Asus Unveils ROG Phone 9 series; New Snapdragon 8 released

In 2023, the Asus ROG Phone 8  got two major updates: an IP68 rating and a telephoto camera, making it more suitable for everyday use. Asus, however, has not lost sight of the fact that this is a gaming phone, and the updated model for 2024 offers better performance across the board.

The Asus ROG Phone 9 and 9 Pro run on the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip. The regular version has up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, while the Pro version goes up to 24GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. 

Asus claims this new chip is much faster than the previous model, with a 45% better CPU and 40% faster graphics and AI performance.

The cooling system in the new phones is also improved, with a graphite sheet that’s 57% bigger, helping them stay cooler than the 8-series models, much to the surprise of mobile gamers, including Stake casino players. 

Asus ROG phones are renowned for their high-quality accessories. For instance, the AeroCase included with the phone, as well as the optional Chill Case, have a feature called ‘Audio Redirection’.

They’re designed to direct sound from the bottom speaker forward, which, along with the top front speaker, creates a better stereo sound experience. The AeroActive Cooler X Pro also has a subwoofer, giving users 2.1 sound.

Gaming features 

The Cooler has two extra shoulder buttons for more control, in addition to the AirTriggers on the phone. The cooling system is also improved, with bigger fan blades (12.5% larger) and more thermal paste, making the phone 29% cooler, making it more suited for mobile gaming.

Similar to 2023, the Asus ROG Phone 9 and 9 Pro still have 6.78” AMOLED screens with FHD+ resolution, 1,600 nits brightness in high brightness mode and 107% DCI-P3 colour coverage. The big upgrade in 2024 is that users can now set the refresh rate to 185Hz through the Game Genie, but this will only work with certain games.

Both the ROG Phone 9 and 9 Pro now feature AniMe Vision, a grid of mini-LEDs that let users customise the phone’s appearance. The ROG Phone 9 has 85 LEDs, while the ROG Phone 9 Pro has 648 LEDs, nearly double the 341 LEDs found on the ROG Phone 8 Pro.

For more practical use, the Asus ROG Phone 9 models come with 5,800mAh batteries, which is 300mAh more than the previous version. The battery is said to last around 4.5 hours of heavy gaming.

Asus also claims the battery will still have at least 80% of its original capacity after 1,000 charge cycles. Charging is done at 65W through USB-C and 15W wirelessly. Due to the bigger battery, charging takes a bit longer—getting from 0% to 100% takes 46 minutes with a wired connection, up from 39 minutes on the previous model.

Realme GT 7 Pro becomes the first elite phone with Snapdragon 8

At the end of each year, Qualcomm often releases a new top-of-the-line chip under its Snapdragon brand, and Chinese phone makers compete to be the first to release devices with it. Normally, Xiaomi is the first to release phones with the new chip, but in 2024, it’s Realme, a brand under the BBK group. 

Their GT 7 Pro phone was launched in China just days after Qualcomm’s announcement in October 2024. Now, the global version is ready to be released in Europe and Southeast Asia, getting people excited including Stake players. 

Realme is a popular brand known for offering smartphones close to flagship quality but at much lower prices, often well under $1,000. This makes their devices a good option for those looking for high-end features without paying the premium prices of brands like Apple, Samsung, Google, Xiaomi, and Huawei.

The GT 7 Pro keeps up with this trend, costing around $500 in China. In comparison, North American buyers will likely have to pay at least $999 for any phone with this chip in 2025.

The smartphone features the powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite chip and includes Samsung’s latest Eco2 display. This display has a 120Hz refresh rate and can reach a maximum brightness of 6,500 nits.

For a price lower than most flagship phones, Realme is offering the best Snapdragon chip for Android. The brand offers the latest display tech from the top display maker, and the largest battery in a mainstream phone.

However, to keep the price low, some trade-offs had to be made and the phone’s camera system is one of those. While the main camera is decent, the telephoto lens is below average, and the ultra-wide camera performs poorly, with blurry details in low light.

The phone doesn’t support wireless charging, and its USB-C port is 2.0, meaning it can’t connect to an external monitor. However, the main camera performs well, and the 3X zoom is good too. 

The highlight is that the GT 7 Pro also has Google’s AI services, with some adjustments from Realme, allowing users to use AI features similar to those found on Samsung phones. This includes tools like Circle to Search and AI photo editing.

As both Asus and Realme improve their phone’s performance and features, it’s expected that the two brands will dominate the industry soon. People can expect even more high-end devices to follow, offering top-tier performance at competitive prices.