New updates are being added at the bottom of this story…….

Original story (published on Dec 03, 2020) follows:

Asus has some of the best gaming-centric smartphones in the market. First was the ROG Phone 1 followed by the ROG Phone 2 and earlier in the summer, the ROG Phone 3 was unveiled.

Although arguably the best gaming phones money can buy, the ROG Phone series still has its share of issues. No, this has nothing to do with the bugs that pop up from time to time.

In fact, Asus pretty much takes care of these bugs and issues on time through regular updates and security patches. But the bone of contention is with regards to major Android OS updates.

asus-zenfone-max-pro-m2
ZenFone Max Pro M2 has been testing Android 10 beta for almost a year

Asus, like many other Android vendors, hasn’t provided users with an official software update policy that it sticks to for all of its devices. This is the situation ROG Phone series users find themselves.

The original ROG Phone came powered by Android Oreo and has since been upgraded to Android Pie. By its standards, the device is capable of handling Android 10, but to date, nothing so far.

Amid these uncertainties, an alleged conversation between a device owner and Asus forum moderator claims the ROG Phone series gets only one major Android OS update, much to our surprise.

ROG-Phone-series-software-update-policy
(Source)

Looking at the situation with the OG ROG Phone, there is some element of truth in the statement above. But as the mod notes, this is purely unfair to ROG Phone users considering the amount spent on these phones.

The ROG Phone 3, for instance, costs $1,000 for the base model. For this amount, getting only one major Android OS update is a mockery, which is perhaps why the mod seems to retract on his earlier statement.

ROG-Phone-2-Android-11-update-ROG-Phone-3-two-OS-updates
(Source)

Could this open the door for the update to Android 11 for the ROG Phone 2? Does this mean going forward all ROG Phones, including the ROG Phone 3, will receive two major Android OS updates?

Well, if the forum mod is to be believed, ROG Phone 2 users can expect an update to Android 11 at some point, the second major OS update. ROG Phone 3 users can also expect to receive Android 12 update in future.

But of course, there is an element of uncertainty in the mod’s statement, which is why this information should be taken with a pinch of salt.

ROG-Phone-3
Asus ROG Phone 3 may get 2 Android OS updates

Either way, it would be nice if the ROG Phone II got updated to Android 11, with the rest of the ROG Phone series getting at least two major Android OS updates going forward. But this remains to be seen.

Update 1 (June 01, 2021)

IST 02:20 pm Asus forum moderator confirms that the status of Android 11 for Asus ROG Phone 2 is under evaluation but there’s no ETA when the call will be taken.

asus-rog-phone-2-android-11-under-evaluation
(Source)

Update 2 (November 25, 2021)

IST 10:45 am Asus is finally rolling out Android 11 to users of the ROG Phone II. This build comes with software version number ZS660KL_TW Only_18.0210.2111.160.

We have a dedicated Asus Android 11 update tracker that you can check out here. In case of any new developments, we will update this story and the tracker with the info, so be sure to keep an eye on both.

PiunikaWeb started as purely an investigative tech journalism website with main focus on ‘breaking’ or ‘exclusive’ news. In no time, our stories got picked up by the likes of Forbes, Foxnews, Gizmodo, TechCrunch, Engadget, The Verge, Macrumors, and many others. Want to know more about us? Head here.

Hillary Keverenge
2007 Posts

Tech has been my playground for over a decade. While the Android journey began early, it truly took flight with the revolutionary Lollipop update. Since then, it's been a parade of Android devices (with a sprinkle of iOS), culminating in a mostly happy marriage with Google's smart home ecosystem. Expect insightful articles and explorations of the ever-evolving world of Android and Google products coupled with occasional rants on the Nest smart home ecosystem.

Next article View Article

[Updated] Instagram crashing on all Android phones, but there are workarounds

Here's the crux of the article in video form: New updates are being added at the bottom of this story……. Original story from (June 5, 2018) follows: We're...
Jul 10, 2023 6 Min Read