ASUS is arguably one of the first companies to make a gaming smartphone. The original ROG Phone launched back in 2018 to much acclaim and praise and with a customised chipset from Qualcomm. This year, ASUS refines its ROG Phone series with more features and more affordable price points.

The ROG Phone 5 series is the first in the ROG Phone family to officially be introduced with more than one entry into the line up. The series will consists of the ROG Phone 5, the 5 Pro and the 5 Ultimate which are differentiated by a few features and key specifications. On the outside, the ROG Phone 5 series continues to inherit the ostentatious design queues which have become its signature. Over on the back you have the angular accents of the camera modules and the angular design of the new ROG Dotted Matrix Design which allows for some extensive customisation. The Pro and Ultimate variants, this is replaced by angular lines which surround the ROG Vision screen.

Specc’d to Game

When it comes to the phone itself, the ROG Phone 5 series comes equipped with a Samsung AMOLED screen. The screen is a 6.78-inch Full HD+ display with a resolution of 2448×1080 pixels. The phone boasts one of the only displays with a 144Hz refresh rate. On the protection side of things, it comes with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus for better scratch and shatter resistance.

The new entries are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor with either 8GB, 16GB or 18GB of RAM with up to 512GB of internal storage. It doesn’t seem to support memory expansion with a microSD card – making it the third flagship this year to eschew the microSD card. The ROG Phone 5 Pro and Ultimate are available with 512GB of internal storage with 16GB and 18GB of RAM respectively. The ROG Phone 5 caps out at 256GB with 16GB RAM. The series is also the first in the ROG Phone series to support 5G connectivity.

Perfecting Audio

The new ROG Phone continues to support better audio features by not only retaining the 3.5mm audio jack but also introducing even more audio centric features. Of note is the inclusion of a high-end ESS9280AC Pro DAC on the 3.5mm jack for better audio fidelity. It also supports symmetrical dual front-facing speakers. These are some of the largest speakers on smartphones coming in at 12x16mm. ASUS promises a louder, more rounded experience with these speakers. Also along for the ride this time is a DIRAC tuned AudioWizard with customizable equalizer for your perfect sound. DIRAC is providing optimisations on the ROG Phone 5 series to minimise crosstalk and widen the sound stage of the audio experience on the ROG Phone 5.

Of course, the ROG Phone 5 series comes with all the bells and whistles of its predecessors including improved Air Triggers and motion controls. In addition, ASUS is also introducing a new AeroActive cooler which come with two physical buttons for the triggers when plugged in.

Accessories, Accessories, Accessories

As with previous ROG Phones, ASUS is bringing a whole slew of gaming oriented accessories to enhance the ROG Phone 5. The first, is the AeroActive cooler which helps cool the phone down during intense gaming sessions while allowing you to charge the phone. This year, there are actual buttons on the AeroActive Cooler to provide a more tactile experience when it comes to using the triggers.

This year sees an improved ROG Kunai 3 controller. The controller allows you to have the versatility to play in a more console like way on the gaming smartphone. If you’d rather a more attached experience, the ROG Clip gives you a controller with a clip for the smartphone. It can attach via the USB-C port on the side of the ROG Phone 5.

ASUS has also opted to include more audio centric accessories this year with the ROG Cetra II earphones which comes with active noise cancelling with ambient mode. The wired earphones come with LSR drivers for premium sound quality and embedded microphones. ASUS also introduced the ROG STRIX GO BT with the ROG Phone 5. The wireless headphones come with up to 45 hours of battery life and AI noise cancelling microphone technology.

For those looking to upgrade from the ROG Phone 3, take note that not all accessories are forward compatible. Notably, the TwinView Dock 3, Mobile Desktop Dock and AeroActive Cooler 3 are not supported. The Kunai GamePad II, on the other hand, is partially supported by the 5.

Pricing & Availability

The ROG Phone 5 series will be available starting March 2021. The regular ROG Phone 5 will be retailing for MYR2,999 (USD$726.84) for the 8GB/128GB version and MYR3,799 (USD$920.73) for the 16GB /256GB version. Both will be available in Phantom Black and Storm White. These versions do not come with the AeroActive Cooler. Internationally, the ROG Phone 5 will be retailing for €799 (USD$950.16) for the 8GB/128GB, €899 (USD$1,069.02) for the 16GB/256GB version and €999 (USD$1,187.94) for the 16GB/256GB version.

The ROG Phone 5 will be available for pre-order in Malaysia from 11 March 2021 to 25 March 2021. Pre-orders of the ROG Phone 5 will come with a free Kunai 3 GamePad. You can pre-order the phone exclusively on the ASUS store on Shopee.

The Pro will be retailing for MYR4,499 (USD$1,090.39). It will be available only in Phantom Black and comes with the AeroActive Cooler in the box. The Pro will be available starting in May 2021. Internationally, it will be costing €1,199 (USD$1,425.83).

The Ultimate will be retailing for MYR4,999 (USD$1,211.51). It will be available only in Storm White and will come with the AeroActive Cooler in the box. It also comes with the limited edition ROG Ultimate Fan Gift box which hosts a whole bunch of ROG swag. Internationally, the Ultimate will be costing €1,299 (USD$1,544.75).