Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro Edition Review: This Gaming Monster Might Just Be Overkill
Asus isn’t here to play it safe, it’s here to dominate. The ROG Phone 9 Pro Edition is the kind of phone that makes other flagships look like underpowered toys. Packed with 24GB RAM, 1TB storage, and a Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, this $1,499.99 slab of glass and silicon is unapologetically built for gamers. But is it too much?
- Ridiculous performance: 24GB RAM, Snapdragon 8 Elite, active cooling
- Two screens: AMOLED up front, LED Anime Vision on the back
- Gamer flair meets flagship chops: Great cameras, battery life, build
- Expensive, limited support, and no mmWave 5G
The Design: Bold, Bulky, Brilliant
The ROG Phone 9 Pro Edition screams gaming. It comes in Phantom Black with a matte aluminum frame, Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the front, and Gorilla Glass 3 on the back. It’s chunky at 6.45 x 3.02 x 0.35 inches and 8.01 ounces, but that size makes room for dual USB-C ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack (yes, really), stereo speakers, and built-in capacitive air triggers.
There are two cases in the box, including one with a vapor chamber and another that exposes the back for Asus’ AeroActive Cooler X Pro. Speaking of which, that thing adds cooling, shoulder buttons, a kickstand, and more ports. It’s not a full controller, but it takes thermal throttling out of the equation.
The Display(s): More Than Meets the Eye
The main 6.78-inch AMOLED display runs at up to 185Hz using Asus’ Game Genie. Brightness hits a searing 2,500 nits, and colors pop. It’s a stunning display even by flagship standards. But the real geek-bait is on the back: a mini-LED Anime Vision panel made of 648 hidden LEDs. It shows system info, custom logos, and even plays retro-style mini-games using the air triggers.
Performance: Laughably Fast
This phone crushes benchmarks. Geekbench 6 scores hit 3,155 (single-core) and 9,909 (multi-core). Attach the cooler and it bumps up even higher. GFXBench Aztec Ruins? 141 fps. PCMark Work 3.0? 25,701. Translation: it’s a rocket ship.
Genshin Impact on max settings? No sweat. App switching, multitasking, and even editing 4K video? Smooth. That 720Hz touch response means everything feels instant. And thanks to that giant cooler, it stays cool even during marathon sessions.
Battery and Charging
No phone pushing this much power should last long, yet the ROG 9 defies logic. It packs a battery that refuels with a 65W charger in under an hour. You won’t need a power bank unless you’re gaming all day.
But…
It’s not perfect. There’s no mmWave 5G support in the U.S. Software support is also short-lived, you might get two years of updates, max. And of course, it costs $1,499.99, which is firmly in MacBook territory.
Verdict: Gamers, Assemble
If you’re even slightly into mobile gaming, this phone is unmatched. It’s overkill for most, but if you want the best gaming phone out there, this is it. The ROG Phone 9 Pro Edition isn’t just a phone, it’s a portable console with flagship ambitions.
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