Asus ROG Phone 8 launch date confirmed – could be more than just a powerhouse for gamers

Powerful gaming phones can take your PUBG and Fortnite battles to the next level, with supreme performance and enhanced controls – and for the serious mobile gamers out there a new entry is set to hit the market soon.

The Asus ROG Phone 8 launch date has been confirmed for 16 January according to 91Mobiles, with an event happening in China on that day. It's not clear whether this will be a "local" launch aimed solely at the Chinese market, but it's likely a global launch will follow at a later date.

We’ve also been given our first glimpse of the ROG Phone 8, after Asus posted a teaser image on its global X account, confirming the name of the handset and that it is indeed "coming soon".

By brightening the image (below), we can get a better look at the redesigned (vs the ROG Phone 7) camera module on the rear of the ROG Phone 8, and it's clear there are a trio of cameras and a LED flash present. A large main camera is seen to the left of two smaller sensors of the same size.

You can also see a USB-C port along the long edge of the phone, a slightly unusual position given the charging port tends to be found on the bottom of handsets - but there's a good reason for this. This is a gaming phone, so Asus knows it will be held landscape a lot of the time and the position of the port allows users to charge the handset while playing, without the cable getting in the way of their hand.

With the previous generation of ROG phone, Asus also gave us the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate, which added a 2-inch screen and built in motorised cooling vent to the rear of the phone. If we're going to get a ROG Phone 8 Ultimate, the handset in the picture above isn’t it, as it lacks the fancy rear additions.

What can you expect from the ROG Phone 8?

The ROG Phone 7 seriously impressed in our review, as it not only provided an excellent mobile gaming experience, but it also offered great battery life and dazzling display. Add to that a unique design compared to a lot of smartphones on the market, and it was an eye-catching flagship alternative.

We expect Asus to follow a similar route with the ROG Phone 8, packing in plenty of power along with a striking design helping it stand out from the crowd. If you’re after RGB lighting in your phone, the ROG Phone 8 will likely deliver. Plus, with sizable rear cameras it may also pack a punch when it comes to photography.

It’s already been confirmed that the phone will use Qualcomm's top-tier Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, and it's rumoured to offer up to 24GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. As for the rest, all will be revealed in a month’s time.