The ASUS ROG Phone 5 is an overpowered monstrosity of a phone that eats heavy-duty performance for breakfast. It may be an older phone now, but it set the bar really high for all other gaming phones out there, including the ROG Phone 5's own successor. Even with its bulky nature and vulnerability to water included, the ROG Phone 5 is a spectacular gaming device.
We really loved the ROG Phone 5's clean software, its gloriously smooth performance, those marvelous AirTriggers, and that stellar two-day battery life. Almost every aspect of the ASUS gaming phone was perfectly curated for the best possible gaming experience. The silky 6.78-inch 144Hz AMOLED display paired incredibly well with the DTS:X stereo speakers. ASUS was kind enough to include a 3.5mm headphone jack, complete with a built-in DAC for high-end audio delivery.
With the ASUS ROG Phone 6's impending release, the air is thick with excitement, rumors, thoughts, and dreams. One can only hope that the ROG Phone 6 will be as awesome, if not more, as its predecessor. Here the tope five things that we're really hoping to see in the ROG Phone 6.
Improved fingerprint sensor
As one of the most outstanding gaming phones, it may come as a surprise that we're starting off with this. Yes, the ROG Phone 5 was a home run, but it wasn't a perfect ten out of ten. For starters, we're hoping that the next-gen ASUS ROG Phone 6 improves on the Phone 5's flaws.
While the ROG Phone 5's display quality was top notch, its in-display fingerprint reader left us wanting more.
One of the biggest issues that we faced while testing the ROG Phone 5 was the fingerprint scanner. While the phone's display quality was top notch, its in-display fingerprint reader left us wanting more. After about ten days into our hands-on testing, the fingerprint scanner became completely unresponsive. We're counting on the ASUS ROG Phone 6 to come without such unexpected issues.
After paying hundreds, or maybe even a thousand bucks on a banging phone decked with all the latest internals, you don't want the basic biometric security feature to be faulty. Hopefully ASUS took note of this issue, because it's something that just can't be ignored.
Games that support 144Hz
ASUS christened the ROG Phone 5 with a sublime 144Hz AMOLED panel featuring a 360Hz touch sampling rate. These are cutting edge specifications that translated into superior touch response and buttery smooth visuals. Sadly, the hardware was ahead of its time and somewhat wasted. This is because there simply aren't enough Android games out there that run at a 144Hz refresh rate.
This may not be on ASUS's control, but we're going to put it in our ROG Phone 6 wish list anyways. The ASUS ROG Phone 6 is very likely to come with the same 144Hz screen refresh rate, or possibly a higher 165Hz panel like the one on the Red Magic 7. Hopefully, the company will work with game developers to add support for these high refresh rates on the best Android games.
A sleeker build
Among all of its admirable aspects, there are some characteristics that could use a makeover. The ROG Phone 5 was a chunky beast, weighing a hefty 238g in hand. To put things in perspective, the gigantic top-of-the-line Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra weighs 229g, almost 10g lighter than the mobile gaming device from ASUS. Not to mention, Samsung stowed away an S Pen within the S22 Ultra inclusive of that weight.
We dream of a sleek ROG Phone 6 that can be held comfortably in hand without causing more than the average amount of fatigue.
Gaming phones have always been the big-boned ones of the lot. Traditionally, they pack a lot of gear within their bulky, heavy bodies and we write it off as a defining trait of such phones. Hopefully, 2022 will be the year where we do away with such stereotypes. We want to see a beautiful, slim-and-trim Android phone built from the ground up for the purpose of gaming.
There's no guarantee that ASUS will put the ROG Phone on a diet for the Phone 6, but one can hope. We dream of a sleek ROG Phone 6 that can be held comfortably in hand without causing more than the average amount of fatigue. Or at the very least, we hope that it's light enough to not cause permanent damage to the face when accidentally dropped on it.
IP rating
If you're reading this and thinking "really?", think again. Some might call asking for a water and dust proof IP rating in the ASUS ROG Phone 6 wishful thinking. We beg to differ. There was a time when waterproofing a mobile device had its limitations. Now that foldables like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 are resistant to the forces of nature, it's time to redefine our collective expectations.
Maybe longing for an IP rating in the ROG Phone 6 is impossible, but we believe that the time for innovation is now. A water and dust resistant gaming phone would be a total game-changer. ASUS would have a trump card over all its competitors, blowing away the likes of Lenovo, Red Magic, and Black Shark. Seeing as the ROG Phone 5 had such spectacular features already, the next iteration could monopolize the top position by attaining water resistance, in addition to awesome specs.
Wider availability
To the woes of many, the brilliant ASUS ROG Phone was a damn near perfect gaming phone that they had no access to. Residents of the U.S. could do nothing but look at the ROG Phone 5 wistfully from afar. ASUS did not launch the beefed up gaming phone in the U.S. officially, so there is no CDMA compatible version of the phone to be found in the region.
ASUS did not launch a CDMA compatible version of the ROG Phone 5 in the U.S. region.
The global variant of the ROG Phone 5 can be acquired in the U.S., but you don't get a warranty and of course there's the limited carrier support. Imported units also tend to be pricier than their original retail prices in the UK and Europe.
Our final item on the ASUS ROG Phone 6 is wider availability. We sincerely hope that ASUS launches a CDMA-compatible U.S. variant of the upcoming gaming phone. Take one good look at the ROG Phone 5 and you'll realize that the ROG Phone 6 will surely be fantastic. This compelling reason makes us yearn for a native U.S. release even more.
