What you need to know
- ASUS launches the ROG Phone 7 and 7 Ultimate with graphical improvements consisting of ray tracing for better surface reflections, X Sense, X Capture, and more.
- The AeroActive 7 cooler has been improved with larger fan blades and higher back pressure to cool the phone's surface.
- The ROG Phone 7 series has launched in Europe and Taiwan, and a release date for the U.S. has not been given yet.
ASUS is looking for its "no-compromise" gaming phones to continue pushing the envelope on what mobile gaming via smartphone can mean for gamers. The company launched the new ROG Phone 7 and 7 Ultimate in Taiwan during its "For Those Who Dare" event. The ROG Phone 7 Ultimate is outfitted with a 6.7-inch, 165Hz Samsung AMOLED display with a 720Hz touch-sampling rate.
The ROG Phone 7 Ultimate has been given the power of ROG Vision, a unique color matrix on the back of the device. These colors are triggered whenever the phone is charging, a call is received, X Mode is activated, and other instances.
The device utilizes Qualcomm's latest 3.2GHz Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset. ASUS states this new mobile platform makes the ROG Phone 7 series 15% faster and 15% more power-efficient over the previous ROG Phone 6 series. Power efficiency is taken a step further through the GameCool 7 thermal system, which cools the phone's CPU from all directions. Different thermal compounds and vapor chambers are activated if you're gaming on the 7 Ultimate in short or medium bursts.
However, if you're trying to grind your way through a ranked session of League of Legends: Wild Rift, that's when the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate's AeroActive Cooler 7 attachment comes into play. This accessory provides a constant flow of cool air on your phone's CPU module from the outside to boost performance and reduce battery strain. Additionally, if the AeroActive Portal is turned on, the device's thermal efficiency can increase by 20%.
A cooler phone will surely aid the Phone 7 Ultimate's 6,000mAh battery, which supports 65W fast charging.
ASUS did remember that this gaming machine is also a phone and provided consumers with a rear triple camera array consisting of a 50MP main sensor, 13MP ultra-wide angled lens, and a 5MP macro lens. The front-facing selfie camera comes in at 32MP.
In terms of audio, the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate delivers twin front-firing 12 x 16 mm speakers that have been upgraded to produce 50% more effective sound. When paired with the AeroActive 7 Cooler attachment, the 7 Ultimate utilizes the accessory's built-in sub-woofer, which takes bass up by around 77%. The device's 3.5mm headphone jack uses Dirac Virtuo, creating a theater-like spatial audio experience.
Software enhancements such as X Sense help gamers stay on their toes by alerting them to onscreen events. The X Capture feature uses AI technology to automatically capture TikTok-worthy clips to share with friends, much like what you'll find on gaming consoles like the PS5 when unlocking achievements.
The AirTrigger ultrasonic controls are featured here, much like the ASUS ROG Phone 6 Pro, to give gamers a wider range of mobility and input. These triggers give a more console-like experience and also offer Gyroscope Aiming and haptic feedback.
With the device launching in Taiwan and Europe first, it can be purchased with up to 16GB of RAM and up to 512GB of internal storage. The phone supports Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity, as well. Additionally, the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate is only available in the Storm White colorway for €1,399.
The base ROG Phone 7 remains quite similar to its Ultimate partner but with a couple of differences, such as the lack of ROG Vision support. However, like the Ultimate, the ROG Phone 7 supports hardware-accelerate ray tracing for games that support such a graphical setting. This means gamers can enjoy hyper-realistic reflections, making it feel like they're using a well-built gaming PC.
You'll also find improved cooling and support for Snapdragon Sound, which enables super-low-latency, high-fidelity Bluetooth audio. This audio feature will work with anything the user is listening to and should provide quite an enjoyable experience.
As the ROG Phone 7 launches in Taiwan and the EU with its higher-end duo, the base device can be purchased in Phantom Black and Storm White for €999. At the moment, ASUS has not stated when the new ROG Phone 7 series will launch in other regions, but we do expect it to, much like its previous iterations.
