ASUS ZenFone 6 gets 75Hz display refresh rate support via custom kernel

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The ASUS ZenFone 6, or the ASUS 6z as it is called in India, is one of the surprise releases of this year, coming out as a very good smartphone alternative for those who dislike the more often recommended mainstream options. Asus had blessed the phone with several key updates, like bringing over August 2019 security patches, more Smart Key options, Google Duo dialer integration, and even camera rotation stability improvements. Asus has been quite supportive of the device, releasing the bootloader unlock tool and kernel sources for the same right around its release. Thanks to this timely release, developers have been able to work on custom kernels and other modifications such as GCam and LineageOS 16. Now, XDA Senior Member ‘s Proton Kernel for the ASUS ZenFone 6 is bringing over the ability to set the display to refresh at 75Hz, higher than the stock 60Hz refresh rate.

ASUS ZenFone 6 / ASUS 6z XDA Forums

Proton Kernel is a custom kernel for the ASUS ZenFone 6, or ASUS 6z, intended to be used on the stock ASUS Android Pie ROM for the device. Since this is a custom kernel, you do need an unlocked bootloader as well as a custom recovery like TWRP to install it on your device. The kernel has a long list of features, but some of the highlights include the 75Hz screen refresh rate, sultanxda‘s Simple Low Memory Killer, magisk preservation, latest Qualcomm CAF sources with latest mainline LTS updates merged, and exFAT support.

Proton Kernel for the ASUS ZenFone 6 – XDA Thread

For 75Hz refresh rate, users need to turn the screen off and then turn it on after every boot for it to reliably work. A higher refresh rate does have risks associated, so if you just want to try out the kernel and are not interested in the higher refresh rate, you can simply append “60hz” or “60fps” to the kernel zip name and the flasher output will adapt accordingly to confirm the change.

Have you tried out Proton Kernel on the ASUS ZenFone 6? How has your experience been with 75Hz, with regards to fluidity and battery life? Let us know in the comments below!