Asus ROG 2 Review: Is This Gaming Phone Good Enough for Daily Use?
The latest version of the ROG phone comes with top-spec hardware and a big-size battery for heavy gamers.
Asus surprised quite a few people in India by pricing its ROG 2 phone for under Rs 40,000 a few days back.
For this price, this power-packed gaming device, with a big capacity battery competes with the OnePlus 7T and fellow gaming phones like the Black Shark 2 and the Nubia Red Magic 2 among others.
We all know that a gaming phone is suited to a certain kind of consumer base, but during our time with the device, we wanted to see if the ROG 2 could be a viable device for daily use as well.
Pros:
- Large screen space
- Flagship hardware specs
- Dual front speakers are good
- Long-lasting battery life
- Value for money
Cons:
- Size can be unwieldy
- Thick bezels on the front
- Heating issues noticed
- Low-light imaging needs some work
What’s Good?
After launching the ROG in 2018, Asus has updated its lineup with the ROG 2, which has been priced at almost half of what the first ROG phone cost.
For this price, you’re getting a package that delivers on most fronts. It’s premium, sports an impressive list of hardware specifications and also comes with some high-tech additions that make this phone a gamer’s dream.
It sports a 6.5-inch Full-HD screen that supports a 120Hz refresh rate. For this price, Asus has managed to change the dynamics of a gaming phone. Even if you’re not a gamer, this phone is capable of pushing through as a daily driver.
It’s big enough to enhance the gaming experience, especially when you’re glued to PUBG Mobile or Call of Duty battles for long hours.
The ROG phone is powered by a powerful Snapdragon 855 Plus processor coupled with up to 12GB RAM. Suffice to say that the ROG 2 won’t ever let you down with its performance and we can vouch for that.
It’s worth mentioning that Asus has made some nifty changes to the ROG 2 phone to add more value. The front-facing dual speakers are quite loud if you prefer consuming content without headphones on. With support for Dolby Atmos, ROG 2 ensures the overall music output is decent and we’ve got no complaints to make.
Asus has packed the ROG 2 with a bigger 6000mAh battery, which is significantly bigger than the 4000mAh unit on the ROG. With this, you can use the ROG 2 as a powerbank, to charge other devices.
During our tests, the phone was easily able to last for a day with over 40 percent juice left in the tank, after playing over an hour of PUBG Mobile, handling multiple social messaging apps, voice calling for over an hour and video streaming for 30 minutes. Asus claims the battery can last for multiple days, and after a slew of tests, we concur.
For Rs 37,999 Asus ROG 2 is a phone with the latest hardware, 120Hz refresh rate screen, and cameras that are decent. For gamers, this is a good value for money device.
What’s Bad?
While gamers might like the size of the ROG 2, regular users will probably find the design unwieldy. It becomes cumbersome to carry the phone in standard trouser pockets. Also, because of the 6000mAh battery, the weight of the phone has increased to 240 grams, which can be felt while holding the device. It has a wide footprint, which might appeal to gamers, but it’ll be overkill for normal users.
For a phone launching in 2019, ROG 2 carries thick bezels on the front. Most phone makers have started offering pop-up cameras to increase screen real estate, but Asus has been conservative in its approach towards this.
It’s also worth mentioning that we noticed incessant heating on the phone, while playing PUBG Mobile, especially on the left side frame. This is surprising considering the phone comes with an advanced cooling system. Hopefully, Asus can fix this with a software update.
And finally, the cameras on the ROG 2. They are good, especially in daylight, but these haven’t been tuned to work effectively in low light conditions. Images clicked offered very little detail and we noticed grains with occasional blurring of the subject.
These days, camera features can be tweaked/improved with software updates, and we’re sure Asus can work on it in the coming months.
Worth Buying?
Asus ROG 2 is a big upgrade from its first generation, except that you pay much less for the successor, which is highly appealing. It gets a 120Hz refresh rate screen, which will sound like music to the ears of gamers.
But you get the phone, albeit with a dated design, that packs the latest hardware in the market. There’s also dual front-facing speakers to amp up the audio output. However, it’s big in size, and because of that 6000mAh battery unit, it’ll be a handful for most people. The cameras need some work too.
All we can say is, for Rs 37,999 the ROG 2 is a power-packed, unwieldy device and if you’re a gamer, you’ll love it. In case you don’t like gaming on mobile, but don’t mind a big-size phone, the ROG 2 is still a good bet.
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