Asus ROG Phone 7 & 7 Ultimate launched: Two powerful smartphones aimed at pro gamers

With a metal mid-frame and a Gorilla Glass 3 back panel, the ROG Phone 7 is available in Phantom Black and Storm White colour options, while the 7 Ultimate comes in only a Storm White finish. Both models are IP54 rated for splash and dust resistance. The phones ship with Android 13-based ROG UI/Zen UI and are promised to receive two major Android OS upgrades and four years of security updates.

Powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC with up to 3.2GHz CPU clock speed, the ROG Phone 7 offers up to 12GB LPDDR5X RAM and 256GB of UFS 4.0-based storage. Similarly, the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate comes in only one variant that offers 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 512GB of UFS 4.0-based storage. The phone has two nano SIM card slots but misses out on a microSD card slot. However, it does have two USB Type-C ports (one on the side and one on the bottom).

Additionally, the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate has an AeroActive portal, which is said to be inspired by ROG gaming laptops. Asus is using it for better heat dissipation via the AeroActive cooler with the help of an ultra-thin vapour chamber. Not just that, the new ROG AeroActive Cooler 7 is included in the retail package of the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate, which now has a built-in subwoofer. It also boasts a colourful second LED display on the back for notifications.

The phones boot into Android 13 out of the box (Image: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)

The dual speaker setup on both models is now powered by Cirrus Logic CS35L45 mono amplifiers with two symmetrical 5-magnet 12×16 super linear speakers. These are also some of the few Android phones that support Snapdragon Sound for improved wireless audio performance and support aptX Low Latency and LDAC. They continue to include a 3.5mm headphone jack.

In terms of connectivity, the ROG Phone 7 and the 7 Ultimate support Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, and a 5G network. Both variants of the ROG Phone 7 are fueled by a large 6,000 mAh dual-cell battery with support for 65W fast charging, which can fully charge the device in 42 minutes. There is also charge pass-through technology while gaming.

The Asus ROG Phone 7 costs Rs 74,999 for the 12GB/256GB variant while the Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate will set you back by Rs 99,999 for the 16GB/512GB variant.

Will the phones appeal to mainstream users?

When Asus debuted its ROG-branded gaming smartphone years back, it was a breath of fresh air. To a large extent, the ROG Phone was an attempt at reviving the gaming phone segment Nokia once tried to develop with the N-Gage gaming phone but ultimately failed to make a significant dent. That quest to find a sweet spot between consoles and gaming laptops continues to date with the ROG Phone 7 lineup. Over the years, the ROG Phone has gone through many iterations, with Asus adding hardware enhancements and accessories like AeroActive Cooler along with some software tweaks.

The ROG Phone 7 lineup offers a unique perspective on gaming smartphones, but the challenge in front of Asus remains how to sell it to mainstream users. The new ROG lineup, once again, does not necessarily target average users but Asus hopes it intends to sell its gaming phones to non-pro gamers as well.

Asus’ ROG Phone 7 series comes at a time when its peers continue to shun the gaming phone segment due to disappointing sales. PC giant Lenovo recently announced that it would be shutting down its Legion gaming phone business. Xiaomi, too, has been struggling with its Black Shark line.