Today I have tried to connect Asus Rog Phone 2 with MacBook Pro through USB cable for the first time. As the Asus cable has USB-C ports on both sides, and my MBP has USB 3.0 type A port, I have used the Samsung cable from my old Note 8.
USB tethering is instant. I turned on the option on the phone and it was an immediate connection. When I opened network settings on MBP connection was already done. Browsing the internet through USB tethering was fast. In order of fastest, first was USB tethering, WiFi hotspot and Bluetooth tethering being the slowest. All connections were fast and immediate, but USB tethering does the job best.
For file transfer from the phone to the MBP I used the Android File Transfer app. Over the side 3.1 USB port on the phone, I transferred 690 MB of mp4 files in 21 seconds. I don't know what is the quality of Samsung cable but I see this transfer as fast.
Transferring files in File Manager app on the phone was equally straightforward. Rog 2 and MBP have to be on the same network. I used Google Chrome browser on the MBP. Typing in the IP address given on the phone into the Chrome, Asus utility opened immediately and I had all files on disposal. Transfer rate is much slower than over the USB cable. I have a 5GHz network and Apple Airport station.
To summarize, hotspot, tethering and file transfer options having Mac on the other side are flawless. Actually, this is the first Android phone I managed to connect with Mac via USB tethering. I managed WiFi and Bluetooth in the past, but not cable. I tried 2 other Androids before.
