Asus has introduced a new gaming phone. The ROG Phone 8 Pro is more compact than the ROG Phone 7 as Asus moves away from a critical philosophy.
Asus was one of the few manufacturers still using screen bezels on its phones. That space can be used for speakers and the selfie camera. It also ensures that the screen is uninterrupted, with no cutouts which can cause distractions. It's something quite crucial while gaming. Asus is now moving away from that idea.
Because the now-announced ROG Phone 8 Pro has an in-screen selfie camera. A punch-hole has been used for this occasion. It looks pretty tiny in the press images, which Asus hopes users won't mind so much. The result is that the phone is smaller than previous generations of Asus ROG Phones.
Less space for battery
Unfortunately, that also means less room for a large battery. In the ROG Phone 7, we find a 6000mAh large one. In the Asus ROG Phone 8, there is room for a 5500mAh one. Charging is still maxed out at 65W. Charging an empty battery to full takes 39 minutes. Wireless charging is also possible this time, with up to 15W.
AeroActive Cooler X
Asus equips the ROG Phone 8 Pro with the latest Qualcomm processor, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. This eight-core chipset is clocked at up to 3.3GHz. The chip is encased in a new cooling system, which can dissipate heat up to 22% better. If that is not enough, there is the AeroActive Cooler X, a separately available accessory with a fan that you clip onto the back.
AniMe Vision
Gamers will be pleased to learn that there are 341 different LEDs on the back that can light up individually. This system is called 'AniMe Vision' and can be personalized. For example, it can display incoming notifications via animations. The lights, unfortunately, are not RGB; they can only show white light.
The Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro will be available in black only with 512GB/16GB or 1TB/24GB of storage and RAM. Expect the device to hit stores in late January. The suggested retail price is 1199 euros for the 512GB/16GB model and 1499 euros for the 1TB/24GB model.
