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The Asus ROG Phone 6 and 6 Pro are a gamer's dream

Take all of the high-end specs of a gaming PC and apply that to a phone, and you end up with the ROG Phone 6 and 6 Pro.
Written by Jason Cipriani, Contributing Writer
Asus ROG Phone 6 Pro
Jason Cipriani/ZDNet

Asus on Tuesday unveiled their latest smartphone designed with gamers in mind: The ROG Phone 6 and 6 Pro

The gaming experience on the ROG Phone 6 series starts with the display. Both phones use a 6.78-inch AMOLED display with HDR10+ and a refresh rate of 165Hz. That refresh rate means that games with support for that display speed will look smooth and lag-free, in addition to more routine tasks like scrolling through your Instagram feed will look smoother. 

There are two USB-C ports on the Phone 6. One on the bottom, and another on the left side. This allows you to game on the phone while it's plugged in and charging. When you hold the Phone 6 sideways, you'll notice two ultrasonic sensors on the top of the phone that act as gaming controller buttons. 

Inside the Phone 6 is Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 mobile platform. The Phone 6 comes with up to 16 GB of memory and 512 GB of storage, while the 6 Pro comes with 18 GB of memory and the same 512 GB of storage. There's a total of 6,000mAh of battery power inside the Phone 6. 

In addition to more memory, another feature that sets the Phone 6 Pro apart from the standard Phone 6 is a 2-inch OLED ROG Vision display on the back of the 6 Pro. The small display can be used for things like showing when you're getting a call, and when the current charge level of the phone as it's charging. 

With any gaming device, heat is the enemy. So, Asus developed the AeroActive Cooler 6 -- an accessory that attaches to the back of the phone and plugs into a USB-C port. Once connected, the phone and the cooler work together to ensure the phone runs at the optional temperature. There are also two buttons on either side of the cooler that act as a gaming controller when it's attached. 

The ROG Phone 6 starts at 999 euros, while the ROG Phone 6 Pro is 1,299 euros. Both phones will be available in the coming weeks. 

I have a review sample from ASUS on my desk right now. I didn't have enough time to test it for a full review, but I have played a few games on it so far. It's an impressive phone with an accessory lineup that adds to the gaming appeal. 

I'll have a full review of the ROG Phone 6 Pro in the coming weeks. If there's anything you specifically want to know about it, please let me know in the comments below.

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