller than its predecessors, you continue to get terrific battery life. There was by no means an occasion the place I wanted to cost the cellphone earlier than the top of the day, and even with heavy use, the cellphone managed to final a day and a half with ease.
In actual fact, more often than not, I solely charged the cellphone as soon as in two days, and on this specific space, there are completely no points. In fact, if you happen to’re seeking to get the machine primarily to play video games, you have to to plug in it on the finish of the day, however there is not any cause to have any kind of battery anxiousness.
The cellphone expenses over the USB PD 3.0 customary, going as much as 65W. ASUS bundles a charger within the field, and you need to use it to cost different equipment and telephones as effectively. A full cost takes a smidgen over 40 minutes, with the cellphone hitting a 50% in quarter-hour. An enormous addition this time is the inclusion of wi-fi charging; the cellphone makes use of the Qi customary and goes as much as 15W.
ASUS presents the identical battery safeguards as you get in most different telephones, together with regular charging that expenses the cellphone slowly, scheduled charging, and a cost restrict that may be set to as little as 80%.
ASUS ROG Cellphone 8 Professional: Cameras
ASUS is making a giant deal concerning the cameras this time round, and it is simple to see why; earlier gadgets within the ROG Cellphone sequence had lackluster cameras that have been an afterthought, however with the ROG Cellphone 8 Professional, you are getting a dependable package deal. The cellphone has a 50MP Sony IMX890 main lens that is joined by a 13MP wide-angle module and 32MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom and OIS. The zoom lens is ready to ship pictures as much as 5x with no noticeable distinction in high quality, and it hits 30x through digital zoom.
The cellphone makes use of the identical six-axis gimbal stabilization that debuted on the Zenfone 10, and it makes a noticeable distinction — significantly whereas taking pictures movies. The digital camera interface is customary, and also you get the taking pictures modes in a ribbon on the backside, toggles for all the assorted lenses, Google Lens button, flash, magnificence results, and a pull-down menu that offers you entry to all of the settings. Up entrance, you get a 32MP module that may now shoot at 0.7x along with the same old 1x mode.
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I used dozens of telephones that had the Sony IMX890, and despite the fact that it’s kind of previous at this level, it is a dependable sensor that is identified to ship nice photographs. The ROG Cellphone 8 Professional produces detailed pictures in daylight situations, providing loads of element and good dynamic vary basically. Colours are precisely rendered, and ASUS does job on this space. I’d’ve favored a bigger module in use right here, as a result of in sure conditions, the digital camera tends to smoothen out granular particulars, significantly with foliage.
The wide-angle lens does job as effectively, and aside from scenes with little to no ambient gentle, I bought usable pictures out of the module. I used to be within the 32MP telephoto lens, as that is been the largest omission in earlier years, and it does a good job at 3x zoom. The cellphone makes use of in-sensor zoom to shoot 2x, switching to the telephoto when utilizing 3x and past.
Even at 2x, there’s a noticeable distinction intimately rendition, however you get the identical shade stability as the primary lens. That is not the case with the 3x module, and it tends to clean out colours in a couple of conditions. This is not at all times the case, and for what it is value, the lens itself has quite a bit to supply — ASUS simply must tune its algorithms just a little higher. What’s irksome is that the Indian model of the cellphone will not include the telephoto lens, with ASUS providing a macro module as an alternative.Â
The cellphone takes good pictures in low-light conditions as effectively, but it surely limits the publicity ranges to reduce noise and grain — the low-light keyboard shot above illustrates this effectively, the place you’ll be able to solely make out the silhouette of the wrist relaxation. That mentioned, it is a a lot better exhibiting than earlier years, and whereas the digital camera is not going to problem one of the best that Google and Xiaomi have to supply, it’s now not a limitation.
ASUS ROG Cellphone 8 Professional: Software program
The ROG Cellphone 8 Professional runs Android 14 out of the field, and it comes with ASUS’s ZenUI interface. Most telephones I take advantage of today have bloated interfaces with loads of unnecessary customization, so it is nice that ASUS continues to supply a clear interface. That is in order for you a vanilla Android UI with none overt styling; if you happen to’re a fan of the gamer-focused interface that was a function in earlier years, you’ll be able to at all times swap to that within the settings.
However I desire the usual model of ZenUI, and it will get quite a bit proper. The interface is clear, you get in depth customizability, and it’s fluid like no different machine I used — it jogs my memory of legacy variations of OxygenOS. ASUS allows you to tweak varied UI components, together with the quantity panel, incoming name view, energy button menu, and notably, the notification pane. You should use the big tiles that debuted with Android 12, or the smaller spherical tiles if you happen to want extra toggles within the pane.
That is the one different machine outdoors of the Pixel sequence that does not have any bloatware — that is an achievement in and of itself. I examined the cellphone with software program construct 34.1410.1410.18, and only a few hours earlier than the evaluate embargo lifted, ASUS rolled out the 34.1420.1420.173 construct with stability tweaks.
Whereas I like a variety of issues concerning the interface, there have been a couple of bugs alongside the way in which; I did not get any push notifications in Gmail or SMS Organizer, so I continuously missed well timed alerts. Setting the reminiscence administration for these to Unrestricted did not make a distinction both, and even on the secure construct, I did not see any notifications.Â
Outdoors of that and some glitches with app launches, ZenUI managed to ship an incredible expertise that is very totally different to what you get on most different telephones. ASUS can also be including a couple of AI options to the machine, together with a semantic search that runs fully on-device. And also you get integration with Cellphone Hyperlink, just like Samsung’s telephones.
The most important downside on the software program entrance is software program updates; ASUS will solely ship two Android OS updates and 4 years of safety updates to the ROG Cellphone 8 Professional, and that’s nowhere near being sufficient for a tool that prices $1,499. With different manufacturers now providing 4 updates as customary — and Google going as much as seven — ASUS is distinctly on the backfoot right here, and the model is unwilling to vary its stance.
ASUS ROG Cellphone 8 Professional: The competitors
The OnePlus 12 is on the horizon, however ColorOS is not designed for gaming, and you do not get to play demanding titles at over 60fps. In order that in the end makes it a poor alternative if you wish to take pleasure in excessive refresh fee gaming. I am excited to see what Xiaomi does on this space with the Xiaomi 14 Professional, however that machine remains to be but to make its world debut.
The iQOO 12 is a superb various that will get quite a bit proper. It additionally has a stunning design, comes with the identical Qualcomm platform, and has wonderful battery life. The software program is not as refined, but it surely would not have any gaming-related limitations, and it’ll get three OS updates. Oh, and it is a good worth as effectively.
ASUS ROG Cellphone 8 Professional: Do you have to purchase it?
You should purchase this if:
- You are on the lookout for one of the best efficiency on Android
- You desire a cellphone with an incredible design
- You want a vibrant AMOLED panel that goes as much as 165Hz
- You want versatile cameras that take nice photographs
- You need clear software program with zero bloatware
You should not purchase this if:
- You need long-term software program updates
- You want flagship-tier cameras
I used a variety of gaming telephones over time, and the ROG Cellphone 8 Professional is in a league of its personal. The brand new design means it is not embarrassing to make use of in public, the upgraded AMOLED panel is excellent, and the {hardware} is one of the best of any cellphone you get immediately. ASUS continues to do an incredible job delivering helpful extras that make gaming extremely gratifying.
ASUS made significant modifications to the cameras, and whereas it is not fairly on par with the likes of the Xiaomi 13 Extremely or the Pixel 8 Professional, it’s considerably higher than its predecessors, and that is what in the end issues. However what I like essentially the most is the clear software program; that is a rarity in a phase the place flashiness is the norm.
ZenUI presents a pleasant stability between options energy customers want, and ease of use. There is no overt customization nor bloatware to be discovered, and that is simply refreshing. The most important downside is that it’ll get simply two platform updates, and that simply is not sufficient in 2024. All different main manufacturers now assure not less than 4 Android OS updates, and ASUS wants to vary its stance if it needs to cost $1,499 for the cellphone.
On the entire, you are getting a terrific gaming cellphone — however the ROG Cellphone 8 Professional is a lot greater than that. Even if you happen to do not find yourself taking part in many video games, it’s a magnificent alternative.
