This story was originally published on March 11, 2021, and last updated on April 10, 2021.
UPDATE: 2021/04/10 10:26 P.M. GMT+8 BY NICOLE BATAC
ASUS Republic of Gamers Philippines has finally unveiled the local pricing and availability details for the ROG Phone 5 series. Here’s what the company shared:
The ROG Phone 5 Classic (16GB + 256GB) will be available in the Philippines in Phantom Black starting today, April 10, at the price of PHP 49,995. First buyers will receive a special set bundle, which includes an ROG Kunai Gamepad and an ROG Akira Oversized Tee. Its Storm White variant will be arriving in May.
The ROG Phone 5 Classic (8GB + 128GB) will be available starting today as well in Phantom Black at PHP 39,995. The Storm White version will also arrive next month.
The ROG Phone 5 Ultimate in Storm White and ROG Phone 5 Pro in Phantom Black will be available in May. The ROG Phone 5 Ultimate (18GB + 512GB) is priced at PHP 59,995 and will come with a Special Gift Box, while the ROG Phone 5 Pro (16GB + 512GB) will hit the market at PHP 54,995.
You can buy the ROG Kunai Gamepad this month for PHP 6,995, while the ROG Lighting Armor Case 5 will arrive in May for PHP 2,495.
All ROG Phone 5 phones will come with the AeroActive Cooler 5 and support ASUS’ one-year global warranty. The warranty will be available for the ROG Phone accessories, too. The new ROG Phone 5 line will be available via accredited ASUS and ROG stores only. You can get more details through this link.
ORIGINAL STORY:
Welcome, gamer. We’ve been expecting you.
The ASUS Republic of Gamers’ new flagship smartphone is out. And now, there are three to choose from—with aesthetics that matches the ROG look and specs that push the limits. The ROG Phone 5 is the best that ASUS ROG has to offer.
If we were to liken it to some game characters, we have a few in mind. But we’d love to hear your thoughts, too!
ASUS ROG Phone 5 Ultimate: The big boss
Do you need 18GB of RAM? Probably not. But this big bad boy has it. It runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor with Android 11 skinned with ROG UI and 512GB UFS 3.1 storage.
The ROG Phone 5 Ultimate comes in a new Storm White color with signature ROG touches. It looks a bit like a high-tech space suit to us, quite sleek and futuristic.
Aside from the 6.78-inch OLED display, there’s a smaller ROG Vision OLED screen at the back where you can display premade or custom text or graphics. It’s a nod to the Zephyrus G14 gaming laptop’s Anime Matrix effect. It might not be essential, but if you love flashiness, then you’d like this feature.
You can game for extended periods with this phone’s 6,000mAh battery. You’ll need that extra juice if you continuously use the screen’s 144Hz refresh rate. Topping is speedy, too, with the included 65W charger. (Some regions might get a 30W charger.)
If you’re worried about long-term battery health, there are different charging settings to avoid overcharging and damaging the battery.
The ASUS ROG Phone 5 Ultimate is priced at EUR 1,299 (approx. PHP 75,444).
ASUS ROG Phone 5 Pro: Capable right-hand man
Most of what we’ve mentioned above is available on the Pro, too. But it gets slightly less RAM at 16GB.
Like the Ultimate, ASUS ROG adds extra touch sensors on the Pro’s side and back for those who want to game using physical buttons over touching the screen.
While the ROG Vision on the Ultimate is monochromatic, the one on the Pro is colored, matching the Glossy Black color it comes in.
These two more premium handsets get an Aero case and the AeroActive Cooler in the box, which should come in handy for those marathon gaming sessions.
The ASUS ROG Phone 5 Pro costs EUR 1,199 (PHP 69,633).
ASUS ROG Phone 5: Upstart apprentice
The standard ROG Phone 5 will be more accessible to more users, but it does some of the extra bells and whistles.
It starts at 8GB of RAM and maxes out at 16GB, and it has 128GB or 256GB storage options.
The ROG Phone 5 doesn’t get the ROG Vision screen. Instead, it has a simple backlit ROG logo. There are no extra touch sensors either. And it only gets the Aero case.
But like its more expensive siblings, it has a 64-megapixel triple rear camera setup with a 24-megapixel selfie shooter.
It also has front-facing speakers and the headphone jack’s return with quad DAC in tow for hi-res audio.
The ASUS ROG Phone 5 comes in Phantom Black and Storm White, with a starting price of EUR 799 (PHP 46,405).
ASUS ROG Phone 5 series specs roundup
| ROG Phone 5 Ultimate | ROG Phone 5 Pro | ROG Phone 5 | |
| DISPLAY | 6.78″ OLED 144Hz refresh rate 2,448 x 1,080 Corning Gorilla Glass Victus | 6.78″ OLED 144Hz refresh rate 2,448 x 1,080 Corning Gorilla Glass Victus | 6.78″ OLED 144Hz refresh rate 2,448 x 1,080 Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| PROCESSOR | Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 |
| OPERATING SYSTEM | Android 11 with ROG UI | Android 11 with ROG UI | Android 11 with ROG UI |
| RAM + STORAGE (LPDDR5 + UFS 3.1) | 18GB + 512GB | 16GB + 512GB | 8GB + 128GB 12GB + 256GB 16GB + 256GB |
| REAR CAMERAS | 64MP primary 13MP ultra-wide angle 5MP macro | 64MP primary 13MP ultra-wide angle 5MP macro | 64MP primary 13MP ultra-wide angle 5MP macro |
| FRONT CAMERA | 24MP | 24MP | 24MP |
| AUDIO | Dual speakers 3.5mm headphone jack Quad DAC for Hi-Res Audio | Dual speakers 3.5mm headphone jack Quad DAC for Hi-Res Audio | Dual speakers 3.5mm headphone jack Quad DAC for Hi-Res Audio |
| CONNECTIVITY | Dual SIM 5G LTE Wi-Fi 6E Bluetooth 5.2 NFC | Dual SIM 5G LTE Wi-Fi 6E Bluetooth 5.2 NFC | Dual SIM 5G LTE Wi-Fi 6E Bluetooth 5.2 NFC |
| ROG VISION | Monochromatic | Color | RGB light panel only |
| EXTRA TOUCH SENSORS | Yes + gaming triggers | Yes + gaming triggers | Gaming triggers only |
| SECURITY | Fingerprint (under-display) | Fingerprint (under-display) | Fingerprint (under-display) |
| BATTERY | 6,000mAh Quick Charge 5.0 2 x USB-C ports | 6,000mAh Quick Charge 5.0 2 x USB-C ports | 6,000mAh Quick Charge 5.0 2 x USB-C ports |
| DIMENSIONS & WEIGHT | 172.8 x 77.2 x 10.29mm, 238g | 172.8 x 77.2 x 10.29mm, 238g | 172.8 x 77.2 x 10.29mm, 238g |
| COLORS | Storm White | Glossy Black | Phantom Black Storm White |
| INCLUDED ACCESSORIES | AeroActive Cooler 5 Aero case | AeroActive Cooler 5 Aero case | Aero case |
| PRICING | EUR 1,299 / Approx. PHP 75,444 | EUR 1,199 / Approx. PHP 69,633 | 8GB: EUR 799 / Approx. PHP 46,405 12GB: EUR 899 / Approx. PHP 52,213 16GB: EUR 999 / Approx. PHP 58,020 |
We don’t have news on local availability yet, but we’ll make sure to update this post when we get that information. Are you excited for the ASUS ROG Phone 5? Which one is your mobile gaming device of choice? Sound off on our Facebook and Twitter!