Asus ROG Phone 7 review

introduction

The new ROG Phone arrived a little earlier than usual this year, but you won’t hear us complain. Asus has streamlined the lineup this time around and there are just two devices: the ROG Phone 7 and the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate Edition. Both have essentially the same specs, sans the Ultimate’s ROG Vision display on the rear and its AeroActive portal for additional cooling, which is only featured on the Ultimate.

We’ve already taken a look at the Ultimate model and now it’s time for the regular ROG Phone 7 to get the review treatment. You can then expect many of the same features to make an appearance as well as some references to the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate review.

The specifications of the Asus ROG Phone 7 at a glance:

• Body: 173.0 x 77.0 x 10.3mm, 239g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass 3), aluminum frame; IP54 water resistant, illuminated RGB logo (on back), pressure sensitive zones (game trigger).
• Screen: 6.78″ AMOLED, 1B color, 165Hz, HDR10+, 1000 nits (HBM), 1500 nits (peak), 1080x2448px resolution, 20.4:9 aspect ratio, 395ppi.
• chipsets: Qualcomm SM8550-AB Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4nm): Octa-core (1×3.2GHz Cortex-X3 & 2×2.8GHz Cortex-A715 & 2×2.8GHz Cortex-A710 & 3×2.0GHz Cortex-A510); Adreno 740.
• Memory: Up to 512GB 16GB RAM; UFS 4.0, NTFS support for external storage.
• Operating system/software: Android 13.
• Rear camera: Broad (main): 50 MP, f/1.9, 1/1.56″, 1.0µm, PDAF; Ultra wide angle: 13 MP, f/2.2, 120 degrees; Macros: 8MP, f/2.0.
• Front camera: 32 MP (wide), f/2.45, 1/3.2″, 0.7µm.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, 720p@480fps; Gyro EIS, HDR10+; Front camera: 1080p@30fps.
• Drums: 6000mAh; 65W wired, PD3.0, QC5, 100% in 42 min (advertised), 10W wired reverse.
• Various: Fingerprint reader (under display, optical); NFC; 3.5mm jack; stereo speakers (2 amplifiers).

Asus hasn’t changed much with the new generation ROG Phone 7. Most of the features are carried over from the ROG Phone 6, which is good. After all, why change something that’s clearly working?

Asus has just come out to refine the phone in every possible way. Highlights include better computational performance, better speaker performance, and a brighter AMOLED display.

Other key features are also still present, such as the robust aluminum body and dual-glass design with Gorilla Glass Victus on the front and a degree of ingress protection. There’s also the massive 6,000mAh battery with 65W fast charging, as well as the impressive controls and connectivity options, including ROG AirTrigger inputs and side port for accessories like the AeroActive cooler.

Other things that sadly haven’t changed with this generation of ROG Phone 7 include the camera setup, which appears to have been borrowed directly from the ROG Phone 6 and still lacks a telephoto lens. Even wireless charging is still a notable omission from the phone.

Add all the pieces together and you end up with a rather familiar ROG Phone 7 that sticks to the same basic formula as before, with more or less iterative updates. Even so, we still believe he has what it takes to maintain his gaming crown. Let’s dive.

Unpacking

First, let’s unbox the ROG Phone 7. Unlike its Ultimate sibling, the regular ROG Phone 7 comes in a much simpler two-piece cardboard box. It’s still adorned with “gamery” graphics, so you know what kind of product you’re getting. The box is thick, sturdy, and good enough to keep your phone safe.

One thing worth pointing out right away regarding the box contents is that the regular ROG Phone 7 doesn’t come with the AeroActive Cooler 7 in the box like the Ultimate does. It’s a separate optional purchase (€110 at the time of writing).

Our unit comes with a protective case, which is a great extra accessory. Also in the box is the 65W Asus wall charger and a USB Type-C to Type-C cable.