Asus ROG Phone 5s

The Asus ROG Phone 5s is a gaming phone with high-end specifications, gaming features and has several cool accessories you can buy. For example there is an active cooler that you can buy and click on the back side. In this review, we explain it all.

Not just for daredevils

Asus themselves call the ROG Phone 5s a phone "for real daredevils". We too don't know what they mean by that. What we do know is that the Rog Phone 5s is a gaming phone at heart. This is clearly a high-end phone with the most extensive specifications you can think of. We list a few of them. A Snapdragon 888+ processor with 12 or 16GB of RAM memory (RAM), 512GB of storage memory, a 6.78" large AMOLED screen with a 144Hz refresh rate and a 6000mAh battery with 65W fast charging. This makes the 5s not only great for gaming but it also competes with the flagships of the competition.

Gamers have an edge

To make the ROG Phone 5s better suited for gaming, there are plenty of features that the gamers amongst us will appreciate. And we don't just mean the 144Hz screen. But also the forward-facing dual speakers for true stereo sound. Preferring to listen with headphones is no problem thanks to the 3.5mm headphone port present. Inside is an ESS DAC to produce high quality sound.

Main Asus ROG Phone 5s specifications

• 6.78-inch Samsung AMOLED screen with smooth 144Hz refresh
• 64+13+5MP camera system with wide-angle, macro and 8K video
• 24MP selfie camera for live streaming sits above the screen
• Powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 888+ processor with 12 or 16GB of RAM memory
• 6000mAh large battery with 65W fast charging
• 512GB of fast UFS3.1 storage
• Front-facing stereo speakers with Dirac sound and built-in high-end DAC
• Suitable for Dual SIM (2x nano SIM)
• Several available accessories with additional gaming features

Available accessories

Asus has a whole line of accessories available for Rog Phone 5s users. The AeroActive Cooler 5 is one of them. You snap it on the back and inside is a fan that can cool the CPU temperature by as much as 15°C. As a result, you always get the maximum number of frame rates and the best performance. The cooling fan also features 2 additional buttons that you can use while gaming. Furthermore, a lighted case is available for extra protection (the Lighting Armour Case) and a separate gamepad for external control (the ROG Kunai 3 Gamepad).

Bigger and heavier than usual

But let's also not forget that the Rog Phone 5s is otherwise a regular phone. With Android (released with version 11), on the back a 64MP camera with 8K video and a 24MP camera up front. That selfie camera is not in the screen like a hole or notch, but in the edge next to it. You don't lose any screen area because of this but it does make the phone a bit larger than usual. And that is also our biggest objection. It is quite large. And with 238 grammes, it is also a bit on the heavy side.

Pro and cons Asus ROG Phone 5s

• High performance
• Numerous gaming functions
• Extra smooth screen
• Large battery & stereo sound

• Big and heavy