Is the ASUS ROG Phone 2 the best gaming phone of 2019?

The ASUS ROG Phone 2 is ASUS's latest "Republic of Gamers" gaming phone. Boasting a 6.59-inch 120Hz display, an incredible 6000mAh battery, and the Snapdragon 855 Plus chipset, it's flat-out one of the most powerful and impressive phones on the market.

The ASUS ROG Phone 2 is the current king of gaming phones. From a spec perspective, I can't fault it. The Snapdragon 855 Plus chipset provides a smooth and consistent experience, the 6.59-inch 120Hz display strips away the touchscreen latency issues known to plague competitive games, and then there's the 6000mAh battery, which I've found to be an absolute revelation after dealing with my S9's increasingly dismal battery life for over a year.

This thing can go for close to three days without needing a charge, and that's with regular use and at least several hours of game time. It needs to be the standard going forward for gaming phones, but I also hope that more mainstream devices adopt something similar.

The build quality of the phone is unsurprisingly excellent, with three USB-C ports and some striking RGB lighting on the back. Across the board, it feels like a top-quality product, and I'm fairly confident that it could take some beating before signs of wear would begin to surface.

With 512GB of storage, this thing has more space than I know what to do with. Unfortunately, I didn't get to test several of the optional peripherals, though I can say that the external fan is a very neat piece of kit which comes in handy during lengthy play sessions.

The customisation options here are also excellent, and the Air Triggers are just perfect for twitch shooters like Call of Duty Mobile. I eventually found great ways to use them across over a dozen games. It's super easy to set them up, with the ability to save a unique profile, and so you should absolutely make use of them any chance you get.

The most obvious negative is the hefty price tag. Coming in at $899, it's easily one of the most expensive phones around. While its sheer power is clearly a glowing positive, you have to consider whether you really need a device as high-spec as this for a bit of light mobile gaming. Those looking to play more demanding software at the highest possible frame rate and visual quality may wish to explore a device of this calibre, but it'll honestly be wasted on most folks.

On a similar note, the ROG 2's design positively screams "gaming phone", which isn't going to be to everyone's liking. I kinda like the look of it, it's certainly very aggressive, but I'm not sure if I could see myself using it as my standard daily device.

Part of the reason for this is that the ROG 2 is quite heavy, weighing in at around 240g, and definitely on the large side, making it a little too cumbersome to carry around all day. That said, it's oddly comfy in the hands, just make sure your jeans have pockets big enough for this giant.

Another small gripe is the complete lack of wireless charging, which obviously isn't the end of the world but comes across as an odd omission given its focus on the capabilities of its battery.

The ASUS ROG Phone 2 is the perfect device for what might prove to be a very small audience, at least in the west. Its unrivalled power, battery life, screen quality, and extensive customisation options put it head and shoulders above the majority of its competition. But with such quality comes a price tag to match.

You can read more about the ASUS ROG Phone 2 over on Asus.com.