ASUS ROG Phone 4 to launch soon as company shares first teaser

ASUS was rumored to be working on a new ROG gaming smartphone for 2021 in collaboration with Qualcomm right before the launch of the Snapdragon 888. It was also speculated that the new smartphone would be unveiled by the end of 2020 followed by a launch in the first half of 2021. While that hasn’t materialized, ASUS has certainly started teasing the upcoming smartphone, which means that the launch could happen soon.

According to the teaser (via MySmartPrice), the next-gen ROG Phone could have slimmer bezels above and below the display. The teaser also mentions, “Your combat power will be upgraded soon! The new generation of Tencent ROG gaming phone, all faith players, stay tuned!” This hints at the fact that a Tencent version of the smartphone, just like the ROG Phone 3 and ROG Phone 2, would be introduced.

The handset was allegedly spotted on Geekbench recently suggesting that the handset would be powered by the latest Snapdragon 888 SoC with 8GB of RAM and Android 11 out of the box. As per a recent 3C certification listing, the handset is expected to come with model number ASUS_I005DA and 65W fast charging. In comparison, the ROG Phone 3 came with 30W fast charging, and we are hopeful that ASUS will continue to offer a large 6,000mAh battery.

A leaked live image of the upcoming ROG Phone on Weibo has also stirred some rumors. It showcases that the handset has three cameras with a glass back that has a similar design approach as the previous-gen smartphone. It is said that the primary camera will include a 64-megapixel sensor with Quad-Bayer technology. The handset also has the number ‘05’ written on the back panel alongside various branding, which could mean that ASUS would launch it as the ROG Phone 5 instead of the ROG Phone 4. This is something that we have seen in the past from certain smartphone manufacturers, as the number 4 is considered unlucky in various Asian countries including China, Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. Also, if you look closely, there is a red shoulder button, which could mean that ASUS is going to incorporate physical triggers for gamers. Of course, these are just speculations and the image does not seem to be from a credible source, so make sure you take this with a pinch of salt.

UPDATE: Leaked hands-on video showcases the ROG Phone 4's secondary display

A short hands-on video of the ROG Phone 4 has now popped up on Weibo (via GSMArena), giving us a look at its tiny secondary display. The video showcases a device similar to the one we saw in recently leaked images, with a customizable secondary display on the back panel that shows alerts for games and notifications for incoming calls. The video also shows the front of the device, giving us a brief glimpse of its display and bezels. The device looks to have symmetrical top and bottom bezels like its predecessor, but they appear to be a bit slimmer.