ASUS ROG Phone 2 China price confirmed and it’s good news, folks

The ASUS ROG Phone 2 price has been revealed in China as its pre-orders go live on JD.com (h/t Gadgets360). The gaming-focused handset can be reserved in a couple of flavors, including an intriguing Tencent version, ahead of its release on July 31.

The Tencent-affiliated model retails for 3,499 yuan (~$509) and comes with 8GB RAM + 128GB ROM. The standard version of the phone, arriving with 12GB RAM and 128GB ROM, costs 5,999 yuan (~$873) — this model is likely the global variant.

Meanwhile, the standard model of the original ROG Phone cost 5999 yuan (~$873) when it launched in China last year for 8GB RAM + 128GB ROM. There was also an 8GB RAM + 512GB ROM version that cost 7,999 yuan (~$1,164).

ASUS has a couple of other ROG Phone 2 variants lined up for the future, a Zhizun model for 7,999 (~$1,164) and an Esports Armour version for 12,999 (~$1,891), but they’re probably China-only.

What does that mean for us?

I haven’t found many English-language details regarding the Tencent model, but I suspect this arrives with certain apps, offers, or UI elements promoting the game publishing giant. It might be something like what Amazon used to offer with its discounted, ad-subsized devices. Regardless, I doubt the Tencent model, like the Zhizum and Esports models, will make it outside of China anyway, so let’s park that for the moment.

The original ROG phone cost $899 in the U.S., so given that the standard ROG Phone 2 comes with the same price in China, we can expect the ROG Phone 2 would cost $899 in the U.S. also. For that, the ROG Phone 2 offers a better chipset, better cameras, more RAM, and a better display than its predecessor.

Though the standard variant’s potential $899 price may not excite your wallet quite like the Tencent model’s price does, it’s rare that we see a phone sequel offer flat-out upgrades without a corresponding price hike. We’ve called the phone’s specs insane, and we called it “overkill” in our ROG Phone 2 hands-on; $899 still seems like excellent value.

Of course, we still don’t have confirmed prices for the phone outside of China, but we’re in a good spot so far. ASUS is set to launch the ROG Phone 2 next week in China and the international launch is tipped for September. The phone is expected to arrive in the U.S. and E.U.