ASUS is a device brand known for their gaming class devices and hardware. From computer hardware to laptop offerings and accessories offered, they are also seen as one of the only brands that still offer smart devices in the gaming class.
With the launch of the ASUS ROG Phone 7 series of devices, they are seen as the only gaming smartphone brand that remains on the market and with the launch of this series of devices, the Ultimate model is also back, and we were given the opportunity to comment on it.
Specifications
ASUS ROG Phone 7 Ultimate
6.78″ AMOLED screen, 165Hz
1080 x 2448 pixels (395 ppi)
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 5G processor (4 nm)
1 x 3.2 GHz Cortex-X3 chip
2 x 2.8 GHz Cortex-A715
2 x 2.8GHz Cortex-A710
3 x 2.0 GHz Cortex-A510
Adreno 740 Graphics Chip
RAM 16GB LPDDR5
Internal Storage 512GB UFS 4.0
Primary Camera 50 MP, f/1.9, (wide), PDAF
13 MP, f/2.2, (ultra-wide)
5 MP, f/2.0 (macro)
32MP f/2.5 Selfie Camera
6000 mAH battery
Wired 65W
Reverse 10W
SIM/Telephony Dual SIM nano / 5G
NFC Yes
Audio Jack Available
Waterproof IP54
Scan System Fingerprint scanner
Face Scan
Selling Price RM4,999
ASUS ROG Phone 7 Ultimate is not the first device to use the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processing chip, but as a brand that is quite famous for the overclocking abilities of the CPU it uses, many expect that with this device, the performance of the processing chip can be fully utilized through the X-overclocking feature Fashion.
The device also comes with 16GB of LPDDR5 memory which allows it to let more processes run in the background. This helps especially when the device also introduces a new function called Background Mode that was introduced last year which allows the game to play independently in the background, while you do other activities.
Design And Screen
If you remember our ASUS ROG Phone 6D device review last year, the design of this ROG Phone 7 Ultimate device is more or less the same as that device. It comes with the same 6.78-inch display size, only with a higher resolution and pixel density per inch.
Just like the ROG Phone 6D, the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate device also comes with a refresh rate as high as 165Hz and comes with support for technologies such as HDR10+ and has a brightness value as high as 1500 nits.
The display of this device is protected by a Gorilla Glass Victus screen, while the back uses Gorilla Glass 3. On the back of this device it can also be seen that ASUS reused the design of the ROG Phone 6D device to accommodate the AeroActive Portal cooling window that helps to drain heat from the components. components inside quickly and easily.
Similar to the previous ROG Phone 6 Ultimate and ROG Phone 6D devices, the ROG Vision OLED display is also shown again, which is a 2-inch display that allows users to slightly modify the appearance of the device with patterns that show the user's personality.
The main gimmick of ROG Phone 7 Ultimate must be present through the AirTrigger ultrasonic button system that can be used to access the buttons in the front more easily. Now, with ROG Phone 7 Ultimate, users have even more button layout options.
Perhaps the most useful additional feature that I can see is gyroscope aiming, or gyroscope targeting where the user can move the device to direct the vision on the display.
Just like the previous models, the ASUS ROG Phone 7 Ultimate comes with two USB Type-C plugs that support 65W fast charging. For the USB Type-C plug on the side of the device, the use of pogo-pins also returns to support the latest AeroActive Cooler accessory introduced specifically for this device.
Hardware And Software
ASUS ROG Phone 7 Ultimate is equipped with the Android 13 operating system and the company has promised two versions of the operating system and security updates for at least four years.
Just like previous ROG Phone devices, ROG Phone 7 appears using the ROG UI or Zen UI interface. This time too, ASUS allows users to mix background packs and application icons according to the user's taste.
The main application of this device is Armory Crate which houses a large number of settings that can be accessed to activate a large number of features on this device, such as ROG Vision, AeroActive Cooler, GameGenie and so on.
A very interesting feature that has just been introduced on this device is the first list that supports a wide variety of display refresh rates, from 120Hz to 144Hz and 165Hz in its own list.
For me as a device reviewer, this is a very useful feature because I don't have to look around for a place where I can demonstrate the usefulness of a display with this fast refresh rate, and its listing based on supported refresh rates is also very helpful.
User Experience
ASUS ROG Phone 7 Ultimate is seen with various additions in terms of features, such as the addition of gestures on the AirTrigger ultrasonic button and also the AeroActive Portal hole that helps in flowing cold air into the built components more efficiently.
In terms of design and performance, I can say that not much is different when this device is compared to the ASUS ROG Phone 6D device that was launched late last year with a MediaTek Dimensity 9000+ processing chip.
However, if we compare it with the ROG Phone 6 device that was launched earlier with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen1 processing chip, I found that the most significant difference is in terms of frame rate stability, heat generated and also the lower temperature of the device when used for gaming use in a medium period of around 30-45 minutes.
With the ROG Phone 6 Pro, the temperature recorded before was at a rate of 40-43 degrees Celsius, which in our opinion is a bit warm, but can still be held without any problems. With the ASUS ROG Phone 7 Ultimate, the temperature range drops slightly to 36-40 degrees Celsius, and this is when we run games like Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail at high resolution and graphics settings.
If you choose to use the AeroActive Cooler 6 or AeroActive Cooler 7 to cool this device down during your gaming session, it will cool it down to 4-5 degrees Celsius no matter how long you use it for gaming.
The cooling rate for both accessories is the same, only for those of you who use the AeroActive Cooler 7, it also arrives with an additional built-in speaker, which will give you a better audio experience than just using the device's built-in speaker.
If you already own the AeroActive Cooler 6 accessory, you don't need to buy a new cooler because the latest model comes with the same size and design, and only has the addition of said speakers.
Other features such as Game Genie and built-in app shortcuts are the same as the previously featured ROG Phone 6 and 6D devices.
Apart from gaming, I also really like watching television series and movies on Netflix using this device, especially with the new Aero Active Cooler 7 because it works as a stand for the device, and also comes with a built-in speaker that is quite loud.
Bench mark
ASUS ROG Phone 7 Ultimate is seen to record the highest benchmark score in our tests so far. Performance isn't that different with or without the Aero Active Cooler, so we'd say this is the most powerful Android smartphone we've seen and used so far.
Geekbench
Antutu
3DMark
Camera
Although ASUS doesn't really focus on the camera capabilities of their smart devices, they will usually still be loaded with quite powerful sensors. The main sensor of this camera system uses the Sony IMX766 which will be assisted by the imaging algorithm on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip.
In the meantime, ASUS has also upgraded the selfie camera of this ROG Phone 7 series device with a 32MP camera to allow users to take brighter selfies.
Battery
Just like the previous models, the ASUS ROG Phone 7 and ROG Phone 7 Ultimate will use a combination of two 3000mAH batteries and can be charged using one of the two USB Type-C plugs with a built-in 65W charging system.
Just like before, this 6000mAH battery is separated because ASUS wants to ensure that the SoC components are located right in the middle of the device so that it can be cooled with the AeroActive Cooler accessory when needed.
For normal non-gaming use, such as scrolling through social media, watching videos and browsing websites, I found that the device comes with a battery life that can last a full day without issue. In fact, if you don't use this device, it can last for several days before needing to be recharged.
Even with heavy usage such as gaming, the device's battery usage is dependent on the software being run. For heavy starters like Genshin Impact and interestingly, Honkai Star Rail is also seen to consume the battery at a relatively fast rate as well.
Even so, the charging plug on the side of the device helps in ensuring that your device is always charged and has enough power when you are in a long gaming session.
What's In The Box
ASUS ROG Phone 7 Ultimate offers a number of interesting accessories, including the device frame from Devil Case, anti-microbial display glass and also the Aero Active Cooler 7 device cooling accessory.
1x ASUS ROG Phone 7 Ultimate
1x USB-C to USB-C charging cable.
1x 65W Charger
1x DevilCase Frame
1x Manual
1x SIM Pin
1x anti-microbial display glass
1x Aero Active Cooler 7
Closing
ASUS ROG Phone 7 Ultimate can be seen as a very powerful gaming smart device, but if you ignore the gimmicks offered on this device, it is a flagship device that comes with a great performance in terms of functions, features and cooling.
I would also say that this ROG Phone 7 Ultimate device is the most powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen2 device we've used so far, and it's thanks to the X-Mode overclocking function and also the update to the cooling system done by the ASUS team.
The heat of the device is only felt when running applications that require high processing power such as modern flagships, and apart from that, this ROG Phone 7 Ultimate remains cool when used for other purposes.
If there is one shortcoming on this device, it might come in terms of its camera offering, where it still uses the same Sony IMX766 camera sensor as last year, but to be honest, for taking photos around casually, it's not a big issue.
At a price of RM4999, it can also be seen as a premium class device, but it is still cheaper than our initial expectations, which saw it at a price tag beyond RM5000. With the offer of two upcoming Android version updates and 4-5 years of security updates, for me this is a pretty good value for money device.
Pros:
Best Snapdragon 8 Gen2 chip performance
Gaming functions are updated without so many significant changes
Existing accessory support
Fast WiFi 6E support
Cons:
Still using 65W charging
Average camera performance
Not worth it if you already own ROG Phone 6D