Asus ROG Phone review: The best way to play games on Android

Asus ROG Phone review: The best way to play games on Android

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If you can't tell from the angular lines, exposed copper heat sinks and pulsating light-up logo, the Asus ROG Phone is designed for gaming. While I can't say the looks are my cup of tea, there will be plenty of people who think this styling looks badass. And it's nice to see a phone maker go for something different.

But what exactly makes this a gaming phone? Well let's start with the AMOLED display that can refresh 90 times a second -- a first for any OLED phone. The higher refresh rate means less motion blur and faster response times. It's not as high as the Razer Phone 2's 120Hz LCD screen, but the fast refresh times are a noticeable improvement over other phones when playing certain games. And even though the ROG's screen looks nice, sometimes it was too dim even at its brightest setting.

Pressure sensitive buttons called AirTriggers

Perhaps one of the coolest and most innovative features on the ROG Phone is AirTriggers. These are pressure sensitive corners that double as bumper buttons for games. I've used phones with pressure sensitive features before like the Pixel 3 where you can squeeze the sides to open Google Assistant. But Asus' approach here is by far my favorite implementation of the technology on phones.

In landscape gameplay, the top right and left corners of the phone have pressure sensitive sensors that can be used as bumper buttons.

Aloysius Low/CNET

AirTriggers can be programmed for specific functions. For example in PUBG, I assigned one to fire a weapon and another to crouch. It's a curious solution to the lack of physical controls on phones and yet it's so well-implemented and feels so intuitive that I became much more immersed in the games I played.

The curved bezels and sides make the phone incredibly comfortable to hold especially in landscape. The speakers, dotted with copper colored grills, are wonderfully loud and sound fantastic. They're right up there with the amazing speakers on the Razer Phone 2 in terms of being able to produce bombastic high-quality sound.

(Top photo) With AirTriggers activated, a blue circle "L1" and red circle "R1" appear onscreen. (Bottom photo) I dragged the circles on top of controls for firing a weapon and crouching. Now when I tap the top right corner of the phone it throws a punch or fires a weapon.

PUBG

ROG X mode and AeroActive cooler

The ROG has two USB-C ports, one on the bottom and one on the side so when you're playing games in landscape mode the power cord doesn't get in the way of your hands. The side port also supports accessories like a detachable fan called the AeroActive cooler which comes with the phone.

Now, it might seem silly to attach a fan to the back of your phone, but it makes a big difference in terms of performance, especially if you're going to be playing a game for 20 to 30 minutes without a break. The fan keeps the phone from getting too hot to hold and along with a software setting called "X mode" lets the processor run at its highest speed for longer during gameplay.

The detachable AeroActive cooler keeps the phone cool during gameplay and along with Asus' X mode improves processor performance.

Josh Miller/CNET

Quick break for a Patrick thought: I'm neutral on the detachable fan. I have a strong fear I'd lose it, but the gain in performance is beyond impressive especially when I played a game for a long amount of time. But then, I am attaching a fan to my phone which seems like a clunky solution.

But don't get me wrong, you don't need the fan and X mode to use this phone in everyday tasks. The phone opens apps lighting fast, even big ones like the camera. Android animations are peppy and appear smooth. There's no lag when processing and saving photos.

I ran GeekBench 4 when I first got the ROG without the fan and X mode enabled and got a single-core score of 1,413 and a multi-core score of 5,592. Then I ran it again with the fan attached and X mode turned on and got 2,556 for single-core and 8,445 for multi-core. That ranks it up there with the Razer Phone 2, Galaxy Note 9 and OnePlus 6 as one of the fastest current Android phones.

However, Apple'siPhone XS is in another league in terms of raw processing power and performance -- and it doesn't require a detachable fan. Check out the results of our performance tests below.

3DMark Slingshot Unlimited

Asus ROG Phone 6,438 Razer Phone 2 6,526 Galaxy Note 9 6,344 OnePlus 6 6,275 iPhone XS 8,309

Note: Longer bars indicate better performance

3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited

Asus ROG Phone 62,751 Razer Phone 2 63,253 Galaxy Note 9 58,832 OnePlus 6 62,952 iPhone XS 76,823

Note: Longer bars indicate better performance

Geekbench v.4.0 single-core

Asus ROG Phone 2,556 Razer Phone 2 2,417 Galaxy Note 9 2,406 OnePlus 6 2,454 iPhone XS 4,816

Note: Longer bars indicate better performance

Geekbench v.4.0 multicore

Asus ROG Phone 8,445 Razer Phone 2 8,905 Galaxy Note 9 8,827 OnePlus 6 9,068 iPhone XS 11,585

Note: Longer bars indicate better performance

Camera and battery life

Then there's all the regular phone stuff. It has a 4,000-mAh battery that lasted an incredible 15 hours and 5 minutes battery life in CNET's battery lab test for continuous video playback on airplane mode.

Image quality from the dual rear cameras is good. They capture a nice amount of detail. HDR mode adds a bit more dynamic range without going over the top with highlights and shadows. Take a look at the photos below I took inside a cafe: one with HDR enabled and the other with it off. Notice how the HDR captures the details outside the door and windows whereas the non-HDR photo just shows a white blob of clipped highlights.

The second rear camera gives you a wider field of view so you can pack more into your frame. And it is really wide. I found it great for moments I wanted to take a panorama but didn't want to go through that capture process. I also liked putting the camera on the wide-angle setting and placing the phone super close to an object in the foreground to create a perspective effect.

This was taken with the ROG's main 12-megapixel camera rear camera.

Patrick Holland/CNET

This was taken with the second rear camera that is wide-angle. I was standing in the same place when I took this photo and the one above.

Patrick Holland/CNET

Video looks decent but definitely suffers in low-light situations. The ROG has slow motion in 1080p resolution at 240 frames per second. It's not as impressive as the iPhone XS, but it is definitely worth trying.

Below are some more photos I took with the Asus ROG Phone.

Here's a photo of Stella the cat. Notice the detail in her fur.

Patrick Holland/CNET

Even with HDR, the ROG doesn't have the dynamic range abilities of the Pixel 3 or iPhone XS. But it still does a decent job with this sunset over Twin Peaks.

Patrick Holland/CNET

The ROG handles this indoor shot of a Four Barrel cappuccino pretty well. I noticed the phone tends to protect highlights -- look at that foam.

Patrick Holland/CNET

The ROG has a tendency to underexpose images like this one of the California Street cable car.

Patrick Holland/CNET

This photo was taken at sunrise. Low-light shots aren't this phone's strength. Notice the noise in the building on the right.

Patrick Holland/CNET

Asus ZenMotion and (sigh) ZenMoji

There's also a cool feature called ZenMotion. When the screen is asleep you can draw a letter on it to launch an app. Draw a "W" to unlock the phone and open the weather app or a "C" to open the camera. Besides showing this feature off to my friends, I didn't find myself using it but once or twice.

For those of you inclined, there is an app called ZenMoji that maps an AR cartoon avatar of an animal like a horse, cat or bear over your face. The characters are pretty adorable and yet another entry in the animated emoji wars: Apple has Memoji, Samsung has AR Emoji, LG has animated emoji and Huawei has 3D Live Emoji. You'll never be at a loss of ways to express yourself.

The ZenMoji rabbit winking.

Asus

Asus designed a lot of gaming accessories for the ROG that really take it beyond just playing games on a mobile phone. Accessories include:

In the TwinView dock, the phone sits on top, while it runs the game on another display below. 

Aloysius Low/CNET

TwinView Dock: It transforms the phone into a Nintendo DS-like dual screen device and adds two physical shoulder buttons, a 6,000mAh battery and a selfie camera to stream and record yourself as you play.

The Gamevice controller for the ROG Phone.

Aloysius Low/CNET

Gamevice controller: The ROG fits in the middle of the vice like device which has dual joysticks, fire triggers, bumpers, a D-pad and all the buttons you'd expect.

WiGig Display Dock: Stream content wirelessly from your ROG Phone to a TV with minimal latency.

Here's how the ROG Phone sits in the Mobile Desktop Dock. 

Aloysius Low/CNET

Mobile Desktop Dock: Turn the ROG into a mini gaming rig complete with nearly every port you can imagine: HDMI, DisplayPort, USB-C, USB-3.1, micro-USB, Ethernet, headphone jack and an SD card reader.

Professional Dock - It has less ports than the Mobile Desktop Dock but has HDMI for a monitor and two USB ports for a keyboard and mouse.

All of these are sold separately and there's currently no word on pricing or availability.

Asus ROG Phone is definitely for gamers

The Asus ROG Phone is designed inside and out for gamers. The 128GB model costs $899 which converts to £690 and AU$1,265 while the 512GB model is $1,099 converts to £840 and AU$1,545. The Razer Phone 2 costs $100 less, but you get less battery life.

I didn't expect to like the ROG as much as I did. The extras really do make a difference in how this thing performs: the AirTriggers, X mode and the fan actually work to enhance the gaming experience. But the ROG also has a solid camera and a great battery life.

While I wouldn't recommend this to nongamers (the Pixel 3, OnePlus 6 and Galaxy Note 9 are better all-around choices), if you're a gamer trying to decide between this and the Razer Phone 2, Asus has the edge when it comes to controls and optional accessories. Of course that edge comes at a higher price.

Personally I find the design of the Razer Phone 2 much more appealing as a phone and high-end mobile gaming device. And even without a fan, it beat the ROG in nearly every performance test I ran.

Yet as I write this, Apple is preparing to ship the iPhone XR which costs less than either the Razer or the ROG, has bonkers processing power -- although we've yet to test it -- and access to a larger library of games on iOS. It doesn't have a high-refresh rate display or pressure sensitive buttons, but it's definitely a worthy consideration for a gaming phone.

Spec comparison

	Asus ROG Phone	Razer Phone 2	Samsung Galaxy Note 9	OnePlus 6	iPhone XR
Display size, resolution	6-inch AMOLED; 2,160x1,080 pixels; 90Hz screen refresh rate	5.7-inch LCD; 2,560x1,440 pixels; 120Hz screen refresh rate	6.4-inch Super AMOLED; 2,960x1,440 pixels	6.28-inch OLED; 2,280x1,080 pixels	6.1-inch LCD Retina Display; 1,792x828 pixels
Pixel density	402ppi	514ppi	516ppi	402ppi	326ppi
Dimensions (Inches)	6.3x3x0.34 in	6.2x3.1x0.33 in	6.37x3.01x0.35 in	6.13x2.97x0.31 in	5.9x3.0x0.33 in
Dimensions (Millimeters)	158.8x76.2x8.7 mm	158.5x79x8.5 mm	161.9x76.4x8.8 mm	155.7x75.4x7.75 mm	150.9x75.7x8.3 mm
Weight (Ounces, Grams)	7oz; 200g	7.8oz; 220g	7.09 oz.; 201g	6.2 oz; 177 g	6.8oz; 194g
Mobile software	Android 8.1 Oreo	Android 8.1 Oreo	Android 8.1 Oreo	Android 8.1 Oreo	iOS 12
Camera	12-megapixel standard with OIS, 8-megapixel ultra wide angle	Dual 12-megapixel (standard with OIS and telephoto)	Dual 12-megapixel (wide and telephoto)	16-megapixel standard, 20-megapixel telephoto	Single 12-megapixel
Front-facing camera	8-megapixel	8-megapixel	8-megapixel	16-megapixel	7-megapixel with Face ID
Video capture	4K	4K	4K	4K	4K
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (2.96GHz)	Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (2.8GHz)	Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor (2.8GHz + 1.7GHz), or Octa-core Samsung Exynos 9810 (2.7 GHz + 1.7 GHz)	2.8GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 845	Apple A12 Bionic
Storage	128GB, 512GB	64GB	128GB, 512GB	64GB, 128GB, 256GB	64GB, 128GB, 256GB
RAM	8GB RAM	8GB	6GB, 8GB	6GB, 8GB	Not disclosed
Expandable storage	None	Up to 2TB	512GB	None	None
Battery	4,000 mAh	4,000 mAh	4,000 mAh	3,300 mAh	Apple claims it will last 90 min. longer than iPhone 8 Plus
Fingerprint sensor	Back	Right spine	Back of phone	Back of phone	None (Face ID)
Connector	2 x USB-C	USB-C	USB-C	USB-C	Lightning
Headphone jack	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No
Special features	90GHz screen, Sides of phone can be customized as buttons for games, ZenMoji	120GHz screen refresh rate, water resistant (IP68), wireless charging	Water resistant (IP68); wireless charging; S-Pen; Iris and facial scanning, AR Emoji	Dual-SIM, Dash Charging	Water-resistant: IP67, dual-SIM capabilities (nano-SIM and e-SIM); wireless charging; Memoji
Price off-contract (USD)	$899 (128GB), $1,099 (512GB)	$800	$1,000 (128GB), $1,250 (512GB)	$529 (64GB), $579 (128GB), $629 (256GB)	$749 (64GB), $799 (128GB), $899 (256GB)
Price (GBP)	Converts to £690 (128GB), £840 (512GB)	£780	£899 (128GB), £1,099 (512GB)	£469 (64GB), £519 (128GB), £569 (256GB)	£749 (64GB), £799 (128GB), £899 (256GB)
Price (AUD)	Converts to AU$1,265 (128GB), AU$1,545 (512GB)	Converts to AU$1,105	AU$1,499 (128GB), AU$1,799 (512GB)	AU$702 (64GB), AU$769 (128GB), AU$835 (256GB)	AU$1,229 (64GB), AU$1,299 (128GB), AU$1,479 (256GB)

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RedMagic 7 Review: It's a Phone All About Speed

RedMagic 7 Review: It's a Phone All About Speed

Gaming phones like the Nubia RedMagic 7 aren't trying to compete with Samsung Galaxy devices or Google Pixel phones. They instead crank up the Android gaming experience with specs that sound like they belong in a PC. The RedMagic 7 allows you to max out games for excellent responsiveness and performance.

Features like the 6.8-inch 165Hz refresh rate AMOLED screen, 12GB of RAM and 65-watt charging speeds also have a benefit beyond just being big numbers. They give us a glimpse at features that will likely make their way over to more mainstream phones in coming years.

For the price -- $629 (£529, which is roughly AU$940) -- all of these features might sound like a steal, but there are plenty of reasons why this phone isn't for most people, stemming primarily from tweaks to Android 12 that prioritize gaming performance over user experience. The RedMagic also has a shorter software update cycle than other phones at this price. And while a cooling fan is a common feature on many gaming phones, the RedMagic 7 includes an internal one, which is vital to keep the phone from overheating during intensive gameplay.

The RedMagic 7's $629 starting price includes 128GB of storage and 12GB of memory -- the latter already being a ridiculous amount for a phone. The review unit I tested is $799 and has 256GB of storage and an absurd 18GB of RAM. For perspective, the $800 Galaxy S22 has 8GB of RAM.

The RedMagic 7 comes with a 65-watt GaN charger.

Mike Sorrentino/CNET

A little bit Android, a little bit Switch

At first glance, the RedMagic 7 seems like any other Android 12 phone. You unlock it with an in-screen fingerprint sensor and are greeted with a skinned version of Android 12 that includes themed widgets like a switch for the internal cooling fan and a toggle for quickly cranking the display's refresh rate from 60Hz up to 165Hz.

However, this RedMagic OS customization makes a number of annoying default choices that aren't great for casual users. Luckily, they can be switched off pretty easily. Apps are organized into multiple home screens like on iOS. To find the app drawer, you have to turn it on in settings. Once you set it up, you can keep most apps there and organize the ones you want onto the home screens. 

The default internet browser is NextWord, which is easy to switch to Chrome or Firefox. And I hope you figure this out faster than I did, but the phone puts a RedMagic watermark on all your photos. After another frustrating trip to Settings I was able to turn that off as well. 

You may find yourself visiting the Settings menu a lot to change some of the defaults in the RedMagic 7.

Mike Sorrentino/CNET

OS annoyances aside, this phone is clearly aimed at gamers. A red physical switch on the top-left of the phone's transparent body boots it into a game launcher. The aptly named Game Space looks more like the menus you find on the Nintendo Switch and automatically adds games from your app library.

Gaming mode makes several tweaks to the phone's settings: It disables notifications, turns on the fan and adds menus for quick access to display refresh rates and processor performance. I set it up to show the frames per second as I played which helped determine which games supported higher refresh rates.

On the right side of the phone there's a fan exhaust and touch-sensitive areas that emulate shoulder buttons on a game controller. You can set up the "buttons" to tap specific areas of the screen during gameplay -- for instance I coupled them to the shoot button in Apex Legends Mobile and on the Use and Report buttons in Among Us.

Mortal Kombat Mobile supports the 165Hz refresh rate allowed by the RedMagic 7's screen.

Mike Sorrentino/CNET

Gaming runs fast and sometimes hot

Along with the 165Hz display refresh rate, the RedMagic 7 touts a "720Hz Multi-Finger Touch Sampling Rate" -- their words. This refers to how responsive screen taps are while playing games. In lieu of having physical buttons, having a cranked-up touch rate for the screen makes a lot of sense. I found it particularly helpful for games streamed from the Google Stadia cloud service.

Cloud gaming in general is notorious for lag under even the fastest of internet connections, but with the RedMagic's 720Hz touch rate screen I was almost able to create combos in Mortal Kombat 11. It also made it possible to play Marvel's Avengers using the touchscreen over the Stadia cloud. These games are made for a physical controller, so while it's not an ideal or competitive way to play, it works fine for a quick game over good Wi-Fi.

The Game Space launcher on the RedMagic 7, which puts Android games into a more console-like menu.

Mike Sorrentino/CNET

What was more interesting were the handful of games that supported the 165Hz screen refresh rate. Mortal Kombat Mobile (separate from Mortal Kombat 11) cranks all the way up to 165Hz, making all the punches and battles look super smooth. On the other hand, Rayman Adventures, which supports 165Hz, runs at double or triple speed. I had to turn the screen refresh rate down to 60Hz to run at a normal speed.

Most games however ran at 60 frames per second regardless of what I set. While Apex Legends Mobile appeared to top out at 60fps, the game did let me max all of its settings out. Performance remained super smooth throughout a 20-minute match, but I definitely noticed the phone was physically hot to touch. The RedMagic comes with a case that makes the heat from gaming substantially more tolerable.

The RedMagic 7 can charge from 0% to 100% in roughly 30 minutes.

Mike Sorrentino/CNET

Fast charging that I want to see in more phones

The 65-watt GaN charger that's included with the phone is a serious perk. The dual 4,500-mAh double-cell battery can recharge from 0% to 98% in just over 30 minutes. This is a phone you definitely won't need to charge overnight. Interestingly enough when charging, an onscreen graphic shows the percentage, and the cooling fan turns on to dissipate any heat.

Battery life was great: I consistently got through an entire day, even when I kept the screen at 165Hz. Even on days where I played games for an hour or so, I had 20% to 30% left by the evening.

Another neat trick is you can power the phone straight from the power adapter, skipping the battery. This should help the battery ultimately last longer, since when available the phone won't need to draw power directly from it at all times. And during gaming, this will reduce the amount of heat the phone gives off.

I hope other phones adopt these power-charging features. A 30-minute charging time means the phone can fully charge up while you shower and get dressed in the morning.

Citi Field in New York. The RedMagic 7 applies a watermark by default that can be turned off in the settings menu.

Mike Sorrentino/CNET

Photography and software support take a back seat

The phone has a 64-megapixel main camera, an 8-megapixel ultrawide camera and 2-megapixel depth sensor. The RedMagic can handle most daytime photography situations, but it isn't going to win any awards for its photos.

Crowds inside of Citi Field, taken on the RedMagic 7.

Mike Sorrentino/CNET

In terms of image quality, photos I took at a New York Mets game were on par with lower priced phones like the Moto G Stylus 5G. Photos taken outdoors in sunlight generally looked good, while lower light situations were more difficult. 

RedMagic 7's Night mode photo at New York's Citi Field.

Mike Sorrentino/CNET

The phone's Night mode helps bring out a few more additional details, focusing on subjects like the signs at the Mets' stadium, but it's not quite as detailed as other phones in this price range. If you want a phone that takes great photos, I recommend looking at the $599 Pixel 6 or the $700 Galaxy S21 FE.

The RedMagic 7 has an 8-megapixel front-facing camera.

Mike Sorrentino/CNET

The 8-megapixel front-facing camera is disappointing, even for livestreaming. Selfie photos are just OK. The front-facing camera isn't something I'd use to broadcast on Twitch. With gaming and livestreaming so interconnected, it'd be nice if the RedMagic 7 could function as a starter device towards that.

Software support on the RedMagic 7 isn't great. RedMagic says that its products tend to get one major update with a "maintenance period" that lasts between one and a half to two years.

Geekbench v.5.0 single-core

Asus ROG Phone 5 Ultimate

Note:

Longer bars indicate better performance

Geekbench v.5.0 multicore

Asus ROG Phone 5 Ultimate

Note:

Longer bars indicate better performance

Serious Android gamers only

The RedMagic 7 isn't for most people, nor is it intended to be. If you are a competitive gamer who really wants an absolutely screaming refresh rate, and doesn't mind a built-in cooling fan, then this phone is certainly an option for you. Just understand the software update tradeoffs and all the defaults you'll probably want to change out of the box.

But most other people should look elsewhere for a daily driver phone. Families considering the RedMagic as an alternative to a Switch would be better off buying a Nintendo Switch and a cheaper phone.

Nubia RedMagic 7 vs. Nubia RedMagic 6 vs. Samsung Galaxy S22 vs. Google Pixel 6

	Nubia RedMagic 7	Nubia RedMagic 6	Samsung Galaxy S22	Google Pixel 6
Display size, resolution, refresh rate	6.8-inch; 2,400x1,080 pixels; 165Hz	6.8-inch OLED; 2,400x1,080 pixels; 165Hz refresh rate; HDR10, 500Hz single touchrate	6.1-inch AMOLED; 2,340x1,080 pixels; 120Hz	6.4-inch OLED; 2,400x1,080 pixels; 60 or 90Hz
Pixel density	387 ppi	387 ppi	425 ppi	411 ppi
Dimensions (Inches)	6.7 x 3.1 x 0.4 in.	6.69 x 3.04 x 0.38 in.	5.7 x 2.8 x 0.3 in.	6.2 x 2.9 x 0.4 in.
Dimensions (Millimeters)	170.57 x 78.33 x 9.5 mm	169.86 x 77.19 x 9.7mm	146 x 70.6 x 7.6 mm	158.6 x 74.8 x 8.9 mm
Weight (Ounces, Grams)	7.58 oz.; 215g	7.76 oz.; 220g	167g (168g for mmWave model)	7.3 oz.; 207g
Mobile software	Android 12	Android 11	Android 12	Android 12
Camera	64-megapixel (main), 8-megapixel (ultrawide), 2-megapixel (depth)	64-megapixel (wide), 8-megapixel (ultrawide), 2-megapixel (depth)	50-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultra-wide), 10-megapixel (telephoto)	50-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel ultrawide
Front-facing camera	8-megapixel	8-megapixel	10-megapixel	8-megapixel
Video capture	8K at 30fps, 4K at 60fps	8K	8K at 24 fps	4K 30, 60fps (rear), 1,080p 30fps (front)
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1	Qualcomm Snapdragon 888	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1	Google Tensor
RAM/Storage	12GB/128GB, 18GB/256GB	12GB/128GB	8GB RAM + 128GB 8GB RAM + 256GB	8GB/128GB, 256GB
Expandable storage	No	None	None	No
Battery/Charger	4,500 mAh	5,050 mAh	3,700 mAh (25W wired charging)	4,614 mAh
Fingerprint sensor	In-display	In-display	In-display	In-display
Connector	USB-C	USB-C	USB-C	USB-C
Headphone jack	Yes	Yes	None	No
Special features	720Hz multitouch sampling rate	5G, 66W fast charging, 400Hz touch sensitive side buttons, RGB lighting and logo, Game Space hardware switch, Wi-Fi 6E, NFC, dual-SIM	5G (mmw/sub 6), 120Hz display, IP68 rating, 25W wired charging, 15W wireless charging	5G sub 6 (some carrier models also have 5G mmWave) support, Wi-Fi 6E, 30W fast charging, Magic Eraser, Motion mode, Real Tone, Face Unblur, Cinematic Pan, 5 years OS and security updates, IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, Gorilla Glass Victus (front), Gorilla Glass 6 (back)
Price off-contract (USD)	$629	$599	$800	$599 (128GB)
Price (GBP)	£529	£509	£769	£599
Price (AUD)	Converts to AU$940	Converts to AU$900	AU$1,149	AU$999

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• Redmagic 7 165hz Gaming Phone
• Redmagic 7 Pro Phone
• Red Magic 7 Review
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• Red Magic 7
• Redmagic 7 Supernova

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Wi-Fi 6 devices: The top compatible phones, laptops and gadgets thus far

Wi-Fi 6 devices: The top compatible phones, laptops and gadgets thus far

Wi-Fi 6 is the newest and fastest version of Wi-Fi, and we've watched it gradually start to roll out across the top wireless devices since its arrival in 2019. At this point, in 2021, there are plenty of interesting options if you're looking to buy in.

In a nutshell, Wi-Fi 6 is capable of top speeds that are about 30% faster than the fastest Wi-Fi 5 speeds, and it's much better equipped to handle busy networks with lots of devices, as well as dense, crowded environments with lots of users. It won't do anything to speed up a slow ISP connection, so don't expect miracles -- but it will help you get the fastest, most efficient connection possible at home.

You'll need a Wi-Fi 6 router and new Wi-Fi 6 devices in order to enjoy those benefits at home -- here are the top options currently available, which we'll update regularly.

Available for $399, the iPhone SE is the most affordable phone that supports faster Wi-Fi 6 connections.

Angela Lang/CNET

Phones

It's not surprising that, after routers, smartphones were among the first devices to start incorporating support for Wi-Fi 6. Samsung was the first with the Galaxy S10, but Apple, LG, Huawei and others were soon to follow suit. 

As of now, the list of phones that can connect at faster Wi-Fi 6 speeds includes:

And what about the phones that don't support Wi-Fi 6? The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip comes to mind, but Google's Pixel lineup is probably the most notable example. Even the newest models -- the Pixel 5 and Pixel 4A 5G -- don't include Wi-Fi 6 support.

We're also starting to see the very first phones that support Wi-Fi 6E, a new designation for Wi-Fi 6 devices that are equipped to tap into the newly opened 6GHz band, which offers a massive amount of spectrum with no interference from older-gen connections. The first phones to support the designation include the Samsung Galaxy S21, as well as two gaming phones: the Lenovo Legion and the Asus ROG Phone 3. Each of those uses Qualcomm's Snapdragon 865 Plus processor, which boasts support for Wi-Fi 6E and 5G.

It's pretty likely that we'll see a handful of other phones jump in with Wi-Fi 6E by the end of this year, too, so stay tuned.

The Asus Chromebook Flip c436 comes equipped with full support for Wi-Fi 6.

Joshua Goldman/CNET

Laptops

There's a growing number of new laptops that are shipping with Wi-Fi 6 as the default option. Some of our favorites include:

And nope, none of Apple's laptops support Wi-Fi 6 yet -- not even the newest, 13-inch MacBook Pro.

If your devices support Wi-Fi 6, then you'll need a Wi-Fi 6 router in order to take advantage of the faster top speeds. Our current favorite is this Asus ZenWifi AX mesh system.

Tyler Lizenby/CNET

Other devices

Other recent Wi-Fi 6 devices include the new eighth-gen iPad and fourth-gen iPad Air, but we haven't seen Wi-Fi 6 support in many other types of devices -- no TVs, no streamers, no smart home gadgets. That's likely to change in the coming months, though. We'll be sure to update this post as Wi-Fi 6 adoption spreads.

There's one big, obvious exception: routers. You'll need one that supports Wi-Fi 6 running your home network if you want to take full advantage of the Wi-Fi 6 radio in your fancy new phone or laptop -- and fortunately, you've already got a lot of options.

My favorite among them is the Asus ZenWifi AX, a two-piece Wi-Fi 6 mesh router that costs $450. It isn't cheap, but it aced my tests and offers just about everything you could reasonably want from a router. Even more of an upgrade: the $600 Netgear Orbi AX6000 mesh system, which hit the fastest top speeds we've ever seen from a mesh router.

Expect to see lots of new Wi-Fi 6 routers in 2021, including the Arris Surfboard Max mesh system pictured here.

Ry Crist/CNET

If you don't need a multi-point mesh router (or if you just don't want to pay that much), you'll find Wi-Fi 6 support in standalone models that cost a little less. I like the TP-Link Archer AX6000 -- it hit the fastest top speeds our test lab has ever seen, and you can get for less than $300. Meanwhile, the TP-Link Archer AX1500 costs just $80 or less, though the top speeds are more limited.

Expect to see lots of new Wi-Fi 6 routers like those in 2021. We've already tested a few of the new ones that made their debut at this year's all-virtual CES, including the Asus RT-AX68U and the Arris Surfboard Max AX6600.

In addition, you might be able to update an older laptop with a new Wi-Fi 6 radio. For instance, Rivet Networks sells the Killer AX1650 Wi-Fi 6 adapter for laptops with an M.2 connector and a standard Key A or E socket. We picked one up last year to upgrade the laptop in our test lab and it works great. Cost? Just $50.

As for Wi-Fi 6E, we're just starting to see the arrival of the very first routers that include access to the newly unlocked 6GHz band. The first thus far is the Asus GT-AXE11000, a premium gaming router that's set to hit stores this month. Later this year, expect to see new Wi-Fi 6E routers from Netgear, Linksys, TP-Link and others, too.

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