Asus ROG Phone 9 and 9 Pro introduced with larger batteries and better cooling
Last year, the Asus ROG Phone 8 took a big step towards everyday usability with IP68 protection and a telephoto camera. But Asus hasn’t forgotten that it’s still a gaming phone. That’s why the new Asus ROG Phone 9 and ROG Phone 9 Pro have everything you need to achieve top performance.
This of course includes the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, which works with up to 16 GB of LPDDR5X RAM with a transfer rate of 9,600 Mbps. There’s also up to 512 GB of UFS 4.0 storage on the regular Asus ROG Phone 9 and up to 24 GB and 1 TB on the 9 Pro. According to Asus, the Snapdragon 8 Elite has a 45% lead in CPU performance, a 40% faster GPU and a 40% faster NPU compared to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in the ROG Phone 8.
The improved cooling system now features a 57% larger graphite plate, which helps the new Asus ROG Phone 9 models run several degrees cooler compared to the 8 series. There’s also an improved active cooler, but it’s more than just a cooler. The included AeroCase as well as the optional Chill Case feature “Audio Redirection.” They’re shaped to redirect sound from the bottom-facing speaker to the front. Combined with the front-facing top speaker, you get better stereo sound.
The AeroActive Cooler also features two hardware shoulder buttons that match the AirTriggers on the Asus ROG Phone 9 and 9 Pro. Cooling performance has also been improved with larger fan blades (+12.5%) and more thermal paste, resulting in 29% better cooling.
Asus ROG Phone 9 series with 185Hz displays
Like last year, the Asus ROG Phone 9 and 9 Pro feature 6.78-inch AMOLED displays with FHD+ resolution, 1,600 nits of brightness in high brightness mode (2,500 nits peak), and 107% DCI-P3 coverage. This year’s upgrade is that you can enable a 185Hz refresh rate in Game Genie (up from 165Hz last year), though this is only supported in select games.
But there is a second display on board, so to speak. Both models feature AniMe Vision – a grid of mini-LEDs that lets you customize the look of the phone. The Asus ROG Phone 9 has 85 LEDs (the previous version had just four RGB LEDs), while the ROG Phone 9 Pro has 648 LEDs – that’s almost double the 341 LEDs the ROG Phone 8 Pro had.
The AniMe Vision on the Pro has enough resolution to display text in Chinese and Japanese. And you can upload GIFs to add animations instead. There’s another trick the AniMe Vision display can do, and that’s gaming. There are four retro games based on Breakout, Snake, Invaders, and another one you can play using the AirTriggers on the back of the phone.
Both Asus ROG Phone 9 models pack 5,800mAh batteries, which is 300mAh more than the old models. The battery should last at least 4.5 hours of intensive gaming and, according to Asus, retain at least 80% of its original capacity after 1,000 cycles (that’s three years of daily charging). Charging is rated at 65W via USB-C and 15W wirelessly. The extra capacity slows down charging a bit, with 0-100% done in 46 minutes via a cable (versus 39 minutes on the old model).
Main camera with gimbal stabilization
Both gaming smartphones use a 50MP main camera based on the 1/1.56-inch Sony Lytia 700 sensor. The 6-axis hybrid gimbal stabilization has been improved and now corrects +/-5° (previously +/-3°). The 13MP ultra-wide-angle camera on the back and the 32MP selfie camera with an RGBW sensor and a 22mm lens are the same on both devices. That leaves the telephoto lens – the Pro uses the same 3x 32 MP module (1/3 inch sensor) as last year. The standard model doesn’t have one at all, although the ROG Phone 8 did. Instead, there’s a 5 MP macro camera on the standard ROG Phone 9.
In addition, of course, both Asus ROG Phone 9s have a 3.5 mm headphone jack on board. It’s been tuned by Dirac and supports high-resolution binaural technology called Dirac Virtuo. Wireless options include aptX Lossless and the phone is certified for both Hi-Res Audio and Hi-Res Audio Wireless. There’s also the Chill Case as a passive cooling option with a built-in vapor chamber that helps dissipate heat and can reduce temperatures by up to 17%. This case also has the Audio Redirection feature.
Unfortunately, the Asus ROG Phone 9 and 9 Pro only get two operating system updates, which is rather low for flagship phones these days. In return, Asus provides security updates for five years, which is one year longer than the ROG Phone 8.
Asus ROG Phone 9 pricing
The Asus ROG Phone 9 and 9 Pro are available for pre-order starting today, with Taiwan, Hong Kong and mainland China shipping tomorrow. In Europe (including the UK), shipping will begin in December. The US launch is scheduled for January 2025. Other regions will see the new models later. Prices are listed below. Note that the Edition model is bundled with an AeroActive Cooler X Pro.
The Asus ROG Phone 9 costs €1,100 / $1,000 with 12/256GB storage. For €50 more, you can get 512GB. The Pro model is only available with 16/512GB, for €1,300 / $1,200. The top model is the 24GB/1TB ROG Phone 9 Pro Edition for €/$1,500.
