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Best Phones for Gamers

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One of the best things about modern technology? The ability to turn your smartphone into a portable games console. This has become a commonplace practice with the introduction of gaming phones. We’ve put together the ultimate round up of the best phones for playing mobile games, touching on all the features to consider from a smooth display and processing power to long lasting battery life because not all gaming smartphones are alike. If you want to access to your favorite games on the go, these are the best gaming phones to amplify your experience. 

Best iPhones for Gaming 

iPhone 13 Pro Max 

Apple’s iPhone 13 Pro Max is one of the most powerful gaming phones. From the mighty A15 Bionic chip to its 120Hz display and extensive battery life, the Apple 13 Pro Max can handle any mobile game you wish to download and play with ease. It has an option for one terabyte of storage, meaning you’ll never run out of space for the best available iOS games. That storage capability, coupled with a battery life of over 12 hours, helps create one of the best gaming experiences on mobile devices. 

And if you’re an esports fan? The iPhone 13 Pro Max is a preferred choice in large part because of the efficiency of its chip as it allows for less heat dissipation, creating a more comfortable gaming experience for yearning for long gaming sessions. 

iPhone 13 Pro 

Though it features a more compact 6.1 inch display as opposed to the 6.7 inch display of the Pro Max, the iPhone 13 Pro offers many of the same capabilities. In fact, the smaller screen grants better graphic ability and image performance. The iPhone 13 Pro places an emphasis on display and graphics so you’ll never play a game that feels stretched out.

iPhone SE – 3rd Generation 

If your goal is power, convenience and gaming ability in a small package, look no further than the iPhone SE – 3rd Generation. At 4.7 inches, you’re sacrificing screen size for the ability to carry your phone in your pocket. The iPhone variant still has an Apple made A15 bionic chip, meaning it can power almost every mobile game you’re interested in playing.

As far as storage goes, you can go as low as 64 GB or as high as 256 GB, leaving plenty of room for games while also saving data. It’s the most affordable model given its capabilities, though it won’t compromise on performance. What it lacks for in sizing and power, it makes up for in affordability and portability—making it a great option for the young gamers in your life.

iPhone 13 

The iPhone 13 has 5G for faster download speeds plus the A15 bionic chip, meaning you can get the games you want and they will run well. It’s a more potent phone in terms of gaming capability than the SE, but it’s not quite as unwieldy and clunky as the Pro Max can be for someone with smaller hands. If you’re looking to elevate your gaming experience on mobile, the edge-to-edge screen and OLED display means you won’t compromise on image quality or graphics.

iPhone 13 Mini 

With more and more kids getting into mobile gaming, the larger phones are tougher for smaller hands to hold onto. The iPhone 13 mini is 5.4 inches yet still includes the A15 bionic chip for a maximized gaming experience. Size, power and a beautiful display combine to make this an excellent iPhone for a gaming experience for the kiddos, all at a smaller cost than the iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro or iPhone 13 Pro Max.

Best Google Pixel Phone for Gaming 

Google Pixel 6 Pro 

Owing to an excellent display and solid performance metrics stemming from the new Tensor chip, the Pixel 6 is a great choice for gamers. The Tensor chip elevates the performance metrics, combined with its 6.7 inch OLED display featuring up to 512 GB of storage to create an elite gaming experience. 

It’s important to note that the battery life is capped at a little under 8 hours on a single charge but the day-to-day usage of this phone for gaming works fine, even with intense gameplay or the Xbox Game Pass. There’s nothing that the Google Pixel 6 Pro cannot handle, with the most demanding mobile games such as Call of Duty Mobile running with solid and smooth gameplay.

Best Motorola Phones for Gaming 

Motorola Edge Plus 

The Motorola Edge Plus delivers the goods. Its 144Hz refresh rate, the elite Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip, combined with up to 12 GB RAM, means you’ll never lack in performance. While the battery life clocks in at just around 7 hours, the Motorola Edge Plus comes with a 30W charger to get you right back into the gaming experience. And if you want to hear your games as well as you can see them, the Motorola Edge Plus features front-firing speakers that are strategically placed so not muffle the sound when playing games in landscape mode.

Best Samsung Phones for Gaming

Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus 

If you’re looking for a well-rounded Android phone that can also handle the big games—look no further as the Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus is an easy choice. Complete with a 120Hz panel, a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, and up to 256 GB of storage, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus is fast in every sense of the word. It comes with 5G support that extends to millimeter-wave and sub-6Gz networks, allowing for quick data speeds even when you’re gaming on demanding platform titles (like Call of Duty) far away from your home. 

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 

The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra comes with all the features of the Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus plus the new Exynos 2200 processor to maximize your gaming experience. The Ultra also comes with “Game Booster” functionality that will monitor how your games are running on it, using metrics like usage, overall device temperature and available memory. This functionality then adjusts your settings accordingly to make sure that your phone can fully optimize your operating efficiency, saving you both power and time while increasing you in-game speed.

Best Android Phones for Gaming 

OnePlus 10T 

Simply put, the OnePlus 10T is one of the best gaming phones for Android. The specifications alone will make gamers drool. It features a 6.7 inch AMOLED display with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 CPU, 12 GB or Ram with nearly 12 hours of battery life and up to 256 GB of storage. The OnePlus 10T’s trifecta of excellent battery life, adaptive 120Hz refresh rate and a weight of just 7 ounces is *chef’s kiss* 

RedMagic 7S Pro 

The RedMagic 7S Pro features the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 processor at an affordable cost. It also comes equipped with a 144Hz display, 65W charging feature and up to 18GB of RAM packed into a 6.8 inch 120Hz AMOLED display. The RedMagic 7S Pro also comes with a fan inside the device, ensuring you’re able to run demanding games with not only optimized performance but also without fear of overheating. And that aforementioned 65W charging feature means you’ll never be out of power for long.

Black Shark 5 Pro 

The Black Shark 5 Pro has great specs, including a long battery life—over 11 hours on a single charge for the premium Adaptive feature, no less than 9 hours and 40 minutes on your basic features, very useful physical shoulder buttons, a 6.7 inch OLED display, a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 CPU, up to 16GB of RAM and up to 256 GB of storage. If mobile gaming is the priority when looking for a smartphone, it’s hard to go wrong with the Black Shark 5 Pro, which combines powerful hardware, a beautiful display and great battery life as its primary features.

Asus ROG Phone 6 Pro 

If you’re on the hunt for a dedicated gaming phone, you can stop here. This phone packs the new Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chipset, a PC-worthy 18GB of RAM, a ludicrous 6,000 mAh battery, Air Triggers and elevated cooling options for those lengthy gaming sessions.

But the main selling point for this phone is the battery life—it can last for 15.5 hours should you opt for the 165Hz option. That makes this smartphone the longest-lasting phone on this list, and if you knock your Hz option down to 60Hz, you tack on another hour or so of battery life. 

OnePlus 10 Pro 

At 6.7 inch Quad HD display, the OnePlus 10 Pro remains a sizable phone, but it’s a slim device that maximizes an edge-to-edge design. Gaming is the one distinct area where this smartphone really shines. It features an excellent display combined with high-refresh rates—plus the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor chip grants the user the smoothest gaming experience you’ll find on a mobile device. 

The OnePlus 10 Pro also features a “Gaming Focus” mode so you can play uninterrupted while blocking notifications and other distractions. It also permits easy screen recording for those who wish to easily video-capture their gameplay.

iPhone 14 Pro

iPhone 14 Pro

Experience iPhone in a whole new way with Dynamic Island and Always-On display.

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