ASUS ROG Phone II Review

Andrew got a new phone

- Andrew Duncan

Everyone has a smartphone - it’s basically impossible to get a handset that isn’t one. So how does a company compete in a crowded marketplace? ASUS decided to target gamers with the ROG Phone (Republic of Gamers Phone), and double down with the ROG Phone II, which was released in the latter part of 2019.

The handset that I was sent to review (on loan, I should add) came in a fantastic hexagonal box with warranty information, a Chinese user guide and a SIM card removal device. It also has the Aeroactive Cooler II, which is a clip-on fan to cool the handset down, a bumper case and a charger with cable. The case looks really cool, and is designed to show off the phone better, as well as the RGB.

Yes, aiming the phone at gamers means that it has to have RGB, in the form of the logo on the rear of the handset. While the screen is on, it pulses (or does whatever you set it to do) in some nice colours (also setable). While the screen is off, the logo remains dark. The rest of the handset looks really nice, with speakers set on the top and bottom, aimed outwards. This way, rather than the sound going into your hands, it’s projected towards your face.