Second iteration of Asus' ROG Phone set to launch in Q3 2019: Report

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According to a report from Taiwan’s DigiTimes, Asus is all set to unveil the second iteration of the ROG Phone in the third-quarter of 2019. Although there’s no concrete news about a second-generation ROG Phone, Asus will likely incorporate the Snapdragon 855 SoC in the device.

When you consider the whopping Rs 69,999 price the first-generation ROG Phone demanded, Asus positioned their handset in the non-existent enthusiast gaming smartphone market as opposed to a more price-sensitive market, in which gamers generally reside.

The recent uptake in mobile gaming has created a new market segment for smartphone manufacturers to sink their teeth into. Razer initiated the trend of gaming handsets with the first Razer Phone, which featured a 120 Hz LCD and a ton of other gamer-friendly featured.

While the Razer Phone didn’t see much success in terms of sales numbers, it started a new trend in the smartphone market. Today, brands like Xiaomi, Samsung, Honor, Asus and Vivo have either launched gaming smartphones or introduced smartphones engineered specifically for gaming. Among the gaming handsets of 2018, Asus’ ROG Phone stood out the most due to its incredible performance, scalable refresh rate (60 Hz OLED panel that maxed out at 90 Hz) and 1ms response time.

Unlike the Razer Phone that came before, the ROG Phone featured a never-before-seen smartphone design and offered more power with a vibrant OLED panel. The phone came with a fan attachment, RGB lighting at the back and an improved thermal system to maintain optimal temperatures.

The competition in the gaming smartphone market is beginning to heat up with Chinese players like Xiaomi and Vivo already unveiling gaming handsets with the latest Snapdragon chipset at mid-range prices. To overcome failures of the previous ROG phone, Asus will have to focus on competitive pricing by compromising on luxury features like over-the-top camera performance and wireless charging, to name a few.