Gaming smartphones used to be all the rage back in the day, as they were seen as the next step to handheld gaming. Readers may remember theSony Xperia Play, which legitimately had a PSP Go-style control scheme and slide-up hinges that made it priority number one on gamers’Christmas lists. There’s been pushback against that ideology in the years that followed, as many people want a distinct divide in portable gaming sessions and phone usage. Some companies persist, though, and there are very few out there who have invested as much into handheld gaming in recent years as Asus. Creators of theROG Ally handheld gaming PC, Asus has put itself in a great position for gamers on the go. Asus’ gaming-centric smartphones are an example of this, and we now know more of what to expect and get excited about from theupcoming Asus ROG Phone 8after renders and specs were leaked.
Popular leaks and news siteWindowsReport acquired in-depth details and renders of the new phone, which will come with a Pro variant. It looks like the ROG Phone 8 Pro will take the place of the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate, so it’s the same idea with a different naming convention. To be quite honest, the phone looks beautiful. The frame’s edges are more square and flatter than the current version, bringing it up to modern phone design standards. The camera notch on the screen is just a small circular cutout, leaving as much room as possible to see what’s happening on your screen. Along those lines, the camera array on the back will house a third lens this time around. There’s no back display that was present on ROG Phone 7 Ultimate models, but the RGB ROG logo will still grace the phone.
Any gaming phone should give you top-of-the-line specs, and thankfully, it looks like the ROG Phone 8 will keep that record going if these leaks are correct. It will ship with the latest high-end SoC, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. The ROG Phone 8 will come with 12GB of RAM, while the ROG Phone 8 PRO will get either 16GB or 24GB of RAM, an insane amount for your choosing. It’ll come with a FHD+ AMOLED display, with the ROG Phone 8 PRO running a liquid-smooth refresh rate of up to 165Hz. Both models will house a 5,500 mAh battery.
The leak also came with information about some of the phone’s accessories. The AeroActive Cooler X will keep the ROG Phone 8 cool, and the DEVILCASE Guardian will keep it protected while supporting the AeroActive Cooler X. There will also be cases that offer more optimal protection.
With Asus upping its marketing efforts when it comes to the ROG Phone 8, we wouldn’t be surprised if its release — or, at least, its announcement — is imminent. If you just can’t wait to get your hands on a ROG Phone, then check out ourcomparison piece on the ROG Phone 7 and ROG Phone 7 Ultimateto see if dishing out the extra money for the Ultimate is worth it for your needs. Some oldBlack Friday deals seem to still be ongoing for the current models, and those deals might be lower now than when we wrote about them in November. Another solid choice for Android gaming on-the-go is theRedMagic 8 Pro, which we wrote about when it released in February. TheRedMagic 8S Pro was our best overall choice for gaming smartphones in 2023.
