With so many options on the market, how do you choose the right gaming phone? You’ll want to look for something robust and reliable, with high resolution, a fast refresh rate display, and plenty of power. Each of the options below checks these boxes, so keep reading to find the best gaming phone for you. Nubia RedMagic, the gaming arm of Chinese manufacturer ZTE, has been churning out value-driven gaming phones since 2015. Its latest, the RedMagic 7 Pro, is one of the most complete devices that we’ve tested to date. From the get-go, the phone looks and feels like a true gaming phone, with a bold design and edgy aesthetics. The Supernova variant sports a transparent back that showcases the bevy of gaming-centric features within the device, like the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, 16GB of RAM, Octa-core CPU, a massive 5,000mAh battery, and the RedMagic’s key selling point: a 20,000 RPM Turbofan. That fan, along with a series of cooling elements within the phone keeps it from overheating and the battery from degrading as fast – both of which are common issues with gaming phones. The RedMagic 7 Pro fields a massive 6.8-inch, 120Hz AMOLED display to visualize all the animations and stylistic icons of its Android 12-based software. Turn on any game and Nubia’s Game Space (and the Turbofan) kicks into high gear, providing you with an ample amount of in-game controls, toggles, and plugins. One of which lets you map the shoulder triggers of the phone, giving you an added dimension of inputs no matter what game you play. More: Nubia RedMagic 7 Pro full review Black Shark, a sub-brand of Xiaomi, is another contender within the gaming phone market. While costing significantly less than the competition, Black Shark phones tend to carry specs and features that rival that of the very best. The latest Black Shark 4 Pro is no different. It starts at just $569 – close to half the cost of the aforementioned picks – but comes equipped with a 6.67-inch, 144Hz AMOLED display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor, up to 12GB of RAM, and a 4,500mAh battery that’s capable of 120W fast charging. Basically, the Black Shark is a gaming flagship killer. Even then, the highlights of the device are the magnetic, retractable shoulder triggers. Unlike the touch capacitive ones on the Nubia RedMagic 7 Pro, these physical buttons can pop up from the device. That way, the phone stays sleek and uniform when they’re not in use and becomes a full-on gaming device when they are. More: Black Shark 4 Pro full review The ASUS ROG Phone 5S is another comparable gaming flagship, from the sizeable screen to the high-quality audio to the powerful hardware. This phone offers a top-notch player experience, thanks to the lightning-fast refresh rate (144Hz), GameFX audio system, and gamer-friendly design. Inside, there’s last year’s Snapdragon 888 processor, which remains a champion for computing power and can operate all types of games. There’s also a huge 6,000mAh battery that’s designed for extended sessions. At that size, the ASUS ROG Phone 5S is our top pick if you seek a gaming phone with high endurance. While short of the extra fans and buttons, the ASUS ROG Phone 5S is still a worthy second option to the Nubia RedMagic 7 Pro. There’s a global version of this gaming smartphone available, but it is only compatible with GSM networks like AT&T and T-Mobile. Verizon and Sprint customers can look to our other picks for a similar gaming experience. While the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra isn’t marketed solely toward gamers, it’s one of the best mainstream phones that can handle graphics-intensive titles. On the surface, the Galaxy S22 Ultra fields a spec sheet that competes with traditional gaming phones. With a large 6.8-inch, 120Hz AMOLED screen, the latest Qualcomm processor, up to 16GB of RAM, and a 5,000mAh battery, gamers will feel at home with a device of this caliber. The best part? Being a flagship that’s tailored towards the masses, buying the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra means that you’re getting more than just a capable phone for gaming. You’re getting one of the highest-end mobile experiences on the market, with a feature set that will carry you through any task. And with the new, but familiar, S Pen built-in, you can relive the Nintendo DS days. More: Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra full review Another recommendation among the mainstream options is the new OnePlus 10 Pro. While not as RAM and storage heavy as the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, the OnePlus offers a similar gaming experience for $300 less. The phone comes with a 6.7-inch, 120Hz AMOLED display, a 5,000mAh battery with 65W fast charging (80W outside of North America), and runs on OxygenOS based on Android 12. Like previous OnePlus devices, the 10 Pro sticks to the brand’s strengths: Ultra smooth performance and speed. From navigating around apps to loading high-demand games, the OnePlus 10 Pro provides a flagship Android experience. It also features the iconic alert slider, so you can toggle off notifications as you game on. At $899, the phone isn’t cheap per se, but it undercuts the best that Samsung and Apple have to offer while matching the levels of output. There’s also the new second-generation Hasselblad camera system, which captures excellent photos and videos in various environments. More: OnePlus 10 Pro full review
As you’ve probably noticed, Android phones make up a majority of the best gaming phones on the market. However, some Apple products hold their own, with the iPhone 13 Pro Max being the best iOS option for gamers. Even though the 6GB of RAM seems laughable compared to the double digit specs of other options on this list, the iPhone is notorious for its class-leading efficiency and performance optimizations. To add, there are still plenty of iPhone perks for gamers. Most notably, this phone is built with Apple’s industry-leading A15 Bionic chipset, beating out most flagships in synthetic benchmark tests. And, of course, graphics look incredible on the 6.7-inch OLED display, now with a 120Hz refresh rate to keep things smooth. With a starting price of $1,099, you might be wondering: is the iPhone 13 Pro Max worth it for gamers? We think so – as long as you’re okay with giving up a few best-in-class gaming features in exchange for the other fantastic benefits included with Apple phones such as the spectacular front and rear camera features. If the Max is too big, there’s also the regular iPhone 13 Pro, which has proven to be just as capable for mobile gaming. More: iPhone 13 Pro Max full review By virtue of its design, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is a great pick for gamers. When opened, the display expands to a whopping 7.6 inches, which is far more screen space than you’ll get from a traditional phone. Excitingly, this foldable phone also has powerful hardware to complement its spacious screen design. Not only does it offer 5G connectivity (thanks to the Snapdragon 888 processor), but it also has a gamer-friendly 120Hz refresh rate. On top of that, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 supports the Samsung S Pen stylus, which offers even more ways to use this versatile phone. Also: The 5 best stylus phones out right now As you might expect, all of this extra screen space is reflected in the phone’s cost. Prices start at $1,780 for the 256GB model, so you’ll need to consider whether or not the larger size and folding functionality are worth the money. Fortunately, the phone has been out for a couple of months now, so you can pick one up brand new for as little as $1,499. More: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 full review However, if you’re on a budget, then price will probably be your biggest consideration. In that case, we’d recommend an affordable option like the Xiaomi Black Shark 4 Pro or the OnePlus 10 Pro. While they might be slightly less powerful than the best gaming phone, they’ll still offer the essential functionality that you’d need. Still, if you love mobile gaming and want a product that’s designed for that specific purpose, then a gaming phone might be the right choice. Additionally, you’ll also want to look for a phone with a high screen refresh rate. Measured in Hertz (Hz), this number is an expression of how many times your screen refreshes every second. As you might expect, a higher refresh rate is essential for a smooth gaming experience with less lag. Today’s best gaming phones have refresh rates of at least 120Hz. Finally, keep an eye out for phones with ample storage, Random Access Memory (RAM), and battery life. Simply put, the more storage, RAM, and battery capacity your phone has, the better it will be for mobile gaming. You’ll be able to enjoy longer, uninterrupted gaming sessions without slowing down your phone or draining the battery.
