I’m no hardcore Batman fan, but I’ve always thought he was the coolest superhero around. As a tween, I made my father buy me a Batgirl shirt and a pair of Batman high top sneakers because I thought I was being fashionable.
Cringe, I know. Though I still appreciate Batman’s aesthetics, values, and love for technology, I must give the title of The Batman Fanatic to my colleague, Matt.
He’s got the shirts, the caps, the face masks, the Secretlab Dark Knight Edition gaming chair, and maybe even more.
When ASUS told us they wanted to send us the complete ASUS ROG Phone 6 Batman Edition box set to check out, safe to say, Matt was beside himself with excitement.
I managed to spend some alone time with the phone for a while though, so here’s what it’s all about. (For brevity, I’ll largely be calling it the Batman phone for most of this article.)
“Bat” you rarely see a phone unboxing like this
The Batman phone comes in a box you actually wouldn’t want to throw away, if you’re a hardcore Batman fan.
The dark expanded polypropylene (EPP) material has been shaped into the signature Bat emblem with a Batman logo embossed on its surface, and it opens up like a briefcase.
It’s definitely one of the more premium unboxings I’ve personally seen. It almost feels as though you’re opening a case of high-tech devices or weapons, ready for your mission.
Inside lie the phone, its charger, a phone case, a SIM removal tool in the shape of the Bat emblem with a display stand for it too, and a Bat-Signal Projector.
Yes, you get your very own Bat-Signal, but um, I don’t think you can actually use it in times of emergency. It’s just a very nice prop to have for your merch collection.
It projects one of two versions of the iconic Bat-Signal onto nearby surfaces and can be powered by a USB-C cable attached to the phone.
Like the other phones in the Phone 6 series, the AeroActive Cooler 6 and other peripherals can be used seamlessly with the Batman phone.
At first glance, the phone’s back itself doesn’t look too far off from the non-Pro and non-Ultimate variants of the Phone 6 series, with the exception of the RGB ASUS ROG logo being replaced by the Bat emblem.
But there’s more to it. ASUS describes its single colourway as a “muted and atmospheric Gotham City Black colour” with a Batman Gauntlet-inspired graphic detail.
It also has a special semi-matte finish that’s been designed to reflect light in a way that’s supposed to mimic the iconic image of the Bat-Signal searchlight illuminating dark clouds in the Gotham City night sky.
With such care put into the design, protecting it would be a high priority, hence the Batman Aero Case being provided.
On the outside, the Aero Case features a geometric relief rendering of the Bat emblem, created in layers for a 3D effect.
Inside, it hides a little easter egg in the form of an image inspired by the Batman graphic novels.
The phone is quite slippery so the Aero Case is a nice inclusion, but if you’re looking for a more secure grip during sweaty gaming sessions, you’re better off finding a different case.
Attention to detail that’ll have fans down “bat”
Playing around with the phone a bit, it became clear that ASUS had put thought into the small details too.
It’s got a custom user interface inspired by Batman (of course) which provides fans with an exclusive Batman animated theme pack.
This features live Batman wallpaper and a redesigned app icon frame, and I noticed that even the sound design has been reworked, bringing to mind what Batman’s lair sounds like with all his tech.
Here’s a fun fact too: when the phone is in X-Mode for optimal gaming performance, you’ll notice that you get a red Batman wallpaper. When X-Mode is off, the wallpaper automatically turns blue.
It’s a useful visual reminder for those who don’t want to find themselves suddenly running out of power fast, but that shouldn’t be much of a worry with the phone’s massive 6,000mAh battery.
Other details that will delight Batman fans include the in-display fingerprint scanner icon which takes the shape of a yellow Bat emblem, an exclusive sound and animation when the phone is being charged, and more.
Overall, the ASUS ROG Phone 6 Batman Edition has all the hallmarks of a premium flagship and stays true to the ASUS ROG experience. It’s just a much more special buy for those who love the classic DC hero.
The limited-edition Batman phone comes in only one configuration with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage, and is powered by the latest MediaTek Dimensity 9000+ chipset.
It will officially go on sale in Malaysia starting November 25, 2022, for RM4,799, so tighten up your purse strings until then if you want to add this to your Batman collection.
- Keep an eye out for the ASUS ROG Phone 6 Batman Edition’s release here.
- Read more of our ASUS tech reviews here.
