The Asus ROG Phone 5 is a gaming powerhouse, but does it have the all-round specs to match the Samsung Galaxy S21?
The Samsung Galaxy S21 hasn’t had much competition yet this year, but with the launch of the Asus ROG Phone 5, one of its first 2021 rivals has arrived. The ROG Phone 5 is built for gamers, but that means it packs enormous amounts of power, a big battery, and most of the other things you’d expect from a flagship phone. So whether you’re a mobile gamer or not, it could be worth considering. But how does it compare to the Samsung Galaxy S21? To answer that question we’ve compared these two phones on every front, including design, screen, camera, battery, power, and more, so you can see for yourself which is the right fit. The Asus ROG Phone 5 isn’t a subtle phone. Its glass back has an RGB logo which can display two colors at once and supports eight different lighting schemes. A triple-lens camera runs horizontally along the top of the rear, and around the front there’s a flat screen with slim bezels above and below it. The front camera is housed in the top bezel, so there’s no notch or punch-hole. The phone comes in Phantom Black and Storm White shades, and it’s chunky and hefty at 172.8 x 77.2 x 10.29mm and 238g. The Samsung Galaxy S21 meanwhile stands out a lot less, as there’s no RGB lighting on its fairly plain back, and it has a plastic rather than glass rear. Its triple-lens camera runs vertically down the left edge of the back, so that aspect looks different too, and around the front there’s a punch-hole camera – and therefore less bezel than on the ROG Phone 5. The Samsung Galaxy S21 additionally benefits from IP68 certification, meaning it’s water resistant to depths of 1.5 meters for up to 30 minutes. You don’t get any such protection on the Asus ROG Phone 5. Samsung’s phone is also available in more colors, with Phantom Gray, Phantom White, Phantom Violet and Phantom Pink on offer, and it comes in at 151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9mm and 171g. So the Samsung Galaxy S21 is smaller, lighter and thinner than the Asus ROG Phone 5. It’s also better protected from the elements, available in more colors, and sports a more low-key design. But with its flashy appearance and glass back, the Asus ROG Phone 5 arguably looks slightly more expensive.
