Mystery upcoming phone may see Asus copy Samsung’s playbook

By Andy Boxall Published January 21, 2025

In an odd development, Asus may be taking some naming inspiration from Samsung for an unexpected upcoming release. A phone named the ROG Phone 9 FE has been spotted in benchmarking tests, combining the familiar Asus ROG Phone 9 name with Samsung’s “FE” suffix, which stands for Fan Edition.

Asus only recently released the ROG Phone 9 and ROG Phone 9 Pro, and there was no mention of a third model at the time. While we may have expected an “Ultimate” version to arrive at some point, given how the company approached the ROG Phone 7 series, the FE model may be a step down in spec from the ROG Phone 9.

Samsung uses the FE name on slightly updated older flagship phones it later releases to sit alongside its latest models, like the Galaxy S24 FE, giving buyers the choice to get a recent high-end phone for a sensible price. The FE name has an unfortunate history, having been first used by Samsung to get rid of its old Galaxy Note 7 phones. You know, the ones that didn’t explode.

Despite this, Asus seems to have latched onto the name, at least in the benchmarking test results. The phone has the model number AI2401 N, which has also been seen as an entry in the GSM Association’s (GSMA) database of devices, which indicates the benchmarking test information is more likely to be accurate. No specification details have been leaked, but links are being made between it and the ROG Phone 8, which had the model number AI2501 C.

Asus may also be imitating Samsung’s FE model strategy by taking the ROG Phone 8’s shell and specification and repackaging it as an ROG Phone 9 model, and then using the FE name to differentiate it in the range. It’s an odd decision, seeing as the FE moniker means nothing outside of Samsung’s camp, and inside it is associated with a problematic time in the brand’s history.

No release details are known at this time, but you can go and buy the ROG Phone 9 and ROG Phone 9 Pro today, and if you’re a very keen mobile gamer it’s very much worth your time and money.