Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro review: A gaming phone that feels like a cut-rate flagship
The Asus ROG Phone is headed down the wrong path, losing out on features that appeal to gamers.
Much like last year, Asus is courting the mainstream phone buyer this year, positioning the ROG Phone 9 Pro as flagship material. However, it lacks some of the accouterments you'd expect at this price, like a 4K screen, OS updates beyond two years, and mmWave 5G support, which adds up to a strange amalgamation of gaming phone and flagship that doesn't gel with the gamer in me. I miss the front-firing speakers, and I can't stand the camera hole on the screen. This phone wants to be desired by selfie-taking fashionistas as much as it wants to be lauded by hardcore gamers. Still, at $1,200+, it doesn't feel like a phone that will make either crowd happy.
