I’m currently reviewing the Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate but for much of this year, I’ve been using its predecessor, the firm’s ROG Phone 6D Ultimate gaming smartphone.
Until the new unit came along, 6D Ultimate was the best gaming smartphone. And it remains the only ROG phone to feature the AeroActive Portal.
The key difference between the two 6D models and the original ROG Phone 6 and 6 Pro is they use the Mediatek Dimensity 9000+ chipset instead of the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC. They also use the ARM Mali-G710 GPU graphics chip rather than the Qualcomm Adreno 730 found in the 6 and 6 Pro.
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ROG Phone 6D Ultimate performance
I was super impressed by the mighty Dimensity 9000+ SoC. This 4nm chip is no slouch when it comes to performance. I don’t have a 6 Pro to compare it to. However, I have run repeated benchmark tests on the likes of Geekbench 6 and 3DMark and compared the results to all the other flagship devices I have tested and ROG Phone 6D Ultimate is one of the fastest handsets you can buy.
For one example, its stability score on the WildLife Stress Test was 96.6%.
The 6D Ultimate also includes 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage as standard compared to the standard 6D’s 256GB. Both come with 16GB of superfast LPDDR5X RAM. (You can also get a less expensive 6D model with 12GB RAM.)
If you are an ardent gamer, these specs are most likely more important than they would be to the average smartphone user.
Demanding games such as Asphalt 9, Call of Duty: Mobile and PUBG Mobile are a joy to play on 6D Ultimate as they all run without any lag or stutter. You’ll be able to enjoy Genshin Impact at its maximum graphic settings and achieve 60 frames per second (fps) frame rates.
ROG Phone 6D Ultimate runs Android 12 out of the box but I have since updated it to Android 13 which has a combination of ROG UI and Zen UI over the top.
One of its key features is X Mode which delivers the best possible gaming experience and gives the home screen and app icons a gamer aesthetic.
And you get an Armoury Crate app in which you can fine-tune your performance, customise features and accessories and connect with other players. A wide range of options are available, including those which specifically target the CPU and GPU. And once you’re in the game, quick settings can be accessed using the Game Genie toolbar.
ROG Phone 6D Ultimate AeroActive Cooler 6
For marathon gaming sessions, clip on the AeroActive Cooler 6 which adds four customisable buttons that can used while playing and cools the device without sacrificing performance.
One of the main differences between the 6D and the 6D Ultimate is the latter comes with the Active AeroCooler 6 accessory bundled in the box.
The 6D Ultimate is also the only ROG phone to feature the AeroActive Portal – a small flap which improves heat dissipation when open during gaming.
ROG Phone 6D Ultimate design and build
ROG Phone 6D has so many great features for mobile gaming – shoulder triggers, 3.5mm headphone port for a wired headset and a second USB-C port in the side so you can comfortably charge the phone while gaming.
It is a large phone that’s 10.4mm thick and a weight of 239g. For context, that’s about the same heft as S23 Ultra and iPhone 14 Pro Max, two phones I love using.
The rear of the phone has the usual ROG styling, with light blue highlights, sci-fi decals and snippets of text atop the gunmetal Space Grey finish. The rear also houses the 2in ROG Vision secondary display which has limited functionality but looks cool, nonetheless. It shows custom graphics for incoming calls, charging and when you are playing games.
The device is IPX4 rated for dust and water resistance. The X, incidentally, means it has not been tested for dust resistance. The 4 means it cannot be submerged but should be able to withstand light splashes.
ROG Phone 6D Ultimate display
The stunning 6.78in FHD+ OLED display made by Samsung sports an adaptive 165Hz refresh rate - the highest on a phone – along with 720Hz touch sampling and 1200nits of peak brightness.
And while not many games can output at 165Hz, you can test this feature out on Real Racing 3, and it will blow your mind.
ROG Phone 6D Ultimate cameras
Cameras are never the strongest points of a gaming phone but the triple rear camera system here includes a 50MP wide angle camera that produces pleasing images. It uses a Sony IMX766 sensor.
The 12MP front camera is decent too, producing detailed images which are well-exposed. There’s also a 13MP ultrawide which is not great and a somewhat pointless 5MP macro camera.
The main rear camera can capture video at up to 8K resolution/24 fps or at 4K resolution up to 60fps.
ROG Phone 6D Ultimate battery experience
The beast of a 6000mAh battery delivers the best stamina of any gaming smartphone. Its dual 3000mAh cells can be fully recharged in about 42 minutes with the included 65w fast charging brick.
Verdict
ROG Phone 6D Ultimate lives up to its moniker – this is the ultimate gaming smartphone thanks to its large, responsive display, superfast performance, top notch cooling system and excellent battery life.
Pricing
ASUS ROG Phone 6D Ultimate costs €1294 from Gomibo.ie.
Special offer
A flash sale on ROG Phone 6 Diablo Edition next month offers savings of more than €400. The Diablo Edition is a themed edition of ROG Phone 6 which you can read about here. Originally £1099.99, customers in the UK including Northern Ireland, will be able to purchase the phone for a reduced price of £666.00. The sale will be valid from June 6 to 8, 2023.
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