ASUS ROG Phone 9 Pro PhoneArena Camera Score: Just what you'd expect from a gaming phone
The ROG Phone 9 Pro is now here to showcase ASUS' unwavering dominance in the dedicated gaming phone market, bringing stupendous performance thanks to Qualcomm's exceptional Snapdragon 8 Elite.
Sure, it's all roses when it comes to raw performance and synthetic benchmark supremacy, but how has ASUS tackled other essential pillars of the flagship smartphone experience? The camera package has always been a crucial aspect of every phone, be it a "regular" flagship or a gaming-oriented device.
Let's see if ASUS has cooked with the ROG Phone 9 Pro, based on our latest PhoneArena Camera Score test.
| Specs | ASUS ROG Phone 9 Pro | ASUS ROG Phone 8 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Main camera | 50MP, Sony LYTIA 700, 1/1.56", F1.9 | 50MP, Sony IMX890, 1/1.56", F1.9 |
| Telephoto camera | 32MP, 1/3.2", F2.4, 3X optical zoom | 32MP, 1/3.2", F2.4, 3X optical zoom |
| Ultra-wide camera | 13MP, F2.2, 120° | 13MP, F2.2, 120° |
| Front-facing camera | 32MP | 32MP |
From the get-go, it's pretty obvious that the only notable difference between the ASUS ROG 9 Pro and its predecessor is the sensor behind the camera, and even then, both the Sony LYTIA 700 in the new device and the Sony IMX890 inside the ROG Phone 8 Pro share very similar specs. All the other cameras are essentially the same as before.
Is the ROG Phone 9 Pro then destined to share the slightly unimpressive camera prowess of its predecessor?
ASUS ROG Phone 9 Pro Camera Score compared to its rivals
| Phone | PhoneArena Camera Score | Photo Score | Video Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASUS ROG Phone 9 Pro | 137.6 | 138.0 | 137.2 |
| ASUS ROG Phone 8 Pro | 129.6 | 135.5 | 123.7 |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | 156.4 | 161.9 | 150.9 |
| Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max | 153.9 | 158.4 | 149.5 |
Thankfully, ASUS has seemingly implemented a ton of improvements and optimizations for the camera, which have come a long way. We're pleased to report that the latest ROG Phone has improved significantly in comparison with the ROG Phone 8 Pro, though the bar was pretty low to begin with. The new device earns a PhoneArena Camera Score of 137.6, while the ROG Phone 8 Pro only reached 129.6 points in the same tests.
While the difference in the still photo tests isn't that grand, it's the rift in the video score that helps the newer phone gains some serious ground: 123.7 points for the older phone can't really match the 137.2-point result that ASUS' latest and greatest has achieved.
Despite the notable uptick in image quality and photography prowess, the ASUS ROG Phone 9 Pro still can't quite reach the same bar as the Galaxy S24 Ultra and iPhone 16 Pro Max, which are two of its big-name rivals on the international scene. The iPhone has achieved 153.9 points as a whole, while the Galaxy S24 Ultra is among the best-ranked phones in our PhoneArena camera test.
ASUS ROG Phone 9 Pro spider chart
Main Camera
With the main camera, the ASUS ROG Phone 9 Pro delivers a ton of oversharpening, which is the key takeaway you have to get for this camera. Another one is the somewhat bleak and depressing colors, which lack any saturation even when capturing vivid subjects. The ROG Phone 9 Pro also struggles with dynamics, failing to bring up details from darker shadows.
Zoom Quality
The telephoto camera is surprisingly good. There's some oversharpening here as well, but details are much cleaner here. AT 3X and 10X, the phone fares the best, with both of these zoom levels giving us very usable photos. Anything past that isn't really usable.
Ultra-wide Camera
The ultrawide camera is narrower than most and doesn't really impress with anything. Details are fine, but the colors and the dynamics are pretty comparable to the main camera.
Front Camera
Selfies taken with the ROG Phone 9 Pro are natural and very true-to-life. Colors and pleasing, but the dynamics are once again failing to impress: shadows are too dark, with not much information salvaged.
Main Camera - Video
Interestingly, in video mode, the ROG Phone 9 Pro delivers better dynamics and the oversharpening is mostly gone. As a result, the details are pretty decent. We'd love to see even better dynamics.
Ultrawide camera - Video
Detail is a bit soft here, especially in the corners, and the captured scene isn't that wide, which isn't ideal. Decent enough for the occasional ultrawide video, but definitely not a strong point of the ROG Phone 9 Pro.
Zoom camera - Video
Surprisingly good quality with decent detail and good colors, a very refreshing improvement in comparison with the ASUS ROG Phone 8 Pro, for example.
Selfie camera - Video
Good colors, decent detail, okay dynamics. Lots to love here.
Conclusion
Overall, the ROG Phone 9 Pro's camera performs just as you'd expect a dedicated gaming phone to do: okay for casual stills and videos, but nothing more than that.
While we notice improvements in comparison with the ASUS ROG Phone 8 Pro, it's once again clear that ASUS has left the camera package as an afterthought.
That's not such a big issue, as the target demographic is likely aware of the fact that the ROG line of phones isn't a photography powerhouse.
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