Update 3 (7/18/19 @ 7:35 PM ET): The ASUS ROG Phone 2's TENAA listing reveals the specifications and (low quality) renders.

Update 2 (7/16/19 @ 12:10 PM ET): We're now seeing what could be the first live images of the ASUS ROG Phone II.

Update 1 (7/15/19 @ 10:08 AM ET): ASUS has now confirmed that the ASUS ROG Phone II will also feature the Snapdragon 855 Plus SoC.

With high refresh rate displays becoming all the rage in recent months, the ASUS ROG Phone 2 has been confirmed to have a 120Hz display. The confirmation comes in the form of a blog post on the company's Weibo account announcing a partnership with Tencent Games and the Chinese webcomic "Under One Person". "Under One Person" is published by Tencent China, and the game will be the first to fully support the 120Hz display on the ROG Phone 2.

High refresh rate displays are most useful for games which support them, as the added fluidity can make games easier to control or give you a small advantage of other players. Not only that, but they're nicer to look at in general usage as well. The Razer Phone kickstarted the trend, with devices from ASUS and OnePlus showing that high refresh rate displays are here to stay. There are no 120Hz AMOLED panels available just yet, though it's possible that the ASUS ROG Phone 2 may be the first. Both Razer Phones used Sharp-made IPS LCDs.

The ASUS ROG Phone 2 is competing with other powerful flagships on the market such as the OnePlus 7 Pro and the Black Shark 2. A 120Hz display is a nice advantage over competitors. The Razer Phone and Razer Phone 2 are the only other Android smartphones to have one, which the original ROG Phone certainly went toe to toe with.

While we don't know anything else about the ASUS ROG Phone 2, it's expected to have the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chipset. No launch date has been given either, though it will probably launch in the next few months as the original ROG Phone launched in July of last year. The original ROG Phone also had three trigger buttons, lots of gaming accessories and a USB-C port on the side for those accessories. You can read more about it here.

Source: Weibo (in simplified Chinese)


Update 1: Snapdragon 855 Plus

Announced in a press release, the ASUS ROG Phone 2 will be powered by the newly launched Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus SoC. The 855 Plus comes equipped with the Kryo 485 CPU and can run at up to 2.96GHz, which is a 4.2% improvement over the standard Snapdragon 855. The 855 Plus also offers a 15% performance increase with the Adreno 640 GPU compared to the standard 855. ASUS has been slowly releasing details about this upcoming device. Availability and pricing will be shared at a later date.


Update 2: Possible Live Images

Only a day after finding out about what will be powering the ASUS ROG Phone 2, we have more information and our first look at the design. The two live photos show off the front of the display, which still features dual front-facing speakers and a "forehead" and "chin" like the original. That means you won't have a notch or punch hole getting in the way of your gaming.

One photo shows off the refresh rate settings screen, which does indeed have 120Hz as an option. Translated from Chinese, the screen explains how the refresh rate is dependent on the game you're playing. It also says the refresh rate can't be adjusted when the phone is connected to an external screen. The ASUS ROG Phone 2 is expected to be launched later this month.

Source: Weibo | Via: Gizmochina


Update 3: TENAA Listing

The TENAA listing for what's likely the Chinese version of the ASUS ROG Phone II (ASUS_I001DB) has been posted online. Here are the renders shared with the Chinese regulatory agency:

According to the listing, the phone has a 6.59-inch FHD+ (2340x1080) screen and measures 170.99 x 77.6 x 9.78mm, making it one of the largest phones out there. Its battery capacity is rated at 5,800mAh. It comes with either 8GB or 12GB RAM and one of 128GB, 512GB, or 1TB storage options. It runs Android 9 Pie. Its primary rear camera is 48MP while its front camera is 24MP. There's clearly a secondary rear camera in the render shown above, but the TENAA listing doesn't reveal its specifications. The CPU frequency is listed at 2.95GHz, which matches what we know about the phone's Snapdragon 855 Plus SoC.

The ASUS ROG Phone 2 will be announced on June 23rd, so we'll have all the final details then.