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Pre-order ASUS' ROG gaming phone on October 18th
ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) announced the release date of its gaming-oriented smartphone today. The ROG Phone will be available for pre-order on October 18th for a starting price of $899 for the 128 GB version. The 512 GB model will cost $1,099. There isn't any word on ship date yet, though accessories for the device will be available starting in Q4.
A brief (and depressing) history of gaming phones
ASUS' surprisingly ambitious ROG Phone is a clear sign the company has confidence in the gaming smartphone category. And it wasn't that long ago that the likes of Razer, Xiaomi and Nubia thought they saw an opportunity for a cash grab here. But as history has shown, gaming hardware is risky business, especially a segment this niche. Remember, not even Nokia at the height of its powers could crack the gaming phone equation with its legendary infamous N-Gage. While we wait for the ROG Phone to arrive later this year, let's take a stroll down memory lane and revisit some of its precursors.
The rise of 'Fortnite' means gaming phones might make sense
When ASUS announced the ROG Phone this week, I thought it was ridiculous. A gaming smartphone with a vapor-chamber cooling system? An external fan just in case the phone runs extra hot? As my colleague Dan Cooper said to me following the announcement, how far do you go before you give up and just buy a Switch? But the more I learned about the phone, the more I became enthralled by it. I realized that the very fact that it was so over-the-top is what made it weirdly appealing, especially to an ever-growing niche of hardcore mobile gamers. As strange as it may be, the ROG phone could be the latest sign that gaming phones are finally finding their audience.
ASUS ROG's ridiculously high-spec gaming phone was made for 'PUBG'
Thanks to the likes of Free Fire, PUBG and Fortnite arriving on mobile, gaming smartphones seem like a no-brainer for brands that want to break into the crowded smartphone world, with the Razer Phone setting the bar for others to follow. ASUS thinks it can do better. Here at Computex, the company surprised many by unveiling the ROG Phone, its first-ever handset made specifically with gaming in mind. Needless to say, this aggressive-looking device is specced out as a powerhouse, but it's also packed with many unique and thoughtful features that aim to deliver a better gaming experience. There are also a handful of dedicated accessories -- including an external cooling fan that clips onto the back, plus an optional handheld dock that adds a second screen to the ROG Phone.
