4 Best Smartphones For Gaming Purpose

We introduce you to the best gaming smartphones. With these smartphones, you can play games just like on a gaming PC or console. Mobile games have enjoyed growing popularity for years. No wonder with titles like “Call of Duty Mobile”, “Wild Rift” or “Genshin Impact”. But to fully enjoy these games, you need the right equipment. We introduce you to the best gaming phones.

What is important in a gaming mobile phone?

To play games on a smartphone, you first need the right performance. But the latest chipset alone does not make a smartphone a gaming device. We list all the features a gaming phone should have:

• Top chipset: Depending on the manufacturer, there are top processors from the Snapdragon (8xx), Exynos (21xx, 9xx), Kirin (10xx, 9xx) and Apple’s A-chips series.
• Plenty of RAM: at least 8 GB is recommended, but iPhones can manage with less.
• Display with a high refresh rate: ideally 120 Hz or even more
• Large battery: At least 4000 mAh should be available so that you don’t run out of breath on the road.
• Shoulder buttons: Not a must, but additional buttons improve the operation.

Many pure gaming phones concentrate on these features and make compromises in other areas. Especially when it comes to the camera, you often have to make compromises.

1. Asus ROG Phone 5: A gaming PC in a handheld format

“Republic of Gamers” or “ROG” for short is Asus’ way of labelling the gaming products in its portfolio. In addition to laptops, monitors and computer components, the company also brings out gaming phones under this designation. The ROG Phone 5 is the latest model and comes with everything a gamer could want.

The look of the smartphone makes it clear from afar that this is a gaming phone. Whether you like the hard lines and the glowing logo on the back is another matter.

When it comes to gaming power, however, the ROG Phone 5 is beyond reproach. The 6.78-inch display offers a fast 144-hertz refresh rate and also looks great thanks to AMOLED technology. A gaming mode called “Game Genie” is pre-installed and ensures that no one disturbs you with calls or messages while you are gaming. In addition, there are “AirTrigger” shoulder buttons that make it easier to control games.

The 6000 mAh battery lasts through long gaming sessions and thanks to the fan, the phone stays cool during this time. This also allows the ROG Phone 5 to maintain the high performance of the Snapdragon 888 chip longer than smartphones without active cooling.

The Asus ROG Phone 5 is available in different memory and RAM variants. There is a maximum of 256 GB ROM and 16 GB RAM inside. Enough to store all the games you need and even run them simultaneously. In terms of cost, you’ll have to budget around 980 euros for it. Unless you opt for another variant, such as the Asus ROG Phone 5 Ultimate, which offers a few additional features.

You can buy it here.

2. Lenovo Legion Duel 2: Everything horizontal?

Lenovo is probably better known for laptops, monitors and computer accessories. But this manufacturer also sees a growing market in mobile gaming. That’s why the company brought out a gaming smartphone for the first time in 2020. The Legion Phone Duel is designed for horizontal use, which results in some unusual features. However, these seem to have gone down well, because in the meantime Lenovo has followed up with a second gaming phone with a similar concept: the Legion Duel 2.

One striking feature is the two USB-C ports. One of them is at the bottom in the usual place, the other is on the side next to the volume rocker. This means that the cable is not in the way when gaming. The pop-up camera is also not integrated into the forehead of the device but is centrally located horizontally. This is particularly suitable for those who stream their gaming sessions live.

The battery of the Lenovo Legion Duel 2 is particularly impressive. Two cells with 2750 mAh each are installed here and charge up to 90 watts. So far, there are only a few smartphones that can recharge like this. The gaming phone reaches full capacity within only half an hour.

The Lenovo Legion Dual 2 has plenty of internal storage capacity and RAM. You can choose between 256 GB or 512 GB ROM and 12 GB or 16 GB RAM. In terms of price, you have to have at least 800 euros ready. However, there is also a Pro version that offers more features for a surcharge. So it’s best to take a close look at both.

You can buy it here.

3. Xiaomi Black Shark 4: The affordable gaming phone

With the Black Shark 4, a gaming phone from a better-known manufacturer now appears in this list. This is because it is a sub-brand of Xiaomi, which concentrates fully on gaming. In addition to the Black Shark 4, there is also a Pro model, which is only available in Germany via import.

With the Black Shark 4, Xiaomi has taken a completely different direction than the other manufacturers. In contrast to the previous models, it does without a few premium features and therefore only costs around 512 euros.

But don’t think that your gaming experience will suffer. Among other things, the smartphone is equipped with haptic shoulder buttons, offers top performance thanks to the Snapdragon 870 chip and a maximum of 12 GB of RAM, and also delivers buttery-smooth animations with a 144 Hz display. The battery is slightly smaller with “only” 4500 mAh but charges completely with 120 watts in only 17 minutes.

You can buy it here.

4. iPhone 13 Pro Max: The iOS alternative

Admittedly: We’re cheating a little here. But if you don’t like Android and are still looking for a gaming phone, you don’t have much choice. Apple simply doesn’t have a mobile phone specifically for gamers in its range. But the iPhone 13 Pro Max is currently one of the most powerful smartphones and delivers top performance in all games available on the market.

Why are we mentioning the iPhone 13 Pro Max here? Quite simply, it has a huge 6.7-inch OLED display that also comes with a refresh rate of 120 Hz. That means plenty of space (despite the annoying notch) and smooth animations in high-contrast Full HD-plus.

Although there are no gaming options and neither extra buttons nor active coolers are installed on the hardware side, one thing is certain: The Apple A15 Bionic chip delivers one of the best, perhaps even the best gaming performance. For this, the iPhone 13 Pro Max also only needs 6 GB of RAM thanks to the slim iOS operating system.

The 4352 mAh battery gives you many hours of gaming fun and even charges wirelessly during gaming with the help of the magnetic MagSafe adapter. However, it only charges with a maximum of 15 watts, which results in a very long charging time. In terms of price, you should plan on at least 1100 euros. Unless you’re smart and get the iPhone 13 Pro Max with a contract and save a lot of money.

You can buy it here.

That ends this list of the best smartphones to elevate your gaming experience. We hope that our readers will find this list helpful. Make sure to drop your comments below!