Gaming smartphones have always been niche. But these powerful phones, which typically come with gaming features such as customisable shoulder triggers that mimic the ones on console controllers, may soon be a dying breed. Asus — the flagbearer of these devices for years — recently gave its gaming smartphone, the ROG Phone series, a makeover that focused on its non-gaming features.
Yes, the latest Asus ROG Phone 8, which we are currently putting to the test (review soon!), looks less flashy like its predecessors. For starters, the design is more restrained, though it can still turn it on when needed, thanks to a customisable Mini-LED display at the back. And the shoulder triggers are still present.
But what’s more telling is that Asus has — for the first time — included features that you’d expect from a flagship smartphone, such as IP68 water and dust resistance and a telephoto lens. In short, the ROG Phone 8 feels more like a premium smartphone — Asus even calls it a “perfect lifestyle phone for gamers”.
For gaming phones, the writing has probably been on the wall for a while. Lenovo discontinued its Legion mobile gaming phones last year, while Razer gave up years ago after two attempts. Xiaomi-backed Black Shark seems to be dabbling in wearables now. Which leaves us with Nubia’s Redmagic phones and Asus' ROG Phone series.
But gamers who want a great mobile gaming experience are not exactly out of options. You can simply buy an universal mobile gaming controller like the Razer Kishi to use with your phone. And while it’s recommended to have a capable smartphone with a decently-fast processor and a sufficiently-large battery, most mobile games will run fine on less-powerful devices. Not sure which phones are good? Check out our latest smartphone reviews.
For around S$500, the Samsung Galaxy A35 5G offers a solid, value-for-money mid-range smartphone experience. It’s got a smooth display that’s just about bright enough, a decent camera, and a responsive user interface that lasts an entire day on a single charge. You also get four Android OS upgrades and five years of security updates, which is unmatched at this price.
The Logitech MX Brio is fairly pricey at S$349, but it’s worth it for the crisp and clear image quality, good low-light performance, and dual beamforming microphones that suppress background noise. Its Show Mode feature also lets you tilt the webcam downwards to show your desk. Overall, it’s an excellent webcam for both the home and the office.
The Keychron Q5 Max is a premium mechanical keyboard that oozes quality. From its solid build to its almost-comforting muted typing sound to its support for QMK/VIA, the Q5 Max is worth its S$300 asking price. You can use it wired or wirelessly (Bluetooth, 2.4GHz dongle), while battery life is also good at around 100 hours.