ASUS just introduced the STRIX and Ultimate Editions for the ROG Phone 2, so gamers are wondering – which is the best model for them?
Believe it or not – the best option for mobile gaming is also the CHEAPEST – the ROG Phone 2 STRIX. Don’t waste your money on the other two!
ROG Phone 2 STRIX = Tencent Edition for Global Market!
From the very beginning, we have been advising people to forego the expensive Elite Edition for the ROG Phone 2 Tencent Edition, or the Black Shark 2 PRO (MY | SG | AU | UK).
Why? Because those two options offer the best value for your money, and are really what REAL GAMERS need. Not what ASUS wants us to buy.
You can read all about that in our article, Why ROG Phone II Tencent Is Better Than The Elite Edition!
The new ROG Phone 2 STRIX Edition is basically the ROG Phone 2 Tencent Edition, without the Tencent logo.
This release is a slap in the face of those who bought the expensive Elite Edition earlier, and those who claimed that the Tencent Edition was only possible because of Tencent’s sponsorship in China.
ASUS have basically admitted that they can release a much cheaper ROG Phone 2, without sponsorship of any kind… and yes, that the Elite Edition was really just a way for them to make extra money off the foolish and the gullible.
ROG Phone 2 Ultimate = Elite Edition With 1TB Storage
The ROG Phone 2 Ultimate is yet another marketing ploy to pick the pockets of gullible gamers. It is nothing more than the already expensive ROG Phone 2 Elite Edition with 1TB of storage and a higher price tag.
Let’s be honest – how many of you will actually use up 128 GB of storage, much less 512 GB or 1 TB? In fact, many of us are still using laptops with just 256 GB or 512 GB of storage!
So yes, it is colossally STUPID for anyone to buy for gaming. We will show you why…
ROG Phone 2 Specification + Price Comparison
First, let’s take a quick look at what’s different between the ROG Phone 2 STRIX vs Elite vs Ultimate in this table :
| Specifications | ROG Phone 2 STRIX Edition |
ROG Phone 2 Elite Edition |
ROG Phone 2 Ultimate Edition |
| Display | 6.59-inch AMOLED display (1080 x 2340 pixels) – 108% DCI-P3 colour gamut, 10,000:1 contrast ratio – up to 120 Hz refresh rate, 1 ms response time |
||
| System Platform | Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus | ||
| Processor | 1 x Qualcomm Kryo 485 Gold core (2.96 GHz) 3 x Qualcomm Kryo 485 Gold cores (2.42 GHz) 4 x Qualcomm Kryo 485 Silver cores (1.8 GHz) |
||
| GPU | Qualcomm Adreno 640 (672 MHz) | ||
| RAM | 8 GB LPDDR4X | 12 GB LPDDR4X | |
| Storage | 128 GB UFS 3.0 | 512 GB UFS 3.0 | 1 TB UFS 3.0 |
| Front Camera | 24 MP front camera | ||
| Rear Cameras | 48 MP main camera, with Sony IMX586 sensor, and f/1.79 lens 13 MP ultra-wide camera, with 125-degree field of view |
||
| 4G | LTE Cat16 – 150 Mbps UL – 1.0 Gbps DL |
LTE Cat18 – 211 Mbps UL – 1.2 Gbps DL |
LTE Cat20 – 316 Mbps UL – 2.0 Gbps DL |
| Connectivity | WiFi : 802.11ac, 2×2 MIMO Bluetooth : BT 5.0 |
WiFi : 802.11ad, 4×4 MIMO Bluetooth : BT 5.0 |
|
| Sensors | Accelerometer, E-Compass, proximity sensor, Hall sensor, ambient light sensor, in-display fingerprint sensor, gyro, ultrasonic AirTrigger shoulder buttons | ||
| Audio | Dual front-facing speakers with DTS:X Ultra | ||
| Battery | 6,000 mAh battery | ||
| Charger | 18 watt | 30 watt | |
| Dimensions | 77.6 mm wide x 170.99 mm tall x 9.78 mm thick | ||
| Weight | 240 g | ||
| Price | £599 / $599 | £829 / $829 | £899 / $899 |
Why ROG Phone 2 STRIX Is BETTER Than Elite / Ultimate!
Now, let’s show you why the the ROG Phone 2 STRIX is the best option of the three, and why you should NOT pay extra for the Elite or Ultimate Editions!
Performance : They Are ALL EQUALLY FAST
The STRIX, Elite and Ultimate Editions are powered by the SAME Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus mobile platform, as well as the same LPDDR4x RAM.
The Elite and Ultimate Editions come with 12 GB of RAM, while the STRIX Edition only comes with 8 GB of RAM. However, which mobile game do you know needs more than 2 GB of RAM?
In fact, high-end mobile games like PUBG Mobile and Asphalt 9 use less than 1.2 GB of RAM!
So all you are getting when you purchase the Elite or Ultimate Edition is the right to brag about how your ROG Phone 2 has 4 GB of additional RAM just sitting there doing nothing.
Recommended : The Snapdragon 855 Plus vs Snapdragon 855 Comparison!
Storage : They Are ALL EQUALLY FAST
All three ROG Phone 2 models use fast UFS 3.0 storage. The only difference is how much storage they come with :
- ROG Phone 2 STRIX : 128 GB
- ROG Phone 2 Elite : 512 GB
- ROG Phone 2 Ultimate : 1 TB
Storage may be important for some users, but frankly speaking, 128 GB is plenty of storage for most users.
For gamers, it’s actually A LOT more than they will ever use. Even PUBG Mobile only takes up 1.54 GB of space.
128 GB of storage in the STRIX Edition should be more than enough to let you install 50-80 large games. Oh, you don’t have that many games? See what we mean?
- Paying extra for 512 GB of storage in the Elite Edition is really pointless… at least for mobile gamers.
- Paying extra for 1 TB of storage in the Ultimate Edition? That’s just plain stupid for mobile gamers.
Connectivity : Practically The Same
The Snapdragon X24 LTE modem supports LTE Cat 20 and WiFi-AD connectivity, but ASUS artificially limited their capabilities slightly to differentiate the three models :
- ROG Phone 2 STRIX : LTE Cat16 (1 Gbps DL, 150 Mbps UL) + WiFi-AC
- ROG Phone 2 Elite : LTE Cat16 (1.2 Gbps DL, 211 Mbps UL) + WiFi-AD
- ROG Phone 2 Ultimate : LTE Cat20 (2 Gbps DL, 316 Mbps UL) + WiFi-AD
But for all practical purposes, you won’t be able to tell the difference because mobile games are designed to use very little data!
PUBG Mobile, for example, only uses between 15 MB and 50 MB of data for an entire 20-30 minute game. That works out to a MAXIMUM of 1.7 MB per minute, or 28 KB per second.
And how many of you actually have a WiFi-AD router? Most gamers still rely on a WiFi-AC router, which is plenty fast enough.
Charging : ROG Phone 2 Elite / Ultimate
The only clear-cut performance advantage the ROG Phone 2 Elite and Ultimate Editions offer is the 30-watt fast charger.
The ROG Phone 2 STRIX Edition only comes with a 18-watt fast charger, but in case you are wondering – it’s still fast enough to recharge the phone while you game on it.
Bundled “Freebies” : ROG Phone 2 Elite / Ultimate
The Elite and Ultimate Editions come bundled with the AeroActive Cooler II and the Aero Case, while the STRIX Edition comes with just a bumper case.
But guess what – you can purchase the AeroActive Cooler II and Aero Case for the STRIX Edition as separate upgrades! And you can get them both for less than $100.
Price : ROG Phone 2 STRIX Edition
Now, this is the real kicker.
The Elite Edition costs 38~41% more than the STRIX Edition, for no difference in gaming performance!
The Ultimate Edition costs 50% more than the STRIX Edition, for no difference in gaming performance!
- ROG Phone II STRIX Edition : US$599 / £599 / ~A$868 / S$799 / ~RM 2,479
- ROG Phone II Elite Edition : US$829 / £829 / ~A$1,201 / S$1,299 / RM 3,499
- ROG Phone II Ultimate Edition : US$899 / £899 / ~A$1,303 / ~S$1,218 / ~RM 3,722
Recommended : ASUS ROG Phone 2 vs Black Shark 2 PRO : Who Wins?
Why We Recommend ROG Phone 2 STRIX Edition
Of the three models, the ROG Phone 2 STRIX Edition is the true gamer-centric model.
It focuses on delivering top-notch gaming capabilities with the same 120 Hz display, at a much lower price point than the Elite and Ultimate Editions!
All you are getting with the Elite or Ultimate Edition is a 38% to 50% higher price tag for more storage, a more powerful charger, and the AeroActive Cooler II and Aero Case.
[adrotate group=”2″]If you want to buy one for mobile gaming, get the STRIX Edition. Your wallet will thank you!
- Singapore : 8GB + 128 GB
- United Kingdom : 8GB + 128GB
- Australia : 8GB + 128GB
If you want to buy one for bragging rights, get the Elite or Ultimate Edition. ASUS will thank you!
- Malaysia : 12GB + 512GB | 12GB + 512GB
- Singapore : 12GB + 512GB
- United States : 12GB + 512GB
- United Kingdom : 12GB + 512GB | 12GB + 1TB
- Australia : 12GB + 512GB
Recommended Reading
- ROG Phone 2 : How To Turn On 90Hz / 120Hz Refresh Rate!
- ASUS ROG Phone 2 vs Black Shark 2 PRO : Who Wins?
- Black Shark 2 PRO In-Depth Review : A Real Gaming Beast!
- ASUS ROG Phone 2 Malaysia – What You Need To Know!
- Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus (SM-N975) In-Depth Review!
- Why ROG Phone II Tencent Is Better Than The Global Edition!
- Black Shark 2 PRO – EVERYTHING You Need To Know!
- ASUS ROG Phone 2 Global vs Tencent Edition Comparison!
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