The Best Gaming Phones 2024

With high-performance games available to play, phones have also started prioritizing performance above everything else. Also, gaming phones come full of features to make sure that your gaming experience is smooth. We have curated a list of the Best Gaming Phones 2024. This list has been made after reviewing the models to see which is worth the money. Furthermore, we have also added a few phones that are not necessarily gaming phones but offer excellent performance for those who want a balanced arrangement for everyday use and a seamless experience while gaming.

Popular Gaming Phones

Check out the list below:

Black Shark 5 Pro

The Xiaomi Black Shark 5 Pro tops our list of the best gaming phones in 2024. It is the most powerful of the fifth generation of Black Shark phones. This phone also presents pop-up physical triggers on the right edge that can be assigned a function for the game you play, turning your phone into a mini gaming controller.

The Xiaomi Black Shark 5 Pro launched globally on June 8, with its sale date just one day later. The handset starts at $799 / £639 – that’s for 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. There are two other configurations: 12GB/256GB, which costs $899 / £729, and 16GB/256GB, which is priced at $999 / £809.

Specifications

NETWORK	GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G
Dimensions	163.9 x 76.5 x 9.5 mm (6.45 x 3.01 x 0.37 in)
Weight	220 g (7.76 oz)
SIM	Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by)
Size	6.67 inches, 107.4 cm2 (~85.7% screen-to-body ratio)
Resolution	1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~395 ppi density) Always-on display
OS	Android 12, Joy UI 13
Chipset	Qualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm)
CPU	Octa-core (1×3.00 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3×2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4×1.80 GHz Cortex-A510)
GPU	Adreno 730
Internal Memory	128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM UFS 3.1/NVMe SSD
Triple Camera	108 MP, f/1.8, (wide), 1/1.52″, 0.7µm, PDAF 13 MP, f/2.4, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.06″, 1.12µm 5 MP, f/2.4, (telephoto macro), AF
Features	LED flash, HDR, panorama
Video	4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 1080p@960fps; HDR10+
Selfie Camera	16 MP, (wide), 1/3.06″, 1.0µm HDR 1080p@30fps
Loudspeaker	Yes, with stereo speakers
3.5mm jack	No. 24-bit/192kHz Hi-Res audio Snapdragon Sound
WLAN	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct
Bluetooth	5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive
Sensors	Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer (China only)
BATTERY	Li-Po 4650 mAh, non-removable 120W wired, 100% in 15 min (advertised)

Reasons to buy:

• Useful retractable triggers
• Quick charge
• Powerful processor

Reasons to avoid:

• Battery life
• Heating problems
• No headphone jack

Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate (The best premium gaming phone)

The Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate is one of the fastest Android phone one can buy. The options for tweaking phone’s performance and display that runs faster than the frame rate of any game you’ll play make it one of the best gaming phones out there in the market. The phone has an aggressive style with a 2-inch OLED display on the back that can flash a limited set of animations.

The phone was released on 13th April, 2023 and is available in a storm white colour. As of 1st March 2024, Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate price in India starts at Rs. 99,999.

Specifications

Network	GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE / 5G
Dimensions	173 x 77 x 10.3 mm (6.81 x 3.03 x 0.41 in)
Weight	239 g (8.43 oz)
SIM	Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by)
Display	Built-in motorized cooling air vent (AeroActive Portal) IP54, dust and splash resistant 2″ OLED display (on the back) Pressure sensitive zones (Gaming triggers)
Size	6.78 inches, 109.5 cm2 (~82.2% screen-to-body ratio)
Resolution	1080 x 2448 pixels (~395 ppi density)
OS	Android 13, upgradable to Android 14
Chipset	Qualcomm SM8550-AB Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm)
CPU	Octa-core (1×3.2 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2×2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2×2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3×2.0 GHz Cortex-A510)
Internal Memory	512GB 16GB RAM UFS 4.0 NTFS support for external storage
Triple Camera	50 MP, f/1.9, 24mm (wide), 1/1.56″, 1.0µm, PDAF 13 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide) 5 MP, f/2.0, (macro)
Features	LED flash, HDR, panorama
Video	8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, 720p@480fps; gyro-EIS, HDR10+
Selfie Camera	32 MP, f/2.5, 29mm (wide), 1/3.2″, 0.7µm Panorama, HDR 1080p@30fps
Loudspeaker	Yes, with stereo speakers (2 amplifiers)
3.5mm jack	Yes 32-bit/384kHz Hi-Res audio Snapdragon Sound
WLAN	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct
Bluetooth	5.3, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless
Sensors	Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass
BATTERY	Li-Po 6000 mAh, non-removable 65W wired, PD3.0, QC5, 100% in 42 min (advertised) 10W reverse wired

Reasons to buy:

• Amazing speed, tops its rivals in benchmarks
• Excellent display runs faster than it should
• Big battery for long game times

Reasons to avoid:

• Terrible software extras often get in the way, hard
• Not fully water resistant
• Cameras are plain lousy, unlike any other phone this price

Nubia RedMagic 7 Pro (The best value gaming phone)

Nubia has made its name in the gaming phone industry. From an RGB fan to sharp accents and fonts, the Nubia RedMagic 7 Pro has all of the horsepower one could ask for including the ultrasonic shoulder triggers and upgraded cooling system. However, this one is a pure gaming phone and other features are underwhelming including cameras and annoying software.

The phone is available in 2 colours. The Obsidian model with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage costs $799/£679/€799 while the Supernova version with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage runs $899/£759/€899.

Specifications

Network	GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G
Dimensions	166.3 x 77.1 x 10 mm (6.55 x 3.04 x 0.39 in)
Weight	235 g (8.29 oz)
SIM	Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) Pressure sensitive zones (500Hz touch-sensing) Built-in cooling fan Aviation aluminum middle frame
Display	AMOLED, 1B colors (China only), 120Hz, 600 nits 6.8 inches, 111.6 cm2 (~87.1% screen-to-body ratio) 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~387 ppi density) Corning Gorilla Glass 5
OS	Android 12, Redmagic 5.0
Chipset	Qualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm)
CPU	Octa-core (1×3.00 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3×2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4×1.80 GHz Cortex-A510)
Internal Memory	128GB 8GB RAM, 128GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 16GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM, 512GB 18GB RAM, 1TB 16GB RAM
Triple Camera	64 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.97″, 0.7µm, PDAF 8 MP, f/2.2, 120˚, 13mm (ultrawide), 1/4.0″, 1.12µm 2 MP, f/2.4, (macro) LED flash, HDR, panorama 8K@30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps
Selfie Camera	16 MP, f/2.0, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8″, 1.22µm, under display Features HDR 1080p@30/60fps
Speaker	Yes, with stereo speakers
3.5 mm jack	Yes
WLAN	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct
Bluetooth	5.2, A2DP, aptX, LE
Features	Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass
Battery	Li-Po 5000 mAh, non-removable 135W wired, PD3.0, 100% in 15 min (China) 65W wired, PD3.0 (Global)

Reasons to buy:

• Great value
• Powerful performance
• Useful gaming and cooling features
• Under-display camera frees up more screen space

Reasons to avoid:

• Worse battery life than predecessor
• Cameras remain underwhelming
• Software can be jarring in places
• No wireless charging

Samsung Galaxy A50 (The best budget gaming phone)

The Samsung Galaxy A50 came out in April 2020 as an update to its Galaxy A50 series. The phone serves well for those who are not outrightly looking for a gaming phone but also something that can work in daily life as well. The Galaxy A50’s camera is way more flushed, it looks flatter and sleeker. The on-screen camera notch for the front-facing camera is also smaller, so it’s less obtrusive when you’re viewing the display.

At a decidedly midrange $349, it offers a flagship-level design, a beautiful AMOLED display, and a battery that will easily get you through the day. However, you will also find a lackluster speaker, a poor fingerprint sensor, and no guarantee of software updates.

Specifications

NETWORK	GSM / HSPA / LTE
Dimensions	158.5 x 74.7 x 7.7 mm (6.24 x 2.94 x 0.30 in)
Weight	166 g (5.86 oz)
SIM	Single SIM (Nano-SIM) or Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by)
Display	Super AMOLED 6.4 inches, 100.5 cm2 (~84.9% screen-to-body ratio) 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~403 ppi density) Corning Gorilla Glass 3
OS	Android 9.0 (Pie), upgradable to Android 11, One UI 3.0
Chipset	Exynos 9610 (10nm)
CPU	Octa-core (4×2.3 GHz Cortex-A73 & 4×1.7 GHz Cortex-A53)
Internal Memory	64GB 4GB RAM, 64GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM UFS 2.1
Triple Camera	25 MP, f/1.7, 26mm (wide), PDAF 8 MP, f/2.2, 13mm (ultrawide), 1/4.0″, 1.12µm 5 MP, f/2.2, (depth) LED flash, panorama, HDR 1080p@30fps
Selfie Camera	25 MP, f/2.0, 25mm (wide), 1/2.8″, 0.9µm HDR 1080p@30fps
Loudspeaker/3.5mm jack	Yes/Yes
WLAN	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct
Bluetooth	5.0, A2DP, LE
Sensors	Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass ANT+ Bixby natural language commands and dictation
Battery	Li-Po 4000 mAh, non-removable 15W wired

Reasons to buy:

• Attractive design
• Gorgeous AMOLED display
• Solid battery life
• Price
• Multipurpose

Reasons to avoid:

• Average performance
• Poor speakers
• Poor fingerprint sensors

Apple iPhone 14 Plus (The best Apple gaming phone)

This is the best Apple phone for heavy-duty gaming, video editing, and more. Released in 2022, the iPhone 14 Plus is made from aluminum and glass. While it is a step down in luxury from the stainless steel and glass Pro models, it comes the advantage of low weight. It comes with a 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR OLED screen with a 2778 x 1284 pixel resolution, HDR support, Apple’s True Tone feature, and a notch at the top.

The iPhone 14 Plus starts at $899 for the 128GB model, $999 if you want 256GB of storage space, or $1,199 for the largest 512GB of storage space. However, it does not come with space for a MicroSD card, so to expand the storage, you’ll have to purchase Apple’s iCloud storage space, or delete apps and media if you run out of space.

Specifications

NETWORK	GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G
Dimensions	160.8 x 78.1 x 7.8 mm (6.33 x 3.07 x 0.31 in)
Weight	203 g (7.16 oz)
Display	Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 800 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak) 6.7 inches, 109.8 cm2 (~87.4% screen-to-body ratio) 1284 x 2778 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~458 ppi density) Ceramic Shield glass
OS	iOS 16, upgradable to iOS 17.3.1
Chipset	Apple A15 Bionic (5 nm)
CPU	Hexa-core (2×3.23 GHz Avalanche + 4×1.82 GHz Blizzard)
Internal Memory	128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM NVMe
Dual Camera	12 MP, f/1.5, 26mm (wide), 1/1.7″, 1.9µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS 12 MP, f/2.4, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide) Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), Cinematic mode (4K@30fps), stereo sound rec.
Selfie Camera	12 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6″, PDAF SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) HDR, Cinematic mode (4K@30fps) 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS
Loudspeaker/3.5mm jack	Yes, with stereo speakers/ No
WLAN	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot
Bluetooth	5.3, A2DP, LE
Sensors	Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer Ultra Wideband (UWB) support Emergency SOS via satellite (SMS sending/receiving)
Battery	Li-Ion 4323 mAh, non-removable (16.68 Wh) Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min (advertised) 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) – requires iOS 17.2 update

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 (The best Samsung gaming phone)

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 has got a seamless cover and folding display that supports 120Hz screen refresh rates and offer a good viewing experience, be it multimedia or gaming. The 7.6-inch foldable Dynamic AMOLED 2X LTPO panel also supports supports HDR10+, making it perfect for all types of content consumption. Furthermore, its integration allows users to access notifications, messages, make or receive phone calls directly from PC.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 starts at Rs. 1,49,999 in India with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. There’s a second variant with the same amount of RAM but twice the storage (512GB) priced at Rs. 1,57,999. However, Samsung only has the Phantom Black option available for Indian customers.

Specifications

NETWORK	GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G
Dimensions	Unfolded: 158.2 x 128.1 x 6.4 mm Folded: 158.2 x 67.1 x 14.4-16 mm
Weight	271 g (9.56 oz)
SIM	Nano-SIM and eSIM IPX8 water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Armor aluminum frame with tougher drop and scratch resistance (advertised) Stylus support
Display	Foldable Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (peak) 7.6 inches, 179.9 cm2 (~88.8% screen-to-body ratio) 1768 x 2208 pixels (~374 ppi density) Cover display: Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 6.2 inches, 832 x 2268 pixels, 25:9 ratio
OS	Android 11, upgradable to Android 13, One UI 5.1.1
Chipset	Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm)
CPU	Octa-core (1×2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3×2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4×1.80 GHz Cortex-A55)
Internal Memory	256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM UFS 3.1
Triple Camera	12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.76″, 1.8µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.4, 52mm (telephoto), 1/3.6″, 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 2x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 123˚, 12mm (ultrawide), 1.12µm LED flash, HDR, panorama 4K@60fps, 1080p@60/240fps (gyro-EIS), 720p@960fps (gyro-EIS), HDR10+
Selfie Camera	4 MP, f/1.8, 2.0µm, under display Cover camera: 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3″, 1.22µm HDR 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS
Loudspeaker/3.5 mm jack	Yes, with stereo speakers/ No
WLAN	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct
Bluetooth	5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD
Sensors	Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer Samsung DeX (desktop experience support) Ultra Wideband (UWB) support
Battery	Li-Po 4400 mAh, non-removable 25W wired 11W wireless 4.5W reverse wireless

Reasons to buy:

• S Pen support
• Dual 120 Hz displays
• IPX8 waterproof
• Slightly cheaper than Fold 2
• Under panel camera makes for clean screen appealUnder panel camera makes for clean screen appeal

Reasons to avoid:

• Price
• Camera hardware not upgraded
• No built-in holster for S Pen
• No charger in the box
• Front camera is only 4MP
• Largely similar to predecessor
• Screen coating is unavoidably reflective and ongoing ‘crease’ issues remain
• Under-display selfie camera gimmicky

The Best Gaming Phones – FAQs

How we test gaming phones?

All the phone reviews go through a series of uniform checks that are designed to figure out key information such as battery, camera, performance, screen accuracy, build, and more. Formal synthetic benchmarks are included along with a series of real-use checks. These include the battery lost/hour of screen-on time.

For gaming phones, special attention is paid to how they run when we play some of the most famous mobile games. Furthermore, we make sure that every phone we review has at least a week to ensure that it is accurate.

Which phones are best for gaming?

While we mentioned our list of the best gaming phones in 2024, there are certain parameters we used to filter gaming phones from the rest. All smartphones support gaming, but do not provide a realistic and seamless gaming experience.

When checking out the specifications, make sure that you take a good look at the processors, gaming features, maximum RAM, storage capacity, and battery life. These are the parameters that usually affect a phone’s performance. Other factors include High-refresh-rate displays and chipsets.

Are gaming phones worth it?

The answer to this question totally depends on the user. There are gaming phones and then there are phones that are great for gaming. A gaming phone does have a better RAM, processor, storage, battery life, and more. The resolution would be better as well. However, it will come at a higher price point.

If you are extremely particular about graphics or frame rates, then gaming phones are for you. On the other hand, for casual gaming, normal smartphones will do the trick for you.

This was our list of The Best Gaming Phones 2024. Would you buy a gaming phone/Which gaming phone do you already use? Let us know in the comments below.