Asus ROG Phone 7 review

Competition

The ROG Phone line is a lot of things for different people, but it has never been cheap, that's for sure. Pricing has reached more reasonable levels, especially including optional accessorizing within the now significantly smaller ecosystem. Still, the ROG Phone 7, and particularly the 7 Ultimate, are luxury products. The regular ROG Phone 7 starts at €999 for the 12GB/256GB version and goes to €1199 for the 16GB/512GB version, whereas the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate, in its single 16GB/512GB configuration, retails for €1399, bundled with the AeroActive Cooler 7.

If you are after the ROG Phone 7, it is probably safe to assume that you would like a gaming phone and are pretty flexible with your budget. Unfortunately, most dedicated gaming brands out there haven't been quick enough to update their offers to the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, and we can't recommend those in earnest.

The latest nubia Red Magic 8 Pro is based on the newest Qualcomm chip. Its starting MSRP is even lower than that of the ROG Phone 7, which is a plus. The Red Magic 8 Pro delivers a 6.8-inch, 10-bit AMOLED display that's not quite as quick as the ASUS' at 120Hz refresh rate. However, it does have a noticeably higher resolution of 1116 x 2480 pixels. The Red Magic 8 Pro also has pressure-sensitive capacitive gaming triggers on the side, just like the ROG Phone 7, as well as beefy stereo speakers and a large 6,000 mAh battery with fast charging. The camera setup is quite similar to the ROG Phone 7's, with a 50MP main camera, 8MP ultrawide and a 2MP macro.

ZTE nubia Red Magic 8 Pro • Motorola Edge 40 Pro

A less-gamery option to consider would be the Motorola Edge 40 Pro. It is a proper flagship with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset and a 10-bit, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision 6.67-inch, FullHD+ OLED display with a 165Hz refresh rate. The Edge 40 Pro also does well with high refresh rate gaming. It also has stereo speakers and an IP68 ingress protection rating. The battery is a bit smaller at 4,600 mAh but much quicker to charge and still does great in endurance testing. The Edge 40 Pro also has a versatile camera setup with a 50MP main and 50MP ultrawide snapper alongside a 12MP telephoto.

Our verdict

The ROG Phone 7 hasn't changed all that much compared to its predecessor, and that's neither a new nor a bad trend with Asus devices. There are a few specs touch-ups here and there, like the boosted display performance, but at its core, the ROG Phone 7 remains a very familiar device.

It's a device still laser-focused on delivering the best possible mobile gaming experience. And Asus remains barely challenged for yet another year, with most manufacturers focusing on creating more mainstream products.

Not only does the ROG Phone 7 leverage the best possible hardware around, but it does so in a unique way, optimizing everything from low-level integration to high-level software. The flexibility and number of tuning options on offer are still unmatched, and so is the versatility of the in-depth control mapping and macro system.

Despite an ever-shrinking accessory ecosystem, we still believe the ROG Phone remains on top of the gaming crowd. Their dedication to gaming remains so impressive that it alone earns it the champion title.

Honestly, the ROG Phone 7 generation doesn't have many obvious shortcomings. Cooling has degraded a bit ever since the excellent ROG Phone 5 generation, which now sort of necessitates the purchase of an AeroActive Cooler to make the most of the ROG Phone 7. There is also the question of cameras. Asus just doesn't prioritize these in any way, leaving the ROG Phone 7 behind your average 2023 flagship in that regard.

Neither of these criticisms is that new or a true "showstopper," and fans of the ROG Phone line will know what they are getting into with the latest ROG Phone 7.

The steep starting price of around €999 isn't new either. Though, given everything that the handset brings to the table, we might argue that it is downright competitive in the current market. We'd even say it's the more sensible purchase than its more expensive sibling - the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate. Coming with the same pedigree but offering a more affordable price, the ROG Phone 7 is the gaming champion to beat and an incredibly well-crafted device that gets two thumbs up from us.

Pros

• Toned-down, but still ROG-inspired gamer's design with great build quality.
• IP54 certified body. Gorilla Glass Victus on the front, Gorilla Glass 3 on the back.
• AirTigger, ultrasonic touch sensors, remain industry-leading and are very precise and versatile.
• Significantly improved internal cooling design with a new "rapid-cycle" vapor chamber.
• AeroActive Cooler 7 now cools the front of the device and also has a built-in subwoofer.
• Industry-leading stereo speaker performance, complete with gaming-specific sound tweaks.
• Gorgeous 10-bit, HDR10+, AMOLED screen, 165Hz refresh rate and now with improved 1500 nits of peak brightness and real-time SDR to HDR conversion.
• Amazing battery life, even at full 165Hz. Rich battery health prolonging options. Very fast charging (65W charger bundled).
• Flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset with unparalleled performance tuning.
• Great Android implementation, unparalleled game tweaks, control mapping and performance options. Two major OS updates and four years of security updates.
• Solid daylight photos, as well as low-light images. Impressive selfie quality. Feature-rich camera app.
• Very good video quality, impressive EIS.

Cons

• Available accessory ecosystem is not as wide as older models.
• The accessory connector is back to having POGO pins, which may be prone to breaking.
• AeroActive Cooler 7 is now required to make the most of the available hardware and it will cost you.
• Rather basic camera setup, compared to typical 2023 flagships. 8K video recording is capped at 24fps. The Selfie video is now capped at 1080p.