ASUS ROG Phone 8 Pro – gamers’ nirvana and now a flagship smartphone (review)

The ASUS ROG Phone 8 Pro may be a gamers’ nirvana, but some very significant design changes send serious shots over the bow of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra as a premium flagship phone.

Before we get into the review, I declare that I am not a gamer, so I cannot wax lyrical about the Armory Crate, Aeroactive Cooler X (Pro only), Air Triggers, or the AniMe 341 mini-LEDs on the back cover. Look, it’s all cool stuff, but if you want a gamer’s review, go to Games Radar+ for your fix.

This review is about using it for a month as a daily drive. Its direct competitor is the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra – the ultimate Android smartphone (we will refer to that as the S24U). To ASUS’s credit, it is no longer a stretch to use this phone ‘normally’ and then push it to its limits in X Mode, which is something Sammy can’t do.

A few things to note, as all three models are essentially the same.

  • ASUS ROG Phone 8 has 12/256GB for $1799.
  • ASUS ROG Phone 8 Pro has 16/512GB for $1999 and comes with an Aeroactive Cooler X.
  • ASUS ROG Phone 8 Pro Edition 24GB/1TB for $2499 comes with Aeroactive Cooler X and has a very interesting case with some extra goodies.

Warning – do not buy grey market

The gaming community covets this phone, and direct imports and the grey market are filling much demand. ASUS reminds you that only it and JB Hi-Fi sell the Australian-certified version for Telco networks, Wi-Fi 7 bands, and an Australian warranty.

Australian Review: ASUS ROG Phone 8 Pro Edition, 24GB/1TB, dual SIM (Model 6145926 as tested)

BrandASUS
ModelASUS ROG Phone 8 Pro
Model NumberPhantom Black 16/512GB model AI2401-5B066WW
RAM/Storage BaseROG Phone 8 12/256
   Price base$1799
   Price 2ROG Phone Pro 16/512GB $1999
   Price 3ROG 8 Phone Pro Edition 24GB/1TB $2499 comes with accessory pack, AeroActive cooler
Warranty months12-month ACL (we expect that ACL will protect from manufacturer’s defects for at least five years).
 TierFlagship and Gaming premium – all models
WebsiteProduct page
Model comparison
FromASUS online and JB Hi-Fi (online)
Made inNot disclosed – either China or Taiwan
CompanyAsustek Computer is a Taiwanese company that produces motherboards, graphics cards, optical drives, PDAs, computer monitors, notebook computers, servers, networking products, mobile phones, computer cases, computer components, and computer cooling systems.
MoreCyberShack ASUS news and reviews
CyberShack smartphone news and reviews
Test date1-30 May 2024
Ambient temp10-20°
ReleaseJanuary 2024, but later in Australia
Other models not for Australia (Don’t buy)Only phones purchased from ASUS Online or JB Hi-Fi carry Australian certification for the phone, Wi-Fi bands, and Australian Warranty. Read Don’t buy a grey market smartphone.

We use Fail (below expectations), Pass (meets expectations) and Exceed (surpasses expectations or is the class leader) against many of the items below. We occasionally give a Pass(able) rating that is not as good as it should be and a Pass ‘+’ rating to show it is good but does not quite make it to Exceed. You can click on most images for an enlargement.

We are also tightening up on grading. From now on, Pass, for example, means meeting expectations for the price bracket. We consider a Pass mark to be 70+/100 with extra points added for class-leading and excellence.

First Impression – WOW – Pass+

It may be basic black, but the Pro Edition comes comes in a pretty special box with a cooler, cover and more.

It is a substantial phone, a fraction smaller and lighter than the S24U, with a 3.5mm jack and a fingerprint-resistant back.

Screen – Exceed – probably the best on a premium smartphone yet!

It is the best OLED screen I have seen to date. Why? It is a full 10-bit/1.07 billion-colour screen that puts the 8-bit/16.7 million-colour S24U to shame. For starters, it has an accurate photo preview, no haloing, and superb 2512-nit screen brightness. Ironically, it uses a Samsung E6 Flexible AMOLED panel. You can read more 8-bit versus 10-bit screen colours. What is the big deal?

 While it will refresh at 165Hz for games, the LPTO AMOLED can automatically vary from 1 to 120Hz and save battery.

Our only caveat is that it does not decode Dolby Vision (nor does Samsung), which means it is displayed as HDR10, which is OK on a small screen.

Screen tests

Size6.78″
TypeLPTO AMOLED (Samsung E6 Flexible AMOLED)
Flat, Curve, 2D, 3DFlat centre o-hole
Resolution2400 x 1080
PPI388
Ratio20:9
Screen to Body %88.2%
Colours bits10-bit/1.07b
Optimal
Natural
Cinematic – DCI-P3
Standard – sRGB
Customised
Refresh Hz, adaptive.Adaptive 1-120Hz or 60/120 and 165Hz fixed/locked. The screen also supports 90Hz.
Response 120Hz720Hz touch rate
Nits typical, testAuto brightness full screen (810)
Nits max, test1600 Full Screen (1652)
2500 peak brightness HDR 5% screen (2512)
ContrastInfinite
sRGB100+%
DCI-P399.4%
Rec.2020 or otherCan be calibrated
Delta E (<4 is excellent)1.8
HDR LevelHDR10/HDR10+/HLG – no Dolby Vision
SDR UpscaleNo
Blue Light Control
PWM if knownPWM 485Hz and uses DC dimming for lower brightness. It is not a significant issue for PWM-sensitive people.
Daylight readableYes
Always on DisplayYes
Edge displayYes
AccessibilityUsual Android 14 features.
DRML1 1080p HDR (Netflix-only SDR)
GamingArmory Crate control panel
Screen protectionGorilla Glass Victus 2
CommentIt is quite an amazing 10-bit/1.07 billion colour screen, with a real 2500nits peak brightness. It puts the S24U 8-bit/16.7m colour screen to shame. It is nice to see a 1-120Hz adaptive refresh and up to 165Hz for gamers.

Processor – Exceed – the fastest and great thermal management.

This is the world’s fastest Android System on a Chip (Soc) and is the same as used in the S24U (not the S24 or S24 + Exynos SoC).

When tested, it consistently returned 15+% higher benchmarks than the S24U. To be fair to Samsung, we will retest its benchmarks soon to see if firmware updates since its release in January have made a difference.

Its thermal management is better than the S24U, with or without the AeroActive cooler.

It also has the all-important USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 10Gbps side port that fully implements audio/video/charge/data and Alt DP 1.4. You can connect an external portable SSD and get gigabit speeds from a mountable drive. This is perfect for vloggers and videographers. S24U only allows OTG cut and paste at a few MBps.

Processor tests

Brand, ModelQualcomm SD8 Gen 3  
nm4nm made by TSMC (not Samsung)
Cores1×3.3GHz & 3×3.2GHz & 2×3.0GHz & 2×2.3GHz
ModemX75 4×4 MIMO Sub-6Ghz
AI TOPS OR
Multi-thread Integer Operations Per Second (INOPS)
GINOPS = billion
The CPU TOPS is undisclosed, but the AI engine has 29+ TOPS, and NPU has 15 for over 60.
21.19 GFLOPS (S24U 18.93)
26.17 GINOPS (S24U 23.89)
Geekbench 6 Single-coreStandard 1390
X-Mode 2312 – substantially exceeds the S24U.
Geekbench 6 multi-coreStandard 6773
X-Mode 7314 – Substantially exceeds S24U.
LikeBenchmarks
GPUAdreno 750 (1GHz)
GPU Test
Open CLStandard 13612
X-Mode 14498 substantially exceeds the S24U.
LikeThese figures are 15% or more than the same processor in the S24U.
VulcanStandard 13612
X-Mode 16627 – substantially exceeds S24U 15588
RAM, type12/16/24GB LPDDR5X
Storage, free, type256/512GB or 1TB UFS 4.0
micro-SDNo
CPDT internal seq. Read MBps sustained2430
Jazz maximum 1802
CPDT internal seq. write MBps sustained956
Jazz Maximum 856
CPDT microSD read, write MBpsN/A
CPDT external (mountable?) MBpsUSB 2.0 bottom port 25/20
USB 3.2 Gen 2 side port 985/395
CommentThe disk tests reflect ultra-fast UFS 4.0, and an external SSD can be mounted for gigabit-speed live storage.
Throttle test
Max GIPS398935
Average GIPS351062
Minimum GIPS316754
% Throttle19%
CPU Temp93°
CommentThese figures have X Mode off and no external cooler, which is ideal for daily use. They are excellent for this SoC, considering that S24U throttles up to 44%.

Comms – Exceed – Amazing W-Fi 7 speeds

ASUS has fully implemented the Wi-Fi 7 speeds, and on our reference TP-Link Deco BE85 Wi-Fi 7 BE22000 tri-band mesh router, it achieves an incredible 5800Mbps full-duplex speed. S24U had not implemented this and achieved 2400Mbps.

Wi-Fi Type, modelWi-Fi 7 2.4/5/6Ghz 4K QAM, 320MHz
Test 2m -dBm, Rx/Tx Mbps-38/5800/5800
Test 5m-46/5800/5800
Test 10m-58/3747/3459
BT Type5.3
GPS single, dualGPS (L1+L5), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC (L5), GLONASS, accuracy 2 metres.
USB typeBottom USB-C 2.0 480Mbps
Side USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 10Mbps
ALT DP, DeX, Ready ForThe side port supports Alt DP 1.4 audio/video/data/charge and a 10Gbps data transfer rate.
NFCYes
Ultra-widebandNo, although SoC supports it
Sensors
   AccelerometerYes combo
   GyroYes combo
   e-CompassYes
   Barometer
   GravitySoC
   PedometerVirtual
   Ambient lightYes
   Hall sensor
   ProximityYes
   OtherOptical under-glass fingerprint sensor
CommentSensors not disclosed. Testing software reveals some, but not all.
Wi-Fi speeds on 6GHz are spectacular – over twice as fast as the S24U.

4/5G – Exceed – the best phone reception ever

This is a dual SIM phone—no eSIM. It has recorded the strongest signal strengths yet for the primary tower and picowatt speeds for all four nearby towers. It also has a 5G signal at usable strength, whereas the S24U does not. This is more about antenna design and implementing full 5G sub-6GHz standards.

This is a city, suburbs, regional and rural use phone without peer.

SIMDual Sim DSDS (dual sim, dual standby). We think this is DSDA (dual sim, dual active), as the modem supports it.
   ActiveNo eSIM nor DSDA is supported by Qualcomm SD8 Gen 3 SoC.
Ring tone single, dualSingle
VoLTECarrier dependent
Wi-Fi callingCarrier dependent
4G BandsNot disclosed. We think it is
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 48, 66
CommentAll Australian and most world bands
5G sub-6GhzNot disclosed. We think it is
1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 18, 20, 25, 26, 28, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6
CommentAll sub-6Ghz and 5G low bands
mmWaveNo
Test Boost Mobile, Telstra
  DL/UL, ms38.6/26.7/37ms – above average
   Tower 1 -dBm, fW or pW-77 to -89 and 1.3 to 20pW – best result to date with fantastic signal strength finding five towers (we only test to four).
   Tower 2-70 to -84 and 4 to 12.3pW
   Tower 3-83 to -86 2.5 to 5pW
   Tower 4-84 to -92 and 1 to 2.5pW
CommentThis has a superb 4G LTE reception and is among the most powerful we have seen. It also gets 5G reception at -79 to -84 at 4 to 12.6pW on the two closest towers. This is excellent for city, suburbs, regional, and rural use. Reception strength considerably exceeds that of the S24U.

Battery – Exceed and 65W charger inbox

This has a couple of unique features. First, it comes with a 65W charger inbox. More importantly, it uses a 5500mAh (2 x 2750mAh) dual battery for dual charging to cut charge times and reduce heat loads. It also uses MMT charging, which cares for the battery.

With a 1080p video loop lasting 24+ hours and a PC Mark Moden Office battery test lasting 24 hours and 20 minutes, it will easily last a full day of reasonably heavy use.

Battery tests

mAh5500mAh split over 2 x 2750 batteries.
MMT Middle, Middle, Tab charging.
Charger, type, supplied65W (2 x 32.5W channels)
When using another charger, it tends to charge at 17V/2A/34W maximum.
 PD, QC levelStandard PD 3.0
PPS
Qualcomm QC 5.0
Qi, wattageQi 1.3 15W
Reverse Qi or cableup to 10W
Test (60Hz or adaptive screen)Adaptive
   Charge % 30minsClaim 80%
   Charge 0-100%Claim 39 minutes – our test was closer to 60 minutes
   Charge Qi, W
Using Belkin Boost Charge 15W fast wireless charge
Yes, not tested. Expect 4+ hours at 15W.
   Charge 5V, 2Aover 8 hours
   Video loop 50%, aeroplane24 hours and 20 minutes
   PC Mark 3 battery20 hours and 25 minutes
Accubattery 17 hours 38 minutes.
   GFX Bench Manhattan battery225.5 minutes (3.75 hours)
   GFX Bench T-Rex379.1 minutes (6.32 hours) 9261 frames
   Drain 100-0% full load screen on.Approximate time in standard mode: 4-5 hours. We could not test properly due to battery saver issues (even when off).
Accubattery 4 hours 51 minutes.
   mA full load800-1100
   mA Watt idle Screen on150-200
   Estimate loss at max refreshIt was tested in Adaptive and standard mode. We expect to lose up to 50% battery life in X Mode and 165Hz, but you would likely use this on power.
   Estimate typical useTypical users will get a full 24 hours. Gamers between 4-5 hours.
CommentSome ASUS battery options affected our tests. Charging Mode, which uses Regular (system on and charge), Bypass (system on only) and Smart Bypass. It also has System Modes -X Moade for gaming, Dynamic for everyday performance and Ultra-durable for as long battery life as possible. It is hard to determine definitive battery life short of running each test three times and some with multiple settings.

Sound hardware – Exceed, including a separate 6.8W amp for the phone.

As it does not decode Dolby Vision (downmix to HDR10), it is unnecessary to support Dolby Atmos. But it does support Dirac’s spatial sound, and the effects are good. From a hardware perspective, we applaud using a separate amplifier for the phone, which gives it one of the highest decibel ratings we have encountered. This means excellent hands-free.

Because it uses the SB8 Gen 3 SoC, it has 24-bit/48000Hz sound and most aptX codecs.

SpeakersStereo – top earpiece and bottom down-firing.
TuningDirac Virtuo
AMPCirrus Logic CS35L45 (6.8W mono for phone) and Qualcomm Aqsitic (stereo for speakers and headphones).
Dolby Atmos decodeNo, but Dirac Virtuo spatial for headphones
Hi-Res32-bit, 384kHz for headphones only
3.5mmYes
BT CodecsSBC, AAC, aptX, aptX Adaptive, aptX HD, LDAC
24-bit/48000Hz
MultipointYes
Dolby Atmos (DA)Dirac
EQDirac Dynamic, Music, Cinema, Game and Custom.
MicsThree mics with ASUS Noise Reduction
Test dB – all on EQ flat DA offOutdoor mode disabled – it amps treble
   Volume max95
   Media (music)95
   Ring95
   Alarm95
   Notifications92
   Earpiece65
   Hands-freeGood hands-free with noise cancellation.
   BT headphonesExcellent left-right separation and DA makes quite a difference with DA content.

Sound quality – Pass

Sound quality is the stereo speaker’s ability to play ‘listenable’ music and produce clear voice during hands-free calls. Unfortunately, music lacks depth and vitality—as do 99% of smartphones and their tiny, tinny speakers.

I guess most will use headphones or headsets, and it has both a 3.5mm cable and a Bluetooth 5.3 low-latency games mode.

Deep Bass 20-40HzNo
Middle Bass 40-100HzNo – hint at 95Hz
High Bass 100-200HzSlow linear build to 500Hz
Low Mid 200-400HzSlow linear build to 500Hz
Mid 400-1000HzFlat
High-Mid 1-2kHzSlight build
Low Treble 2-4kHzSlight decline
Mid Treble 4-6kHzBeginning steep decline to 20kHz
High Treble 6-10kHzSteep decline to 20kHz
Dog Whistle 10-20kHzSteep decline to 20kHz
Sound Signature typeThis is an unusual signature because there is a hint of upper bass and a prolonged build to 1-4KHz for clear voice. The treble drops off a cliff, making music dull and uninteresting.
Mid: (bass recessed, mid boosted, treble recessed) – for clear voice. The Dirac EQ is for headphones only.
   Soundstage2D is about as wide as the phone with no apparent bias to one speaker. There is no DA decode, but spatial content gives a slightly wider soundstage but no 3D height.
CommentCyberShack Music tests
The sound quality is disappointing for a premium handset. Bass is hard to get on micro speakers, but you expect it to have at least some 50-100Hz, where all the musically important bass comes from. It is easy to get a decent mid-high treble that gives a feeling of air and directionality, but instead, we get over the cliff treble that gives music a harshness. Still using a cabled or BT headphone fixes that.

Build – Exceed

This is one well-built phone. It is solid, 225g (lighter than the S24U) and will last the distance. The key difference here is the 65W charger inbox.

However, Samsung will likely have more service options, so you must consider that.

Size (H X W x D)163.8×76.8×8.9 mm
Weight grams225
Front glassGorilla Glass Victus
Rear materialNot specified – likely Gorilla Glass
FrameNot specified – likely Aluminium
IP ratingIP68 1.5m for 30 minutes
ColoursBlack
Pen, Stylus supportAniMe Vision can display animated information via its 341 mini-LEDs (such as incoming calls, battery status, time, new notifications, etc. Use Armory Crate.
In the box
   Charger65W Charger
   USB cable3W USB-C to USB-C cable
   BudsNo
   Bumper coverNo
CommentAeroCooler
Cooler soft pouch

OS – Pass

The only area in which it does not score top marks is Android 14. Why? It only gets two years of OS upgrades and four security patches. S24U smashes that with 7+7 and a two-year warranty as well.

The impact is that S24U will hold its resale value better for longer.

You can select a ROG or Android skin – the latter is what we use for testing.

Android14
Security patch date1 April 2024
UIROG UI, but users can select standard Android.
OS upgrade policy2 years
Security patch policy4 years
BloatwareArmory Crate
ASUS Tools
Google Apps
Facebook
Instagram
OtherLargely pure Android
CommentThe poor OS upgrade and security patch policy is not commensurate with other premium phones like the S24U (7+7) and Google Pixel 8 Pro (7+7).
ASUS’s habit of not disclosing critical information on its website is annoying, if not unintentionally deceptive.
Security
Fingerprint sensor location, typeUltrasonic Under glass (9/10)
Face ID2D
OtherAndroid 14 security
CommentSamsung Knox makes the S24U more secure.

ASUS ROG Phone 8 Pro – rear camera – Pass+

The key hardware difference is that the S24U has a better camera system with a periscope zoom. The key image difference is that they are both excellent for point-and-shoot use.

ASUS uses a Sony IMX890 sensor, and S24U uses a Samsung-made S5KHP2 200MP that bins to 12,5PM. The Sony has a slight edge in low-light photography (aided by the Qualcomm AI). I enjoyed using this sensor on the OPPO Find N3 Flip, and I cannot fault it.

Even more important is that the image preview is colour-accurate, whereas S24U is not.

Overall, it is a competent flagship camera—probably outclassed by S24U and its AI processing expertise.

Photo test

Video is excellent but OIS and EIS are only to 1080p@60fps. Stereo recording is possible.

Rear PrimaryWide
  MP50MP bins to 12.6MP (default)
   SensorSony IMX890
   FocusPDAF
   f-stop1.9
   um1 bins to 2
  FOV° (stated, actual)71.1 (H) x 85.6 (D)
   StabilisationOIS – 6 axis gimbal and EIS video 4.2x crop factor
   Zoom4-10X
Rear 2Ultra-Wide
   MP13MP
   SensorOmnivision OV13b
   FocusPDAF
   f-stop2.2
   um1.12
  FOV (stated, actual)120
   StabilisationOIS
   Zoom3X optical
Rear 3Telephoto
   MP32MP bins to 8MP
   SensorOmnivision OV32c
   FocusPDAF
   f-stop2.2
   um.7 bins to 1.4
  FOV (stated, actual)Unknown
   StabilisationOIS
   Zoom3X Optical
   Video max8K@24fps. HDR10+ for 4K@30fps
OIS 1080p@60fps
   FlashYes
   Auto-HDRYes
   QR code readerGoogle Lens
   Night modeAI

ASUS ROG Phone 8 Pro front camera

It uses a 32MP binned to 8MP and a standard and wide-angle field-of-view for single and small group selfies. It does not change FOV as much as crop the larger image.

  MP32MP bins to 8MP
   SensorOmnivision OV32C
   FocusFixed
   f-stop2.05
   um.7 bins to 1.4
  FOV (stated, actual)90° (77.8 H to 90.5 D)
   StabilisationNo
   FlashScreen fill
   ZoomNo
   Video max1080p@30fps with EIS
    FeaturesUses 4x cropping for a single selfie
CommentNatural colours and good in day or office light.

Privacy – Pass

The 5064-word privacy policy and terms of use are benign as you do not need an ASUS account to use the phone. You are subject to Google’s policy – see Can you trust Google? Yes, but it depends on your definition.

In any case, it is a trusted Taiwanese company and data is stored in the region you purchased the phone in.

CyberShack’s view – ASUS ROG Phone 8 Pro is the new king of the premium smartphone heap

First, I want to apologise to Samsung. The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra – the ultimate Android smartphone was the only SD8 Gen 3 smartphone I could compare it with. This was not intended as a shootout.

There are many reasons to buy an S24U, the chief of which is its reputation and 2+7+7 warranty/OS/security patch policy, which it and the Google Pixel 8-series offer. The S24U will have a better resale value through its trade-in system and probably better service if needed.

The ASUS ROG Phone 8 Pro is unlike the previous ROG phones, which were 100% focused on gaming and had an out-there design. This is refined and very well-designed, and in every area, it outperforms the S24U (on both standard and X-Mode). Geeks and power users will love this phone.

Some little things impressed me (S24U in brackets—we are yet to retest with the latest firmware).

  • 10-bit/1.07b 165Hz AMOLED (8-bit/16.7m, 120Hz)
  • Qualcomm SD8 Gen 3 19% throttle (Same 44% throttle and lower performance specs)
  • Wi-Fi 7 reaching 5800Mbps (same reaching 2400Mbps)
  • Ful implementation USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 10Gbps and Alt DP 1.4 (Part implementation USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 5Gbps)
  • Mountable external SSD at full USB-C 3.2 speeds (only cut and paste)
  • Fastest 4 and 5G to date (won’t find 5G signal in the test area and 4G at lower signal strength)
  • 5500mAh (dual 2750mAh) battery and 65W charger inbox (single cell 5000mAh and no charger – 45 watt capable)
  • PC Mark gives 20 hours and 25 minutes battery life (17 hours 10 minutes)
  • Separate phone amp produces significantly higher phone volumes (no)
  • No pen/stylus (yes)
  • Base 12/256GB $1799 (12/256 $2199 plus $69 charger)
  • Pro 16/512GB $1999 (12/512GB $2399 – ditto)
  • Pro Edition 24GB/1TB $2499 inc. accessories (12GB/1TB $2799 – ditto)

From a strict specification perspective, the ASUS ROG Phone 8 outperforms any other we have reviewed. Add Gaming chops; you can see why it is our top-rated Qualcomm SD8 Gen 3 smartphone.

Would I buy it?

I would buy it in a heartbeat, as it provides everything and more that I expect from a flagship smartphone.

Sadly, Samsung’s lack of competition in the flagship area has led to complacency and regurgitation of the old designs for too long. I am not saying the S24 is bad in any way – it is just outclassed in most ways by the ASUS ROG Phone 8 Pro

ASUS ROG Phone 8 Pro ratings – 88/100

Note that this is based on 70/100 as a pass mark. The S24U used 80/100 as a base, so it would rate at 75/100.

RatingsNew rating system 7 is a pass mark.
Features90
Latest processor, large battery, 65W charger inbox, Aero cooler inbox, 10-bit screen, ASUS gamers Armory Crate and much more.
Value90
It is $300-400 lower than the S24U but has more memory.
Performance90
It has the best and highest phone signal reception yet.
Superb performance on standard and X-Modes—both significantly above the S24U. Far better thermal management, too. We now know that the S24U is intentionally throttled to keep temperatures in check—you are buying a V8 but getting a V6.
Ease of Use80
1+2+4 Warranty/OS/Security patch policy is way behind Samsung and Google and would be the one reason not to buy.
Design90
It is no longer a flashy gamer’s phone but a well-designed, well-made premium smartphone.
Rating out of 1088
Final commentGiven the choice of the ASUS ROG Phone 8 Pro or an S24U, I would select the ASUS. I can live with the 1+2+4 warranty/OS/update policy because this well-designed, well-thought-out premium smartphone offers far better performance and amenities than the competition.

Pro

ASUS ROG Phone 8 Pro

From $1799
8.8

Features

9.0/10

Value

9.0/10

Performance

9.0/10

Ease of Use

8.0/10

Design

9.0/10

Pros

  • This is a superb 10-bit/1.07 million 165Hz AMOLED display. I have not seen better, and it is way ahead of the S24U.
  • The battery life is excellent with a 65W charger inbox. It is way better than the S24U without a charger.
  • Gamers will love the Armor Crate, Cooler and trigger sides.
  • Excellent tri-camera, only lacking the S24U periscope telephoto. Excellent photo preview accuracy (S24U not).
  • Much better value – more features for significantly less cost.

Cons

  • It is not as refined as the S24U.
  • It may not hold its second-hand value as well as S24U
  • 1+2+4 WTY/OS/Security patch is sub-standard for this value device
  • Samsung service will be easier to access