The ASUS ROG Phone 5 has everything you could ever want in a Gaming Phone

I’m sure you’ve heard the saying: “The best camera is the one you have with you.” I would argue the same is true for gaming, which is partly why the Nintendo Switch is so popular. Even though your typical gaming smartphone won’t have access to the huge library of AAA games that are available on the Switch, it’s far more convenient to play on because you’ll always have it with you. Plus, we’ve reached a point where gaming phones have become so powerful and so long-lasting, and publishers are finally taking mobile more seriously, that there’s actually great value in picking up a gaming phone. And there’s no better gaming phone than the new ASUS ROG Phone 5, which rights some of the wrongs of the previous-gen ROG Phone 3.

Yes, you read that right: There’s no ROG Phone 4. ASUS has jumped from the ROG Phone 3 to the ROG Phone 5 because of a common superstition with the number “4” in East Asian countries. So if you were expecting to see two generations’ worth of upgrades, you’ll be disappointed. Within less than a year, though, ASUS has made so many improvements and trimmed so much fat in their formula that I can’t see any reason why you’d choose another gaming phone (if you can afford it, that is.) I’ve had the ASUS ROG Phone 5 (well, the limited edition “Ultimate” model) for nearly two weeks now, so here’s an in-depth review of its gaming chops.

 

About this review: I received the ROG Phone 5 Ultimate from ASUS on February 25, 2021. ASUS did not have any inputs regarding the content of this review.

ASUS ROG Phone 5 Specifications. Tap/click to expand.

Specifications	ASUS ROG Phone 5 Ultimate (Limited Edition)	ASUS ROG Phone 5 Pro	ASUS ROG Phone 5
Build	Corning Gorilla Glass 3 on back Aluminum mid-frame Corning Gorilla Glass Victus on the display
Dimensions & Weight	172.8 x 77.2 x 10.29 mm 238 grams
Display	6.78″ FHD+ AMOLED display 2448 x 1080 pixels 395ppi Up to 144Hz refresh rate: 60Hz, 120Hz, 144Hz refresh rate supported, variable when set to Auto 20.4:9 aspect ratio HDR10+ 800nits peak brightness Always-On display 111% DCI-P3, sRGB : 150.89% Contrast ratio: 1,000,000:1
SoC	Qualcomm Snapdragon 888: 1x Kryo 680 Prime Core @ 2.84GHz 3x Kryo 680 Performance Cores @ 2.4GHz 4x Kryo 680 Efficiency Cores @ 1.8GHz
RAM & Storage	18GB LPDDR5 + 512GB UFS 3.1	16GB LPDDR5 + 512GB UFS 3.1	8GB LPDDR5 + 128GB UFS 3.1 12GB + 256GB 16GB + 512GB
Battery & Charging	Dual 3,000mAh batteries in MMT design, total 6,000mAh 65W HyperCharge fast charging Qualcomm Quick Charge 5.0 support
Security	In-Display Fingerprint Scanner
Rear Camera(s)	Primary: 64MP Sony IMX686, f/1.8, 1/1.7″, 0.8µm, EIS, 4-in-1 Pixel binning Secondary: 13MP, ultra-wide-angle lens, f/2.4, 125° FoV, EIS Tertiary: 5MP, macro lens, f/2.0, EIS Video: 8K@30fps 4K@60/30fps Slow-mo: 4K@120fps, 1080p@240/120fps, 720@490fps
Front Camera(s)	24MP, f/2.4, 0.9µm, 4-in-1 pixel binning
Port(s)	USB 3.1 Type-C on the side USB 2.0 Type-C at the bottom 3.5mm headphone jack
Audio	7-magnet Linear 12x16mm dual front-facing speakers Powered by dual Cirrus Logic CS35L45 Mono AMP and tuned by Dirac ESS Sabre ES9280AC Pro QUAD DAC Quad mics with OZO Noise Reduction Technology
Connectivity	Bluetooth 5.2 NFC Wi-Fi 6E 5G Dual-frequency (L1+L5) GNSS, Globass, Galileo, BeiDou, QZSS, NavIC
Software	ZenUI + ROG UI based on Android 11
Other Features	Pixelworks i6 Processor Ultrasonic sensors for AirTrigger 5 Grip press detection 2 Touch sensors on the back ROG Vision – monochrome PMOLED display	Pixelworks i6 Processor Ultrasonic sensors for AirTrigger 5 Grip press detection 2 Touch sensors on the back ROG Vision – color PMOLED display	Pixelworks i6 Processor Ultrasonic sensors for AirTrigger 5 Grip press detection RGB dot-marix ROG logo
Colors	Matte White	Glossy Black	Phantom Black Storm White

Navigate this article:

• Design: What does the ASUS ROG Phone 5 look like?
• Ergonomics: How does the ROG Phone 5 feel in the hand?
• Display: How well the ASUS ROG Phone 5 show content?
• ROG Vision: What does the second display do?
• Audio: How good are the speakers on the ASUS ROG Phone 5?
• Gaming: What makes the ROG Phone 5 a good gaming phone?
  • Features
  • Accessories
  • Performance & Battery Life
  • Charging
• Conclusion

Design: What does the ASUS ROG Phone 5 look like?

“Gaming” hardware isn’t typically known for its…subtlety, and ASUS’s ROG products are not immune to flaunting their gamer aesthetic. But with each new ROG Phone model, ASUS has continued to tone down how gamer-y each phone looks, resulting in the relatively sleek and subdued look of the ROG Phone 3. However, ASUS may have gone a bit too far with the ROG Phone 3, creating a phone that looks boring. Fortunately, the company has corrected its course as the ROG Phone 5 doesn’t look like a boring black rectangular slab. The new model comes in four different designs that are all sleek yet still have that gamer aesthetic.

While each ROG Phone 5 model proudly displays the ROG logo on the back, that’s where the similarities end. Like on every ROG Phone before it, the ROG logo on the regular model is illuminated by RGB lights, but it’s now contained within a slick dot-matrix just like on the ROG Zephyrus G14 laptop. If you opt for the higher-tier ROG Phone 5 Pro or ROG Phone 5 Ultimate, though, the dot-matrix is replaced with an actual display called ROG Vision. According to ASUS, this tiny display has a PMOLED (Passive Matrix OLED) panel, the kind of panel you’d find in a wearable. Since it’s an actual display, it isn’t limited to showing just one graphic (ie. the ROG logo), though obviously, it’s too tiny to be used for anything other than that. I love the ROG Vision not because it’s practical (it’s not) but because it lets you add a bit of personal flair to your gaming smartphone. I’ll talk more about the ROG Vision in the “Display” section down below.

When I compared the ROG Phone 5 to the ROG Phone 3 earlier and said that the ROG 3 is essentially a boring black rectangular slab, what I really meant was that the ROG 5 is still a rectangular slab, just not a boring black rectangular slab. Well, it can be a black rectangular slab if you buy the regular model in Phantom Black, but ASUS finally offers another color option that makes the phone stand out a bit more: white. You can pick up the regular ROG Phone 5 in Storm White or if you’re lucky, the ROG Phone 5 Ultimate in Matte White. Sadly, the ROG Phone 5 Pro is only available in a Glossy Black color to match its “black space opera aesthetics.”

I’m lucky enough to have the chance to review the ROG Phone 5 Ultimate, and it’s one of the best-looking white-colored phones I’ve ever used. The matte finish makes it feel great in the hand and keeps my fingers from slipping while holding the phone. There are no visible smudges or fingerprints from when my fingers slide across the back while gaming. Except for a small blue line underneath the camera, the blue power button, and the blue SIM card tray (which has a cute “GLHF!” [Good Luck Have Fun!] text etched into it), the rest of the ROG Phone 5 Ultimate fits the monochrome design that ASUS was going for. Even the ROG Vision display on the Ultimate is monochrome—that technically makes it a step down from the color display on the ROG 5 Pro, but it’s a minor change that goes to show how committed ASUS is to this aesthetic.

Not every tweak to the design is as obvious as the choice of color or logo illumination on the rear. There are a couple of subtle yet visible and totally invisible changes, such as the addition of two AirTrigger touch sensors on the back (Pro and Ultimate only) and a layer of Corning’s latest Gorilla Glass Victus on the front. Gorilla Glass Victus is said to be twice as scratch-resistant as Gorilla Glass 6 and can protect the display from drops of up to 2 meters in height, though I’m not willing to risk damaging the phone to test these claims. According to ASUS, the front-facing speakers of the ROG Phone 5 are actually bigger and more symmetrical than on the ROG Phone 3, but I can’t really tell them apart visually.

What I can tell quite clearly are the big changes to the ports. First of all, ASUS has brought the 3.5mm headphone jack back! It’s located on the bottom right just like on the original ROG Phone and ROG Phone II. ASUS says they removed the jack on the ROG Phone 3 because they didn’t want to compromise on the battery or backward compatibility with accessories. Since the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chip has an integrated Snapdragon X60 5G modem, ASUS now had enough PCB space to accommodate the 3.5mm jack. When ASUS ditched the jack in the ROG Phone 3, we heard some skepticism about the company’s intentions, with some saying it was a ploy to sell wireless audio accessories. Fortunately, that isn’t the case (though they do probably still want you to buy their wireless audio products), and the headphone jack has become one of the key selling points of the ROG Phone 5. But the audio chops are something we’ll talk about in a later section.

The other big port change is on the left side. If you’re unfamiliar, each ROG Phone typically has two full USB-C ports (one on the bottom and one on the side) that can handle charging and data. ASUS included a USB-C port on the side to let you charge your phone while holding it in landscape orientation so that the charging cable won’t get in your way. The inclusion of this port also lets you connect to more accessories, including the ones that ASUS specially designed. Every ROG Phone since the original has the two aforementioned ports, but they also have a tertiary USB-C port on the side that is only used for data transfer. The ROG Phone 5 is the first in the lineup to get rid of that tertiary data port.

Like before, the top port on the side is a full USB-C port, and it handles charging, data transfer, and video output. However, below that are 5 pogo pins rather than a full-sized Type-C port. That third Type-C port only assisted in data transfer when special accessories were connected. Since the ROG Phone 5 gets rid of that port, it isn’t compatible with the TwinView Dock, and ASUS has no plans to make new ones. I’m not too disappointed by this news, though, since we struggled to justify its existence given its poor compatibility with games and high price. (The Mobile Desktop Dock is also no longer compatible, but I haven’t formed an opinion on it since I haven’t had a chance to use it.) ASUS has made a new AeroActive Cooler that’s compatible with the ROG Phone 5, though, and it’s aptly called the AeroActive Cooler 5.

The benefit of switching to pogo pins is that you no longer have to worry about damaging the phone by accidentally plugging in a Type-C cable into the wrong port. The downside is that connecting the AeroActive Cooler is now more finicky since you don’t have the stability of the connection between the Type-C connector and port to rely on when trying to snap the top over the other edge of the phone. This is a minor nitpick, though, and one that’ll go away with time as you get used to popping the AeroActive Cooler 5 on and off.

The last thing I’ll mention about the design is the included case. As always, ASUS has bundled a hard plastic case that leaves enough room on the sides for the AeroActive Cooler to fit. It’s called the Aero case, and it’s transparent if you buy the ROG Phone 5 in white or it’s textured black if you buy the ROG 5 in black.

Ergonomics: How does the ROG Phone 5 feel in the hand?

Since you’ll need to hold the phone to play games, it’s important to consider its ergonomics. Unfortunately, the ASUS ROG Phone 5 is a fairly heavy smartphone, weighing in at 238g or 8.39oz. That means the ROG Phone 5 can be quite uncomfortable to hold in one hand for long periods of time.

Fortunately, it’s much easier to handle with two hands, which is basically required if you’re trying to game while holding the phone horizontally. ASUS built the ROG Phone 5 to be used in landscape, so they made all of the ultrasonic AirTriggers easy to reach when held this way. In landscape use, the side port makes it easy to charge the battery while gaming. On the other hand, the 3.5mm headphone jack on the bottom will get covered up by your hands, but ASUS designed the AeroActive Cooler 5 to have a 3.5mm audio jack of its own so you’ll still have the option to use wired headphones. ASUS has also put three Wi-Fi antennas into the ROG Phone 5 so at least one antenna won’t be blocked by your hands. The same is true of the four microphones placed throughout the body. And the front-facing camera has also been placed so it’s out of the way of where your thumb typically extends, though that depends on where games put their buttons.

While the weight is pretty manageable when the phone is held horizontally with two hands, the thickness is just something you’ll have to get used to. At 10.29mm or 0.36in, the ASUS ROG Phone 5 is a chunky gaming phone. Given its large display, many internal components, and huge battery, the thickness makes sense.

Display: How well the ASUS ROG Phone 5 show content?

The ASUS ROG Phone 5 may not have the best smartphone display on the market for watching TV shows or movies, but it may very well have the display components best suited for gaming. For the best gaming experience, you’ll want a display that’s big, high-resolution, color-accurate, bright, comfortable, and refreshes quickly. The ROG Phone 5 meets all these criteria with its 6.78-inch AMOLED display, Full HD+ (2448×1080) resolution, ΔE<1 color accuracy, wide 111% DCI-P3 color gamut coverage, 800 nits of outdoor-readable brightness, support for DC Dimming and night mode, and 144Hz refresh rate. ASUS has chosen a Samsung-made E4 AMOLED panel for the ROG Phone 5, so you can expect that the display will be high-quality.

Good calibration is just as important as panel quality, and for that ASUS worked closely with display processing company Pixelworks to incorporate the company’s i6 processor and calibrate the display. The partnership with Pixelworks also brings features such as AI scene detection for real-time SDR-to-HDR upmapping; AI adaptive display for brightness, tone, and contrast; dark noise suppression to reduce background noise in low-light scenes; flesh/skin tone management; and smooth brightness level adjustments.

In my experience, colors appear accurate, the display gets sufficiently bright, and text renders crisp in typical lighting conditions. The display also gets very dim and doesn’t hurt my eyes at night or in low-lighting situations. I haven’t noticed any black crush, blue shift, purple smearing, or other issues commonly seen in poor-quality OLED panels or improperly calibrated displays. These are all things you would expect from a premium flagship smartphone that costs as much as the ROG Phone 5 does, though.

What distinguishes the ROG Phone 5 from most non-gaming phones on the market is its reduced latency. There’s an incredibly low 24.3ms latency between when you tap your finger on the display and a tap is registered by Android (touch latency). This is especially important for gaming as it ensures your taps are recognized as quickly as possible, and this is made possible by the incredibly fast 300Hz touch sampling rate and end-to-end optimization of the touch data pipeline. Slide gestures are also incredibly fast to register on the ROG Phone 5, with a latency as low as 18ms.

 

Equally as important as low latency is the viewing area. The ROG Phone 5’s big, tall display is uninterrupted, meaning there’s no notch or hole-punch cutout to find on this phone. The selfie camera is located in the top bezel, and its diameter is 27% smaller than on the ROG Phone 3. The bezels themselves are also small — 25% smaller than on the ROG Phone 3 — so you get a larger viewing area without making the phone any more taller than it needs to be (it’s already pretty tall).

Underneath the display is an optical under-display fingerprint scanner. These types of scanners have been around for years now, and there’s not really anything new I can say about it. It’s fast when it works, but you may have some trouble unlocking your phone when there isn’t a lot of ambient light. To make it easier to unlock, you may want to register the same fingerprint twice.

Once you do unlock the phone, the ROG Phone 5 is as fluid as you’d expect thanks to its Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset and 144Hz refresh rate display. ASUS may not be ready to bring us the 160Hz refresh rate mode they’ve been working on, but such a small increase to the refresh rate would be unnoticeable to most users anyway. I personally can’t tell the difference between 120Hz and 144Hz on the ROG Phone 5, but I can tell the difference between 60 and 90 and 120Hz. I also don’t really notice a difference in calibration whenever the refresh rate changes, which means each display mode has likely been properly calibrated.

Regardless of what you set the refresh rate at, you’ll have a buttery smooth experience in most applications. In fact, I haven’t noticed many frame drops or micro stutters while using the ROG Phone 5 as my daily driver for the past nearly two weeks, and the results from JankBench basically confirm what I’m seeing. In the two albums embedded below, the top row shows the results from the ASUS ROG Phone 5, while the bottom row shows the same results from the ROG Phone 3.

JankBench Explainer

This benchmark simulates a handful of common tasks you’ll see in everyday apps, including scrolling through a ListView with text, scrolling through a ListView with images, scrolling through a grid view with a shadow effect, scrolling through a low-hitrate text render view, scrolling through a high-hitrate text render view, inputting and editing text with the keyboard, repeating overdraws with cards, and uploading bitmaps. Our script records the draw time for each frame during the test, eventually plotting all the frames and their draw times in a plot along with several horizontal lines representing the target frame draw times for the 4 common display refresh rates (60Hz, 90Hz, 120Hz, and 144Hz.)

The results mostly show that the ROG Phone 5 has less UI stutter/jank compared to the ROG Phone 3 in typical tasks you’ll see in apps, though there is one regression in the text input test. Both phones are running different OS versions (Android 11 on the ROG Phone 5 and Android 10 on the ROG Phone 3), so that could have factored into these results.

If I were to nitpick, one of the areas that I hope to see an improvement in is resolution. Every ROG Phone has more than enough battery to power a Quad HD resolution display, and the last two Snapdragon chipsets have been capable of pushing Quad HD resolution at high refresh rates like 120Hz. Another area I’d like to see an improvement in is refresh rate switching. Some premium flagships coming out later this year with OLED panels will feature lower-power LTPO backplanes and true variable refresh rates. Samsung was the first to make this happen with the Note 20 Ultra, and they’ve also replicated this on the Galaxy S21 Ultra. If ASUS can make this happen in a future ROG Phone, then the gaming experience will be even better than it is right now.

Lastly, I wanted to mention a small bug I’ve encountered since I got the device. On every boot, the device is unresponsive for about 10 seconds after the lockscreen first appears. I’m not sure why this happens, but it’s happened on every boot for me. It’s not a huge deal since it doesn’t last very long and I don’t reboot that often, but I’ve notified ASUS of this bug and will report back if it gets fixed in a future software update.

ROG Vision: What does the second display do?

Exclusive to the ROG Phone 5 Pro and ROG Phone 5 Ultimate is ROG Vision, a small PMOLED display used to show custom graphics. On the ROG Phone 5 Pro, ROG Vision can show color, while on the ROG Phone 5 Ultimate, it’s a monochrome display to match the phone’s aesthetic. You can enable ROG Vision in the Armoury Crate app by going to the “Console” tab. Here, you have the option to change the graphic/animation that plays when you connect an external accessory (like the AeruoActive Cooler), turn on X-Mode, plug in the phone to charge, launch a game (that you’ve added to Armoury Crate), or receive an incoming call.

Each scenario has a couple of premade graphics/animations you can choose from, but you can create your own custom ROG Vision for any scenario by simply tapping the “+” button. You can add an image effect, text effect, or signature to your custom ROG Vision graphic. I made a simple “XDA” text effect that fades in and out every few seconds just to test it out. You can even share and import ROG Vision graphics stored in the “Download” folder.

I’ve kept ROG Vision on for most of the time that I’ve had the phone and haven’t noticed many issues with it. However, I have occasionally encountered a bug where the ROG Vision refuses to start up, forcing me to reboot to get it working. Once I’ve rebooted, though, it usually doesn’t act up unless I reboot again. I’ve informed ASUS of this bug and will see if it gets fixed in a future software update.

You probably won’t see ROG Vision that often unless you like to leave your phone face down on the table or you frequently dock your phone, but it’s a nice piece of visual flair that adds a bit of personality to your device. It was totally unnecessary for ASUS to add this in, but I’m glad they did it anyway. It’s clear that the ROG Phone is a passion project aimed at mobile and gaming enthusiasts and features like ROG Vision show that ASUS is unapologetic about it. If you’re asking yourself “why?”, then you’re asking the wrong question. You should instead ask yourself, “why not?”

Audio: How good are the speakers on the ASUS ROG Phone 5?

With the return of the 3.5mm headphone jack comes an upgraded audio system, which ASUS calls GameFX. ASUS has equipped the ROG Phone 5 with hi-res audio output powered by “an ESS SABRE ES9280AC Pro DAC with HyperStream II Quad DAC technology and a built-in Class G ESS Sabre Headphone amplifier,” the latter of which “automatically detects load impedance between 8 to 1000Ω.” ASUS says the ROG Phone 5 can deliver “best-in-class signal-to-noise of 130 dB” and an “unprecedented Dynamic Range of up to 122dB” thanks to a “patented Time Domain Jitter Eliminator.” In addition, the ROG Phone 5 is Hi-Res Audio certified so it can playback 24-bit/96kHz or 24-bit/192kHz audio files, and it supports high-quality Bluetooth audio codecs such as aptX HD, aptX-Adaptive, LDAC, and AAC.

If all of that sounds like music to your ears, then we’re in agreement: the ROG Phone 5 can output really great-sounding audio. I’ve been using a pair of wired earphones that ASUS sent me (the new ROG Cetra II Core) along with the corrected frequency response profile that’s available in the AudioWizard app. I’ve been listening to music using the ROG Phone 5 + ROG Cetra II Core instead of my PC + Sony WH-1000XM3, though admittedly I don’t have the best audio equipment nor is the WH-1000XM3 in the top-end of audio gear. Still, I would wager that this combination will exceed the expectations of your casual listener who doesn’t need active noise cancellation (for that, you’ll need the pricier ROG Cetra).

ASUS once again worked with the Swedish audio firm Dirac to tune the dual front-facing stereo speakers. Both 7-magnet 12×16 linear speakers have a dedicated CS35L45 mono amp by Cirrus Logic. This means that, compared to the ROG Phone 3, the ROG Phone 5 offers a 35% larger combined speaker volume and 21% more power. ASUS and Dirac have tweaked the speakers to reduce crosstalk, enhance the bass, widen the soundstage, correct the impulse response, and boost commonly heard sounds from games. The ROG Phone 5 is also the first phone with Dirac’s new mixed-phase speaker co-optimization tech which means both speakers work together to produce an acoustical response.

The Dirac partnership has certainly paid off for ASUS, as the ROG Phone 5 produces the best-sounding audio from its speakers on any smartphone I’ve used so far, beating last year’s ROG Phone 3 which featured similar technology. Audio is loud, crisp, and free of any distortion. The AudioWizard app provides an easy-to-use interface for changing the audio profile and tuning the 10-band equalizer in case you prefer more or less bass.

Gaming: What makes the ROG Phone 5 a good gaming phone?

Features

Part of what makes the ROG Phone so good for gaming is all the software features that it offers. At the beginning of this review, I said that the best gaming console is the one you have with you. Thanks to AirTriggers, ultrasonic sensors placed on the frame that can detect taps and swipes, you can play many mobile games without ever needing to pull out a controller. In shooters, for example, you can map one ultrasonic shoulder button to aim and the other to fire, freeing up the rest of your fingers for movement and other actions.

That’s a very basic use of AirTriggers on the ROG Phone 5. You can get much, much more creative with all the options, though. In fact, the base ROG Phone 5 can map up to 14 specific touch points on the screen at the same time. You’ll have to individually map a bunch of taps, slides, swipes, and motion gestures to make this happen, but once you get a setup you’re comfortable with, most games will require far fewer screen touches.

But it doesn’t end with just 14 touch points. If you attach the AeroActive Cooler 5, you get two more physical buttons. If you have the ROG Phone 5 Pro or ROG Phone 5 Ultimate, you get two extra capacitive sensors on the back. In total, that makes for 18 possible touch points that you can map on the screen simultaneously — a crazy amount of inputs considering you aren’t clicking a single physical button.

ASUS once again partnered with Sentons to bring the ultrasonic touch sensors to life, but this time they’ve upgraded the sensors by adding more of them (7 –> 9) and positioning them closer to the edge. If you have smaller hands, this will hopefully mean you won’t have as many failed taps or swipes.

All of the ROG Phone 5’s many gaming features, including AirTriggers, can be accessed from within the Armoury Crate app. Armoury Crate is your one-stop-shop for all your gaming settings, and it also acts as a game launcher. It’s important that you don’t ignore adding apps to your Game Library since otherwise, you won’t be able to slide open the Game Genie interface from within a game.

Within Armoury Crate, you can tweak the performance mode and other settings on a per-game basis. ASUS even offers some “hardcore” tuning options which expose many of the same parameters that custom kernels on our forums let you tune. Be careful tuning these options, though, because your phone could overheat if you raise the thermal throttle limits and bump up the CPU and GPU frequencies. Personally, I recommend just toggling X-Mode when you play a demanding game. X-Mode is a performance profile made by ASUS that boosts the performance of the ROG Phone 5 while keeping in mind its thermal constraints. If you need to squeeze out even more performance over a longer period of time, then you should attach the AeroActive Cooler and then toggle X-Mode. Doing so will enable X-Mode+, a performance profile that pushes the ROG Phone 5 to its limits but safely does so because it’s being actively cooled by a fan.

I don’t mess with many of the settings in Armoury Crate, but there are loads of other options you can play around with. You can block certain areas from being touched; customize the level of anti-aliasing, anisotropic filtering, and texture filtering; cap the frame rate; auto-switch to 4G to save battery life or stay in the game; prevent network switching to reduce disconnects; create custom macros for repetitive tasks in games; and control the fan speed of the AeroActive Cooler. As I mentioned before, Armoury Crate is where you control ROG Vision (on the ROG 5 Pro and Ultimate), and it’s also where you customize the ROG logo on the standard ROG 5.

On the other hand, I frequently slide open the Game Genie overlay while I’m in a game. From Game Genie, you can quickly change the brightness, take a screenshot, start a screen recording or record a short clip, toggle notifications, change the refresh rate, block navigation buttons, block phone calls, free up background resources, show real-time performance statistics in an overlay, launch a messaging app in a floating window, toggle bypass charging, and more.

One of the new additions to Game Genie in the ROG Phone 5 is Haptic audio, which produces vibrations on the phone that correspond to something happening in-game. It only works with a handful of games and requires that you enable it in Developer Options. I tried it with one of the supported games, Call of Duty Mobile, and observed that the phone starts vibrating near the on-screen trigger button for every bullet that fires from the gun. It’s a neat gimmick but one that I’m not sure I’ll use very often because I would much rather play with the ROG Kunai 3 gamepad attached.

There’s frankly an overwhelming number of options in GameGenie. I’ve only listed a few of the ones I’ve tried at least once, but there are several others that you might find useful, such as a toggle to invert the colors to make it sometimes easier to see enemies. There’s also an “eSports mode” that basically toggles a bunch of these settings all at once, but it’s only useful if you plan to play a mobile game competitively and need to quickly block unwanted distractions and disable potentially disallowed features.

Accessories

The AeroActive Cooler returns with the ROG Phone 5 in a version that’s compatible with the new pogo pin connector on the side. ASUS says they redesigned the accessory with a more powerful fan that pushes air to the centrally located CPU of the ROG Phone 5, resulting in up to 10° C lower CPU temperatures and up to 15° C lower surface temperatures. When the fan is running, you can definitely hear it, and in my testing, it seems to do the job just fine. The AeroActive Cooler 5 also has a kickstand to prop up your phone with or without the ROG Kunai 3 attached. And as I talked about before, the AeroActive Cooler 5 has two physical buttons that can be mapped to touch inputs using the software’s keymapping feature.

ASUS hasn’t made a new version of its ROG Kunai gamepad this year, but that’s because there’s little to improve over last year’s ROG Kunai 3. You will need a new case provided by ASUS if you want to attach the not-Joy-Cons to the ROG Phone 5, though. ASUS bundles the Kunai 3 with an ROG 5-compatible case, so you won’t have to purchase them separately.

If you’re looking for a full review of the Kunai 3, look for a future article from me on the various ROG accessories. Without getting into too many details, I can tell you right now that the ROG Kunai 3 is one of the best smartphone accessories you can get. It’s admittedly a bit expensive at $149, but if you have the cash to spare and the desire to play loads of games on your ROG Phone 5, then it’s worth the money. Like any other controller, you can use it to play any game on your phone, including native Android games, games from the cloud, games streamed from your PC, or even games from other consoles using emulators. While traditional controllers force you to use a clip to hold the phone and controller, the ROG Kunai 3 turns the ROG Phone 3 or ROG Phone 5 into something resembling a Nintendo Switch. ASUS does sell its own clip called the ROG Clip, but even it struggles to hold up the hefty ROG Phone. There are also various “universal” telescopic gaming controllers like the Razer Kishi, most of which are compatible with the ROG Phone due to its off-center USB-C port or massive width. Basically, if you want a controller that works well with the ROG Phone 5, your best option is the ROG Kunai 3.

I’ve had the ROG Kunai 3 for a few months now, and in that time, I’ve played games like Genshin Impact and PUBG Mobile for hours. Neither game natively supports controllers, but they can be forced to accept inputs from the ROG Kunai 3 thanks to ASUS’s keymapping software. (Third-party apps like Mantis Gamepad offer similar functionality but can be hit-or-miss.) The ROG Phone 5 + Kunai 3 also makes playing games that do work with controllers, like Spongebob Squarepants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated, a joy. I still get a kick out of how Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated plays better on this setup than it does on my Nintendo Switch.

I’ve also played hours of games streamed from my PC using Moonlight (some from Steam like Valkyria Chronicles and some from Yuzu like Link’s Awakening) when I want to just sit down on the couch and relax. When I don’t feel like playing on my phone, I detach the controllers and put them back into the charging grip to use as a Bluetooth gamepad for my NVIDIA SHIELD TV or my Surface Pro X. The Kunai 3 is an incredibly versatile controller, so it doesn’t have to be dead weight when it isn’t attached to your phone.

When I lost power last month during the Big Texas Freeze, the ROG Phone 3 + ROG Kunai 3 provided me hours of entertainment (I didn’t have the ROG Phone 5 at the time). For anyone that travels a lot or commutes a lot for work, the ROG Phone 5/3 + ROG Kunai 3 could be a nice alternative to a Nintendo Switch. For me, it’s provided a nice change of pace from the usual way I play games and has gotten me back into retro console emulation.

Performance & Battery Life

The ASUS ROG Phone 5 features the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 across the board. The Snapdragon 888 features an octa-core CPU configuration with 1 ARM Cortex-X1 core clocked at up to 2.84GHz, 3 ARM Cortex-A78 cores clocked at up to 2.4GHz, and 4 ARM Cortex-A55 cores clocked at up to 1.8GHz. The GPU is Qualcomm’s Adreno 660. The chipset also has an integrated 5G modem, though the ASUS ROG Phone 5 only supports sub-6GHz 5G networks. It does support Wi-Fi 6E if the frequencies have been approved in your market and you have compatible networking equipment. You can read our previous coverage if you’re interested in learning more about the chipset that powers this phone.

Because of the launch timing, the ROG Phone 5 doesn’t feature the higher-clocked “Plus” variant of the Snapdragon 888 because Qualcomm hasn’t announced one yet. The chipset upgrade promises up to 25% increased CPU performance and up to 35% faster graphics rendering compared to the Snapdragon 865. To squeeze the maximum performance out of the Snapdragon 888, ASUS has designed the ROG Phone 5 for optimal thermal performance. The company says the phone’s PCB layout has the CPU in the center, away from where your hands typically reside. Internal cooling consists of a vapor chamber, several graphite sheets, and a large aluminum midframe to dissipate heat.

On top of all that, the ROG Phone 5 features up to 512GB of fast, UFS 3.1 internal storage and up to 18GB of LPDDR5 RAM. SK Hynix broke the news the other day about its new DRAM module for mobile devices, but it seems that the company has only supplied limited quantities of its module so far, all of which have ended up in the limited edition ROG Phone 5 Ultimate. Do you need 18GB of RAM? Honestly, no, and even ASUS admits as much. However, that doesn’t mean it’s totally a waste. If you run multiple profiles on your device, love to keep switch between many different apps frequently, love to hoard tabs in Google Chrome, create and extend multiple virtual displays to an external monitor, and like to play multiple games to kill time, then maybe you’ll make use of the full 18GB of RAM. I doubt it, though. I’ve never even come close to using all that RAM on my ROG Phone 5 Ultimate.

I have pushed this device’s performance to the limit, though. I tested the phone’s sustained CPU performance using the CPU Throttling Test app, and unsurprisingly, the use of the AeroActive Cooler helps the phone sustain its peak CPU performance for longer periods. On the left, you can see the result without the fan or X-Mode, and on the right, you can see the result with the fan and X-Mode+.

If you don’t plan to do anything CPU or GPU-intensive for long periods of time, then there’s little point in putting on the AeroActive cooler and activating X-Mode+. As you can see in the first row of screenshots below, the GFXBench result on the left without the cooler + X-Mode nearly matches the result on the right with them. On the other hand, the use of the AeroActive Cooler + X-Mode makes a dramatic difference when it comes to sustained graphics performance. The second row of screenshots below shows the sustained performance without (left) and with (right) the use of the AeroActive Cooler and X-Mode. Because GFXBench’s tests are incredibly performance-intensive, the estimated battery runtime falls sharply when the phone doesn’t throttle. However, most real-world games don’t push the ROG Phone 5 to its limits, so the actual battery life in games will be much, much better, as you’ll see below.

For example, here are four ~30 minute runs from two very demanding games, Genshin Impact and Spongebob Squarepants Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated. I ran each game through the same levels/quests/scenarios, once without the AeroActive Cooler and X-Mode and once with. As you can see, the AeroActive Cooler and X-Mode make a dramatic improvement in overall and sustained performance in Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated, while in Genshin Impact, the cooler + X-Mode combo simply smoothens out the experience. Keep in mind that I played both games at their respective highest possible graphical settings, which usually result in a nearly unplayable or unenjoyable experience on the vast majority of phones, including most flagships. Regardless, the ROG Phone 5 handled both games like a champ and even boasts estimated playtime of ~6 hours when it comes to Genshin Impact and ~8 hours when it comes to Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated. This is with the display brightness set to 100%!

Note: because of a bug in the game testing software we use, our run of Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated with the AeroActive Cooler + X-Mode had to be done with the phone hooked up to a PC for data collection. As a result, we were unable to calculate an estimated playtime for that particular run.

For less demanding games like Call of Duty Mobile, you can play them with or without X-Mode, but I still recommend you use the AeroActive Cooler to reduce CPU and GPU temperatures and thus keep the phone running longer. In CODM, the ROG Phone 5 runs it at a basically flawless 60fps at all times, except for all the areas where the fps is capped at 30 such as during the match overview and lobby. To give you a better sense of how the phone actually performs in-game, I made a version of the chart without the 30fps-capped data (right) so you can compare it to the original data (left).

If you’re interested in emulating games on your ROG Phone 5, then you’ll have no trouble playing any number of N64, PS1, GameCube, Wii, or 3DS games. In fact, the ROG Phone 5 (and most other flagships, honestly) can handle GameCube/Wii and 3DS emulation so well these days that I decided to increase the internal resolution just to see if I could make the phone choke. At 3X resolution in Dolphin Emulator and 2X resolution in Citra, the ROG Phone 5 starts to struggle to maintain the target frame rate, but both Super Mario Sunshine and Super Mario 3D Land are still very much playable despite the demanding resolution increase. Plus, they look fantastic with the resolution bumped up.

For good measure, I also ran our in-house app launch speed test on the ROG Phone 5. As expected, the phone has absolutely no trouble quickly launching the most popular apps from a cold start. The JankBench results prove the phone has little to no UI stutter, and the app launch speed test results show that the phone also handles opening up apps with little waiting time. Not that you’ll be staring at splash screens all that often, anyway, if you opt for the ROG Phone 5 Ultimate and its absurd 18GB of RAM.

There are a few dozen games that support 144fps gameplay on the ROG Phone 3 (and presumably the ROG 5), but I haven’t had a chance to test them yet. If I notice anything interesting with them, I’ll be sure to follow-up.

Charging

To keep up with its competitors, ASUS has equipped the ROG Phone 5 with a new split-cell battery design and faster charging. The ROG Phone 5 has two 3000mAh batteries internally rather than a single 6000mAh cell, and it supports 65W of charging using the included 65W HyperCharge adapter. The adapter is quite bulky as it doesn’t use GaN, so it’ll take up quite a bit of space in your bag if you take it with you while traveling. Fortunately, the ROG Phone 5 supports Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 5/PD 3.0 + PPS from 3.3V-21V and 3.0A so you aren’t forced to use the 65W HyperCharge adapter.

In order to introduce faster charging without sacrificing battery longevity, ASUS says it’s using MMT (Middle Middle Tab) battery technology, which means the battery is charged from the middle instead of from the ends. This, according to ASUS, lowers the impedance and thus prevents the temperature from rising as quickly. In addition, the improved cooling system allows for a higher wattage to be sustained over a longer period, resulting in up to 7° C lower battery temperature versus the previous 30W HyperCharge in the ROG Phone 3.

We collected some of the charging data over a full cycle and made the following charts to show how fast the new 65W HyperCharge can charge the ROG Phone 5 and how hot the battery gets:

Overall, I would say these results line up with ASUS’s claims. If you’re not satisfied, you can open up the PowerMaster app in Settings and set up a charging limit, schedule the charging, or slow down the charging speed.

Conclusion: The ASUS ROG Phone 5 is the best gaming phone

ASUS faces competition from newcomers like Lenovo and existing brands like Red Magic and Black Shark, yet they’ve still managed to pump out the best gaming smartphone year-on-year. While the ROG Phone 5 may not be the most affordable gaming smartphone you can pick up this year, there’s little doubt it’ll be the best one you can get. Every component and software feature of the ROG Phone 5 was designed for gaming, and there are even bells and whistles like the ROG Vision that you won’t find on any other smartphone. The accessories are all top of their class, too. The ROG Kunai 3 remains unmatched in its versatility, and the AeroActive Cooler 5 trounces the similar coolers you can pick up from other gaming brands what with its extra ports, buttons, and integrated kickstand.

Besides price, I can’t think of one area where the ROG Phone 5 falls behind other gaming phones. Every issue that I noticed with the ROG Phone 3 — the lack of a headphone jack and high surface temperature just to name a few — has been fixed with the ROG Phone 5. Everything except one: long-term software support. Don’t buy a ROG Phone 5 expecting to get an update to Android 14—you’ll be lucky to get Android 13. If gaming on-the-go is your number one priority and you don’t mind waiting for an update (or taking the plunge and installing a custom ROM from our forums), then you shouldn’t be dissuaded from picking one of these up. Just be aware that you’ll have to shell out a nice sum to get one, and you may have to wait to pick up the pricier variants. The regular ROG Phone 5, for example, is available this month at a starting price of €799, while the ROG Phone 5 Pro goes on sale in April for €1199 and the ROG Phone 5 Ultimate goes on sale in May for €1299.

ASUS ROG Phone 5 Forums

The ROG Phone 5 is more than just a gaming phone, of course. I’ve used it for more than just gaming these past ~2 weeks. I’ll be posting some of my thoughts on the camera and the software in the coming days. Spoiler alert: not much has changed from the ROG Phone 3 on these fronts, so you can read what I wrote in my review of that phone.

ASUS ROG Phone 5

The ASUS ROG Phone 5 is the ultimate gaming smartphone from the Taiwanese brand. It has loads of gaming features, accessories, and chart-topping performance to handle any game you throw at it.

Pros:

Cons:

The post The ASUS ROG Phone 5 has everything you could ever want in a Gaming Phone appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/3bzC1Uc
via IFTTT

ASUS unleashes the ROG Phone 5 gaming smartphone with loads of new features

The ROG range of products by ASUS is designed to facilitate serious gamers, and the ROG Phone aligns with this image. The ROG Phone is inarguably the most expedient gaming smartphone, featuring the most powerful chipset available for Android devices, RGB lighting, the highest refresh rate display on a smartphone, and a host of performance-enhancing accessories. After hailing the ROG Phone 3 as The King of Gaming Smartphones, we expect the next phones in the ROG portfolio only to go upwards and onwards. Skipping the number 4, ASUS is launching the ROG Phone 5 series today, and it emerges with the same vigor and visible strength as the older phones. This time, there are three models instead of just one, including the ROG Phone 5, the ROG Phone 5 Pro, and a limited-edition ROG Phone 5 Ultimate.

ASUS ROG Phone 5 XDA Review

We will discuss all three in detail, but first, here’s a look at the all-new ROG Phone 5 series specifications.

ASUS ROG Phone 5 Specifications

Specifications	ASUS ROG Phone 5 Ultimate (Limited Edition)	ASUS ROG Phone 5 Pro	ASUS ROG Phone 5
Build	Corning Gorilla Glass 3 on back Aluminum mid-frame Corning Gorilla Glass Victus on the display
Dimensions & Weight	172.8 x 77.2 x 10.29 mm 238 grams
Display	6.78″ FHD+ AMOLED display 2448 x 1080 pixels 395ppi Up to 144Hz refresh rate: 60Hz, 120Hz, 144Hz refresh rate supported, variable when set to Auto 20.4:9 aspect ratio HDR10+ 800nits peak brightness Always-On display 111% DCI-P3, sRGB : 150.89% Contrast ratio: 1,000,000:1
SoC	Qualcomm Snapdragon 888: 1x Kryo 680 Prime Core @ 2.84GHz 3x Kryo 680 Performance Cores @ 2.4GHz 4x Kryo 680 Efficiency Cores @ 1.8GHz
RAM & Storage	18GB LPDDR5 + 512GB UFS 3.1	16GB LPDDR5 + 512GB UFS 3.1	8GB LPDDR5 + 128GB UFS 3.1 12GB + 256GB 16GB + 256GB
Battery & Charging	Dual 3,000mAh batteries in MMT design, total 6,000mAh 65W HyperCharge fast charging Qualcomm Quick Charge 5.0 support
Security	In-Display Fingerprint Scanner
Rear Camera(s)	Primary: 64MP Sony IMX686, f/1.8, 1/1.7″, 0.8µm, EIS, 4-in-1 Pixel binning Secondary: 13MP, ultra-wide-angle lens, f/2.4, 125° FoV, EIS Tertiary: 5MP, macro lens, f/2.0, EIS Video: 8K@30fps 4K@60/30fps Slow-mo: 4K@120fps, 1080p@240/120fps, 720@490fps
Front Camera(s)	24MP, f/2.4, 0.9µm, 4-in-1 pixel binning
Port(s)	USB 3.1 Type-C on the side USB 2.0 Type-C at the bottom 3.5mm headphone jack
Audio	7-magnet Linear 12x16mm dual front-facing speakers Powered by dual Cirrus Logic CS35L45 Mono AMP and tuned by Dirac ESS Sabre ES9280AC Pro QUAD DAC Quad mics with OZO Noise Reduction Technology
Connectivity	Bluetooth 5.2 NFC Wi-Fi 6E 5G Dual-frequency (L1+L5) GNSS, Globass, Galileo, BeiDou, QZSS, NavIC
Software	ZenUI + ROG UI based on Android 11
Other Features	Pixelworks i6 Processor Ultrasonic sensors for AirTrigger 5 Grip press detection 2 Touch sensors on the back ROG Vision – monochrome PMOLED display	Pixelworks i6 Processor Ultrasonic sensors for AirTrigger 5 Grip press detection 2 Touch sensors on the back ROG Vision – color PMOLED display	Pixelworks i6 Processor Ultrasonic sensors for AirTrigger 5 Grip press detection RGB dot-marix ROG logo
Colors	Matte White	Glossy Black	Phantom Black Storm White

ASUS ROG Phone 5 Features

Internal hardware

While countless features make the ROG Phone 5 a breathtaking smartphone, its performance is definitely what forms the basis of its beastly identity. There are no points for guessing that the ROG Phone 5/5 Pro/5 Ultimate edition is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888, which is among the most powerful mobile chipsets of 2021 — until we see a Plus upgrade of the same.

In addition to the mighty chipset, the ROG Phone 5 features up to 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage. The ROG Phone 5 Pro takes it up by a notch and features 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. While 16GB of RAM on the phone might be overkill for some users, the ROG Phone is not the average consumer’s average phone. That is why the Ultimate edition of the phone features a whopping 18GB of RAM. Additionally, the company claims it has deployed a new cooling system to redirect heat away from areas where your fingers rest while gaming.

While the ROG Phone 5 series maintains a similar design language as the previous generation, some key changes set the new devices apart from the ones in the past. Firstly, the phones are slightly longer. The longer slab accommodates a larger display but with bezels that are 25% smaller than the ROG Phone 3. Just like the last time, there is no notch or cutout for the camera, and the areas above and below the display are utilized for dual stereo speakers.

Design

As confirmed earlier by its TENAA listing, the vanilla ASUS ROG Phone 5 features a dot-matrix pattern for the ROG logo on the back instead of an RGB strip. This dot-matrix lighting strip can also be seen on various ASUS gaming laptops, including the ROG Zephyrus G15. The new dot-matrix element can show a gradient of two colors on the ROG logo instead of just one color at a time.

Meanwhile, the ROG Phone 5 Pro comes with a tiny colored PMOLED display, which the company is calling “ROG Vision,” and this can be used to display custom visuals or messages for incoming alerts and while the user is gaming on the phone. The ROG Phone 5 Ultimate, on the other hand, comes with a monochrome PMOLED “ROG Vision” display. The ROG Phone 5 is available in Storm White and Phantom Black color variants. The ROG Phone 5 Pro comes in a Glossy Black color variant while the Ultimate edition will be available only in a Matte White finish.

Like the previous generation, the ROG Phone 5 series also comes with touch-sensitive shoulder buttons dubbed “AirTrigger.” While the regular variant features nine AirTrigger sensors, the Pro and the Ultimate editions come with two extra touch-sensitive sensors, called “Rear touch,” on the back.

With the bundled AeroActive Cooler, you get two additional physical buttons that can be mapped for various actions with the phones’ UI. Besides gaming, you can also assign different functions to these triggers, like launching an app or an action.

Display

The display on the ROG Phone 5 is bigger and brighter. The 6.78-inch AMOLED display is an E4 material panel custom-made by Samsung. The longer form factor also stretches the display’s aspect ratio from 19.5:9 on the ROG Phone 3 to 20.4:9 on the ROG Phone 5 series. Like the previous generation, the ROG Phone 5’s display sports a refresh rate of up to 144Hz. While there is no adaptive refresh rate, the display can support different modes such as 144Hz, 120Hz, and 60Hz that can be set manually or set to an Auto mode that changes the display’s refresh rate according to the active application. The display also has improved touch input with a touch sampling rate of 300Hz and touch latency of 24.3ms.

The display is claimed to be 23% brighter with a peak brightness of 800nits. For low-light usage and minimal eye-strain, the display brightness can be reduced to as low as 5nits.  The display covers 111% of the DCI-P3 color gamut and comes with HDR10+ support.

The smartphones also come with a Pixelworks i6 display processor chip that uses AI to improve picture quality, upscale SDR content to HDR, suppress visual noise, improve the accuracy of adaptive brightness, and enhance color, especially skin tones. The Pixelworks processor also enables Always-on HDR on the ROG Phone 5.

Audio

The ROG Phone 5 series gets dual front-facing speakers with a 35% larger sound cavity (combined for both speakers), which results in a 21% louder output. For clarity, the speakers are tuned by Dirac. In addition to the dual stereo speakers, a 3.5mm headphone jack returns to the ROG Phone 5 along with an inbuilt premium-grade ESS SABRE ES9280AC Pro DAC for louder and more nuanced audio output through the jack. The smartphones are also Hi-Res certified and can play 24-bit audio files with supported audio devices. For audio via Bluetooth, the ROG Phone 5 supports codecs such as AAC, aptX HD, aptX adaptive, and LDAC.

Along with the hardware for an immersive sound, ASUS has included the AudioWizard app on the ROG Phone 5. The app comes with a 10-band equalizer, and different sound presets tuned by Dirac and headset profiles for improved sound output. Additionally, there is a bass enhancer, volume enhancer, and a game mode for improved stereo audio output.

Battery

The ASUS ROG Phone 5 series features the same 6000mAh battery but with many improvements this time around. Firstly, the battery is split into two cells of 3000mAh capacity and arranged in an MMT (Middle Middle Tab) orientation. The energy is supplied to these battery cells from the center instead of one of the ends to reduce impedance and heating while charging. The new battery design also benefits from the smartphone’s improved cooling system that further improves heat dissipation.

The ROG Phone 5 also benefits from much faster 65W HyperCharge fast charging technology. Both — the smartphone and the charger support Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 5.0 — and the charger is included in the bundle. To improve the battery’s life, you can also limit the maximum charge capacity to 80% or 90% or use the Scheduled Charging feature for slower yet more optimal charging if you tend to charge your phone every day — or night — at the same time.

Camera

The camera setup remains unchanged from the ROG Phone 3; the ROG Phone 5 series retains the 64MP Sony IMX686 sensor for the primary camera, a 13MP ultrawide-angle camera, and a 5MP macro camera. The smartphones also feature a 24MP selfie camera, which has also been carried over from the last time.

In terms of the software features, the ROG Phone 5 comes with a customizable camera UI, 8K video recording, 4K slow-motion, Dynamic Night Mode, Mic focus, Hypersteady Video, Pro Photo as well as Pro Video mode.

UI and Software features for gaming

Just like the previous devices, the ROG Phone 5 series comes with two prebuilt UI options. It allows users to switch between a gaming-inspired ROG UI or a simpler ZenUI, which resembles stock Android. The ROG Phone 5 devices come with Android 11 out-of-the-box. On top of these themes, you get customization options, including optional themes inspired by games. Using these themes, you can change the wallpapers, icons, in-call wallpapers, and the Always-on Display. Additionally, you get an assortment of new ROG-themed fingerprint indicator styles and animations, as well as new AOD clock options.

For gaming, ASUS has a special app called Armory Crate that lets users manage their games library and tweak settings per-game with a console-like interface and haptic feedback. The Game Library shows different installed games in a card-view and allows users to sort them alphabetically or based on installation time or total gameplay duration.

Secondly, the “Scenario Profiles” let users change preferences for each game with different customization options for display, audio, and network performance settings. It also lets users change the level of CPU/GPU utilization that is permitted per game. Additionally, users can also modify settings for AirTriggers, lighting for the dot matrix display or the ROG Vision rear display, and the fan speed for the external cooler accessory using the Console feature in the Armory app. These individual settings override the default global settings.

Further, Game Genie gives users quick controls to enable or disable notifications while gaming on the phone, block navigation buttons, lock brightness to a specific value, and bypass charging so the charger’s power can be utilized directly. Users can also toggle details such as frame rate, refresh rate, CPU usage during the game, or use a shortcut to record their gameplay.

The ROG Phone 5 also features what ASUS calls the X Mode, which is a specialized gaming mode. When activated, the touch sensitivity of the phones’ display increases while the CPU, GPU, and RAM performance threshold limits are increased to delay throttling. When the AeroActive 5.0 cooler is connected, the X Mode changes to X Mode+.

In contrast, the Esports mode limits some features such as refresh rate and disables some other features such as AirTrigger sensors to ensure a sustained high performance during competitions.

Accessories

All three variants of the ROG Phone 5 come bundled with an Aero Case and a 65W HyperCharger, while the Pro and the Ultimate editions also come with a clip-on AeroActive Cooler 5.0 within the box.

ASUS claims the new AeroActive Cooler can help reduce the surface temperature by up to 15°C and the CPU temperature by 10°C. Additionally, it adds two physical trigger buttons and comes with a 3.5mm headphone jack and USB-C port, just like the previous generations. It also features a kickstand so you can enjoy gaming with an external controller or watch media on the phone while relaxing. What’s even more exciting is that the Cooler also comes with an illuminating RGB strip that can light up the ROG logo in different colors.

The ASUS ROG Phone 5 devices are also compatible with the ROG Kunai 3 gamepad, but you would need a new bumper case to install the phone in it. Alternatively, you can use the Kunai controller as is while resting the phone on a surface, enjoying the gameplay on either smartphone itself or an external display tethered to it.

You can also buy the ROG Gaming Clip that lets you mount the phone on top of an external controller like the official Xbox controller, Sony PlayStation DualShock, or Stadia controller. The mount also comes with a small USB cable that can be attached to the controller for lower latency than wireless transmission.

The ASUS ROG Lighting Armor case is an optional case that helps you enhance the rear lighting panel on the ROG Phone 5. It comes with pogo pin connectors to automatically match the color scheme of the rear display with the UI of the phone.

Lastly, you can get the Professional Dock which connects via USB-C and adds two USB 3.0 Type-A ports, a USB Type-C port, an Ethernet port, and an HDMI port. While the new Professional Dock is backward compatible with the ROG Phone 3, you will not be able to use the older Mobile Desktop Dock and TwinView dock with the new ROG Phone 5 series.

ASUS ROG Phone 5: Price & Availability

The vanilla ASUS ROG Phone 5 will be available from March 2021 onwards at a starting price of 799 Euros (~$950) for the base 8GB+128GB variant. The 12GB+256GB variant is priced at 899 Euros (~$1069), and the 16GB+256GB is priced at 999 Euros (~$1187).

In India, the 8GB+128GB variant of the ROG Phone 5 is priced at ₹49,999 while the 12+256GB variant is priced at ₹57,999 but you will have to wait until April 15th, 2021, to buy the phone. The ROG Phone 5 series will be available in India via existing e-commerce partner Flipkart.

The ROG Phone 5 Pro will be available starting April 2021 for 1199 Euros (~$1425). The phone is priced at ₹69,999 in India.

The ROG Phone 5 Ultimate limited edition will be available starting May 2021 for 1299 Euros (~$1543). With this limited edition variant, ASUS will also give a fan gift collection that will contain ROG merchandise. You can buy the phone in India for ₹79,999.

ASUS ROG Phone 5 XDA Review || ASUS ROG Phone 5 XDA Forums

All of the variants will come with 65W chargers within the box.

The post ASUS unleashes the ROG Phone 5 gaming smartphone with loads of new features appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/3bwk212
via IFTTT

Instagram Lite brings the clean experience to more than 170 countries

In December last year, Instagram launched the Instagram Lite, a light-weight version of its main app designed specifically for users with slow internet connectivity and low-end smartphones. At the time, the app was limited to India, with the company promising to bring the app to global markets at a later date. Today, Instagram is finally making Instagram Lite available in more than 170 countries.

At 2MB, Instagram Lite is minuscule compared to its full-fledged counterpart weighing roughly 30MB in size, but offers all the core features of the main app including the Reels. The new app is developed in collaboration with Instagram’s New York and Tel Aviv teams.

“Our teams build these lightweight versions of our apps for people with low connectivity or limited data plans, because our basic premise is to leave no one behind,” said Tzach Hadar, Director of Product Management, Facebook Tel Aviv.

Speaking with the team working on the Lite app, we were told that the app employs various optimizations like image compression, CDN caching, and so on to ensure media loads faster even on a slow and spotty connection. To make sure the performance was fast and reliable the team also decided to remove demanding animations as well as AR filters. Features like GIFs and stickers were kept since they don’t use a lot of resources. One of the ways the app shrinks down its size is breaking down Java libraries into smaller chunks, retaining only the functions that are needed by the app and getting rid of others. When asked whether there was any plan to add a dark theme to Instagram Lite, we were told the team is already working on it and that we should expect to hear more on that in the coming months.

Instagram Lite is only available for Android devices. The company has no plans for releasing an iOS equivalent as the number of people using iOS devices in emerging markets is quite low to warrant a separate app.

Instagram Lite is rolling out in more than 170 countries starting today and will be available for download from the Google Play Store. It’s not available in Brazil at the moment but the team says they’ll be bringing the app to more markets soon.

Instagram Lite (To be announced, Google Play) →

The post Instagram Lite brings the clean experience to more than 170 countries appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/30tuXCj
via IFTTT

PUBG Mobile 1.3 update brings a host of features to celebrate the game’s 3rd anniversary

PUBG Mobile is getting a massive update to celebrate the game’s 3rd anniversary. Making its worldwide debut on March 19, 2018, the popular battle royale game became a global phenomenon and one of the top-grossing mobile games worldwide. With the new update, the game gets a new electronic music festival theme, new modes, and various features taking the center-stage. The new update will also bring the Royale Pass Season 18 with the title ‘Hundred Rhythms’, which will roll out from March 17. Having said that, the game continues to stay banned in India with no information on when or even whether the government plans to lift the ban.

Here are some of the key features that will be arriving with the PUBG Mobile 1.3 update:

Hundred Rhythms Event

A new event has been added to the game’s most popular map, Erangel. The new mode will offer three special skills to players depending on the Armband they choose. Players will have the option to choose from the Guardian Armband, Recon Armband, or Camouflage Armband before the match begins. Each of the armbands provides three skills. The first is an active skill that grants the player a powerful ability, while the other two are passive skills that grant the player buffs. Each player will start the match with just the core skill and need to get ‘cassettes’ to unlock the passive skills. The Hundred Rhythms event will also have three electronic music squares that will spawn on Erangel. One of them will be on Spawn Island, while the other 2 will spawn in random locations. These are definitely going to be hotspots, so take caution while dropping to these locations.

As for the special skills, here is what each ‘Armband’ is going to offer:

Guardian Armband

• Music Barrier – When used, this skill activates a device that generates a semi-transparent column-shaped barrier that reduces the damage taken from bullets.
• Music Conversion – This skill activates an interactive feature for the barrier generator. Players can use this feature to disable the barrier and recover the Energy of allies within range instead.
• Pop Metal – Players and their allies will have decreased reload time when they are inside the barrier.

Recon Armband

• Sonic Scan – After using this skill, the player throws a scanning device forward to scan and mark enemies.
• Encore – Players will recover Health after knocking out marked enemies.
• Sound Burst – When there are marked enemies, your ammo will carry an electric charge that deals damage over time to enemies hit.

Camouflage Armband

• Stealth – After using this skill, the player’s outfit changes to a Ghillie Suit for a period of time. The weapons and backpack on the player’s back will be concealed during this period.
• Surveillance – A UI tip will appear on the screen if there are any enemies nearby.
• Breathing Easy – If the player hasn’t taken any damage recently, the player will gradually recover Health.

New Mosin-Nagant weapon and Motor Glider vehicle

PUBG Mobile is also adding a new weapon and a vehicle with the new update. The new Mosin-Nagant is a bolt-action sniper rifle that takes 7.62mm ammo and is as powerful as the Kar98K. Notably, the bullets fly faster and have less damage drop-off, and it can knock out an unarmored enemy with a single shot from a long distance. The Mosin-Nagant will spawn on Erangel and Vikendi, replacing some of the Kar98K rifles.

Players will also get to fly over enemies using the new Motor Gliders. Available on the PC version of the game, motor gliders will be available in Erangel and Miramar and will spawn randomly, just like other vehicles. It is a 2-person vehicle that includes a front seat for the pilot and a back seat where a passenger can shoot from. To hit the skies, the pilot has to press the ascend button to raise the nose once the glider gains enough speed. The fuel consumption on this vehicle is directly related to engine speed, so the faster you fly, the more fuel consumed. So make sure you carry an extra can of fuel before hopping into one.

Metro Royale: Uncovered

The update is also bringing the next chapter for the Metro Royale mode. Once players update all of the in-game resources, the new Metro Royale: Uncover mode should be available, and at the start of the new chapter, your honor, rankings, and inventory in Metro Royale will be reset. With the new chapter, Metro Royale will offer new rewards, and players can accumulate Honor to get AG, permanent finishes, and more rewards. The mode will now include extra elite enemies that will suddenly appear on the battlegrounds. So you need to pay attention to the broadcasts and marks on the map. The new mode also removes the Metro Exodus monsters and Tikhar Rifle, with the enemies now being smarter, along with equipment balancing adjustments.

Clowns’ Tricks Gameplay

As part of the anniversary celebration, a new Clowns’ Tricks gameplay will be available starting March 31.  Apart from various graffiti all around the map, a Clown Shop Vehicle will be placed in Erangel. Players will have to collect Clown Tokens and exchange them for items such as combat supplies and special strategic items in the Clown Shop Vehicle. These strategic items offer information about the next Playzone, the next airdrop, and the enemy’s density on the entire map. A new Music Graffiti Wall will also appear next to the Graffiti Square at Spawn Island in Classic Mode Erangel. This is pretty much a gimmick where players can use spray paint on the Music Graffiti Wall to trigger notes to play when the paint is sprayed on the squares.

Additionally, the new PUBG Mobile 1.3 update will be bringing a vast number of changes. You can go through the entire patch notes below:

PUBG MOBILE 1.3 Patch Notes

Patch Notes:

• Anniversary Celebration! Party on and join in at the electronic music festival.
• Hundred Rhythms: Upgrade skills and enjoy a new experience.
• Clowns’ Tricks: Pranks and Graffiti Galore!
• Royale Pass S18: The HUNDRED RHYTHMS Music Party Begins

To give everyone a better gaming experience, PUBG MOBILE will be pushing out updates starting from March 9. The server will not be taken offline for this update. This update requires 640 MB of storage space on Android devices. The iOS version requires 1.55 GB. Please note that players on different versions cannot team up with each other, so please update as soon as possible.

Update the game between March 9 and March 14 (UTC+0) to get:

• 3,000 BP
• 100 AG
• Cute Kitten – Pan (3d)

Hundred Rhythms Mode (From March 9)

Hundred Rhythms arrived in Erangel, get the party started at the electronic music festival. The Music Armband grants 3 special skills. Choose a skill that suits you, upgrade the skill by collecting scattered cassettes, and dominate the battlefield with the help of your skill. Choose Erangel in the map selection screen to experience this exclusive gameplay mode

Gameplay

1. A screen requiring players to choose a skill will appear on Spawn Island. Players will need to choose 1:the Guardian Armband, Recon Armband, or Camouflage Armband before the match begins.
2. Players will get 3 skills after selecting a skill. The first is an active skill that grants the player a powerful ability; the other two are passive skills that grant the player buffs. Players will start the match with just the core skill and will need to get cassettes to unlock the passive skills.
3. In each match, 3 electronic music squares will spawn on Erangel. One of them will always spawn on Spawn Island, while the other 2 will spawn in random locations. The electronic music festival playing dance music awaits your exploration.

Armband Abilities:

1. Guardian Armband:
   1. Music Barrier – When used, this skill activates a device that generates a semi-transparent column-shaped barrier that reduces the damage taken from bullets.
   2. Music Conversion – This skill activates an interactive feature for the barrier generator. Players can use this feature to disable the barrier and recover the Energy of allies within range instead.
   3. Pop Metal – Players and their allies will have decreased reload time when they are inside the barrier.
2. Recon Armband:
   1. Sonic Scan – After using this skill, the player throws a scanning device forward to scan and mark enemies.
   2. Encore – Players will recover Health after knocking out marked enemies.
   3. Sound Burst – When there are marked enemies, your ammo will carry an electric charge that deals damage over time to enemies hit.
3. Camouflage Armband:
   1. Stealth – After using this skill, the player’s outfit changes to a Ghillie Suit for a period of time. The weapons and backpack on the player’s back will be concealed during this period.
   2. Surveillance – A UI tip will appear on the screen if there are any enemies nearby.
   3. Breathing Easy – If the player hasn’t taken any damage recently, the player will gradually recover Health.

Clowns’ Tricks Gameplay (From March 31)

Clowns have arrived at the Anniversary Celebration Square and are graffitiing all over the place. A Clown Shop Vehicle has been placed here in Erangel. Players can collect Clown Tokens and exchange them for normal combat supplies and special strategic items in the Clown Shop Vehicle.

Strategic Items

Players can collect Clown Tokens and exchange them for the following strategic items in the Clown Shop Vehicle: information about the next Playzone, the next airdrop, and the density of enemies in the entire map.

Music Graffiti Wall

A Music Graffiti Wall will appear next to the Graffiti Square at Spawn Island in Classic Mode Erangel. Players can use spray paint on the Music Graffiti Wall, triggering notes to play when the paint is sprayed on the squares. Each square represents different notes of the same melody. Spray Paint multiple squares to trigger multiple notes.

Metro Royale: Uncover (Available from March 9)

The Newest Chapter

Metro Royale: Uncover will be available after the game is updated. In keeping with our Season tradition, at the start of a new chapter your honor, rankings, and inventory in Metro Royale will be reset.

1. New rewards will be available in the newest chapter. Accumulate Honor to get AG, permanent finishes, and other cool rewards!
2. Extra elite enemies will suddenly appear on the battlegrounds. Pay attention to the broadcasts and marks on the map. Defeat them to get great rewards!
3. Removed the Metro Exodus monsters and Tikhar Rifle, made enemies smarter, and made equipment balancing adjustments.

Other Map Improvements

1. After the version update, Power Armor mode will be available every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (UTC +0)

Firearm: Mosin-Nagant Sniper Rifle:

1. The Mosin-Nagant is a 7.62mm bolt-action sniper rifle that is as powerful as the Kar98K.
2. However, its bullets fly faster and have less damage drop-off. It can knock out an unarmored enemy with a single shot from a long distance.
3. The Mosin-Nagant will spawn on Erangel and Vikendi, replacing some of the Kar98K rifles.

Vehicle – Motor Glider:

1. Motor Gliders can now be found in Erangel and Miramar. They will spawn randomly on these two maps.
2. The Motor Glider is a 2-person vehicle that consists of a front seat for the pilot and a back seat where a passenger can shoot from.
3. To take off, the pilot must press the ascend button to raise the nose after the Motor Glider gains enough speed.
4. The Motor Glider’s fuel consumption is directly related to engine speed. The faster you fly, the more fuel is consumed. It is always a good idea to fill up the Motor Glider’s tank before stepping on the throttle.

Basic Performance Improvements:

1. Improved the in-battle terrain rendering logic for low-end devices to reduce rendering loss.
2. Improved the in-battle selection of terrain-blocking objects for low-end devices to reduce rendering loss when the camera moves.
3. Greatly improved the overall in-battle UI update logic to reduce UI update time.
4. Reduced lag triggered after a player jumps out from the plane.
5. Reduced the rendering loss of general resources, such as the sky and the sea, to make the game run more smoothly.
6. Resolved an issue that caused the game to crash when MSAA and HDR were both enabled on a device using iOS 14.3.
7. Improved the deletion of infrequently-used local resources to free up more space.
8. Resolved an issue where a half-downloaded resource needed to be fully downloaded before it could be deleted.

Security Improvements:

1. Improved Video Review conversion process’s accuracy and display of ballistics and vehicles to make it easier for users to make judgments.
2. Added several machine learning algorithms to identify and filter suspicious behavior in the game.
3. Continued to increase the number of manual review team members to ensure the security of tournaments and high-tier matches.
4. Continued to strengthen the game’s defense against DDoS attacks and expand the coverage of defense measures to ensure secure and stable game operations.

Basic Experience Improvements:

1. Quick Sensitivity Adjustment: Players are now able to open a UI option to quickly adjust sensitivity in the Training Grounds.
2. Hide Helmets in Matches: In Lobby Inventory display settings, we added a feature to allow players to hide helmets in matches. This only hides helmets from the player’s own view, so helmets are still seen in other players’ views.
3. Mk14 Sound Improvement: Updated the audio resources of the Mk14 to improve the performance of its firing sounds.
4. Camera Tilting Fix: Resolved an issue that sometimes caused the camera to tilt when scoping in the Training Grounds or Cheer Park.
5. Graphics Rendering Improvements: Resolved a rendering bug that caused the terrain in the distance to float in the air when a scope was used. Resolved an issue that caused items to suddenly appear or disappear in some scenes reported by a small number of players.

Other System Improvements:

1. New Achievements
   1. New Rhythm Hero Achievement: Play Hundred Rhythms in Erangel.
2. Message Manager feature

Most system messages will be displayed in the message manager. Players can use the message manager to view system messages clearly at one glance or to conveniently go to the corresponding system message page to handle notifications.

PUBG MOBILE MUSIC

1. 1. Added the entrance to this feature in the player Space.
   2. Players can use this feature to listen to songs and set the background music for their Space.
   3. PUBG MOBILE has obtained the full copyrights on all music that can be listened to.
   4. Players can give albums to friends that meet the gifting conditions. Albums already owned by the friend cannot be gifted.

Gifting in Space Improvements

Certain restrictions are imposed on giving some gifts in Space to prevent this feature from being abused to boost Popularity.

Dynamic Graffiti

Updated new dynamic graffiti that have visual effects and play music in close range.

Royale Pass Season 18: HUNDRED RHYTHMS (From March 17)

1. There will be a 3rd Anniversary music theme screen and rewards. Players can choose rank rewards twice as they progress in the Royale Pass. After the anniversary party starts, some special guests will also make an appearance. In addition to an AUG finish, players also get to choose between 2 advanced sets at rank 1 and rank 50. At rank 100, get the Violin Music Set and a mysterious Kar98K Finish!
2. An adventure event will start with the music. Adventure Vouchers have been added to the free rank rewards, and players can use them to redeem 1 of 2 sets twice on the event page. The adventure awaits.
3. The RP Activity Pack event begins in the new season: Purchase the RP Activity Pack to gain RP ranks quickly and collect Mission Activity Points to get your UC back as rebates.
4. Fixed other bugs affecting missions and other content to improve players’ experiences.

New Cheer Park Theme: Anniversary Celebration Music Festival

The square where players spawn on Cheer Park is now a DJ electronic music square with a DJ stage, a music arcade machine, and a techno launcher. After the Anniversary Celebration begins, the DJ’s new songs, classic old songs, the PUBG MOBILE theme songs, and the BP electronic music songs will be played randomly.

Melee Weapon Display Feature

1. Players can now choose to simultaneously display a firearm and a melee weapon in the Lobby. The currently selected weapon will be wielded by the character, and the previous weapon will be on the character’s back.
2. If the conditions below are met, the firearm and melee weapon displayed by players in their Lobby can be used in Spawn Island.
3. All firearms and melee weapons owned by players on Spawn Island will be removed when they board the plane.
4. Conditions for weapons to be brought in from the Lobby:
   1. Firearms: Need to be equipped with a Legendary or above Finish, but this condition does not apply to rare upgradeable firearms, which can be brought in as well.
   2. Melee weapons: Need to be equipped with an Epic or above Finish.

All-Talent Championship

Welcome to the All-talent Championship! You can play matches with your teammates here and immerse yourself in this glorious PUBG MOBILE Esports tournament.

1. The All-Talent Championship is divided into three stages: Weekly Matches, Semi-Finals, and the Final Round. Weekly Matches are played from week 1 to week 4. The Semi-Finals are played in week 3 and week 5. The Final Round is held in week 6.
2. Players can participate in the Weekly Matches directly, but must advance from the previous stage to participate in the Semi-Finals or the Final Round.
3. The minimum tier requirement for the Weekly Match is Silver V, the minimum tier requirement for the Semi-Finals is Gold V, and the minimum tier requirement for the Final Round is Platinum V.
4. Teams can get points every week when they participate in Weekly Matches. The total of their 6 best games in that week becomes their points. The top 50 teams will enter the Semi-Finals.
5. The teams that advance to the Semi-Finals are randomly divided into 5 groups. Each group plays 3 consecutive matches and the top 2 teams from each group advance to the Final Round.
6. Teams that advance to the Final Round will play 4 consecutive matches. They will be ranked and receive rewards based on their total points for these 4 games.
7. The top 2 teams of the Final Round will be eligible to participate in the PMCO Preliminaries (excluding the KR/JP region).
8. Point Rules: All-Talent Championship points are calculated in Teams and do not count individual player’s points.
9. The scoring rules for single matches are as follows:
   1. Total score of each match = Elimination points + Rank points.
   2. Calculation of Elimination points: 1 point is gained for each player defeated.
   3. Calculation of Rank points: No. 1 gains 15 points; No. 2 gains 12 points; No. 3 gains 10 points; No. 4 gains 8 points; No. 5 gains 6 points; No. 6 gains 4 points; No. 7 gains 2 points; and No. 8-12 gains 1 point.
10. Teams can participate in the weekly match repeatedly, but teams that are already eligible to advance will not repeatedly advance or get an additional advancement reward. The advancement spots will be filled up by other teams based on the rankings.

PUBG MOBILE HUNDRED RHYTHMS (Free⁺, Google Play) →

The post PUBG Mobile 1.3 update brings a host of features to celebrate the game’s 3rd anniversary appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/3rBk11r
via IFTTT

Google Photos’ new advanced video editor starts rolling out

Google announced that it was working on adding a new video editor in Google Photos last month. At the time, the company had detailed almost all of its features and revealed that it would offer more than 30 advanced controls to help users edit their videos within the app. While Google hadn’t shared an exact release schedule for the new video editor back then, it has now started showing up for some users.

The rollout was first spotted by Andrew C (@AndrewClarkin57) on Twitter and, as you can see in the attached video, the new video editor appears to have all of the features that Google showcased last month. In case you missed our previous coverage, the new video editor in Google Photos packs a ton of new tools. These include tools to help you crop videos, change the perspective, stabilize the video, and apply filters. It also includes several adjustment settings that will let you tweak the brightness, contrast, saturation, and warmth of videos.

I found a hidden feature in the March Feature Drop for Pixel, the long awaited video editor. @AndroidPolice @androidcentral @AndroidAuth pic.twitter.com/3U6l9sYktj

— Andrew C (@AndrewClarkin57) March 10, 2021

To use the new video editor, all you need to do is tap on the Edit button. This should bring up the new editing UI if you’ve received the update already. The new editing UI includes a couple of tabs to help you crop, adjust, and add filters to your video. It has an additional tab labeled “More”, which includes a Markup tool.

The Crop tab includes various aspect ratio presets to help you crop the video, along with a “Free” option for a custom crop. It also features two additional buttons that will let you rotate the video and change perspective, along with a Reset button to undo all changes. The Adjust tab includes tools to change the brightness, contrast, white point, highlights, shadows, black point, saturation, warmth, tint, and skin tone. Finally, the Filters tab packs a host of premade filters that you can apply to your video to give it a cool effect.

As mentioned earlier, Google Photos’ new video editor is only available for some users at the moment. It wasn’t available on any of our devices, even with the latest version of the app. This leads us to believe that Google may be rolling it out via a server-side update. While we can’t confirm exactly when it will show up on your device, we expect to see a wider rollout in the coming days.

The post Google Photos’ new advanced video editor starts rolling out appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/2PGHArw
via IFTTT