ASUS ROG Phone II: The real gaming smartphone, bar none

ASUS is dead serious here - the ROG Phone II heaves with power and performance. Under its hood, this year's model comes with a bigger battery of 6,000mAh, speedy UFS 3.0 storage, an incredible 12GB of RAM, and bragging rights for being the first smartphone to sport a 120Hz AMOLED display, as well as the fastest Snapdragon 855 Plus processor available.

It follows much of the same form and design aesthetic of last year's original, where it stood out in the gaming smartphone segment for its Air Triggers - touch sensitive sensors that act like the shoulder trigger buttons on a game controller.

Like other members of the Republic of Gamers family, the ROG Phone II is loud and proud about wearing the brand on its back. The glossy finish is sleek and is, not surprisingly, quite the magnet for smudges and fingerprints. While I'd prefer a more toned-down design, I can appreciate that many gamers will love the copper accent on the working vent, the multi-colour reflective highlights, and of course, the RGB-lit logo.