Gaming phones have changed a lot since the Nokia N-Gage was released back in 2003. Over the years, fewer compromises have been made, and today, the specs that make a phone better at gaming can translate into a better overall experience. Asus’ ROG Phone 8 Pro is the latest top-tier gaming phone, and it offers compelling hardware. The device also costs $1,200, which puts it within the range of Samsung’s Galaxy S24 Ultra. Is the ROG Phone a niche product, or can it compete with the jack-of-all-trades Galaxy S24 Ultra?
The ROG Phone 8 Pro comes in two variants, one with 512GB of storage and 12GB of RAM and another with 1TB of storage and 24GB of RAM, starting at $1,200. It’s available in most countries, but you probably won’t find it in any physical stores or from carriers. Depending on your region, you’ll need to buy it from Asus itself or Amazon.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra has 12GB of RAM on every model and comes with 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB of storage. The S24 costs $1,300, $100 more than the ROG Phone for half the storage. It’s available worldwide from Samsung and all major retailers and carriers. This is a significant advantage for the S24 Ultra. Not only is it available in more places, it’s almost always on offer. Carrier and trade-in deals mean you rarely pay the full $1,300, and it’s often cheaper than the ROG 8 Pro.
Both phones use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, UFS 4.0 storage, and plenty of RAM, although the ROG phone gets more RAM in its 1TB variant. You can see all of their tech specs below:
Both of these phones use beautiful AMOLED displays. The ROG display is slightly smaller at 6.78 inches, even though the phone is just under 2mm taller, thanks to its larger bezels. The ROG Phone 8 Pro’s 1080p screen can dynamically adjust its refresh rate from 1 to 165Hz, reach a max brightness of 2,400 nits, and is protected by Gorilla Glass Victuis 2.
The S24 Ultra has a 6.8 inch, 1440p AMOLED display that can refresh between 1 and 120Hz, reach a max brightness of 2,600 nits, and is protected by Gorilla Armor. The displays trade blows, then, with the S24 boasting a higher resolution and slightly higher brightness, while the ROG phone refreshes faster. Those differences aren’t noticeable unless you go out of your way to look for them, but the glass makes a meaningful difference. Gorilla Armor is 75% less reflective than the Victus 2 used on the ROG Phone, so the S24 Ultra doesn’t have to push its max brightness as often as it isn’t fighting reflections.
These phones take different approaches to their overall design. The S24 Ultra is a boxy phone with sharp corners and symmetrical bezels. The phone’s exterior is minimalist, with each camera lens protruding on its own rather than as part of a camera bump. And the phone’s bottom houses the SIM slot, speaker, and S Pen. The buttons are all on the right side, and the rest of the device is blank. In addition to the Gorilla Armor on the front and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the back, the frame is made using titanium.
The ROG Phone 8 Pro has more rounded corners, which are more comfortable to hold for extended periods. The frame is made of aluminum, and the back is plastic, although it still feels like a high-quality device. The camera bump is chunky, but what really makes this phone stand out is the LED display on the back panel. This can be programmed to show various animations or messages.
Another thing that’s notable about the ROG is how many ports it has. It’s one of the few phones to keep a headphone jack, but it also has two USB-C ports. One is off-center on the bottom, along with the audio jack and combined SIM/SD card slot and speaker, with another on the left-hand side. This way, you can charge the phone while playing games in the landscape without affecting your grip.
The ROG also has what Asus calls Air Triggers on each right-side corner. These can be programmed to different game inputs, making the phone feel more like a gaming controller. Asus also includes an attachable cooler on the 1TB that clips onto the back of the phone and adds two physical triggers that can also be remapped. You can buy it separately for the 512GB phone for $100.
Both phones share the same processor and storage type: a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and UFS 4.0. Performance is excellent on both of them and in typical day-to-day usage, you won’t see much difference, save for the slightly smoother 165Hz display on the ROG 8 Pro. The differences are found when gaming. While the phones are powerful, the ROG stays cooler for longer, even without its cooling accessory, so you’ll get more consistent frame rates that can be boosted further when using the fan.
The ROG Phone 8 Pro ships with Android 14 and Asus’ Zen UI layered on top. It’s quite a light skin, mostly consisting of some Asus apps and gaming features. One of our favorite things about it is the way it lets you modify the core Android experience. Like Samsung and other OEMs, Asus has made its own versions of the notification shade, call UI, volume slider, power menu, and quick settings. Unlike Samsung, Asus includes the stock Android versions as well. You can choose an all-Asus or all-Google layout, or you can mix and match them to your liking.
One thing that is lacking is software support. The ROG Phone 8 Pro will only receive two years of Android updates and four years of security patches, so Android 16 will be the last version it receives.
The S24 Ultra also runs Android 14, with One UI 6.1 running the show. It doesn’t offer any options to use a stock Android UI like the ROG Phone does, but it has plenty of other customization options built into it. Samsung has its own gaming software suite, although it isn’t as comprehensive as the ROG. Apps like Good Lock and Good Guardians let you tweak the One UI experience beyond the level of most other Android skins. It can be overwhelming at first, but its flexibility is great.
The big win for the S24 Ultra is how long it will get support. The 2023 Galaxy S23 already offered double the number of Android upgrades as the ROG phone, but the S24 series now matches Google’s Pixel 8 with seven years of Android and security updates. That means the S24 Ultra will get its final update in 2031 with Android 21.
Software updates are also faster in Samsung’s camp. These phones haven’t had an Android upgrade yet, but we can look to previous models to make an informed prediction. The ROG Phone 7 didn’t get Android 14 until February 2024, while the Galaxy S23 series saw it in October 2023, and even the Galaxy S21 had it before the ROG Phone 7.
Both phones have good battery life, but the ROG Phone 8 Pro beats the S24 Ultra. The ROG Phone has a 5,500mAh battery that, when combined with the 1080p display, will easily last for two days of normal usage and longer gaming sessions than anything else. That huge battery can be recharged at 65W via either USB-C port and 15W on a Qi wireless charger.
The S24 Ultra has a 5,000mAh battery that will last a full day but obviously doesn’t come close to the ROG. That battery can be charged at 45W over USB-C and 15W wirelessly. The S24 Ultra has another trick up its sleeve with 4.5W reverse wireless charging for accessories.
Moving onto the cameras, Samsung has clearly focused on this more than Asus. The ROG 8 Pro has better cameras than any of its predecessors, with a 50MP primary sensor, 32MP 3X telephoto, and 13MP ultrawide. The S24 Ultra beats those numbers on paper and in practice with a 200MP primary camera, 10MP 3X telephoto, 50MP 5X telephoto, and 12MP ultrawide.
The ROG takes good photos in most lighting conditions and has a reliable camera system. The S24 Ultra feels more fleshed out, with more modes and unique features that make the camera fun to use, although it can sometimes struggle with moving objects.
Really, though, if you’re buying a gaming phone, the cameras aren’t a primary concern, so they’re more than good enough for the target demographic.
It depends on what you want from the phone, but for most, the S24 Ultra is the best option. Gaming performance is still good, even if it lacks nice-to-have features like mappable triggers and battery will still last a full day. What really works in its favor is how good it is at being a jack-of-all-trades, general-purpose smartphone. The S Pen is fantastic and is a clutch feature for those who have to edit a lot of documents or like to express their artistic side when out and about. It also provides better value, thanks to the seven years of software support it will enjoy.
Having said that, you shouldn’t ignore the ROG Phone 8 Pro. Hardcore mobile gamers generally don’t care about the areas the S24 Ultra is strong in; they just want something that will play the latest games at super smooth framerates for as long as possible, and the ROG Phone excels at that, all while still offering an above average overall experience. Gaming phones have come a long way since their inception, and the Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro is one of the best, even if its name is a mouthful.
Maybe if we start telling people the brain is an app they will start using it!
