The best phones for gaming (November 2019) - Android

You could argue that almost every smartphone is a gaming phone of some kind, but what if you want the smoothest performance? Maybe you need physical-style buttons or a display with a high refresh rate? Either way, that’s where gaming phones come in, and there are loads of devices that fit the bill. We’ve got you covered with our list of the best gaming phones you can buy.

Best gaming phones:

Editor’s note: We will be updating this list as more gaming phones hit the market.

1. Asus ROG Phone 2

The Asus ROG Phone 2 represents a rather notable leap for gaming phones, as it’s the first Snapdragon 855 Plus smartphone. The slightly upgraded chipset delivers a marginal CPU and GPU clock speed increase, which means you should enjoy slightly better performance in theory than Snapdragon 855 phones.

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Asus’ latest gaming phone is extremely beefy elsewhere, offering 12GB of RAM as standard, along with 256GB or 512GB of UFS 3.0 storage, and a massive 6,000mAh battery. The device also stands out as one of the few phones packing an OLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate.

The ROG Phone 2 also offers air triggers that act as shoulder buttons, a 48MP+13MP ultra-wide rear camera pairing, a 24MP selfie camera, and an array of accessories. The ROG Phone 2 is only available in China as of writing, but it’s definitely a beast.

ROG Phone 2 specs:

2. OnePlus 7T/7T Pro

The OnePlus 7T and 7T Pro might not be branded as gaming phones, but they definitely pack a couple of features that make them more suitable for video games than your average devices.

For one, both have 90Hz AMOLED displays, with the 7T Pro offering a larger 6.67-inch QHD+ panel. It’s not quite as slick a refresh rate as the ROG Phone 2 or Razer Phone series, but it’s better than most phones out there. It also means that you can enjoy slightly higher frame-rates in games that support refresh rates higher than 60Hz.

Both devices also deliver a Snapdragon 855+ processor, 8GB of RAM, 128GB to 256GB of storage, and a sizeable battery (3,800mAh and 4,085mAh, respectively). Toss in a triple rear camera (48MP, 16MP ultra-wide, 12MP telephoto) and a 16MP pop-up selfie shooter (waterdrop notch on the cheaper model), and you’ve got some well-rounded high-end phones.

OnePlus 7T specs

OnePlus 7T Pro specs

3. Samsung Galaxy S10 series

Samsung’s early 2019 flagships aren’t branded as gaming phones either, but the company offered gaming-related features before almost every other player out there.

All three Galaxy S10 models offer Samsung’s Game Launcher and Game Tools options, allowing you to tweak performance in individual games. The Game Tools suite also lets you easily adjust resolution, take screenshots, record videos, and more.

Read more: Samsung Galaxy S10, S10 Plus, and S10e specs: Memory overload

As for actual hardware, Samsung’s Galaxy S10 series offers either the Exynos 9820 or Snapdragon 855 flagship processors. The S10e is the cheapest of the lot and offers 6GB/8GB of RAM, 128GB or 256GB of storage, dual rear cameras, and a 5.8-inch full HD+ screen. The S10 Plus is the top model, and you can expect 8GB to 12GB of RAM, up to 1TB of storage, and a 6.4-inch QHD+ display.

Galaxy S10e specs:

Galaxy S10 specs:

Galaxy S10 Plus specs:

4. LG G8X ThinQ

The LG G8X ThinQ isn’t exactly a dedicated gaming phone, but it has one major feature that separates it from the rest of the pack: two screens.

This Nintendo DS-style setup makes the device perfect for retro gaming by setting up a controller on the bottom screen. Combined with a Snapdragon 855 processor, a respectable 6GB of RAM, 128GB internal storage and a microSD card slot, you’re looking at an all-around great performer.

Read more: LG G8X ThinQ review: A more practical — and affordable — “folding” phone

The folding phone also sports a sizeable 4,000mAh battery and both Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 and wireless charging to keep your gaming sessions going long into the night. LG phones have long been lauded for their great audio performance, and the LG G8X ThinQ is no different.

But the real kicker is the price. With folding devices costing up to $2000 or more, the LG G8X ThinQ comes in at less than a third of the price.

LG G8X ThinQ specs:

5. Razer Phone 2

The original Razer Phone resurrected the gaming phone concept, following Nokia’s N-Gage and the Sony Xperia Play devices of years gone by. The Razer Phone 2 doesn’t differ too much from the original device, retaining that 5.7-inch 120Hz LCD screen (QHD), and customizable RGB strips.

Otherwise, the new phone delivers a Snapdragon 845 processor, 64GB to 128GB of storage, and 8GB of RAM. Toss in a 4,000mAh battery, 12MP+12MP telephoto rear setup, and an 8MP selfie camera, and you’ve got a pretty solid combination.

The Razer Phone 2 also has wireless charging, an IP67 water/dust resistant design, front-facing speakers, and Game Booster software for performance tweaks.

Razer Phone 2 specs

6. Nubia Red Magic 3S