It’s been a big week for Android phones and I’ve tried a phone that hasn’t been fully announced yet.
On Monday, Qualcomm announced the Snapdragon 8 Elite, its latest and greatest mobile chipset. We’re expecting to see it come to top Android handsets throughout the next year, including the Samsung Galaxy S25 series and OnePlus 13.
But plenty of companies are launching Snapdragon 8 Elite handsets even sooner. It’ll debut on the Xiaomi 15 series later this month, before the Honor Magic 7 series just a few days later.
However, both of those phones will only be available in China initially. For devices you’ll be able to buy in the West, you’re looking at the Oppo Find X8 series and Asus ROG Phone 9 in November.
While my few minutes with the device were limited… I already got the impression that Asus could be on to a winner.
And at Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Summit, I got a chance to try the regular ROG Phone 9. While my few minutes with the device were limited to just two apps – Chrome and YouTube – I already got the impression that Asus could be on to a winner.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
The performance and power efficiency improvements offered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite are particularly relevant to the ROG Phone, which aims to deliver the best gaming performance possible. It’s crucial for longer gaming sessions, which can result in reduced performance and a big hit to battery life.
I didn’t get a chance to see just how good that gaming performance was, but considering the ROG Phone 8 was already so strong in this area, it bodes well. And the touted improvements to battery life suggest the capacity will at least remain at 5500mAh.
The design shift Asus introduced on the ROG Phone 8 continues and makes the ROG Phone 9 a realistic option for everyday usage. It looks and feels impressively premium, yet the angular camera module helps it stand out from the crowd with flare many gamers will find satisfying.
One subtle change on the regular model is the introduction of the mini-LED display on the back, which was previously exclusive to the ROG Phone 8 Pro. It can be used to show various system messages, or a custom one of your own up to 20 characters.
Aside from the Snapdragon 8 Elite, Asus hasn’t revealed any of the specs for the ROG Phone 9. We’ll find out all the final details on 19 November but the large display and punchy speakers are certainly impressive, while it remains relatively lightweight.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
The success of the device will hinge on the all-important performance and battery life, but also the price. It’s unclear if there’ll be any difference compared to the ROG Phone 8, which started at £949.99/$1,099.99.
Stay tuned for all the news on what could be the best gaming phone of 2024/25.
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