The ROG Phone 7 is one of the most extra phones I've ever seen

Now out in Australian stores, the ROG Phone 7 is a super powerful handset for the most dedicated of gamers. With completely over-the-top aesthetics, it wants people to know that you’re a Gamer. And I kinda dig it.

Made by Asus’ non-subtly named gaming arm, the Republic of Gamers, the ROG Phone 7 boasts some of the beefiest internals going around. A follow-up to last year’s 6 model, the new version upgrades to a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, up from the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1. This CPU is said to carry 15% improvements in both speed and power efficiency.

Other improvements come in the form of better cooling and boosted audio performance. If you’re gaming on a phone, especially in public, you really should be courteous to others and use headphones, but decent in-built speakers are great if no one else is around.

Although not a lot has changed from a pure hardware perspective, many of the ROG 7 Phone improvements appear to focus on overall efficiency, helping you game for longer and more comfortably.

Like its predecessor, the ROG Phone 7 wields a generous 6.78-inch 165Hz display. What’s different this time, however, is its peak brightness. Using Samsung AMOLED technology, the phone maxes out at a bright 1,500 nits, which should make playing and watching easier when outside.

Alongside the audio experts at Dirac, the ROG Phone 7 has 50% louder speakers. See my earlier point about using speakers in public, but imagine the chaos you could unleash with one of these bad boys if someone tries watching TikTok on public transport without headphones: just drown them out! As an optional extra, you can pair the handset with the AeroActive Cooler 7 attachment, adding a subwoofer for punchy 2.1-channel sound.

Arguably the most important upgrade the ROG Phone 7 introduces is better cooling. Not only does this increase power efficiency, but it also makes the device easier to hold for longer periods of time. To do this, the phone uses what it calls a “GameCool 7” thermal system. Essentially, it combines hardware improvements and a larger vapour chamber to help cool the processor. Plus, the AeroActive Cooler 7, as its name suggests, contains a fan to reduce heat buildup.

There are two models on offer at retailers like JB Hi-Fi: the vanilla $1,799 version available in black or white, and the $2,099 Ultimate variant that only comes in white. For an extra $300, you get the customisable 2-inch OLED rear ROG Vision display and an enhanced cooling experience via the AeroActive Portal inlet. This inlet automatically activates when connecting the AeroActive Cooler, capable of increasing thermal efficiency by as much as 20%.

Powering the software experience is ROG’s Armoury Crate wrapper, a version of which is commonly seen across Asus’ gaming devices. Between versatile devices like the ROG Phone 7, the Flow series of tablets, and the Ally handheld gaming PC, Asus is certainly one of the boldest brands in terms of trying to find the next big thing.

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