The Best Gaming Cell Phones List

Nubia RedMagic 8 Pro

1st place

Price

Technical details

CPU: Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 - 1 x 3.2GHz + 4 x 2.8GHz + 3 x 2.0GHz
RAM: 12 GB RAM or 16 GB RAM
Display: 2480 x 1116, 6.8-inch 120Hz (AMOLED)
Operating system: Android 13
Battery: 6000 mAh
Camera: 50 MP + 8MP (dual) + 2MP (triple)
Front camera: 16 MP
LTE: Yes - 4G: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 34, 66, 38, 39, 40, 41 - 5G: 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 41, 66, 77, 78
SIM: Dual - nano
Storage: 256 GB or 512 GB
Memory expandable: No
Weight: 228 g
Dimensions: 164 x 77 x 9.5 mm
Antutu: 1297476

Advantages

Strong price/performance ratio for 12/256 GB
Precise and practical shoulder buttons
Bright and fast 120 Hz full-screen display
Impeccable performance (SD 8 Gen 2)
Suitable for everyday use
65-Watt Fast Chargers
Strong battery life
No thermal throttling
USB 3.1 and Stereo Speaker

Disa

dvantages

Macro and UWW cameras are hardly usable
Software is immature in some places
The main camera is not at the flagship level
No wireless charging
No IP certification
Always-on display doesn't work

ASUS ROG Phone 7 Ultimate

2nd place

Price

Technical details

CPU: Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 - 1 x 3.2GHz + 4 x 2.8GHz + 3 x 2.0GHz
RAM: 16 GB RAM
Display: 2448 x 1080, 6.8-inch 60Hz (AMOLED)
Operating system: Android 13
Battery: 6000 mAh
Camera: 50 MP + 13MP (dual) + 5MP (triple)
Front camera: 32 MP
LTE: Yes - 4G: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 34, 66, 38, 39, 40, 41 - 5G: 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 41, 66, 77, 78
SIM: Dual-nano
Storage: 512 GB
Memory expandable: No
Weight: 239 g
Dimensions: 173 x 77 x 10.3 mm
Antutu: 1323000

Advantages

Strong performance
Great (gaming) features of the software
Fast 165 Hertz AMOLED
Very long-lasting battery
Great speaker
Lots of little details and extra equipment

Disa

dvantages

Large, heavy and unwieldy
Cooling without external fan
Camera not at flagship level
ROG Ultimate: Vision display offers little

Black Shark 5 Pro

3rd place

Price

Technical details

CPU: Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 - 1 x 3.0GHz + 3 x 2.5GHz + 4 x 1.8GHz
RAM: 12 GB RAM
Display: 2400 x 1080, 6.7-inch 144Hz (AMOLED)
Operating system:
Battery: 4650 mAh
Camera: 108 MP + 13MP (dual) + 5MP (triple)
Front camera: 16 MP
LTE: Yes - 4G: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 34, 38, 40, 41 - 5G: 1, 3, 5, 8, 28, 41, 77, 78
SIM: Dual - nano
Storage: 256 GB
Memory expandable: No
Weight: 220 g
Dimensions: 163 x 76 x 9.5 mm
Antutu: 1024046

Advantages

Precise and practical shoulder buttons
Excellent 144 Hz AMOLED display
Superior performance (SD 8 Gen 1)
Powerful stereo sound
Design suitable for everyday use
Good cameras

Disa

dvantages

120 watts charging speed
More expensive than the predecessor
Overall only a small upgrade
Mediocre battery life

Nubia RedMagic 7 Pro

4th place

Price

Technical details

CPU: Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 - 1 x 3.0GHz + 3 x 2.5GHz + 4 x 1.8GHz
RAM: 16 GB RAM
Display: 2400 x 1080, 6.8-inch 120Hz (AMOLED)
Operating system: Android 12
Battery: 5000 mAh
Camera: 64 MP + 8MP (dual) + 2MP (triple)
Front camera: 16 MP
LTE: Yes - 4G: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 34, 66, 38, 40, 41 - 5G: 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 41, 77, 78
SIM: Dual - nano
Storage: 256 GB
Memory expandable: No
Weight: 235 g
Dimensions: 166.5 x 71 x 9.5 mm
Antutu: 1031613

Advantages

Good display with 120 Hz
Best-in-class performance with SD 8 Gen 1
Under-display camera
The main camera is usable day and night
Blazing fast fingerprint sensor
No thermal throttling on the SD 8 Gen1 with fan
USB 3.0 and Stereo Speaker

Disa

dvantages

Macro and UWW cameras are insufficient
Proud price
Software is immature in many places
Mediocre battery life
There is no video function for the UWW camera

Poco F4 GT

5th place

Price

Technical details

CPU: Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 - 1 x 3.0GHz + 3 x 2.5GHz + 4 x 1.8GHz
RAM: 12 GB RAM or 8 GB RAM
Display: 2400 x 1080, 6.7-inch 120Hz (AMOLED)
Operating system: Android 12
Battery: 4700 mAh
Camera: 64 MP + 8MP (dual) + 2MP (triple)
Front camera: 20 MP
LTE: Yes - 4G: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40 - 5G: 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 41, 77, 78
SIM: Dual-nano
Storage: 128 GB or 256 GB
Memory expandable: No
Weight: 210 g
Dimensions: 162.5 x 76.7 x 8.5 mm
Antutu: 977600

Advantages

Cool design
Excellent workmanship
Very good stereo sound
Good battery life + 120W charging
Strong Reception (Net, WiFi, GPS)
Impeccable performance
High-quality pop-up shoulder buttons
Reliable finer imprint sensor

Disa

dvantages

SD 8 Gen 1 overheats
Unspectacular UWW and macro camera

Nubia RedMagic 6R

6th place

Price

Technical details

CPU: Snapdragon 888 - 1 x 2.84GHz + 3 x 2.42GHz + 4 x 1.8GHz
RAM: 12 GB RAM or 8 GB RAM
Display: 2400 x 1080, 6.7-inch 144Hz (AMOLED)
Operating system: Android 11
Battery: 4200 mAh
Camera: 64 MP + 8MP (dual) + 2MP (triple)
Front camera: 16 MP
LTE: Yes - 4G: 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 20, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41 - 5G: 1, 28, 41, 78
SIM: Dual - nano
Storage: 128 GB or 256 GB
Memory expandable: No
Weight: 194 g
Dimensions: 163 x 75 x 8.5 mm
Antutu: 821500

Advantages

Excellent AMOLED display
Brute force
Shoulder buttons work well
Unagitated design
Thin and light for a gaming phone
Excellent main camera

Disa

dvantages

Average battery life
Weak additional cameras
Video stabilization has issues (Update?)
Scratch-sensitive back

Black Shark 4 Pro

7th place

Price

Technical details

CPU: Snapdragon 888 - 1 x 2.84GHz + 3 x 2.42GHz + 4 x 1.8GHz
RAM: 8 GB RAM
Display: 2400 x 1080, 6.7-inch 144Hz (AMOLED)
Operating system: Android 11
Battery: 4500 mAh
Camera: 64 MP + 8MP (dual) + 5MP (triple)
Front camera: 20 MP
LTE: Yes - 4G: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41 - 5G: 1, 3, 8, 28, 41, 77, 78
SIM: Dual-nano
Storage: 128 GB
Memory expandable: No
Weight: 220 g
Dimensions: 164 x 76 x 10 mm
Antutu: 818301

Advantages

Precise and practical shoulder buttons
Excellent 144Hz AMOLED display
Strong performance (SD888 + UFS 3.1)
Powerful stereo sound
Additional Accessories
Design suitable for everyday use
Solid cameras
120 watts charging speed!
Good value for money

Disa

dvantages

Below-average battery life
No memory expansion

Black Shark 4

8th place

Price

Technical details

CPU: Snapdragon 870 - 1 x 3.2GHz + 3 x 2.42GHz + 4 x 1.8GHz
RAM: 12 GB RAM or 8 GB RAM
Display: 2400 x 1080, 6.7-inch 144Hz (AMOLED)
Operating system: Android 11
Battery: 4500 mAh
Camera: 48 MP + 8MP (dual) + 5MP (triple)
Front camera: 20 MP
LTE: Yes - 4G: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28 - 5G: 1, 3, 8, 28, 41, 77, 78
SIM: Dual-nano
Storage: 128 GB or 256 GB
Memory expandable: No
Weight: 210 g
Dimensions: 164 x 76 x 10.4 mm
Antutu: 672000

Advantages

Precise and practical shoulder buttons
Excellent 144Hz AMOLED display
Very good performance (SD870 + UFS 3.1)
Powerful stereo sound
Additional Accessories
Design suitable for everyday use
Solid cameras
Good value for money for a gaming smartphone

Disa

dvantages

full-HD 30FPS video recording only
no changes to the predecessor

What do we consider the best gaming cell phones?

The topic of gaming / playing with a smartphone has been present from the beginning, but is now being taken up by manufacturers and implemented as a niche. Gaming smartphones are primarily characterized by their ability to play even the most complex and graphically appealing games. They also offer good battery life, software specifically for games and features for the experience. Basically, any smartphone is suitable for gaming as long as it has a reasonably powerful processor installed - which also explains the increasing popularity of “smartphone gaming” . The 3D Mark benchmark, which measures the performance of the integrated graphics chip, is crucial for this.

The cornerstone for the sector is the smartphone from the peripheral manufacturer Razer. In addition to lightning-fast hardware, the Razer Phone is characterized by a 120 Hz display. In comparison to the normal 60 Hz displays on smartphones, tests describe them as smooth and buttery-soft.

The success proves the industry right, because the ASUS ROG 2 has now been released. The features that can be mentioned here are the 6.6-inch 120 Hz display, stereo speakers, RGB lighting, a Snapdragon 855+ with special cooling and the gaming software. At €850, it's not cheap, especially since smartphones from China offer similar features at a cheaper price - the Xiaomi Black Shark 2, Vivo IQOO Pro and Nubia Red Magic 3S are the direct competition.

Chinese manufacturers are also incorporating more and more gaming features, including: dedicated gaming buttons, atmospheric LED lighting, software features such as a game space or displays with a higher refresh rate.

New trend 'gaming cell phone'?

The market for games on smartphones is booming: since everyone now has a cell phone, the target group is even larger and an app doesn't require a lot of financial effort for both the manufacturer and the customer. The sales figures are now also attracting large companies such as Nintendo to smartphone gaming.

The topic is just as interesting for the consumer because the hardware (smartphone) is available and the new game/app can be quickly downloaded from the App Store. Further reasons can be seen with regard to the current platforms:

Other mobile gaming is dying out: the Nintendo 3DS is cool but too childlike - the Nintendo Switch is expensive and the number of good games is rare & unpacking the gaming laptop to play for 30-60 minutes is too time-consuming

The purchase price of the competition is high: not everyone wants to pay €300 for a console (PlayStation / XBOX) and another €40-60 per game on top of that & gaming on the PC requires expensive hardware, as most laptops are for this too weak.

The smartphone is appropriately equipped for the games in the App Store - to play the latest 3D games, such as Asphalt or PubG, you don't even need a flagship with the latest processor. A mid-range smartphone is usually enough and many users can use the apps. In addition, the games in the store are getting better and better and at affordable prices. PUPG Mobile no longer has anything in common with the Doodle Jump or Angry Birds of the past - many companies are also jumping on the bandwagon and are now bringing traditional games to smartphones.

The best gaming cell phones Q & A

Is gaming better on iPhone or Samsung?

For casual players who are interested in the most well-liked cross-platform games, the iPhone offers an excellent gaming experience. But there are more choices for emulation, cloud gaming, customisation, and modding with Android and the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Among Android smartphones, there is also greater variety at more reasonable pricing points.

Is higher RAM better for gaming on Android?

If you enjoy playing more recent games, 16GB will undoubtedly enhance your gaming experience, even though some people might be able to play a few older games with just 8GB. But what about using programs like Chrome or Discord that operate in the background? That might require 32GB.

Why gamers prefer Android?

Because Android works on a wide range of hardware, consumers may benefit from games that can run at better graphics and frames per second. However, this might quickly turn into a drawback because a game with special effects could perform horribly on one device while looking fantastic on another.

How do I know if my phone is for gaming?

RAM on a gaming phone should ideally be 8GB or more, but it should be at least 6GB. Display: Choosing the greatest gaming phone likely comes down to two things: first, making sure that games run smoothly and look amazing, and second, minimizing lag.

How to choose mobile processor for gaming?

With so many fantastic alternatives available today, choosing the best mobile processor will rely on your demands and budget. For the fastest flagship performance, consider the Apple A16 or Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. They provide top-notch speeds for multitasking and intense gaming.

Is RAM or processor better for gaming in mobile?

They are both crucial. A strong CPU enables you to process information more quickly. This translates to quicker online page loads, quicker app launches, quicker gaming, etc. Conversely, a phone with greater RAM can handle multiple tasks at once.

How can I make my Android phone better for gaming?

Try these suggestions to enhance your Android smartphone's gaming experience.

Turn on 'do not disturb' while in game mode.
Make the switch to a Wi-Fi network.
Perform profile and battery saver tweaks.
Turn on Dolby Atmos when you're gaming.
Make use of gaming peripherals.

Extra advice.

On Android phones, turn on Developer Options.

Is mobile gaming better than PC?

PC gaming would be perfect for longer gaming sessions with more complex gameplay. Mobile gaming would be ideal for quick, informal gameplay sessions with simple access to a large selection of games built to be played on the go. In relation to casual gaming, here you can play your preferred mobile games without having to download any.

Are all the best gaming cell phones on the list above Chinese brands?

Yes.