latest
Asus manages to bring Android 11 to the ROG Phone 2... only a full year late
And it's Taiwan-only at that
The name of the game with Android OS updates, as it always seems to be, is triage. How fast you get that version bump depends primarily on whether the maker of your phone is named "Google." So, it should be no surprise that Asus is only now bringing Android 11 to the ROG Phone 2.
Asus ROG Phone 5 render pops up at the last place you'd expect
The full-color panel looks set to show notifications and more
Read update
While still a niche, gaming smartphones feature some of the most intriguing hardware and designs. Asus's ROG Phone 3 successor seems to only exemplify this. The upcoming ROG Phone 5 (name not confirmed) has surfaced in a leaked video on Weibo, and it seems to be the wackiest phone from the Taiwanese company yet.
LineageOS is one of the most popular custom ROMs around, and certainly the one with the widest device support. The last time we covered the project, it started offering Android 10-based builds for the 6-year-old OnePlus One, and now the ROM is available on even more phones.
LineageOS 17.1 arrives on the ROG Phone 2, Sony Xperia XZ2, and other phones
Everyone gets Android 10!
Slowly but surely, the LineageOS custom ROM is bringing unofficial Android 10 to a wealth of phones and tablets. LineageOS 17.1 (based on Android 10) recently arrived on the OnePlus One, and now the ROM is available on several other phones, both new and old.
Netflix confirms official HD support for ASUS ROG II, ZenFone 6, and new TCL phones
Official HDR10 support for ROG II and TCL 10L, too
Not all Android devices can stream from Netflix at the same quality, the company is actually a little bit picky about it, certifying individual devices for different features. While the list sometimes lags a bit behind reality, Netflix now says that TCL's latest phones (the 10 Pro and 10L) are now HD-compatible, together with the Asus ROG II and ZenFone 6.
Asus ROG Phone II starts getting Android 10 today (Update: Changelog and download link)
The release comes after four months of beta testing
Read update
The Asus ROG Phone II is an absolute unit of a gaming handset that packs all of the best hardware currently out there, and luckily, the manufacturer has decided not to divert too much from the stock Android interface. It still took it quite some time to update the phone, though: Four months after Asus started the initial Android 10 beta for the ROG Phone II, the device is now finally receiving the stable release of the software.
TeamWin Recovery Project, or TWRP for short, is the best custom recovery software out there. It can help you install ROMs, make full-device backups, and anything in between. Now the project has officially extended support to eight more phones.
ASUS only recently announced the ROG Phone II, but now as we get started with IFA 2019 the manufacturer is already delivering a fresh variant of its gaming handset, revealing the new Ultimate Edition. Not too much has changed compared to the original ROG Phone II (now dubbed the Elite Edition) — other than the color scheme, faster storage, and an upgraded LTE download speeds, the hardware's identical.
ASUS’ ROG Phone 2 is an absolute beast of a phone owing to its 120Hz AMOLED display, 6000mAh battery, and of course the Snapdragon 855 Plus chip. The niche gaming phone now stands next in line to receive the newest flavor of Android, after its mainstream ZenFone-branded peers underwent a similar treatment not too long ago. ASUS has begun taking applications for Zen UI closed beta from anyone meeting a prescribed set of requirements. This will presumably be followed by a public beta before a stable version of Android 10 is released.
Read update
ASUS announced the ROG Phone II earlier this year, and it is truly a beast of a smartphone, featuring up to 1TB of storage, a Snapdragon 855 Plus, 12GB of RAM, and a 120Hz display. With the September launch date inching closer, the company is sharing which games will support the high-refresh-rate screen, plus a couple more that barely surpass 60fps.
Read update
- The ROG Phone II is supposed to become available in the US today, but B&H Photo and Mobile Advance appear to be the only ones selling it right now, and B&H has it as a pre-order. For reference, the US version has a model number of ZS660KL-S855P-12G512G-BK.
Asus has been on a roll with its Android devices lately. The Zenfone 6 made headlines earlier this year for bringing flagship specifications to a sub-$500 price point, giving OnePlus a run for its money. Last year's ROG Phone, sold under the company's 'Republic of Gamers' brand, was also a pretty great device. Nearly a year later, Asus has followed it up with a sequel.The ROG Phone II is one of the most powerful Android devices ever, with more RAM, a bigger battery, and faster storage than nearly every other phone on the market right now. It has plenty of features that other flagship phones have neglected in the name of minimal bezels and thinness — like a headphone jack and a giant battery. While there are a few areas of the device that are lacking compared to the typical Android flagship, the ROG Phone II is an absolute beast.
Read update
After leaks have shown virtually everything the Pixel 4 has to offer, Netflix doesn't seem to care if someone spots the yet-to-be-unveiled phone on its website. The company has updated its lists of devices supporting HD and HDR10 playback to include a number of new flagships like the Samsung Galaxy Note10, Fold, and Tab S6, plus the Asus ROG Phone II – among them, you'll also find the unreleased Pixel 4 and 4 XL.
We've been skeptical about the need for dedicated gaming phones over the years, but it appears there's enough appetite for them as they keep on coming. The latest is the second generation ROG Phone from Asus, and its got an insane spec list that no other Android phone can boast right now, just as we were expecting after the recent leaks.
Read update
- ASUS has also revealed that the upcoming ROG Phone II will be using Qualcomm's just-announced Snapdragon 855 Plus, like we speculated. The gaming-centric device should benefit from the slight bump in speed and graphics. There's still no word on when the ROG II will debut, but we should hear more soon in the coming weeks.
In the gaming world, displays with higher refresh rates are coveted. Last year's ASUS ROG Phone came with a 90Hz display, so we're not all that surprised to see confirmation that the ROG Phone 2 will have a 120Hz unit. This beats out the OnePlus 7 Pro's 90Hz and matches the Razer Phone 2's rate.