Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro review: From gaming smartphone to premium smartphone

The ROG Phone 8 Pro is a very solid smartphone that impresses with extremely comprehensive features. Highlights include the lightning-fast Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, a maximum of 24 GB of RAM and 1 TB of storage, WiFi 7, long battery life and the OLED LTPO display, which can reach up to 2500 cd/m² and smoothly adjust its frame rate between 1 Hz and 165 Hz.

Asus is breaking new ground with its high-end smartphone because, unlike its predecessor, it is no longer purely a gaming smartphone, but now appeals to a much broader target group thanks to its subtle appearance and improved hardware. In addition, its high-quality glass casing has become noticeably thinner and lighter and is now also dust and waterproof thanks to IP68 certification. Nevertheless, the ROG Phone 8 Pro still has gaming DNA and continues to fulfill its role as a gaming smartphone very well.

The Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro successfully manages the balancing act between gaming smartphone and premium phone. However, it is not cheap.

A few disadvantages prevent the ROG Phone 8 Pro from achieving the highest honors. The biggest point of criticism is that it does not come close to the cameras of other premium smartphones, but only offers a level of quality that can be described as just above average at best. The option of activating an eSIM is also lacking. Otherwise, the ROG Phone 8 Pro leaves little to be desired.

Alternatives to the Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro include the Nubia RedMagic 9 Pro, which is in the same performance class and is also geared towards gaming. The Xiaomi 14 Pro, is similarly powerful and, like the Nubia RedMagic 9 Pro, is available for less than $800.