The upcoming Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro gaming phone will break the record for the highest display refresh rate reached by a globally released phone, according to a new rumor.
Notable leaker Digital Chat Station shared a Weibo post on October 31 claiming that they had got hands-on with the upcoming phone, adding that it’s the “first to launch [with] a 185Hz extremely high refresh rate screen”.
If this tipoff is true, the ROG Phone 9 Pro will boast the fastest refresh rate found on a globally released smartphone.
Note the “globally released” prefix, though – the actual fastest refreshing phone screen is found on the Japan-exclusive Sharp Aquos Zero2, which comes equipped with a blazing-fast 240Hz panel.
Nevertheless, 185Hz is nothing to shake a stick at – the current industry standard for flagship phones is 120Hz, with some 144Hz models from the likes of Xiaomi. Apple, on the other hand, still fits the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus with a measly 60Hz display.
For those not in the know, Hz is short for ‘Hertz’, which in turn means how many times per second a display can refresh the image presented. A higher number means objects on screen will appear to move more smoothly.
By any current measure, 185Hz is extremely fast. It tracks that Digital Chat Station suggests the ROG Phone 9 Pro will feature the best heat dissipation efficiency presently possible, though we haven’t seen any metrics to support this claim nor any details on which tech enables it.
Asus has a track record of making phones with very high-refresh rate displays, which adds some credibility to this rumor. The current-generation Asus ROG Phone 8 sports a 165Hz panel, for example.
Digital Chat Station also shared some other potential specs for the upcoming ROG Phone 9 Pro, suggesting the phone will be IP68 certified and feature a centrally-positioned Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, a placement likely intended to assist with heat distribution.
The Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro and standard ROG Phone 9 are due to launch on November 19, following the reveal of the two phones last month, and we expect that both phones will have a chance of joining our list of the best gaming phones.
Until then, most of the above is based on rumors, so be sure to keep up with our Asus phones coverage for the latest official updates as we hear them.