The Five Best Cell Phones for Gaming

Mobile devices are the most profitable area for the already very lucrative video game industry. Assuming more than 40% of total annual consumption, titles mobile – for mobile phones, tablets and other devices – are experiencing an upsurge thanks to the cloud and the possibilities of 5G. New systems, like the Steam Deck or Asus’ recently announced ROG console, promise brilliant moments for gaming on the go. But today the most popular arenas are phones.

In theory, a good phone – that is, one with high-end features – should be enough to play anything. At least on a technical level: its processor, memory and screen, among other characteristics, should be able to support or run any title available in virtual stores.

A player knows that even if it’s good, at the same time it’s not enough: on top of all that, you have to have a good refresh rate, an efficient ventilation and/or cooling system, dedicated buttons, RGB lights and an endless number of small details. , in addition to the design of the device, which of course must be ad hoc.

Now let’s agree that this is the top end of the market. A smartphone The mid-range should now be able to run most titles available on Android without problem, mainly. But those of us who game know the horrors of realizing that the battery is about to die, images start to flicker or, worse, freeze. Why talk when the device quickly begins to overheat. The feeling can be very stressful, especially if you are a fan of online or multiplayer games.

In essence, what you have to take into consideration when buying a smartphone that can be dedicated to long hours of gaming is the processor. We are talking about the muscle of the phone, essential for the game to run as its creators intended: smoothly, without (so much) sucking up the battery and, incidentally, without overheating.

Then we have the screen size, its resolution and its refresh rate (minimum, 120 Hz). Also the heat dissipation or the possibility of cooling, the battery -ideally 5000 mAh- and, hopefully, the largest possible storage capacity (to save many games, of course). In the case of the following list, they all meet these characteristics and more.

Considering the latest releases from big names like Samsung or Apple, the RedMagic 8 Pro is still the cellphone player most powerful in the world to date. I’m not saying it, but the prestigious classification antutu , which measures the performance and efficiency of its main components. It is followed by flagships such as the Xiaomi 13 Pro, Vivo X90 Pro+ (not yet available in Chile) and Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Ultra.

But the latest model of the sub-brand player of the Chinese giant Nubian is the one that stands out the most: not only for its state-of-the-art interiors, but also for its bold sci-fi design and innovative proposal, which is far from being the most smart phones on display today

Let’s review: The RedMagic 8 Pro features the most advanced Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor available. It can go up to 16 GB of memory, which may even look like “too”, although in these cases the memory is never superfluous. The display is terrific — 6.8-inch AMOLED (2,480 x 1,116 pixels) — and the battery is a beast, as it has two 3,000 mAh cells, making a total of 6,000 mAh, perhaps the mobile phone with the best autonomy on the market.

Add to this an innovative and futuristic design, a very good cooling system (which incidentally includes a mini fan), RGB lighting, dedicated buttons and perhaps the best: a button that turns the mobile phone into a console, directing all resources to experience player. An unknown wonder. Today, there is no better smartphone for gaming than the RedMagic 8 Pro.

OUR RedMagic 8 Pro review here.

By default, the iphone They are very good terminals to enjoy video games without problems. The elements and components of each of its various iterations have always provided excellent performance when gaming. Of course, the newer the model, the better the experience and the less chance there will be of stuttering while gaming. same thing: with the iPhone, we will play it safe in this section.

For the same reason, the gaming experience offered by Apple’s top model, the iPhone 14 Pro Max, is indisputable and very powerful. From the clarity and brightness of its large screen to the resistance to high temperatures and very good performance, it will undoubtedly be a great option, especially for users of Manzana . And the most expensive too.

The Pro model – which doesn’t carry the Max suffix – is also recommended, but we stuck with the Pro Max for its unbeatable OLED screen size (6.7in), spacious storage (up to 1TB) and for the great performance of its battery, something unusual in an iPhone.

OUR iPhone 14 Pro Max review here.

The current jewel in Samsung’s crown, which is undoubtedly one of the most attractive and powerful phones on the market, also offers an absolutely premium experience when playing video games. Samsung knows this and its phones will always have details that make the gaming experience more enjoyable. But if we aim for the highest, the Ultra version of the Galaxy family is by far the one that offers the most advantages.

In addition to having a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, built by Qualcomm specifically for Samsung (which translates into a little overclocking of it, i.e. even more power), we have 12 GB of RAM and a 6-inch Super AMOLED screen. inches (3088 x 1440), probably the best on this list along with the iPhone Pro Max. Added to this is a powerful 5000 mAh battery and storage that can also go up to 1 TB. The visualization and fluidity of games, in addition to the fact that it hardly overheats, make the Galaxy S23 Ultra a more than sure value.

OUR Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra review here.

One of the latest models launched by the Chinese giant also has extraordinary features for the gaming experience, with the advantage of presenting a much more attractive price. A few months ago we commented that the Xiaomi 12T Pro is perhaps one of the best that strikes that sweet balance between value and quality, as its power and performance options (and even a 200MP camera ) are wrapped in a rather classic design, which does not exude much or say that it is a gaming smartphone, although the results of use are not long in appearing.

It features a 6.67-inch CrystalRes AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor — more than enough to carry all the processing power demanded by high-caliber gaming — and in addition to a large 5000 mAh battery, it has an ultra-fast 120W charger, which guarantees a full charge of the device in less than 20 minutes. Ideal for not running out of juice during these endless games.

It has the largest vapor chamber of any Xiaomi device, which for cooling purposes is definitely a nice feature. But, ultimately, it is its price that will surely seal the purchase.

OUR Xiaomi 12T Pro review here.

We cannot close this list with the one we chose as the best smartphone for video games of 2022 until last year. We are referring to the POCO F4 GT, launched just under a year ago, and which was quite a surprise in our market. Why so much? It’s that this niche sub-brand of Xiaomi doesn’t usually get much attention, although this model was the big exception to the rule. In fact, in terms of functionality and dimensions, it is something similar to the Xiaomi 12T Pro, with the difference that here you can see a design with care and with the public in mind. player.

We’ve got a 6.7-inch AMOLED display, Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, 12GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, a 4,700mAh battery — but a super-fast 120W charger — and a very nice, sleek design. sophisticated. The grace of this terminal is that it was the only one of its kind. And if we consider the models dedicated specifically to this activity, it is one of the few available in our country. So, despite being on the market for almost a year, it’s still a great alternative, surely one of the best. It also comes with analog headphones.

OUR POCO F4 GT review here.

*Prices for products in this article are updated as of April 11, 2023. Values ​​and their availability may change.