Asus ROG Phone 6D Ultimate Review

Asus has yet again built one of the most premium gaming smartphones out there. After the release of the Asus ROG Phone 6 and 6 Pro, we got to take a look at the 6D and 6D Ultimate.

Even though both devices are not direct competitors, they certainly serve a similar demographic that demands the best from their device in interesting - and differing - ways.

So what’s the difference between the 6 and 6D Ultimate series, and does ROG Phone 6D Ultimate deliver performance befitting of its name? Let’s find out.

Design and Build

When we look at the ROG Phone 6D Ultimate, the first thing you are going to notice is its marvelous design. However, it is quite like the Phone 6 Pro and both phones look identical aside from a far more subtle black hue to this incarnation.

However, there’s a meaningful difference when compared to its predecessor in the form of an “AeroActive” portal which is essentially a flap that will remove the head from your device while you’re gaming.

But the thing is, it won’t be active until you have the included cooling fan attached.

The overall glass-backed design makes it look crisp and once again leans heavily into the gaming laptop aesthetic, which can be divisive but equally makes for a clear style statement with the ROG range of phones.

On the rear, the Asus ROG Vision display can show notifications and battery life, as well as cool scrolling text if you so desire.

The rest of the design is familiar for those who know Asus Phone ROG 6 Pro which means that you are still getting that slight camera bump on the back, and a beautiful expansive display on the front.

Display & Sound

Compared to ROG Phone 6, the 6D didn’t need any upgrade when it came to the display. Therefore it uses the same 6.78-inch OLED panel with a resolution of 2448X1080p that delivers excellent gameplay like a champion.

Viewing angles remain exceptional and even though a 1440p panel would be amazing, given the screen size of this device, even an OLED panel of 1080p still looks beautiful.

The main feature that makes the 6D Ultimate different from all the other phones is that it has a blisteringly fast 165Hz refresh rate.

However, the device is in an Auto mode which means it will switch between 165, 144, 120, 90, and 60 Hertz, depending on the task at hand. Moreover, the phone is also a collaboration with Swedish audio powerhouse Dirac, making for an aural experience of the 6D Ultimate which is exceptional.

Performance & Specifications

This is truly where the ROG Phone 6D Ultimate sets itself apart from the 6 Pro in some exciting ways.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1+ processor was the main focus of 6 and 6 Pro, but Asus decided to take a different approach and tried Mediatek’s Dimensity 9000+ chipset in the 6D Ultimate.

Moreover, the graphics processor used in the 6D Ultimate is Mali-G710 rather than the Adreno 730 which plays nicely well with Snapdragon’s powerful effort.

One drawback to balance this boost in chipset is in the form of RAM, where the 6D Ultimate has a mere 16GB as opposed to the 18GB maxed out on the 6 Pro.

However, the 6D ultimate has DDR5X RAM, faster than the larger 18GB on 6 Pro – both remain incredible specs for a smartphone in either instance!

All in all, the overall performance of the 6D Ultimate has been exceptional - with its 165Hz display combined with a 720 Hz touch sampling rate, it’s the equivalent of a top-of-the-line gaminc PC when it comes to the latest, most demanding mobile games.

Camera & Video Quality

The ROG Phone 6D has a 50-megapixel primary lens,13MP wide angle, and 5MP Macro lens. Aside from the main camera, the other ones are a little of the pace when compared to images captured by the main lens. The overall photo and video quality from that main lens is truly impressive, especially considering that the 50MP lens can capture a lot of detail.

The image quality keeps improving with each software update (of which we had two during this review) and the overall colors and vibrancy make the 6D Ultimate a strong contender even comparing it with some of the other premium smartphones.

When we talk about the video side, the ROG 6D Ultimate can capture up to 8k at 24fps and EIS is also available.

Battery

Being a gaming phone, the 6D Ultimate has a 6000mAh battery, an absolute beast and more than enough for even the most extended marathon gaming sessions.

The phone also has a 65W adapter included in the box and it can charge up to 70% in just half an hour, another win for gamers.

Not only the battery life is already near perfect, but the charging speed is great and can potentially charge your phone from zero to 100% in a mere hour. This is awesome considering that the phone has a massive 6000mAh battery.

Software

Seems like Asus is still stuck with the Android 12 as their latest phone comes with it. The phone has ROG and Asus UI mixed with Android which makes it truly unique and exciting for gamers. Once you turn on the ‘X’ mode, gaming controls come to the fore that turns the 6D Ultimate into a total gaming machine, giving you an array of menu options from screen and virtual trigger sensibility to tweak your experience overall.

Pricing and Availability

Right now, the ROG Phone 6D Ultimate comes in only one variant and it is available SIM-free in the UK at a price of £1,199. It might be one of the most premium devices we’ve seen, and it stands to reason that bleeding edge hardware across the board has a suitable price tag to match.

Final Verdict

The ROG Phone 6D Ultimate is more than just a gaming smartphone, it is a machine. It has all aspects of a great standard smartphone from display to camera credentials and a robust battery life, and then is embellished with some of the best gaming features that you are going to get in a modern smartphone.

Truly impressive stuff, and the Dimensity 9000+ stands shoulder-to-shoulder with its Snapdragon stablemate in the ROG Phone 6 Pro.