Unfortunately, I still have to lurk on X, formerly known as Twitter, to see when companies tease upcoming releases. As it turns out, Asus is still making its ROG—the Republic of Gamers—smartphone. It runs Android, and it will probably have some beefy innards. But all we know so far is that it’ll be revealed at CES 2024.
Asus offers more context with a video on its Weibo account, China’s version of whatever X used to be. The video teaser shows a ROG Phone with smaller bezels, which has led to the belief that the next flagship will have a more immersive screen—whatever that means for a device you cradle in your hand. Asus also mentioned the ROG Phone 8’s camera capabilities on X earlier this week. But all it said is to expect a “brand new camera system.”
The ROG Phones don’t pick up much traction in the U.S.—not as much as a Google Pixel device or a Samsung smartphone—though Asus will attempt to sweeten the deal regardless, as the ROG Phone markets the existence of the rest of the lineup. As a company, Asus is typically known for its computers and gaming hardware, but it’s been expanding outside its usual realm with handhelds. It’s been in the smartphone space for over half a decade now, and while it hasn’t picked up significant market share, it does have its share of fans.
The ROG Phone has been under a “transcendence,” as Asus’ marketing proclaims. The smartphone used to be heavily geared toward PC gamers who wanted a device to match aesthetics. Despite being another Android phone, it even had an exhaust vent and RGB lights, a la your gaming tower, to show how truly capable of power it was. Now it’s more of a showcase for performance junkies. For instance, the ROG Phone 7 series is more toned down in design than its gaming-centric predecessors, but it still has a whopping 165Hz refresh rate for mobile gaming, a built-in subwoofer, and even a cooling mechanism.
GSMArena has confirmed the ROG Phone 8 will launch on January 16 in China, though you’ll also see the date revealed if you translate the Weibo post. It’s unclear when it will come to the U.S. currently. If you’re interested in the upcoming launch, you can sign up to remind yourself of the date for funsies. You can also sign up to try out the ROG Phone 8’s Pro camera in a “blind test.”