ASUS ROG Phone 5 Test: Who is a gaming smartphone worth 1000 euros for?

With the ROG Phone 5, ASUS presents its fourth gaming smartphone aimed at enthusiasts and gamers who do not want to compromise. In our test, the device offers excellent performance, good battery life, and a great display. However, we found a missing feature that ASUS’s new gaming smartphone does not offer.

Which device is it? The ROG Phone 5 is ASUS’s fourth gaming smartphone. Since the character for 4 represents death in many Asian countries, ASUS decided to skip the number.

Already the ROG label (Republic of Gamers) from ASUS indicates that we are dealing with a gaming device. The 144 Hz display, attachable cooler, and software with many extra settings for games also point in this direction.

Overall, ASUS has released three devices: the standard version, the Asus ROG 5 Pro, and the Asus ROG 5 Ultimate. Pro and Ultimate offer slightly more power than the standard version, a small, customizable OLED on the back, and additional accessories.

Which device did we test? We at MeinMMO tested the Pro model. This is the mid-range device with additional features. The current price here is around 1000 Euros for a configuration with 16 GB of RAM and 256 GB of system storage. In our test, we explain for whom the device is worthwhile.

ROG Phone 5 – How we tested

How did we test the device? We could extensively try out the smartphone. Overall, we were able to use the ROG Phone 5 in everyday life for four weeks. During that time, we played games, surfed, and took photos. You can read about our experiences in our detailed review.

Design and Build – Playful and Gaming-Oriented

The ROG Phone 5 measures 172.8 x 77.2 x 10.29 mm and is thus one of the larger representatives among smartphones. Weighing 239 grams, ASUS’s gaming smartphone is also not exactly lightweight but rather heavy.

The high weight gives the gaming smartphone a very robust and stable feel and lies quietly in hand. The rounded corners also provide a pleasant haptic feel.

The back is smooth and slippery. The included Aero Case (phone case) significantly improves grip. We definitely recommend using the case for better handling.

Otherwise, ASUS opts for a strongly playful design: on the back, there is a mini-LED screen that can be configured. However, this is not new, as the manufacturer Xiaomi also uses a small, customizable panel on the Mi 11 Ultra.

In addition, the manufacturer relies on many playful elements that remind of gaming, such as the SIM card slot decorated with GLHF (good luck, have fun).

With the cool backlighting, the ROG Phone is eye-catching. Anyone watching me with the device immediately notices the striking lighting.

ASUS relies on several ports for the ROG Phone 5

• At the bottom, we find a USB-C port for charging and a headphone jack.
• On the left side, behind a rubber cover, is another USB-C port that can be used for charging if the bottom one is occupied by the external cooler.
• On the right side, there is the opening for a SIM card. Alternatively, two SIM cards can also be inserted into the smartphone. However, only one card can be used at a time.

What we didn’t like: The beautiful casing and the display are very prone to fingerprints and touches. Especially after a few days of use, the fingerprints are clearly visible.

The high weight is also very noticeable in hand and in pocket at first. In comparison: The already a few years old Galaxy Note 9 weighs 201 grams and feels significantly lighter in everyday use.

Display – Crisp Sharp and Rich Colors

ASUS uses a 6.78-inch AMOLED display with a maximum refresh rate of 144 Hz for the ROG Phone 5. The display achieves a maximum resolution of Full HD+. The display is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus, which is said to be the hardest display glass currently available (via Corning.com).

The display itself is color-rich and bright. Colors appear rich and realistic. Due to the slightly higher blue values, the display looks quite cool.

The large display is also perfectly suitable for series or movies thanks to its rich colors and size.

What do 144 Hz mean for a smartphone? The higher the Hz rate, the less motion blur there is. This is especially important when something moves quickly. For example, scrolling quickly through your news feed or the Amazon app feels significantly smoother at 144 Hz compared to 60 Hz. Games and videos also look much smoother.

You can see how big the difference is between a 60 Hz and a 120 Hz display in this YouTube video. The YouTuber compared 60 Hz, 90 Hz, and 120 Hz:

Camera – Decent Pictures, but Poor Features

The ROG Phone 5 features a so-called triple camera. This means that the camera includes three different sensors:

• The main camera has a resolution of 64 megapixels
• The ultra-wide sensor offers 13 megapixels and a maximum angle of 125 degrees.
• Additionally, there is a macro sensor with 8 megapixels.

How good is the camera? Photos in daylight look good. The images offer decent colors.

For small details and macro photography, such as small animals, flowers, or other small objects, the camera lacks some sharpness.

In low light, generally good pictures can be taken if the phone is kept still or on a tripod. However, if the phone is held loosely in hand and a snapshot is taken, contrasts and details are lacking, and the image is noisy.

Overall, the camera’s features in this price range are rather weak. For example, there is no telephoto lens for zoom shots. Here, even the otherwise good main camera is not a proper substitute if you want to get really close. Perhaps ASUS did not want to compete with its own Zenfone 7 Pro, where you get a top camera with a great telephoto lens.

Performance and Benchmarks – Under Load, the ROG Phone 5 Gets Warm

Inside the smartphone, Qualcomm’s fast Snapdragon 888 with Adreno 660 graphics unit is used. Additionally, it has 16 GB of RAM. The Snapdragon 888 is currently the best SoC (System on Chip) you can get in an Android smartphone.

How does the device perform in benchmarks? In benchmarks, the ROG Phone 5 ranks among the fastest smartphones currently available.

In recent benchmarks, the device is well ahead and only falls behind a few high-end devices. In the benchmark tool “3D-Mark”, the ROG Phone 5 scores 5724 points in the Wildlife benchmark, just a few points behind the Black Shark 4 Pro (5765 points) and the Legion 2 Pro (5775 points), while the Apple iPhone 12 Mini is significantly ahead in the benchmark (7679 points).

In GeekBench 5, the ROG Phone 5 unsurprisingly ranks at the top ahead of Samsung’s own Exynos processor and the Snapdragon 865.

We have embedded the benchmarks for you here as a gallery.

In practical testing with some games, the smartphone has no problems. Performance-hungry games like the popular “Genshin Impact” run smoothly on the device, and the frame rate remains stable. However, Genshin Impact officially only supports 60 Hz, which are consistently achieved.

Under load, you also feel the Snapdragon 888’s biggest problem, which is high heat development. Those who play for a long time quickly find a warm block between their fingers. While this is not directly uncomfortable, it is noticeable. The included AeroActive cooler is meant to help dissipate heat.

However, the phone remains noticeably warm with the cooler. The AeroActive cooler is also quite loud when running at normal speed.

Android and Software – Minimalist, Very Clear Android

The ASUS Rog 5 runs on the latest Android 11 and uses its own Zen UI overlay. It is very straightforward and provides direct access to all important functions such as the in-house gaming software.

The ASUS software is called “Armoury Crate Gaming Software”. Here, several settings can be made. You will find not only all currently installed games in a library-like style but can also start and configure all games directly from there and optimize performance.

We could not observe significant effects on heat development or FPS of the device.

Battery – Enduring Even Under Load

Inside the device is a 6000 mAH strong battery. Compared to the ROG Phone 3, you can no longer remove and replace the battery.

The phone can only be charged via USB-C connection. Wireless charging is not supported, which may disappoint some.

How long does the battery last? With mobile data activated, multiple apps such as a music player (VLC, Spotify), and an active mobile hotspot, the ROG Phone 5 lasts about 8 hours before we need to recharge the device. When idle without active apps, the battery lasts easily two and a half days before we need to recharge the phone.

Under load with demanding games, the runtime drops significantly. About 3 hours are possible here.

How fast does the battery charge? On the other hand, the device charges quickly with the included power supply: it takes less than one and a half hours to charge from 15% to full.

What alternatives are there to the ROG Phone 5?

Currently, there are four noteworthy gaming alternatives to the ROG Phone 5:

• Red Magic 6 Pro
• Xiaomi Black Shark 4 Pro
• Legion Phone Duel 2
• Razer Phone 2

Especially the Red Magic 6 Pro offers you the same fast processor, even a 165 Hz display and also an external cooler. Here the price starts at 750 Euros depending on the seller, making it more affordable than the ROG Phone 5 Pro, which starts at 1000 Euros.

The Black Shark 4 Pro also uses the Snapdragon 888 and has its own 120W power supply. Officially, the device was released at the end of March 2021, but the gaming smartphone from Xiaomi is currently not officially available in Europe. Alternatively, Xiaomi also has the Xiaomi Black Shark 3 (S), which still uses the older Snapdragon 865, but also offers a 144 Hz display.

Lenovo’s Legion Phone Duel 2 also uses the Snapdragon 888 and has a 144 Hz AMOLED display with HDR10+. Weighing about 260 grams, it is slightly heavier than the ROG Phone 5 and has a built-in fan on the back of the device. Some testers criticize that the fan is noticeably loud.

Alternatively, you can still get the predecessor model. The Lenovo Legion Duel uses the older Snapdragon 865 (+) but also offers a 144 Hz display. However, you should be patient as Lenovo has announced a successor to their current model.

The Razer Phone 2 features an LCD with 120 Hz. Inside, it still has the older Snapdragon 845 and with a maximum of 64 GB of internal storage, it has the smallest storage among the current gaming representatives. The device is from 2018, but you can now get the Razer Phone 2 for less than 400 Euros.

Conclusion: High-end Phone with Extra Functions for Gamers

With the ROG Phone 5, you get a robust and well-crafted smartphone with plenty of accessories and lots of extras if you want to game on your phone.

The ROG Phone 5 is a smartphone for gamers who want to make no compromises when gaming. The ROG Phone 5 offers extensive features, a great display, and a lot of gaming functions that you can configure, and the battery life is adequate for a gaming smartphone.

However, we miss an IP68 certification. This protection certificate is now offered by several manufacturers for their high-end devices and means that the device is protected against dust and water.

Thanks to the large battery, you can also play for several hours without having to plug it in again. Watching movies or series is a lot of fun thanks to the great screen with HDR support. The fast 144 Hz display will especially please users who play fast games like shooters.

For casual gamers and people looking for a fast smartphone only, the ROG Phone 5 is only conditionally recommendable. There are cheaper alternatives that do not focus as much on gaming and are thus more suitable for everyday needs. Moreover, the device at nearly 240 grams is not exactly light.

In any case, whether gaming or not, you get an extremely powerful gaming smartphone with a lot of performance.

For whom is the device worthwhile?

• You are looking for the best hardware currently available and want a crystal-clear display.
• You have no problem with large phones and are not bothered by high weight.
• You are looking for a device whose functions are fully tailored to gaming and offers plenty of additional features and accessories (external fan).
• If you are looking for a smartphone with a large battery.

For whom is the device not worthwhile?

• You do not like large and heavy phones.
• You only occasionally game on your smartphone and do not need a 144 Hz display.
• You are not willing to spend 1000 Euros or more on a smartphone. There are cheaper smartphones that can also be used for gaming.
• If you value a top camera. Competitors provide a more comprehensive feature set.