Mobile gaming has long evolved into a separate segment, valued in the billions of dollars. Naturally, smartphone manufacturers couldn’t ignore this trend, and now every second or third new release is labeled as a gaming phone. These devices come equipped with at least a special gaming mode, and at most, enhanced hardware, cooling systems, and the external features that define a true gaming device.
With the best gaming phone, you can transform your mobile games library. It will not only bring a powerful processor but also provide enough RAM, top quality exceptional displays. They can elevate your gaming experience. With plenty of gaming phones out there, it is time for you to consider the best phone for 2024. You may be aware that Apple, Nubia, Asus, Samsung, and several others are competing in the industry but there are limited brands that focus on dedicated gaming phones. These brands cater to a separate niche of gamers and are constantly working on enhancing their gaming experience. Nubia and Asus are two companies that regularly introduce new phones that use the latest chips and offer the right cooling technology. They can take your experience with e-sports tournaments offering trophies and awards to another level. If you want to upgrade your phone or buy a device only for gaming, you must consider one of these two brands. While it can become difficult to determine what exactly you need from the phone, but if you are looking for a game-specific device, you need to start checking out the best gaming phones of the year.
We’ve put together our top five picks for gaming and more—smartphones that can handle any of today’s mobile hits.
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Nubia Red Magic 9 Pro
The Red Magic 9 Pro is perfectly optimized for gaming and equipped with powerful hardware, allowing it to easily handle the latest and most demanding games. The device boasts a metal body, rear LED lighting, and a sleek, aggressive design that clearly shows its gaming focus. It features a 6.8-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and brightness up to 1600 nits.
Inside, you’ll find the powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (up to 3.3 GHz), 12GB or 16GB of RAM, and storage options of 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB. To keep this “beast” cool during extended gaming sessions, it uses liquid cooling, complemented by a graphene sheet and a fan. The 6500 mAh battery provides nearly 12 hours of battery life, and with 65W fast charging, the phone can reach 100% in just 35 minutes.
It also features powerful stereo sound, a USB-C 3.2 Gen2 port with DisplayPort support, and a headphone jack on the top. Additionally, it comes with Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, and NFC. The triple rear camera setup includes a 50 MP main module with OIS, a wide-angle lens with the same resolution, and a 2 MP macro camera. The front-facing camera is 16 MP. The price for this model starts at $725 (€670).
ASUS ROG Phone 8
The ASUS ROG Phone 8 stands out with its bold design, typical of the gaming segment. On the back, it features an RGB-lit logo, which can be customized through the app, along with special AirTrigger touch sensors on the body that mimic a gamepad.
The hardware of the ASUS ROG Phone 8 is built for gaming. It comes with a 165Hz 6.78-inch AMOLED display with a Full HD+ resolution. The processor is the overclocked Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 paired with Adreno 750 graphics. The device offers either 12GB or 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. As expected, the sound is stereo.
The battery capacity is 5500 mAh, with support for 65W fast wired charging and 15W wireless charging. The phone has a triple camera setup with a 50 MP main sensor. Notably, it features two USB-C 3.2 ports (one with DisplayPort 1.4 support) for charging and connecting accessories, as well as a headphone jack. The price of the ASUS ROG Phone 8, designed for gamers, starts at $690 (€635).
iPhone 15
All Apple smartphones are excellently optimized and equipped with powerful hardware, allowing them to handle even the latest and most demanding games with ease. For mobile gaming, you can choose any model from recent years—whether it’s the iPhone 13, 14, or even the 12—but in our top picks, we’ve included the latest base model (not the Pro or Pro Max) of the “Apple” smartphones.
The iPhone 15 features a classic design rather than an aggressive gaming look, along with IP68 dust and water resistance. It has a 6.1-inch OLED display, though it only supports a 60Hz refresh rate, powered by the Apple A16 processor. The device includes USB-C instead of Lightning, 6GB of RAM, and storage options ranging from 128GB to 512GB. The dual main camera consists of 48 MP and 12 MP sensors. It also offers Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), Bluetooth 5.3, and dual NFC (for contactless payments and accessory recognition). Fast charging is available at 20W, with 15W wireless charging and sound enhanced by Dolby Atmos. The price of the iPhone 15 starts at $720 (€665).
Xiaomi 14
The Xiaomi 14 is another flagship device in our selection that can handle modern 3D games. It’s powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (up to 3.3 GHz) with Adreno 750 and liquid cooling. There are numerous memory configurations available: RAM options include 8GB, 12GB, 16GB, or even 24GB, while storage ranges from 128GB to 1TB. It also supports Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be), Bluetooth 5.4, NFC, an IR port, and USB-C 3.2 Gen 1—everything you need is included.
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The display is a 6.36-inch AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision. The flagship features a triple main camera, with each module boasting 50 MP. The model comes with a 4610 mAh battery that supports fast charging at 90W, allowing the smartphone to fully charge in just 31 minutes. Additionally, it offers wireless charging at 50W and reverse charging at 10W. This top-tier smartphone with an IP68 rating and a metal body from Xiaomi is available starting at $640 (€590).
Samsung Galaxy S24
Similar to the iPhone, the flagship models from Samsung are also excellent for mobile gaming, including the most demanding titles. The base flagship, the Samsung Galaxy S24, can run on either the Exynos 2400 or Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processors, with Samsung Xclipse 940 or Adreno 750 graphics, respectively. The smartphone offers options for 8GB or 12GB of RAM and storage capacities of 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB in UFS 3.1 format.
The display features a 6.2-inch AMOLED panel with a Full HD+ resolution, supporting HDR10+ and a 120Hz refresh rate. Stereo sound from AKG is also included. For fast connectivity, the smartphone supports Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, and has an NFC chip.
The battery capacity is 4000 mAh, with 25W fast charging, as well as 15W wireless charging and reverse charging capabilities. The front camera has a resolution of 12 MP, while the main camera consists of three modules with 50 MP, 12 MP, and 10 MP (with OIS). The body is rated for IP68 protection. The Samsung Galaxy S22 is available starting at $600 (€555).
Conclusion
Judging by this selection, mobile gaming enthusiasts have plenty of options. Gaming smartphones can come in vibrant designs with the classic aggressive aesthetics typical of this segment. However, there are also simpler-looking models that show no signs of being gaming devices yet handle games with ease. This diversity in price and capabilities within the segment means users have a wider range of choices.
Do you enjoy mobile gaming? If so, which smartphones do you use for it, and why? Share your experiences in the comments and let us know about other models that aren’t included in our top picks.