ASUS ROG Phone II Revealed: Snapdragon 855+ 120Hz OLED 6000 mAh Flagship Killer

The Snapdragon 855 Plus will primarily be used in gaming phones -- like the ROG Phone II -- and features CPU (single "Prime" core) and GPU clocks that have been boosted by 4 percent and 15 percent respectively. So not only will the ROG Phone II have a performance advantage over its predecessor, which featured a Snapdragon 845, but it should also outperform all previously released Snapdragon 855 smartphones. The 12GB of LPDDR4X memory (up from 8GB) along with UFS 3.0 storage (up to 512GB) are also contributing factors to the ROG Phone II's performance chops.

To keep things cool, the ROG Phone II use a 3D vapor chamber to reduce the chances of the SoC throttling during intense gaming sessions. In addition, there are now functional vents on the back of the smartphone to help expel any excess heat from within the chassis. And if that isn't enough, you can always attach the AeroActive Cooler II fan accessory, which can reduce surface temperatures by 5 degrees Celsius.

But the processor and the performance it brings isn't the only big change in store for the ROG Phone II; ASUS has also made some major upgrades to the 6.59-inch display (2340x1080). It is now a 10-bit HDR AMOLED panel with a refresh rate of 120Hz, which matches the spec of the Razer Phone and Razer Phone 2. We should note that the phone comes from the factory locked in at 60Hz. However, you can globally set a refresh rate or on a per-app/game basis from with the display settings.

Other items of note with the display include a 240Hz sampling rate and 49ms touch latency, which ASUS claims is the lowest of any flagship smartphone on the market. The next closest is the Apple iPhone XS Max with touch latency of 75ms.

The vibration motors have been enhanced with the second-generation phone, and ASUS says that they are three times as powerful as the motors found in the OnePlus 7 Pro. In addition, the Air Trigger shoulder buttons on the ROG Phone II have seen vibration latency reduced dramatically from 63ms to 20ms. A gaming phone needs high-quality audio, so you'll be glad to know that the dual, front-facing stereo speakers are now louder than the previous generation ROG Phone and support DTS:X Ultra audio.

Given that mobile gaming is the primary mission of the ROG Phone II, you need a beefy battery to feed that beastly Snapdragon 855 Plus. The ROG Phone came outfitted with a 4000 mAh battery, while the ROG Phone II is just showing off with a massive 6000 mAh unit. ASUS is promising unmatched stamina in gaming with the battery, including up to 7.1 hours of runtime in games like PUBG. Topping off the battery is accomplished with an ultra-fast 30W USB-C charger. There are still two USB-C charging ports: one in the traditional bottom-mounted spot, and one along the side of the smartphone (for charging while gaming).

At this time, ASUS has not provided pricing for its ROG Phone II, but did say that all will be revealed closer to its September global launch.