The new ROG Phone 7 Ultimate from Asus is a high-end gaming smartphone that aims to be the best in its field. After a week of use, it turns out to be a real power monster. Apps open instantly and video games don't slow down. But is it really useful to have a gaming smartphone in 2023? Here is our analysis.
Design and construction
The Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate is unlike any other smartphone on the market. Its futuristic and clearly gaming-oriented design, with pronounced angles and an external screen to display pretty animations and notifications, immediately attracts attention. However, its thickness and above-average size might not appeal to everyone. Despite this, it exudes quality from the moment you pick it up, with beautiful metal finishes and a compact, slim design when folded.
Screen
The ROG Phone 7 Ultimate is equipped with a 165 Hz AMOLED screen with a definition of around QHD and HDR10+ certification. This results in a very pleasant viewing experience, whether you're watching Netflix, YouTube, or Twitch. However, the brightness could be a bit higher and the color gamut is a bit limited compared to what Samsung offers with its OLED displays.
Performance and autonomy
In terms of performance, the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate is equipped with a Snapdragon 8 Plus GN1 processor, which provides a smooth and responsive user experience. However, this smartphone is a little behind its competitors in terms of graphics performance. As for battery life, the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate is equipped with a 6000 mAh battery, which allows it to last a whole day quite comfortably. In addition, it is equipped with 66 watts fast charging, which allows you to recover 50% of the battery in just 15 minutes.
Cameras
The ROG Phone 7 Ultimate is equipped with a main photo module, an ultra wide-angle and a 3x telephoto lens. In good lighting conditions, this smartphone takes good quality photos with good sharpness and competent HDR. However, in low-light conditions, the camera's performance is a bit limited, especially at ultra-wide-angle and telephoto.
Software
The ROG Phone 7 Ultimate works with MagicOS, a version of Android adapted for foldable smartphones. However, there appear to be some fit issues, with some apps not displaying properly on the foldable screen. This can be frustrating, especially when using apps like Discord, Slack, or Twitter. However, it is worth noting that these issues could be caused by both Honor and Android app developers.
Conclusion
The ROG Phone 7 Ultimate from Asus is a gaming smartphone with unrivaled power. It offers an attractive design, solid performance, and good battery life. However, it falls a bit behind its competitors in terms of graphics performance and camera quality in low-light conditions. Additionally, there are some fit issues with some Android apps on the foldable screen. Despite these few flaws, the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate is an interesting gaming smartphone that deserves your attention, especially if you are an experienced gamer.
