The ASUS ROG Phone 9 is the latest flagship smartphone designed specifically with gamers in mind. Released in the same year as the impressive ROG Phone 8, this newest iteration includes some notable updates to the already extensive list of top-tier hardware featured in its predecessor. But is it enough to warrant an upgrade? Let’s take a closer look.
The ROG Phone 9 offers a minor design refresh over the Phone 8 but largely plays it safe. Aside from a slight increase in weight (227 grams, up from 225 grams), the Phone 9 retains the same dimensions as the Phone 8. Fortunately, the features that made the Phone 8 visually appealing have carried over. The sleek, futuristic design looks sharp in both black and white colour options. With a unique blend of matte and textured back panels, the device effectively resists fingerprints. The camera housing, while slightly updated with a bevelled edge, closely resembles that of its predecessor. Even the touch triggers located on the right edge of the bezel make a return and function just as well as they did on the Phone 8.
While the design remains attractive, it would have been nice to see more significant distinctions with the ROG Phone 9. As it stands, the Phone 8 and Phone 9 are visually very similar, with one standout design feature setting them apart. Thankfully, one feature from the Phone 8 Pro has been incorporated into the Phone 9, helping to elevate its aesthetic: the unique AniMe Vision lighting system. Located in the lower third of the back panel, this pixelized digital display can be customized to show various useful information for the user. However, from a design innovation standpoint, there’s little to distinguish the ROG Phone 9 from its predecessor.
“The ASUS ROG Phone 9 is the latest flagship smartphone designed specifically with gamers in mind.”
Shifting to the display, the ROG Phone 9 retains the same impressive FHD+ (2400×1080 pixels) Samsung Flexible AMOLED screen found in the ROG Phone 8, but with an improved 185Hz refresh rate, up from the previous 165Hz. The incredibly bright 1600-nit display (2500 nits peak) makes a return and remains as stunning as ever. Similarly, HDR 10 support, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2, and 10-point multi-touch functionality are all present, performing just as exceptionally as before. The display looks outstanding, regardless of whether you’re watching media, gaming, or tackling productivity tasks.
While many design choices and features are similar to those of the ROG Phone 8, a look under the hood reveals significant upgrades that set the ROG Phone 9 apart. Chief among these is the inclusion of the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile CPU, a distinct improvement over the ROG Phone 8’s processor.
This latest Qualcomm processor is a powerhouse, featuring a 4.32 GHz octa-core setup with two primary cores clocked at 4.32 GHz and an additional six performance cores rated at 3.53 GHz. This architecture allows the system to allocate more power to AI processes, enhancing both processing speed and GPU performance. The result is faster in-game rendering and responsive gameplay.
During testing with games such as Diablo Immortal, League of Legends: Wild Rift, Genshin Impact, and Call of Duty: Warzone, gameplay was consistently smooth, with high frame rates across all titles. While the ROG Phone 8 was already impressive for gaming, the ROG Phone 9 consistently delivered slightly higher frame rates during play sessions. This is further supported by the new Qualcomm Adreno 830 GPU, which leverages the additional AI-driven processing power to deliver superior graphical performance.
The inclusion of the ROG Game Genie enhances the user experience, allowing for seamless customization of gaming settings. During testing, I was able to use Game Genie to adjust various features such as battery life, notifications, and performance across all games. The system also provides easy access to on-screen recording, making it exceptionally simple to capture gameplay footage on the fly. It’s a robust tool that continues to improve with each iteration of the ROG Phone.
On the benchmark front, the ROG Phone 9 delivers impressive results, significantly outperforming its predecessor in both single-core and multi-core tests. The Phone 9 achieved a remarkable 3,142 in single-core performance compared to the Phone 8’s 2,233. Similarly, multi-core performance jumped from 7,088 (Phone 8) to 9,997 (Phone 9). These scores reflect advancements in AI processing, efficiency, and core processor clock speeds, demonstrating a notable leap forward on paper.
While the inclusion of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile CPU is a welcome upgrade, it feels more like a refinement of an already excellent processor than a groundbreaking change. In real-world testing, frame rate boosts across games were noticeable but not transformative to the overall gaming experience. The ROG Phone 8 remains a gaming powerhouse, and the ROG Phone 9 builds on this foundation with incremental improvements.
“The inclusion of the ROG Game Genie enhances the user experience, allowing for seamless customization of gaming settings.”
What stands out, however, is the potential for further optimization with the new processor. Its increased efficiency and processing power pave the way for performance boosts in future updates, giving the ROG Phone 9 room to grow and evolve over the coming year.
Cooling has also received an upgrade with the introduction of the GameCool 9 design. The most notable improvement is the larger graphite plate, which acts as a passive heat sink. This enhancement results in faster heat dissipation and a cooler device during extended gaming sessions. While the phone still gets warm, it remains comfortably cool to the touch, avoiding concerns about overheating.
Despite its focus on gaming, the ROG Phone 9 doesn’t neglect its camera system. While it doesn’t introduce drastic updates that render the Phone 8 obsolete, it features a 50MP lens with a Sony LYT-700 sensor, replacing the Phone 8’s Sony IMX890 sensor. The new sensor excels in low-light and night photography, leveraging available light to produce high-quality images.
Daytime and indoor shots also perform well, though the colour balance appears slightly less vibrant compared to the IMX890 sensor. This is more of a subjective preference than a technical flaw, as the LYT-700 sensor still captures images with impressive clarity and colour accuracy, albeit with a slightly more muted tone.
The supplementary lens on the ROG Phone 9 is similar to that of the Phone 8, with minor adjustments to the f-stop. Both ultra-wide and macro capabilities are back and function as effectively as they did in the previous model. However, ROG opted not to include the 32MP telephoto lens featured on the Phone 8, which is a disappointment given how well it performed. On a positive note, autofocus on the Phone 9 feels more responsive and precise, which is a welcome improvement to the camera system.
As for video capture, the Phone 9 remains largely similar to the Phone 8, with a few enhancements. Frame rate capture at 8K has been increased to 30 fps from the previous 24 fps. Additionally, ROG appears to have improved the optical image stabilization (OIS), which is particularly noticeable when recording at 8K and 4K resolutions. This addresses an issue with the Phone 8, which sometimes struggled with video stability at 8K, resulting in footage that felt overly shaky. Overall, the video capture system on the Phone 9 works exceptionally well.
The Phone 9 also features ROG’s latest AI photo support software, which adds user-friendly features to elevate photo and video quality. One standout tool is AI blending for pan shots, which applies a tracking and focus effect to keep the primary subject sharp while adding a motion blur to background elements during camera panning. While niche, it’s an impressive piece of software that enhances creative possibilities.
“The ROG Phone 9 is an excellent device, offering incredible power, a stunning display, ample storage (up to 512GB), and the ability to handle any task or game with ease.”
Like its predecessor, the Phone 9 boasts impressive stereo speakers. While phone speakers typically don’t stand out, the Phone 9 delivers a dynamic and balanced audio experience with solid low-end and clear mids and highs. This makes it well-suited for gaming, music, and video watching.
Battery life has seen a slight upgrade, with the Phone 9 featuring a 5,800 mAh battery compared to the Phone 8’s 5,500 mAh. In testing, the phone easily lasted a full workday with plenty of charge remaining for evening gaming or video streaming. After a week of use, the battery consistently ended workdays with just over 50 per cent remaining, providing ample capacity for evening activities. Fast charging and wireless charging carry over from the Phone 8, offering the same charging speeds.
The ROG Phone 9 is an excellent device, offering incredible power, a stunning display, ample storage (up to 512GB), and the ability to handle any task or game with ease. It features a sleek design and includes useful software like Armory Crate and Game Genie, enhancing the Android 15 experience.
The question remains: who should buy this phone? If you already own a ROG Phone 8, upgrading isn’t necessary. While the benchmarks show significant improvements, the real-world user experience feels more like a refinement than a substantial leap forward. In this case, it’s worth waiting for the next iteration.
However, if you’re in the market for a top-tier gaming phone, the ROG Phone 9 is an excellent choice. Priced competitively at $999.99, it offers some of the most powerful hardware available in a mobile phone. With robust software support and a gamer-focused design, the ROG Phone 9 sets the gold standard for gaming phones.
