The Best Gaming Phones

Mobile gaming has rapidly taken over the world mainly due to online connectivity and competitive gameplay. Gamers can play in a team or go solo against other players in first-person shooters like PUBG and Call of Duty or MOBA games like Arena of Valor: 5v5 Arena. They can run on an average product, but you will need the best gaming phone to have a competitive edge over others. Not every product is gaming-oriented or can run top games. Even the product being the best android phone with ample RAM and storage space loads apps quickly, but when it comes to games, it performs inconsistently, dropping frames now and then. Since the invention of mobiles with decent displays, games have been an essential app for time out of daily routine. Later, when smartphones hit the market, game developers had a whole field to create more immersive games with 3D graphics.

The smartphone is our camera, gaming console, reader, music player, and communication device. When you look for a complete package for your daily drive, you want it to be the best camera phone. Posting snaps on Snapchat for generation Z is equally important to gaming. To cope with the rising demand for high-speed connectivity for all the latest streaming and gaming apps, China developed and implemented the 5G technology successfully. Due to its blazing fast communication speed, some of the best 5G phones hit the shelves. The rising demand for gaming phones pushed manufacturers to increase the screen size and the screen-to-body ratio. A large-screen item is the best phone for seniors as it comes with large font size. Generally, gaming phones are a complete package for the user. Now we will guide you to purchase the best one for the money.

Our top picks

Quick Shopping Tips:

First, let’s set some basic knowledge before going on a shopping spree.

Connectivity: Phones need to have solid reception from the network and low latency connectivity with the router at home. It is ensured through the use of the latest technologies. We will discuss them in each product, but mainly you will need a 5G connection capable phone CPU and a WiFi module that supports WiFi-6 (AX) dual or tri-band. Whether there is a headphone jack or thunderbolt connectivity could also be a decisive factor but let’s see.

Operating System: Our list consists of phones that are either Android-based or iOS-based. These are the two most popular operating systems, and most applications are designed to keep them in check. Google developed Android, which is modular and has wider application options compared to iOS. Apple developed iOS, known for stability and responsiveness on all the latest devices. It depends on the user preference.

Processor: When it comes to gaming CPUs, the GPU is the core of performance. There are numerous processors developed by some of the leading brands in the world. Apple has A15 Bionic, MediaTek has Dimensity 9000, Qualcomm has Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, and Samsung has Exynos 2200. All of them have pros and cons, but we mentioned them in order of benchmark scores from highest to lowest in our mentioned processors.

Screen-To-Body Ratio: As a gamer, you would like your thumbs to navigate the screen quickly, and a better screen-to-body ratio with equal bezels all around helps maintain grip. The multi-touch displays have allowed gamers to move, shoot, aim, and access maps simultaneously with up to 10 touches in an instant. However, you would require a faster touch sampling rate for gaming phones; we will get into its details in our list.

The Best Gaming Phones: First look

The Best Gaming Phones: In-depth Review

Asus has a massive share in the gaming community when it comes to computer devices, but now they have entered the mobile gaming phone market with their ROG series. Besides being a Republic of Gamer enthusiast, when you buy the Asus ROG Phone 5, you get the top-slot option money can buy. Antutu’s benchmark result of an average of 820,262 points speaks of its performance. Benchmark results indicate that the best gaming phone has a speed of 2030Mbps reading and 788 writing. Its high-speed data rate results from using a UFS 3.1 integrated storage chip. The chip is known to be faster than iPhone NVMe technology.

Across the majority of the games, the item maintains a steady 80+fps. We know that fps is not the only factor in judging the best phone for gaming smoothness. Color accuracy at a 144Hz refresh rate and an eye-care OLED display makes it ideal for long gaming sessions. The 300Hz touch-sampling rate makes sure that every movement is registered quickly and response time is reduced. When it comes to gaming, screen refresh rate is equally important. The display on this cell has a Delta-E<1, whereas a human eye cannot differentiate between colors if Delta-E<3. Its ultrasonic side sensors provide a competitive edge over enemies in shooting games.

Out of the blue, Nubia released their Redmagic gaming smartphone only a few years ago and engaged the eyes and ears of tech enthusiasts all over the world. Nubia Red Magic 5G is the latest addition to their gaming series, and it kicks significant competition out of the park as the best budget gaming phone. Its unique active cooling system with a centrifugal fan won hearts because of its cool-to-touch hardware. The 144Hz refresh rate and its 90+fps gaming capability are ideal for a first-person shooter where rapid movements are required. It includes a shoulder trigger button for better control through ergonomic design.

In terms of connectivity, it is the most comprehensive device on our list. We call it the android gaming phone with a magic adapter that allows it to connect a 3.5mm headphone jack, a type-c charging port, and an ethernet connection for uninterrupted low-lag internet connectivity. Its 5G-enabled CPU enables download at a 7.5 Gbps rate and upload at 3.0 Gbps, the fastest in the industry. As a gamer, you would be sending snaps or posting on Instagram about your gaming endeavors, and Nubia already placed a Sony IMX686 sensor for premium quality pictures. The UFS3.0 storage chip is among the fastest ROM in the industry, with 5500Mbps data transfer speeds.

Black Shark 3 is a product by Xiaomi and one of the most stable gaming products. That is also the best camera gaming phone on the market. Mi smartly balanced the weight to give a more console-like gaming experience whether you play it vertically or horizontally. It can register a touch 240 times in a second with a latency of 24ms; this feature enables better glitch movement in games, but when you use the interface, its buttery feel will leave you in awe. The inclusion of Master Touch 3.0 gives a better response due to the added sensors for the trigger press.

Most gamers complain about having the device heat up so much that it becomes difficult to touch it. Xiaomi used a liquid cooling system in a “sandwich” like design. The heat pipes directly contact the heated components, and the copper alloy shelter provides stability. The thermal graphite layer spreads the heat to keep the screen cool to touch. Battery endurance is very important when it comes to gaming. The dual battery system in this best gaming phone provides a constant flow of power from 4720mAh storage. Its dual connection with the X-shaped antenna allows connecting 5G + Wi-Fi 6 simultaneously. The 90Hz display is a cherry on top for the eye.

If there is a king of balanced features and top specs for an Android-based phone, then Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra quickly takes the crown. The primary highlight of the item would be the camera which makes it the best non-gaming phone for gaming. Its main camera has f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.33", and 0.8µm specs, allowing it to gain better light over the large image sensor. The powerful processor will enable it to record 8K resolution videos beyond the cinematic scale. Due to its large resolution, it provides Super Steady video shoots with minimal shakes in real-time. It keeps running for its users with a 5000mAh battery with super-fast charging at a 25W supply.

When it comes to gaming, the premium Dynamic AMOLED 2X display that runs at a 120Hz refresh rate makes it the best phone for gaming with smooth frames. The color contrast is enhanced with HDR10+ capability, which adjusts videos in real-time to make them look gorgeous. The Exynos 2100 processor provides powerful performance with low power consumption. The 5nm technology makes this android gaming phone energy efficient with low TDP. The complete assembly is protected using corning gorilla glass for the display and an IP68 rating to protect against water or dust ingress. It’s an Ultra version with a space-capturing 100x zoom capable camera for enthusiasts.

Apple is known for its luxurious products that speak quality and performance. iPhone 13 Pro Max is their latest and most powerful device with performance that transcends across operating systems. It has a powerful 5nm technology-based A15 Bionic Chip CPU with the highest score of 216330 points on Antutu. Due to its powerful GPU, it is the best iPhone for gaming. It comes with a camera that provides crystal clear videos that professionals use in situations where portability matters. Luxury always comes with a price, and Apple protects your investment with an IP68 ingress protection rating. This perfect product has taken the gaming world by storm and is worth its cost.

Its unique macro shooting allows adding exciting perspectives to your videos. Its ProMotion 120Hz adaptive refresh rate will enable you to lock in with the frame rates of your games to give the best gaming phone display with no screen tearing. Its Super Retina XDR 1200nits display with 458ppi adds extra sharpness to the interface. You might think that this mobile has slightly lower specs than its competition, but Apple’s iOS is the most significant contributor to iPhone’s performance. Most games like PUBG and Call of Duty are developed keeping iOS in mind; this, in return, leads to better performance. If you have some bucks to spare, you can never go wrong with it.

OnePlus introduced a multi-lens camera system back in 2014 when there was rarely any focus on making the camera capable of taking DSLR competitive pictures. Now OnePlus 9 Pro is popular among mobile gamers. This item is the best oneplus phone for gaming due to its gaming-specific tweaks and compatibility with most online games. As a buyer, the first thing you will notice is the display. It’s a 120 Hz Fluid Display 2.0 with a high screen-to-body ratio, ideal for gamers. They even topped the mobile with a Snapdragon 888 processor, which sits amongst the top 5 processors in terms of world ranking.

OnePlus collaborated with Hasselblad, which gives it the Natural Color Calibration capability. Its Sony IMX789 sensor comes in a 1/1.43” size, which allows a decent amount of light to enter for processing. The image is further enhanced with Hasselblad technology. The 6.7" screen that runs at 525 PPI with Warp Charge 65T rapid charging makes it the ideal android gaming phone. The Samsung UFS3.1-based ROM storage makes game loading times shorter, and its 12GB LPDDR5 RAM loads the complete game in one go for a faster gaming interface. It uses OxygenOS as a customized version of the Android 11.

Talking about premium aesthetics with flagship performance, Oppo Find X3 Pro is one of the most popular products these days. It lands as the best Oppo phone for gaming. Oppo has the reputation of providing the best digitally enhanced photography. Its instant magic feature uses AI Palettes to recognize the colors of your picture and give the best possible filter. All the pictures and videos are displayed on a gorgeous HDR10+ capable display that captivates the users. The incredible thing is protected against the ingress protection of industry-leading IP68, and the manufacturers have backed the primary camera with a powerful Sony IMX 766 1/1.56” sensor size. The video maker allows multiple settings simultaneously, like night mode, anti-shake, 8-bit, and remote audio recording.

When coming to the gaming aspect of the phone, gamers find it the best phone for gaming due to its 120Hz refresh rate and adaptive sync. Its O-Sync Display Hyper Response Engine ensures that frame and refresh rates match between 1Hz-120Hz. The mobile adjusts its refresh rate depending on the requirement. If you use it in the dark, its 8192-Level Natural Brightness recognizes surroundings to adjust brightness and warm colors for eye protection. Its Snapdragon 888 processor supports more than 13 5G bands and instantly connects to any network carrier with ease. You can turn off any distraction that might hurt your gameplay with the game mode.

Motorola is a top-of-the-line brand that is a subsidiary of Lenovo. It is known to provide stable mobiles with long-lasting performance. Motorola Edge Plus has a curved screen which attracts us the most. Its screen-to-body ratio is 93%, making it sit amongst the best Motorola phones for gaming. The consistent performance is due to the 5000mAh battery; the smartphone can last as long as two days with moderate use. It comes with a SnapDragon 865 processor, which has been the king of gaming on smartphones since 2019. It is a 5G capable CPU that can deliver up to 4 Gbps speeds without interruption.

The lag over internet roaming is significantly reduced by 5G connectivity and results in lower latency. Aiming and hitting the enemy is essential so that the best gaming phone would be one with maximum display and slender bezels. The 12GB RAM is large enough to store an entire game at once, thus reducing loading times significantly. When a game is launched, it’s first loading to RAM is also greatly enhanced due to the UFS 3.0 storage. Motorola image processing technology adds subtle and elegant enhancement to the photos. The stereo speakers have an award-winning performance with richness and clarity. Although there are a few flaws, that doesn’t stop it from excelling.

Final Words

Going through our list, you might have noticed that there were phones with dedicated hardware and software for gaming. At the same time, some came with a more traditional configuration and added features for gaming. If you are looking for the best phone for gaming professionally and probably have a career in gaming, go for the dedicated gaming phone. If you want something that can get gaming at high fps any time, then go for the ones with SnapDragon 888 or A15 Bionic Chip. The gaming market is becoming competitive since more and more people are getting hooked on their smartphone screens. After a long day at work, people rarely have time to visit friends, but they can definitely meet in an online game to relax and communicate. However, gaming requires powerful hardware, so we made a list of the best ones for gaming.

Besides being a handheld gaming console, mobile phones have become cameras that easily fit in the pocket. Image sensing technology is becoming more capable, and software is becoming smarter to enhance colors in pictures and videos. We recommend the one with a large display and high screen-to-body ratio, which is great for reading and gaming. New displays now have HDR10+ technology that dramatically improves the contrast ratio of mobile displays. OLED is the most popular panel type mainly due to its low power consumption and high contrast ratio. You would need a 3.5mm jack as a game, but few on our list do not feature a 3.5mm jack. However, there is a workaround if you use a lightning bolt adapter or a Type-C adapter for connecting the power and audio pin at the same time. We hope you find the product that suits your requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions