AsusROG Phone6

Best-in-class performance, excellent cooling and a rich selection of accessories – this is the finest gaming phone yet

The idea of a gaming phone might seem absurd. After all, if you want to play games on the go, phones such as the Apple iPhone 13 (see issue 327, P44) or Samsung Galaxy S22 (see issue 332, p68) pack more than enough power. But Asus believes that hardcore mobile gamers deserve a handset that's designed specifically for their needs and the ROG Phone 6 is its latest attempt.

It comes with a meaty hardware spec, and a correspondingly high price: the model with 256GB storage and 12GB RAM costs £899, or you can go up to 512GB of storage and 16GB of RAM for an extra £100.

Both are available in a choice of Phantom Black and Storm White; there's also a £1,199 Pro edition, only in white, which takes the RAM up to 18GB and adds an LED light on the back.

Star craft

The ROG Phone 6 is a tall, narrow thing measuring 77 x 10.3 X 173mm.

That's thicker than most regular smartphones, and at 239g it's one of the heaviest handsets around.

Despite that, it doesn't feel unwieldy. In fact, it looks elegant with its frosted glass back and rounded metal sides. However, its curved shape and matte sides can be slippery, so I suggest you fit the supplied plastic shell, which protects the corners and adds grip.

The large case affords a few more ports than the norm. In addition to a 3.5mm headphone jack, there's a second USB-C port at the side for accessories, such as a dock or a fan, or for comfortable charging while the phone is in landscape orientation.

The most striking design highlight of the ROG Phone 6 is on the back.

Amid a bunch of etchings and visual flourishes as well as a confident, angular camera bump - sits a secondary OLED screen.

This can display notification icons and battery capacity while charging, but it's an indulgence rather than a practical feature.

Max pane