Robert Triggs / Android Authority
🌞 Hi Hadley here again! I just discovered that Coheed and Cambria released a new album a few weeks ago. So I know what I’ll be listening to this week.
Asus ROG Phone 6: More than a gaming phone?
Robert Triggs / Android Authority
Asus has finally released the ROG Phone 6, the latest device in its long-running lineup of gaming phones. It certainly looks like a beast of a phone for gamers when you look at the specs and feature list. Between the new Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 processor, 6000 mAh battery, capacitive shoulder triggers and 165Hz OLED screen, there’s a lot to like. It even has a 3.5mm port! There is also a Pro model equipped with more RAM and an additional rear display.
What’s the catch then?
- We published our review of the ROG Phone 6 Pro yesterday, and my colleague Rob Triggs felt that the company had really gone all out for mobile gamers.
- However, he noted that the Pro model was very difficult to sell at €1,299 (~$1,331) in Europe.
- At this price, you’d expect some features like wireless charging, a telephoto lens, and an IP68 rating. But all these features are missing here.
- Now, we don’t usually expect premium flagship goodies on gaming phones.
- After all, the purpose of a gaming phone is to… play games! So resources are spent on the chipset, cooling, things like shoulder triggers, a large battery, and software.
- But your typical 2022 gaming phones like the Red Magic 7 series and Black Shark 5 Pro cost $800. It’s much easier to excuse the lack of premium extras at this price.
Gaming phones don’t exist in isolation
- The ROG Phone 6 Pro is about $500 more expensive than its competitors. This puts it in the same territory as the Galaxy S22 Ultra.
- Yes, you miss out on the refreshed silicon, capacitive shoulder triggers, and fantastic sustained performance (and a 3.5mm port), but the S22 Ultra is still a solid choice for modern gaming.
- The Samsung phone also offers wireless charging, a great rear camera system (including a 10x periscope camera) and an IP68 rating.
- Asus also only offers two years of OS and security updates. For a phone that costs ~$1300 and has 18GB of RAM.
- Samsung opts for four operating system upgrades and five years of security patches. Even other players like OnePlus and Xiaomi carry longer update commitments.
Consider the standard ROG Phone 6 instead
- Fortunately, the standard ROG Phone 6 is also an option. It’s available at a much nicer price of £899 or €999.
- It’s still a bit pricey compared to competing gaming phones and in line with flagship phones.
- But those aforementioned omissions are much easier to excuse when you’re paying €300 less than the Pro version.
- Having said that, Asus has yet to enter into any carrier partnerships for these phones.
- I guess its online-centric strategy works well given the niche nature of these devices.
I’m rounding up
🍏 The EU just cracked down on Big Tech again — Here are the latest rules: The Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act are taking on the likes of Google and Apple (Android Authority).
Minions: The Rise of Gru is now in theaters, but it turns out that some theaters are banning young people in costume from attending these screenings. It all sounds very strange, but it turns out that groups of teenagers are dressing up in formal outfits to attend the film as part of the #gentleminions trend. Universal Pictures even bucked the trend with a tweet last week.
Unfortunately, the BBC reports that some of these teenagers were making noise, throwing things, abusing staff and standing up during screenings. Some cinema representatives noted that they had suffered a significant financial impact as they had to reimburse families and others affected by the disruption.
Have a great day and respect your fellow moviegoers!
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