ASUS updates its ROG Phone series with Qualcomm’s newest mobile processor

ASUS is updating its range of ROG gaming phones at a fast clip to keep up with the latest processor advancements. The new ROG Phone 5S and 5S Pro, the fifth and latest additions to the high-end lineup, pack Qualcomm’s fresh Snapdragon 888+ 5G chipset, a beefed-up version of the base 888 found inside predecessor, the ROG Phone 5. It’s not the first phone to get the processor, though. That accolade went to the Xiaomi Mi Mix 4. In fact, we knew the 888+ was coming to the ROG phone: Qualcomm listed ASUS’ gaming handset as a partner earlier this summer, along with devices from Vivo, Honor and Motorola.

The processor itself promises a clock speed boost from a peak 2.86GHz to nearly 3GHz courtesy of its Kryo 680 CPU architecture. It also boasts a 20 percent AI improvement with up to 32 TOPS AI performance. All of which is to say it’s a natural fit for a premium gaming phone.

Beyond the upgraded chipset, the new ROG phones sport the same 6.78-inch 144Hz display, 6,000 mAh battery and triple rear cameras with a 64-megapixel main sensor as their predecessor. Additional updates include a more responsive 360Hz touch-sampling rate (which still doesn’t match the 720Hz responsiveness of Lenovo’s Legion Phone Duel 2) and a max 18GB and 512GB storage on the 5S Pro. You can also expect ultrasonic sensors for the AirTrigger 5 buttons and grip press detection.

According to Gizmochina, the two phones are currently only available to pre-order in ASUS’ native Taiwan ahead of an August 24th shipping date. The 5S costs $1,077/$1,221 based on RAM and storage and the 5S Pro costs $1,365.