The Asus ROG Phone 5 has 18GB of RAM, two USB ports, crazy rear display

Welcome to the world of most Android overkill with the Asus ROG Telephone 5 Final! It has two shows, two USB ports, and two… batteries? It is the brand new highest-spec Android cellphone in the marketplace, out there in Europe for €1,299, or about $1,545. That is the follow-up to final yr’s Asus ROG Phone 3—a ROG Telephone 4 will not be occurring as a result of Asus is a bunch of tetraphobics.

Let’s discuss these loopy specs. The ROG Phone 5 Ultimate is sporting a 144 Hz, 6.78-inch, 2448×1080 OLED show; a Snapdragon 888 SoC; 18GB of RAM; 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage; and a 6000 mAh battery. Eighteen gigabytes of RAM is a brand new high-mark for Android telephones and (I am undecided if that is good or unhealthy for Android) is extra RAM than you’d get in some laptops. The cellphone comes with Android 11, helps Wi-Fi 6E, and helps 65 W wired fast charging with a charger within the field. There’s additionally an in-screen fingerprint reader, a headphone jack, two USB-C ports, and entrance stereo audio system. The cameras are positively an afterthought, with a 64 MP Sony IMX686 as the principle digital camera, a secondary 12 MP ultrawide, a 5 MP macro digital camera, and a 24 MP entrance digital camera.

The headline addition is the second display on the rear, which seems to be only for enjoyable. Embedded diagonally behind the cellphone is a tiny, low-resolution, monochrome OLED show. There are not any official specs for it, nevertheless it appears to be round a 1.7-inch, 256×64 show. Final yr, the ROG cellphone had an RGB LED emblem on the again, and equally, this appears to be principally for adornment. There are a variety of premade animations for it, like a bike dashing previous a metropolis, and it is programmable with a customized message. One animation is for an incoming name, whereas one other is for charging, however for precise knowledge, that seems to be it. The little display would not seem to be it might probably present notification data or the time, like different secondary shows we see on foldable telephones. Samsung did much more with a 1.1-inch display on the Galaxy Z Flip.

Within the PC world, “gamer” branding is robotically placed on nearly all of the high-end elements and merchandise, so that you’re getting higher efficiency. However for telephones, “gamer” stuff is a tricky promote since everybody makes use of all the identical elements. Asus’s largest gamer pitch revolves round further management schemes which you could map in video games. In panorama, ultrasonic sensors within the left and proper corners of the cellphone offer you digital shoulder buttons, whereas contact sensors on the again of the cellphone offer you digital “L2/R2 triggers.” There are additionally cellphone tilt movement management schemes. It appears like all of those might be mapped to emulate touchscreen enter, so you may set off on-screen buttons with out really blocking the show.

Asus’ different gaming consideration is the twin USB-C port design, with one on the underside within the regular space and the opposite centered on the facet, permitting for straightforward charging whereas gaming in panorama mode. Subsequent to the facet USB port is an adjunct connector for an non-obligatory fan attachment. The interior design of the cellphone could be very uncommon. Usually, you get one large battery within the heart of the cellphone, with the SoC and different essential parts pushed to the highest (Samsung) or facet (Apple) of the cellphone. Asus has two separate 3000 mAh batteries on the highest and backside of the cellphone, and the principle motherboard is the heart of the system, permitting for straightforward connection of the facet USB port. This additionally means the attachable centered fan can really do one thing. In fact, the fan is pointed at strong glass, and below that’s the rear OLED show, and then you hit the SoC. However at the very least it is in the appropriate ballpark. The fan, by the best way, has two extra gaming contact factors on it, so between the highest triggers, the again set off, and the 2 fan buttons, you may have six digital buttons on the again.

Many of the ROG Telephone 3 equipment from last year are supported. There’s the Nintendo Joycon-style ROG Kunai 3 Gamepad, which is 2 controller halves that may mount to the perimeters of the cellphone or slide right into a controller grip. There’s additionally a “ROG Clip” cellphone mount for a Ps or Xbox controller. The TV dock is completely different this yr, and the ROG Telephone 5 is incompatible with final yr’s model.

A couple of lower-tier variations of the ROG Telephone 5 can be found with out the rear show and slimmed-down specs, however we’re simply right here for the insane gamer extra. The spec sheet-busting “Final” mannequin will go on sale in Could in Europe.

Itemizing picture by Asus