Does it offer value for money?

There was a time when high-end premium flagships served as the best mobile gaming devices. There were no custom gaming-specific smartphones in the market. That all changed with the likes of Razer, Redmagic, and ROG phones. Among several brands, the ROG Phone built up a reputation for being the most comprehensive mobile gaming solution. Asus recently launched the ROG Phone 7 on 13th April on a pre-order basis. Here’s everything about the device and why it might be the best gaming smartphone of 2023.

Design and build quality

The design of the ROG Phone 7 is similar to its previous iterations. Just like the ROG laptops, the ROG phones are every bit flashy and eye-catching in their own way.

This year, there is a slight design change on the back. The polygonal camera housing is still the same and as unique as ever. There is a diagonal cut that brings two tones to the back of the phone. The upper part is made to be a see-through portion much like the Nothing Phone 1. Though users will not see the exact internals, just the graphics. The bottom portion is finished in matte with the RGB ROG eye logo in place. The white and black colour variant brings an impressive colour array and stunning look to the device.

Its dimensions are 6.81 by 3.03 by 0.41 inches. Being a gaming phone, the ROG 7 is on the heavier side at 239 grams. The device has been stacked with ports and features that would exclusively cater to gamers. The front and the back of the device I protected by Gorilla Glass Victus and Glass 3 respectively. There is a smooth metal frame all around the device complemented by ROG branding. The branding on the two right-side corners also acts as gaming triggers.

There is a headphone jack and a USB Type C port at the bottom with another Type C port on the side. There’s also a three-pin port for the accessory mount. Since this is a gaming phone, a charging port on the side makes perfect sense. Here’s a complete list of the mounting options available to the users.

The usual sim tray and color-coded volume and power buttons are carried on from the ROG 6. In essence, the ROG 7 is not much different from the ROG 6 in terms of design, build quality, and accessibility. And it exactly works in favour of the ROG 7.

The display

The display design on the ROG 7 will not appeal to everyone. There’s a considerable chin on both the bottom and top of the device. But it’s completely understandable and even appreciated by gamers as it assists with the horizontal holding of the phone avoiding accidental touches. The display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus.

Coming to the specifications of the panel, the display is a 6.78-inch AMOLED panel with FHD+ (1080 by 2448 pixels with 395 ppi density) resolution. The usual 1B color and HDR10+ is here along with the insane 165 Hz refresh rate. The device has a peak brightness of 1500 nits which is more than enough for gaming under the sun.

The display is smooth, crisp, and has excellent touch response. This is what one would expect from a gaming smartphone and the ROG 7 delivers big time.

The camera

The camera is not really a priority in a gaming smartphone. Yet Asus has not completely overlooked the camera performance of the ROG phones. The same capable camera system from the 6 is carried onto the 7.

There is a 50 MP main sensor with an additional 13 MP ultrawide and 5 MP macro shooter. The main camera does a decent job of capturing photos in daylight with good details and exposure. Asus has taken full advantage of the powerful processor of the ROG 7 and pushed the videography to up to 8K at 24 fps for the cinematic shots.

There is also a 32 MO front camera for all selfie lovers. Overall, the camera system of the ROG 7 produces passable results. Considering the target demographic of this phone, the camera on the ROG 7 will be more than satisfying.