Stuff - UK (2019-12)

O ASUS ROG PHONE II £830 +++++

SUPERTEST SMARTPHONES

A red-hot gaming phone for

those who like to play it cool

If you’re serious about mobile

gaming and want a leg up over

your online opponents, the ROG

Phone II is the ultimate gamers’

handset of 2019. We just thought

we’d put that one to bed early,

because in case you were

wondering how a laptop

manufacturer had somehow

snuck a smartphone into the Stuff

supertest, it’s here on merit. Plus,

even people who take mobile

antisocial-ness to entirely new

levels are humans.

Officially the first phone to

come packing Qualcomm’s

jacked-up Snapdragon 855+

chipset, giving it more grunt than

a Bavarian pig farm, it houses a

whopping 6000mAh battery for

entirely possible all-day gaming,

while the 120Hz display (yes,

really) spurts crisp, silky-smooth

visuals at your peepers. Rivals

like the Black Shark 2 can’t touch

it for specs, performance and

dedicated features.

And that’s only the tip of

a very dense gaming iceberg.

We’ve blasted our way through

countless Android titles, all in the

name of quality tech journalism, to

conclude that the ROG Phone II is

undeniably the greatest gaming

mobile of all time.

Of course, all that tech doesn’t

come cheap. But if you can find

the green queens and you’re a

mobile gamer, this is simply the

best piece of kit for you right now:

a super-premium device in every

regard that others can’t match

for performance, battery life or

accessory support.

Nubia Red

Magic 3

from £419 /

redmagic.gg

The first ever

smartphone

with a fan can

power anything

in the Play

Store. A 90Hz

AMOLED,

built-in shoulder

buttons and

official

accessories

mean not many

handsets can

beat this at

playtime. It’s OK

as a ‘phone’ too.

Stuff says

++++,

CAMERA

It takes two

Asus has reused the

Zenfone 6’s combo of

48MP primary lens and

wide-angle secondary

snapper. It works a treat

and photos pack detail

even in tricky lighting,

while HDR+ mode

combats harsh contrast.

OOOOOOOOOO

DESIGN

Millennial falcon

The ROG is more alien

vessel than phone thanks

to the asymmetrical

glass rear, angular camera

grille and microchip-style

pattern, and that’s before

discussing the big LED

logo. It’s weighty but

comfortable to clutch.

OOOOOOOOOO

DISPLAY

Mega hertz

A perfectly flat display

is better for gaming as

edge-hugging controls

remain responsive

and easy to poke. The

120Hz refresh rate brings

ultra-smooth visuals,

with a zippy 240Hz touch

response rate.

OOOOOOOOOO

PERFORMANCE

Game gear

The graphical clout of that

Snapdragon 855+ ensures

games like PUBG Mobile

play with top detail levels

and a super-stable frame

rate. Software is geared

towards gamers, including

Game Genie for blocking

calls and notifications.

OOOOOOOOOO

FOR

A BIT

LESS