The ASUS ROG Phone 6, released in 2022, is the upgrade to the highly popular ASUS ROG Phone 5. It retains most of the features that made the ROG Phone 5 a success, while also adding a few improvements. In this article, we’ll be comparing the two phones to find out what improvements are made with the ASUS ROG Phone 6, and to determine if it’s a phone worth upgrading to if you already have the ASUS ROG Phone 5.
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ASUS ROG Phone 6 vs 5 Comparison Chart
Design
The ASUS ROG Phone 6 has better cooling and improved durability.
One look at the ASUS ROG Phones and you’ll know they are for gaming. Both the ASUS ROG Phone 6 and 5 are designed to appeal to the mobile gaming crowd. They have RGB lighting at the rear with the ASUS ROG (Republic of Gamers) branding. If you prefer a more understated design, you won’t like either, but if you prefer something flashy, then these phones are for you.
When it comes to size and weight, there’s very little difference. They have almost the same exact physical dimensions and they both weigh a little under 240 grams. The screen size is similar as well, at 6.78 inches (more on that later). As for the build quality of the phones, they both feature Gorilla Glass Victus fronts, Gorilla Glass 3 backs and aluminum frames. The only real difference here is that the newer ROG Phone 6 now has an IPX4 rating. With an IPX4 rating, it’s a bit more durable as it is water resistant.
For gaming, the two phones feature ASUS’ AeroActive Cooling system for optimized thermals. The chipsets can sustain prolonged gaming sessions without thermal throttling. That said, the cooling system on the ASUS ROG Phone 6 is improved to be more efficient and provide better temperatures.
You can get the ASUS ROG Phone 6 and ROG Phone 5 in either Phantom Black or Storm White.
Display
Aside from having a higher refresh rate, the touch sampling rate on the ASUS ROG Phone 6 is improved to 720Hz from the 300Hz on the ASUS ROG Phone 5.
The screens on the ASUS ROG Phone 6 and ROG Phone 5 are almost identical. The two phones feature 6.78-inch 1080 x 2448 pixels AMOLED panels. These displays support HDR10+ and have 1200 nits peak brightness. One big difference is that the ROG Phone 6’s screen has a max refresh rate of 165Hz while the ROG Phone 5 has a 144Hz screen.
The ASUS ROG Phone 6 can provide a smoother gaming experience due to having a higher refresh rate. In addition to the improvement in refresh rate, the newer phone now has a touch sampling rate of 720Hz. With this increase, the phone can detect your touches faster, reducing lag and improving accuracy. The ASUS ROG Phone 5 has a touch sampling rate of 300Hz, in comparison.
Hardware & Performance
The ASUS ROG Phone 6 is equipped with the latest and fastest Snapdragon chipset for a much better gaming performance than the ASUS ROG Phone 5.
The ASUS ROG Phone 6 is one of the early adopters of the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset. This is the upgraded version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 which you can find in flagship smartphones. Needless to say, the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset offers superior performance, whether gaming or just basic smartphone functions, and better efficiency than older chipsets, including the Snapdragon 888 which is inside the ASUS ROG Phone 5. In combination with the improved AeroActive Cooling system, the ASUS ROG Phone 6 offers better gaming performance than the ASUS ROG Phone 5.
The two phones are available in similar RAM and storage configurations. Both are offered in 128GB 8GB RAM, 128GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM and 512GB 16GB RAM variants. There’s no micro SD card slot, so you’ll want to choose the most suitable storage option for your use case. A returning feature is the inclusion of a headphone jack. You can use the phone with your favorite wired earbuds, Bluetooth earbuds or just use the dual front-facing balanced stereo speakers.
Aside from the chipset, another noteworthy difference between the two is with their camera systems. They have triple camera systems at the back, with the ASUS ROG Phone 5 having a 64MP main, 13MP ultrawide and 5MP macro configuration and the ASUS ROG Phone 6 a 50MP main, 13MP ultrawide and 5MP macro. The move from 64MP to 50MP for the ASUS ROG Phone 6 is not a downgrade, as it now uses a Sony IMX766 with a larger sensor, so there’s a slight boost in camera performance.
Battery Life
The ASUS ROG Phone 6 edges the ROG Phone 5 slightly in battery life due to having a more efficient chipset.
Battery performance is almost similar with these two phones. You’d expect that since they have the same split 6000mAh battery capacity. However, the ASUS ROG Phone 6 edges out the ROG Phone 5 slightly since it has a more efficient chipset. That said, the difference is almost negligible and you’ll get excellent battery life with these two phones.
Charging is at 65 watts for both phones and they also support 10W reverse wired charging. However, there’s no wireless charging feature.
Verdict
If you are looking to get the best gaming phone, the ASUS ROG Phone 6 is definitely a contender. However, if you already have the ASUS ROG Phone 5 and are thinking of upgrading, we recommend that you hold out and just wait for the next iteration.
ASUS ROG Phone 6
ASUS ROG Phone 5
Looking at the specs, you’ll notice that there are quite a few similarities between the ASUS ROG Phone 6 and ROG Phone 5. As such, we don’t look at the ASUS ROG Phone 6 as a major upgrade to the ASUS ROG Phone 5, but rather a refinement of an already excellent gaming phone.
If you already have the ASUS ROG Phone 5, we recommend that you hold on to it and just wait for the next ASUS gaming phone that will offer more substantial upgrades. That is, unless, money is not a problem and you just want the best. In that case, you should definitely get the ASUS ROG Phone 6 as it is one of the fastest and best performing gaming phones out right now.
FAQs
Yes, it’s the best gaming phone that you can get right now due to its combination of excellent cooling, fast chipset and built-in gaming features.
It’s IPX4 rated, so not entirely waterproof but water-resistant.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t have one. But there are plenty of storage configurations that you can choose from.
Yes, it’s as good as any phone for daily use, as long as you don’t mind its gamer aesthetics.
