Gaming on smartphones has become increasingly popular over the years, thanks to the advancements in mobile technology that make gaming on-the-go more immersive and enjoyable. However, not all smartphones are created equal when it comes to gaming. To help you find the best smartphone for your gaming needs, we’ve compiled a list of the top picks that offer an exceptional gaming phones experience.
ASUS ROG Phone 5
The ASUS ROG Phone 5 is a powerhouse of a smartphone designed specifically for gaming. It boasts a massive 6.78-inch AMOLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate, making it one of the most responsive and fluid displays in the market. It also has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor, Adreno 660 GPU, and up to 18GB of RAM, which make it one of the most powerful smartphones for gaming.
| BODY |
Dimensions |
172.8 x 77.3 x 10.3 mm (6.80 x 3.04 x 0.41 in) |
| Weight |
238 g (8.40 oz) |
| Build |
Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass 3), aluminum frame |
| SIM |
Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) |
| |
RGB light panel (on the back)
Pressure sensitive zones (Gaming triggers) |
| DISPLAY |
Type |
AMOLED, 1B colors, 144Hz, HDR10+, 800 nits (typ), 1200 nits (peak) |
| Size |
6.78 inches, 109.5 cm2 (~82.0% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Resolution |
1080 x 2448 pixels (~395 ppi density) |
| Protection |
Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| PLATFORM |
OS |
Android 11, upgradable to Android 12, ROG UI |
| Chipset |
Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) |
| CPU |
Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) |
| GPU |
Adreno 660 |
| MEMORY |
Card slot |
No |
| Internal |
128GB 8GB RAM, 128GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 16GB RAM |
| |
UFS 3.1 |
| MAIN CAMERA |
Triple |
64 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.73", 0.8µm, PDAF
13 MP, f/2.4, 11mm, 125˚ (ultrawide)
5 MP, f/2.0, (macro) |
| Features |
LED flash, HDR, panorama |
| Video |
8K@30fps, 4K@30/60/120fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, 720p@480fps; gyro-EIS |
| SOUND |
Loudspeaker |
Yes, with DTS:X stereo speakers (2 dedicated amplifiers) |
| 3.5mm jack |
Yes |
| |
24-bit/192kHz audio |
| COMMS |
WLAN |
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Bluetooth |
5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive |
| Positioning |
GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC (L5) |
| NFC |
Yes |
| Radio |
No |
| USB |
USB Type-C 3.1 (side), USB Type-C 2.0 (bottom), OTG, accessory connector |
| FEATURES |
Sensors |
Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass |
| BATTERY |
Type |
Li-Po 6000 mAh, non-removable |
| Charging |
65W wired, PD3.0, QC5, 70% in 30 min, 100% in 52 min (advertised)
10W reverse wired |
ASUS ROG Phone 6 is a powerful gaming smartphone that comes with a wide range of features. It offers support for multiple network technologies including GSM, CDMA, HSPA, LTE, and 5G. The phone is equipped with a large 6.78-inch AMOLED display with 165Hz refresh rate and HDR10+ support, which makes it a great choice for gaming. The phone is powered by the Qualcomm SM8475 Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (4 nm) chipset and Adreno 730 GPU, which provide a smooth gaming experience.
Check it out here
| NETWORK |
Technology |
GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
| 2G bands |
GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM 1 & SIM 2 |
| |
CDMA 800 |
| 3G bands |
HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands |
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 48, 66, 71 |
| 5G bands |
1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 18, 20, 25, 26, 28, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 |
| Speed |
HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE-A (6CA) Cat20 2024/210 Mbps, 5G |
| BODY |
Dimensions |
173 x 77 x 10.3 mm (6.81 x 3.03 x 0.41 in) |
| Weight |
239 g (8.43 oz) |
| Build |
Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass 3), aluminum frame |
| SIM |
Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) |
| |
IPX4 water resistant
Illuminated RGB logo (on the back)
Pressure sensitive zones (Gaming triggers) |
| DISPLAY |
Type |
AMOLED, 1B colors, 165Hz, HDR10+, 800 nits (typ), 1200 nits (peak) |
| Size |
6.78 inches, 109.5 cm2 (~82.2% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Resolution |
1080 x 2448 pixels (~395 ppi density) |
| Protection |
Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| PLATFORM |
OS |
Android 12 |
| Chipset |
Qualcomm SM8475 Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (4 nm) |
| CPU |
Octa-core (1x3.19 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.75 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) |
| GPU |
Adreno 730 |
| MAIN CAMERA |
Triple |
50 MP, f/1.9, (wide), 1/1.56, 1.0µm, PDAF
13 MP, f/2.2, (ultrawide)
5 MP, (macro) |
| Features |
LED flash, HDR, panorama |
| Video |
8K@24fps, 4K@30/60/120fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, 720p@480fps; gyro-EIS |
| COMMS |
WLAN |
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot |
| Bluetooth |
5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive |
| GPS |
Yes, with A-GPS. Up to dual-band: GLONASS (1), BDS (2), GALILEO (2), QZSS (2), NavIC |
| NFC |
Yes |
| Radio |
No |
| USB |
USB Type-C 3.1 (side), USB Type-C 2.0 (bottom), accessory connector, USB On-The-Go |
| FEATURES |
Sensors |
Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass |
| BATTERY |
Type |
Li-Po 6000 mAh, non-removable |
| Charging |
Fast charging 65W, 100% in 42 min (advertised)
Power Delivery 3.0
Quick Charge 5 |
| MISC |
Colors |
Phantom Black, Storm White
|
Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
The iPhone 13 Pro Max is one of the best gaming smartphones for iOS users. It has a stunning 6.7-inch OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, which offers smooth and seamless gameplay. It also has the new A15 Bionic chip and up to 1TB of storage, which means it can handle even the most demanding games with ease.
Check it out here
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is a high-end Android smartphone that excels in gaming. It has a 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, which offers stunning visuals and responsive touch controls. It also has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor and up to 16GB of RAM, which means it can handle even the most graphics-intensive games.
Check out the latest model here
OnePlus 9 Pro
The OnePlus 9 Pro is another Android smartphone that is great for gaming. It has a 6.7-inch Fluid AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, which offers a smooth and seamless gaming experience. It also has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor, Adreno 660 GPU, and up to 12GB of RAM, which means it can handle even the most demanding games with ease.
Check it out here
| NETWORK |
Technology |
GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
| 2G bands |
GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
|
CDMA 800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands |
HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1800 / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands |
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 48, 66, 71 |
| 5G bands |
1, 2, 3, 7, 25, 28, 41, 66, 71, 78, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/mmWave |
|
*Please check with your carriers 5G coverage to ensure capabilities* |
| Speed |
HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE-A (CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G |
| LAUNCH |
Announced |
2021, March 23 |
| Status |
Available. Released 2021, March 30 |
| BODY |
Dimensions |
163.2 x 73.6 x 8.7 mm (6.43 x 2.90 x 0.34 in) |
| Weight |
197 g (6.95 oz) |
| Build |
Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame |
| SIM |
Single SIM (Nano-SIM) |
|
IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins) |
| DISPLAY |
Type |
LTPO Fluid2 AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1300 nits (peak) |
| Size |
6.7 inches, 108.4 cm2 (~90.3% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Resolution |
1440 x 3216 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~525 ppi density) |
| Protection |
Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
|
Always-on display |
| PLATFORM |
OS |
Android 11, OxygenOS 11.3.3 |
| Chipset |
Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) |
| CPU |
Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Kryo 680 & 3x2.42 GHz Kryo 680 & 4x1.80 GHz Kryo 680 |
| GPU |
Adreno 660 |
| MEMORY |
Card slot |
No |
| Internal |
256GB 12GB RAM |
|
UFS 3.1 |
| MAIN CAMERA |
Quad |
48 MP, f/1.8, 23mm (wide), 1/1.43", 1.12 m, omnidirectional PDAF, Laser AF, OIS
8 MP, f/2.4, 77mm (telephoto), 1.0 m, PDAF, OIS, 3.3x optical zoom
50 MP, f/2.2, 14mm (ultrawide), 1/1.56", 1.0 m
2 MP, f/2.4, (depth) |
| Features |
Hasselblad Color Calibration, dual-LED flash, HDR, panorama |
| Video |
8K@30fps, 4K@30/60/120fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, Auto HDR, gyro-EIS |
| SELFIE CAMERA |
Single |
16 MP, f/2.4, (wide), 1/3.06", 1.0 m |
| Features |
Auto-HDR |
| Video |
1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS |
| SOUND |
Loudspeaker |
Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 3.5mm jack |
No |
|
24-bit/192kHz audio |
| COMMS |
WLAN |
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, hotspot |
| Bluetooth |
5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD |
| GPS |
Yes, with dual-band A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, SBAS |
| NFC |
Yes |
| Radio |
No |
| USB |
USB Type-C 3.1, USB On-The-Go |
| FEATURES |
Sensors |
Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, color spectrum |
| BATTERY |
Type |
Li-Po 4500 mAh, non-removable |
| Charging |
Fast charging 65W, 1-100% in 29 min (advertised)
Fast wireless charging 50W, 1-100% in 43 min (advertised)
USB Power Delivery |
| MISC |
Colors |
Morning Mist |
| Model |
LE2127 |
| TESTS |
Camera |
Photo/Video |
| Loudspeaker |
-24.1 LUFS (Very good) |
| Battery life |
Endurance rating 86h
|
The Sony Xperia 1 III is a great smartphone for gamers who value high-quality visuals. It has a 6.5-inch OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a 21:9 aspect ratio, which offers stunning visuals and cinematic gameplay. It also has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor, Adreno 660 GPU, and up to 12GB of RAM, which means it can handle even the most graphics-intensive games.
Conclusion
Gaming on smartphones has come a long way over the years, and there are now plenty of smartphones that offer an exceptional gaming experience. Whether you’re an iOS or Android user, there are plenty of options to choose from. From the ASUS ROG Phone 5 to the Sony Xperia 1 III, these smartphones offer large screens, high refresh rates, and powerful processors that can handle even the most demanding games.
For more information on the latest smartphones and mobile technology, check out The Verge or Android Authority.
