Is it simply the ROG branding? Clever marketing to an eager audience? Or is it the unmistakable aesthetic that simply screams 'gamer' with its angular edges and glaring RGB logo?
Well, let me tell you: The ROG Phone 2 is no gimmick.
Perhaps I drank the ROG Kool-Aid at the launch event, or perhaps it truly is a device designed from the ground up with gamers in mind.
'How so?' you ask.
Well, as the first gaming brand in the market (est. 2006), Asus Republic of Gamers is certainly a company that puts itself in the shoes of its consumers. And by that, I mean that they truly understand what mobile gamers want and need in a device, and have gone to great lengths to make it a reality.
So, what exactly do gamers want?
Best performance
Best display
Best battery
Best landscape design
Best versatility
These were the 5 promises made to us by ROG, delivered in the form of the ROG Phone 2. Or as their spokesperson so aptly put it:
"A phone to defeat all other 'so-called' gaming phones in Malaysia."
Hooooh boy, those are fighting words. *wipes sweat*
Let's break down those promises one by one to see if the cockiness is justified, shall we?
1. Best performance
Power is performance, and ROG certainly understood this well - the ROG Phone 2 boasts a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus clocked at 2.96GHz with a Qualcomm Adreno 640 GPU. ...to be frank, I'm not a super tech-savvy person so I lack the vocabulary explain exactly what that means, but if it clocked in as No.1 on both the Antutu and 3DMark bench-marking software, you'd better believe that it's as impressive as it sounds. :)
'But with all that power, won't my phone be hot?' - You, the eternal worrywart Lay that fear to rest, as the ROG Phone 2 comes with a new GameCool II system that includes a 3D vapour chamber, a heat sink, and additional vents inside and on the back cover for optimal cooling.
If that ain't cool enough for you, it also comes bundled with the AeroActive Cooler II fan attachment that latches onto the back of your phone.
Cool.
2. Best display
Crisp and clear visuals are something that everyone - especially gamers - can appreciate, so we're glad to see that ROG has included the world's first 120Hz/1ms AMOLED 10-bit HDR 6.59" display with Delta-E <1 color accuracy and unrivaled 49ms touch latency.
In layman's terms, it means that it looks freaking amazing and helps you win games.
No, but seriously, we were shown a side-by-side comparison with a certain fruit-branded phone, and it was apparent that the low touch latency equated to a faster response time - and every millisecond counts if you're in a heated shoot-out to determine who gets to eat chicken for dinner.
Side note: If you're naturally 'hand like leg' like me, I guess even the fastest touch latency in the world wouldn't help. But it's a nice feature to flex to your broke friends anyway ;)
3. Best battery
Ah yes, battery life - something even my Pokemon Go-addicted mom would understand. This baby packs a massive 6,000mAh long-life battery with 30W HyperCharge - to get a sense of how bloody huge that is, fellow flagships like the Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max only has a 4,000mAh battery, while the Samsung Note 10 Plus packs a slightly bigger 4,300 mAh battery. Furthermore, ROG's HyperCharge technology takes the charging circuitry out of the phone and puts it in the special 30W charger; this means that the ROG Phone II can charge up to 66% (4,000mAh) in a mere 58 minutes, and up to 100% in 1 hour and 26 minutes. If my mom had this phone, she'd no longer have to walk around tethered to a power bank for dear life while catching her 69th Pidove of the day.
If YOU had this phone, you'd be able to play PUBG Mobile for 7.1 hours straight, carpal tunnel syndrome be damned.
4. Best landscape design
Ah yes, landscape format, the preferred orientation of true hardcore gamers (vertical gaming is for Candy Crush wusses).
ROG knows better than anyone else the unique challenges that come with handling a phone horizontally, and have preemptively designed around it.
Twin front facing speakers allow you to better hear enemy positions, while side-mounted charging gets the pesky cable out of the way if you need to charge while playing or plug your headphones in.
And that's not all - a whopping 4 WiFi antennas are distributed at strategic points around phones to prevent your fat fingers from obstructing the signal, while 4 noise-cancelling mics ensure that your teammates can hear you curse out their entire family tree with crystal clear fidelity.
The upgraded AirTrigger 2 ultrasonic sensors allow you to pewpew like a true soldier by delivering haptic feedback as you spray and pray for a kill. It also features new bezels for better tactility and a new sliding gesture that opens up new possibilities in game.
5. Best versatility
In a bid to give the Nintendo Switch a run for its money, ROG has provided an entire suite of accessories that make gaming with the ROG Phone 2 possible in multiple scenarios.
You can enjoy dual-screen gaming à la 3DS style with the TwinView Dock II (RM899), or do it Switch-style with the ROG Kunai controllers (RM499) either in handheld or gamepad configuration.
If bigger means better for you, the Mobile Desktop Dock (RM599) allows for cable-free gaming on the big screen (assuming you have a big screen).
So, has ROG delivered on the promise of being the best gaming phone in Malaysia? If the aforementioned criteria is what you're looking for in your mobile gaming experience, then yes, the ROG Phone 2 has certainly ticked all the boxes. In terms of pricing, it's pretty decent for specs of this calibre, with the 12GB + 512GB Elite version going for RM3,499, and the 12GB + 1TB Ultimate Edition going for RM4,499.
For the hustlers and trust fund babies out there, you can pick up the ROG Phone 2 Superpack for RM6,999.
But is it worth your money? Well, that's up to you to decide.
Turn your salary into happiness now:
Authorized Dealer Store: http://my.rog.gg/ROGPhoneIIWTB
Lazada Official Store: http://my.rog.gg/ROGPhoneIILaz
Shopee Official Store: http://my.rog.gg/ROGPhoneIIShopee
