Gaming smartphones have been taking the spotlight recently. Without a doubt, it’s the next big thing in the smartphone industry as it made it more exciting again for both the companies and the consumers.
Things got more hyped up when ASUS released their first gaming smartphone — the aptly named ROG Phone from their gaming sub-brand. It boasts powerful specs that you’d expect from a high-end device, plus an aggressive gamer look that would entice everybody but the minimalists.
But how does it really stack up against the traditional flagship smartphones? Can it actually dominate the entire smartphone market in the future? Would it also force other brands to come up with their own gamer-centric smartphone?
We’re curious to find the answer to these questions. So, we’ll be comparing the ASUS ROG Phone with one of the biggest names in the Android world — the Samsung Galaxy S9. Go check out our ASUS ROG Phone versus Samsung Galaxy S9 specifications and features comparison below to see if this new breed of smartphones have what it takes to take the mobile industry to another level.
| ASUS ROG Phone | Samsung Galaxy S9 | |
|---|---|---|
| Operating System | Android 8.1 Oreo ROG Gaming UI | Android 8.0 Oreo Samsung Experience 9 |
| SIM | Single SIM | Dual SIM Dual Standby |
| Display | 6-inch FHD+ AMOLED 2160 x 1080 resolution ~402ppi 18:9 aspect ratio 90Hz refresh rate 1ms response time 108.6% DCI-P3 color gamut HDR Corning Gorilla Glass | 5.8-inch QHD+ Super AMOLED 2960 x 1440 resolution ~568ppi 18:9 aspect ratio HDR10 Always-On display Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Processor | 2.96GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 octa-core Vapor Chamber Cooling | 2.9GHz Samsung Exynos 9810 octa-core |
| GPU | Adreno 630 | Mali-G72 MP18 |
| RAM | 8GB | 4GB |
| Storage | 64GB /128GB UFS 2.1 non-expandable | 64GB UFS 2.1 expandable via microSD up to 400GB |
| Front Camera | 8-megapixel | 8-megapixel f/1.7 AR Emoji |
| Rear Camera | 12-megapixel + 8-megapixel (120-degree wide-angle) Phase detection autofocus LED flash | 12-megapixel Dual pixel sensor f/1.5-f/2.4 OIS 960fps slow-mo PDAF dual-LED flash |
| Security | Fingerprint scanner | Fingerprint scanner Iris scanner Facial recognition |
| Audio | Stereo front speaker DTS Headphone:X 7.1 virtual surround | Dual AKG speakers Dolby Atmos |
| Connectivity | 4G LTE WIFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ad, 2×2 MIMO WiGig 802.11 ad wireless display support Bluetooth 5.0 GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS< BeiDou NFC Custom USB port on the side (supports USB 3.1, DisplayPort 1.4, 15w fast charging) | 4G LTE, Cat. 18, up to 1.28Gbps WiFi 802.11 ac, Hotspot Bluetooth 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX NFC GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou USB Type-C |
| Others | 2x Ultrasonic AirTriggers RGB Logo Compatible with ASUS mobile gaming accessories | IP68 water and dust resistance Bixby 2.0 |
| Dimensions | 158.8 x 76.2 x 8.6mm | 147.7 x 68.7 x 8.5mm |
| Weight | 200g | 168g |
| Colors | Black | Midnight Black Lilac Purple Coral Blue |
| Battery | 4,000mAh battery non-removable ASUS HyperCharge | 3000mah Li-Po non-removable battery Fast charge, Wireless charging |
| Price | TBA | Php45,990 |
Specs-wise, it’s clear who is the winner here. As you can see, ASUS went all out when they were building the ROG Phone. It packs all the best hardware you can find on a smartphone and even went over the top in some areas.
However, that doesn’t mean the Samsung Galaxy S9 is a slouch. The ASUS ROG Phone might have overtaken it in most areas, but the Galaxy S9 surely shines in other key segments. Undeniably, these two smartphones target different niches — the reason why they shine in different areas.
If you’re just an average user who wants to have a smartphone with one of the best cameras around, then the Galaxy S9 might be the one for you. Despite the lack of a dual-camera setup, the Galaxy S9 was actually proven as one of the best camera smartphones around today.
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It also has a ludicrous 960fps slow-motion mode, which is probably the epitome of mobile videography today. The Samsung Galaxy S9 also has a sharper screen, and a relatively more subtle but elegant design than the ASUS ROG Phone.
But if you don’t care about all that, the ASUS ROG Phone might be the smartphone for you. It might not have the sharpest screen but it still uses an AMOLED panel with a fast 90Hz refresh rate.
ASUS ROG Phone runs with an overclocked Snapdragon 845 processor and an Adreno 630 GPU — which is probably the best combination for gaming and everything else.
Other than the usual stuff, ASUS also came up with a few extra things to make gamers drool. There’s the Ultrasonic AirTriggers that basically acts as a built-in trigger control for shooting games.
It also comes with a slew of gaming accessories that were made just for the device. There’s the attachable cooling fan, secondary screen, game controller, and many more.
So if you can’t decide which one to pick between this two — I have the answer for you: Go with the ASUS ROG Phone.
I know that I said that the Galaxy S9 is meant for a particular breed of users. But the fact that you’re even considering that ASUS ROG Phone means that you’re probably attracted to its design and over the top specs.
Let’s just wait and see if the device would be priced competitively. If you think you can swallow its expensive price tag, go with it. It’s not like the Samsung Galaxy S9 is cheap, but the ASUS ROG Phone’s speculative price is over $1,000 (~Php52,000). Meanwhile, the starting price of Galaxy S9 in the Philippines is Php45,990.