After a break of a few years, Asus returns to the Israeli mobile market with a first-class device that managed to impress us especially • Who is it suitable for?
• Full review
In recent years, we have seen quite a few smartphones claiming to be "gaming smartphones", but it seems that the ROG Phone 5, ASUS 'new gaming smartphone that returns to the cellular market in Israel after a break of a few years, is the one that actually takes the definition as far as possible. Imagine.
The device is available for purchase starting today (Thursday) in the retail chains at a price of 4,650, and is exclusively intended for users whose main use of gaming is gaming - and only then WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram or Tiktok.
Is this the best gaming smartphone?
We checked.
Accessories
In order for gamers to get even more out of their smartphones, Asus has added another innovation - a fan in the form of an extension that attaches to the back of the smartphone with a small leg, part of a cooling system, which is usually found in advanced gaming computers.
It is tiny and silent, and in fact quite a bit of a light breeze emanating from the grooves you will not remember it being there.
Alongside this, you will also receive a Nintendo Joycons-style joystick in the package - that is, one that can be disassembled and connected to the sides of the device.
Personally, for a more enjoyable gaming experience, you should play this way and not with the joystick as a separate part of the device.
Hardware and screen
The ROG Phone 5 comes with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 888 chipset, a huge 6.78-inch screen with an AMOLED panel at a high refresh rate of up to 144 Hz (because 120 Hz is already for the weak), huge working memory (RAM) with a capacity of 16 GB , A pair of huge batteries with a unified capacity of 6,000 mAh that support fast charging with a power of up to 65 watts and an advanced cooling system.
A device with such demanding hardware requires a large battery, mainly because of the fast screen, smart cooling system and processor, which is exactly why the ROG Phone 5 battery is one of the largest you will find in the market.
A half-hour game dropped about 10 percent of the battery, which is quite reasonable.
And how is the performance?
Excellent.
The smartphone comes with a limited number of pre-installed applications that Asus has added and are mainly intended for gamers, ones that help streamline performance and control the logo colors on the back of the device and related accessories, game control options and theme changes.
Keep in mind that you can get lost among all the options, so you should take the time to do so.
Thought down to the smallest detail
From my short time with the device the user experience with the ROG Phone 5 is excellent, with Asus devoting quite a bit of thought to the ergonomics in the grip of the device as well.
On top of that, the screen is exceptional at a refresh rate of 144 Hz among the best that gamers can ask for themselves, if not too much.
And that's not all, a wonderful and requested addition to this smartphone are the pair of stereo speakers that are installed in the front of the device - at the bottom and top - and provide an amazing experience, with clean bass and extremely clear sounds that give the feeling that the sound envelops the ears.
There is also a camera
Although this is a smartphone designed for gaming, the camera system also provides quite impressive results.
On the back you can find a triangular photo array, with the main camera being of 64 megapixel quality and capable of shooting video at 8K resolution.
The selfie sensor (front) comes in 24 megapixel quality.
Among the various modes the sensors provided excellent images, including in challenging lighting conditions.
Also, the colors of the pictures are good and identical to what you will see in reality.
Even the shots inside the camera structure do a good job and the images come out balanced in terms of exposure and there is not too much smearing of the objects.
Bottom line
At a price of NIS 4,650, you will not be able to find any other smartphone that tickles the ROG Phone 5 in terms of performance.
Even less so does not have a device that is exclusively designed for gamers and provides similar performance.
On the other hand, if gaming is not your thing, you can also find a half price phone that will do a great job.
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