This week Asus unveiled the ROG Phone 6D and 6D Ultimate and rocked the world of gaming phones. For one thing, this is the first time a ROG phone has used a non-Snapdragon chipset – the “D” stands for Dimensity, specifically 9000+.
Most influential is the AeroActive Portal, which was created by cleverly re-proposing the technology used by Asus for its flip-up cameras. It is a hatch that can open the internal cooling system to the open air. However, this is not designed for passive cooling, but works in conjunction with the supplied AeroActive Cooler 6.
Unlike Red Magic phones, which also have active cooling, this system maintains some water resistance: with the portal closed, the phone is IPX4 rated, so it can survive splashing water. On the other hand, the Red Magic solution is more compact than having to lug the external cooler around.
Note that the AeroActive portal is exclusive to the Asus ROG Phone 6D Ultimate and is not compatible with the regular ROG Phone 6D or the older ROG Phone 6. Additionally, it has a 2-inch OLED display on the back, similar to its Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 counterpart, the Asus ROG Phone 6 Pro (the vanilla 6D only has RGB lighting for the ROG logo).
Cooling hatch apart, 6D Ultimate and 6 Pro differ in the choice of chipsets. How does the Dimensity 9000+ perform? You can read our review and watch our video review for details. But long story short, it’s almost as good as the Snapdragon, albeit not quite there. It has high power draw in standby (leading to less drag in regular use) and thermals aren’t as good, even with the Portal and cooler in action.
The 6D Ultimate costs £ 1,200 in the UK and comes with a bundled AeroActive Cooler 6. This is a step up from the 6 Pro, which costs £ 1,100 for an 18 / 512GB drive and comes at a time when consumers are price sensitive.
Asus ROG 6D Ultimate phone
What do you think: Is the Asus ROG Phone 6D Ultimate worth the extra cost? Vote below or using this link.
There is also the Asus ROG Phone 6D, which uses the same Dimensity 9000+ chipset, but without the cooling port, which will make it much more difficult to challenge the Snapdragon cousin. You can still use an AeroActive Cooler – there is still a Peltier element, so it can indirectly cool the chipset. It also has four hardware buttons, which can come in handy, but keep in mind that the cooler is a separate purchase (unlike the Ultimate).
Asus ROG Phone 6D
The vanilla ROG Phone 6D is priced much more palatable at £ 800. This even cuts down on the Snapdragon ROG Phone 6, which costs £ 900 (this is for 12/256 GB units).
Will you get the 6D over the 6D Ultimate? Or would you prefer the Snapdragon model? Vote below or using this link.
Start a new Thread