The ASUS ROG Phone 5 made its mark as an exceptional device that comes highly recommended for mobile gaming, but new limits are about to be established. Building upon its prowess, the ROG Phone 5S series now enters the fray with a series of upgrades in store, starting from the processor.
The ROG Phone 5S and its more powerful counterpart, the ROG Phone 5S Pro, are outfitted with the latest flagship Snapdragon 888 Plus 5G Mobile Platform, which was revealed earlier in June as a follow-on to the Snapdragon 888. Featuring boosted performance, blazing speeds, and multi-gigabit class WiFi 6E, the CPU is paired with up to 18GB of fast LPDDR5 RAM to further enhance gaming performance.
Both models will also boast a 144Hz refresh rate, one-millisecond response time, accurate colours, and always-on HDR technology to improve non-HDR visuals. What this translates to is a smooth, low-latency experience, with dynamic visuals on the side.
But performance doesn’t count for much if it isn’t well-sustained, which is why the GameCool 5 cooling system has been added to the smartphones. Higher thermal efficiency is achieved by splitting the battery into two parts to transfer CPU-generated heat to all the edges and corners of the chassis simultaneously. Meanwhile, the re-shaped 3D vapour chamber, extensive graphite sheets, and ROG’s clip-on external cooling fan, the AeroActive Cooler 5, help to dissipate heat as well.
Outside of cooling capabilities, the AeroActive Cooler 5 has two extra physical buttons to replicate the console gaming experience. That’ll be accompanied by the AirTrigger 5 control system in the ROG Phone 5S and 5S Pro, the latter of which offers additional features: hidden rear touch sensors on the back cover with L2/R2 trigger functions, and a GameFX audio system with seven-magnet dual speakers for balanced stereo sound effects.
The 5S Pro will also feature a colour version of ROG Vision, the rear matrix display that uses animation to notify users of certain actions, such as whether the phone is charging, or if there’s an incoming call. Additionally, users can choose to customise their ROG Phone 5S and 5S Pro with a variety of theme packs designed after the most popular game titles.
Specs-wise, users can expect a 6.78-inch display, a Qualcomm Adreno 660 GPU, 6,000mAh battery, 512GB of storage, a 24MP front camera, and a triple-lens rear set-up (64MP main, 13MP ultrawide, and 5MP macro) for both iterations.
The ROG Phone 5S and 5S Pro will retail at S$1,599 and S$1,799 respectively at the ROG Experience Store Bugis, ASUS Online Store, and all authorised retailers.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
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