New smartphones are coming in the market all the time, but which is for the gamer lover. The decision is very difficult for most smartphone buyers as to which smartphone to buy for gaming. In this article, we are going to examine the five best smartphones for gaming in 2020. We have made this list based on our personal opinions and hours of research and we have listed them based on the quality and price of hardware performance.
We’ve included options for every type of consumer so if you’re looking for a good entry-level gaming smartphone or a fully featured model with high quality hardware. We will have the product for you. If you want more information and updated pricing on the mentioned smartphone be sure to check the link in the details.
- Best excellent choice - Asus Rog Phone 2
- Best Good performance - OnePlus 7 Pro
- Best overall - ZTE Nubia Red Magic 3
- Sony Xperia XZ2
- Razer Phone 2
- ZTE Nubia Red Magic 3
- OnePlus 7 Pro
- Asus Rog Phone 2
- Display: 5.7″, 18:9 Full HD+ (1080 x 2160) HDR display
- OS: Android 8.0 (Oreo), upgradable to Android 9.0 (Pie)
- Chip: Qualcomm SDM845 Snapdragon 845
- Memory: 64GB 6GB RAM
- Camera: 19 MP, f/2.0, 25mm (wide), 1/2.3″, 1.22µm, predictive PDAF, Laser AF + 5 MP, f/2.2, 1/5″
The fifth product on our best smartphones for gaming in the 2020 list is the Sony Xperia XZ2. This is a great value per dollar option. The Sony Xperia XZ2 offers excellent value for the dollar, especially if you plan to use it as a gaming device. It offers a decent hardware set that features a Qualcomm SDM845 Snapdragon 845 CPU, 6GB of RAM, and 64 GB of internal storage.
If you plan to install a lot of games, the 5.7-inch display runs 2160 by 1080 Full HD resolution which is lower than average in its class compared to others who use the QHD display. This is a small price to give a decent bezel size. It supports HDR upscaling for better color quality and more rich black color and it translates HDR content from streaming services such as YouTube, Netflix and Amazon.
It is bright and strong due to the lack of QHD resolution. Battery life is like this and you can get through the day with little hassle. It includes wireless charging which is a plus if you have the appropriate mat or technology inside your car then keep it on top. This is bound to affect gaming, especially if you are going all-in for a few long sessions, so make sure you are ready to plug that charging cable.
Featuring a 19MP Motion Eye camera, the camera’s performance is not poor, which can record in 4K and still produce top notch photography at the same time. Speaking of which Sony has pulled out all the stops with the inclusion of the Sony G lens Exmor RS sensor and the BoNZ ™ mobile image processing technologies, which they have packed into this device.
It can record full HD video at 960 frames per second for extreme slow motion video capture. It may be finished, but still neat. Gaming performance is about mid-range in the smart phone market thanks largely to the Snapdragon 845 and 4GB RAM. This may conflict with some newer and more graphically dense titles, but this is a foreseeable result for the device at this price range.
This is still a great option for those who want to stretch the dollar a bit to get some great performance from their phone.
Key Features
- Good Display: 5.7 inch, 18: 9 full HD+ (2160 by 1080) HDR display.
- Powerful Hardware: Qualcomm SDM 845 Snapdragon 845, memory is 64 gigabytes with 6 gigabytes of RAM. The camera is 19 MP f/2.0, 25 millimeter (wide), 1/2.3 inch, 1.2 µm, predictive PDAF, laser AF + 5MP, f/2.2 and 1/5 inch and the battery is a non-removable Li-Ion 3180 mAh battery.
- Unlocked Options: Unlocked cell phones are compatible with GSM carriers such as AT&T and T-Mobile, but are not compatible with CDMA carriers such as Verizon and Sprint.
Pros
- Decent Hardware
- Great camera
- Good Battery life
Cons
- Low resolution
Decent Hardware: A large mix of medium hardware components combined for some good gaming performance.
Great camera: Photography and video options at very high quality.
Good Battery life: It takes place in a single day without any hassle.
Low resolution: This smartphone does not offer QHD resolution which is a drawback for a phone at this price level.
- 120Hz ULTRAMOTION QHD 5. 72-Inch display
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 845
- Dual front-facing stereo speakers
- Wireless fast charging
- Netflix ready: view content in HDR and Dolby digital Plus 5. 1
The Razer Phone 2 is the fourth product in our best smartphones for gaming in the 2020 list. This is our best dedicated gaming phone. The Razer is designed to be a smartphone with a primary focus based on gaming. It has been dubbed the Razor Phone. It is quite expensive, but has the hardware to stand out from its rivals, who want it to be a device with a unique goal.
The Razer Phone 2 features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 CPU clocked at 2.8 gigahertz and 8 gigabytes of RAM which is surprisingly powerful for a smartphone. It has a vapor chamber cooling system that dissipates heat buildup from the phone and improves overall gaming performance. This is good because the Razer Phone 2 is still very hot despite the chamber being cold, but never inconvenient to your hands.
The screen supports traditional IGZO panels such as the QHD resolution with brightness used here. Now it reaches a brightness of 645 Nits which is incredible even when used outdoors. The 1440×515 resolution delivers 515 pixels per inch which creates a crystal-clear view. What is really impressive though is the phone has a 120 Hz maximum refresh rate for ultra-high frame rate gaming to save power.
You can also dial it back to 90 Hz or 60 Hz for a bit more convenience. The camera options on the Razer Phone 2 are fairly straightforward, with a primary wide-angle camera and a 2x telephoto lens with each other, both of which take 12-megapixel shots. It also records 4K video recording, though the quality is middle-of-the-road which is not surprising given the phone’s gaming-centric design.
Battery life is another matter. There is no problem when it is used for normal activities. Unfortunately maximizing brightness means that battery life degrades much faster than others on the market. If you are going to play in full brightness, make sure the charging cable is ready. The Razer Phone 2 is a gamer smartphone, through and through.
It is clearly aimed at gaming enthusiasts, who are willing to compromise smartphone features in favor of completely yet very cool features such as 120Hz refresh rates.
Key Features
- Amazing Performance: 120Hz ULTRAMOTION QHD 5, 72-inch displays the fastest mobile gaming display with 50% increased brightness and Qualcomm Snapdragon 845.
- Good cooling: This phone has a custom vapor chamber cooling system for intense gaming sessions.
- Good speakers: Dual front stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos and a THX certified DAC.
- Good battery life: This has large internal 4000 mAh battery and wireless fast charging with all day use.
Pros
- Gaming Centric Design
- 120 Hz Refresh
- Amazing Display
Cons
- So-So Camera
Gaming Centric Design: The smartphone is designed for the first smartphone for gamers keeping in mind the features of regular smartphones.
120 Hz Refresh: The ability to game ultrahigh frame rates is a major advantage of this smartphone as it has dialing options to save power.
Amazing Display: This smartphone has a QHD display with excellent maximum brightness for great gaming.
So-So Camera: This smartphone has a fairly standard camera that works but is not meant for high quality photos or videos.
The Body: 171.7×78.5×9.7 millimeters, 215 grams, an unspecified version of Corning Gorilla Glass front metal UNI body, the screen is 6.65 inches ALMOLED, 1080x2340px resolution, 19.5: 9 aspect ratio and 388 PPI.
The third product on our best smartphones for gaming in 2020 list is the ZTE Nubia Red Magic 3. This is our best value per dollar. For those who want to stretch the dollar a bit for better hardware, the ZTE Nubia Red Magic 3 offers a lot more. It is a gaming focus smartphone that hardcore gamers will appreciate not only for the hardware but also for the features.
The ZTE Nubia Red Magic 3 runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Octa-core processor with 8 gigabytes of RAM and a 128GB internal storage, making it a great option for gamers who want to install a lot of games for easy play. The AMOLED screen has a 2340×1080 resolution, a super wide 19.5 by 9 inches aspect ratio and a pixel density of 388 for a brilliant crystal clear image.
Finally it is ready with Adreno 640 GPU for graphics processing. Aesthetically the ZTE Nubia Red Magic 3 looks space-age a real gamer smartphone, referencing many sleek designs found in high-value gaming monitors. It includes a gaming port that connects to a separately purchased gaming dock that can connect to a computer for streaming games which is an interesting bonus.
The phone has two capacitive triggers for gaming control as well as a 3.5mm headphone jack and a USB Type-C port. It also includes stereo speakers. The display is quite good and the support is rated up to 90-Hz with an almost edge bezel design. The 90 Hz refresh rate cannot be turned down, but it is an unnecessarily large 5000 mAh battery specifically designed to take into account the longer gaming sessions.
It also has excellent color reproduction and HDR support for deep black which is beneficial for gaming. In terms of performance, Snapdragon CPUs and Adreno GPUs play the game for breakfast with superb quality at a refresh rate of 90 Herts across the country. The phone will not win many awards for its camera, which is terrible considering it before taking it as a terrible purpose. Instead this phone is aimed at gamers who are looking for a surprisingly powerful phone dedicated exclusively to games and not much else.
Key Features
- The Body: 171.7x78.5x9.7 millimeters, 215 grams, an unspecified version of Corning Gorilla Glass front metal UNI body, the screen is 6.65 inches ALMOLED, 1080x2340px resolution, 19.5: 9 aspect ratio and 388 PPI.
- Chipset: Qualcomm SM8150 Snapdragon 855 (7 Nm), Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Kryo 485 and 3x2.42 GHz Kryo of 485 and 4x1.80 GHz Kryo of 485), Adreno 640. Memory is 128 GB and 8 GB of RAM. OS is Android 9.0 pi and red magic 2.0
- Rear camera: The main camera is 48 MP, f/1.7, 0.8µm pixel size, PDAF 4320P at 15 FPS, 2160p at 3060 FPS, video recording H.264/H265 and 10 bit HDR recording options. The front camera is 16 MP f/2.0 2.0µm 1080p at 30 FPS video recording.
- Battery: 5000 mAh battery, 18 watt fast charging, diverse game mode slider stereo loudspeaker, with DTS x rear mounted fingerprint reader, USB C 3.1 connector, 16.8 million color RGB stripe on the back, available in built-in cooling fan black, red, camouflage and red blue.
Pros
- Great performance
- Battery Life
- 90Hz refresh rate
Cons
- Camera
- Steep Price
Great performance: This smartphone focuses primarily on gaming and includes the right hardware components to handle any game you throw at it.
Battery Life: This smartphone has a 5000 mAh battery designed to last for days under normal usage and longer than average for extended gaming sessions.
90Hz refresh rate: The native 90Hz refresh gives the game a super responsive experience without performance.
Camera: This smartphone has a powerful camera that should only be used for basic photography and video.
Steep Price: At $575, this smartphone is a great gaming device that sacrifices some key things that make for an ideal everyday use.
Display Size: 6.67″, QHD+ AMOLED | Resolution: 1440 x 3120 pixels | Type: AMOLED | Cover Glass: 3D Corning Gorilla | Memory: 256GB+8GB | Triple Rear Camera: 48MP Main + 16MP Ultra Wide Angle + 8MP Telephoto
The second product of our best smartphone for gaming in the 2020 list is the OnePlus 7 Pro. It is capable of gaming that we have the best overall smartphone. For those who want a good overall smartphone that is capable of high-quality gaming rather than the other way around, the OnePlus 7 Pro is an excellent choice.
It’s a bit high on the $614 scale, but it’s a crap phone that does a lot of things right which makes it a versatile contender. The OnePlus 7 Pro supports a gorgeous QHD+ AMOLED display with a resolution of 1440×3120 which is extremely impressive especially out of the box running at 90 Hz which is great for gamers.
This QHD+ display developed by Samsung can also be switched to full HD resolution for the purpose of saving battery life. The same can be said for the 90 Hz refresh rate. Smartphone is one of the oxygen OS runs on Android skin, which game mode Snappiest around more with the inclusion and the Responsible skin and it is clear that the call went to the imagination as an all-power powerhouse.
It also supports an Adreno 630 GPU to hammer out games with no hassle. It is also not lazy on the audio front. The OnePlus 7 Pro includes superb stereo sound output that is clear and accurate. There is no problem with camera duties thanks to a 48MP main camera with an ultra wide angle lens and an 8MB telephoto lens with 3 times optical zoom.
Even that is also a front camera to take a back that limits 16-megapixel shots. The shot quality is not the best, but it is more than respectable for a phone that is trying to do exactly that. Battery life is slightly shorter than the Nubia Red Magic 3 with a 4000 mAh block that should last for days with no issues, with you not maximizing your brightness while playing a lot of games.
Refresh rate and ability to leave the resolution is important to maximize battery life, depending on your situation and these features is it’s so good to include when you said you are going out for the day or visit that it’s a little heavy side. OnePlus 7 Pro is a force that can be relied upon, it is not easy to deal with gaming while offering excellent everyday quality that you expect from traditional smartphone.
Key Features
- Excellent Display: 6.67 inches, QHD+ AMOLED, resolution is 1440x3120 pixels, type is an AMOLED, and cover glass is 3D Corning Gorilla.
- Camera Support: It has triple rear camera 48MP main plus 16MP ultra wide angle plus 8MP telephoto. The video is 4K resolution at 30/60 fps, 1080p resolution at 30/60fps. Super Slow Motion includes 1080p video at 1080p fps and 720p video at 480 fps, time-lapse and video editor are included.
- Strong Hardware: This phone has memory 256GB + 8GB, a dual LED flash, Snapdragon 855 CPU and Adreno 630 GPU.
Pros
- Top Shelf Display
- Great Display
- Decent Camera
Cons
- Large and heavy
Top Shelf Display: This smartphone is designed keeping in mind traditional smartphone functions, yet it is capable of gaming at extremely high levels.
Great Display: The QHD+ AMOLED display supports a beautiful resolution with a refresh rate of 90 Hz, which can both be turned down to save battery life when needed.
Decent Camera: This smartphone offers excellent camera support even if it is not the best in its class.
Large and heavy: This smartphone is loaded with a lot of hardware, but the result is heavier than a normal smartphone.
- Powerful Hardware: This phone has snapdragon 855 Plus gaming phone 2.96 Hz CPU.
- Great Screen: This phone has the world’s first 10 bit HDR display at 120 Hz per 1 millisecond.
- Incredible Battery: This phone has a 6000 mAh battery with side charging design with ROG Hyper Charge and front-facing speakers.
The first product in our best smartphones for gaming in 2020 list is the Asus Rog Phone 2. It is one of the best smartphones for gaming overall. Our choice for the best overall gaming smartphone is a gaming centric phone for the Asus ROG Phone 2, priced at $700, but with all the features and functions necessary to make it a great everyday device.
Asus is no stranger to gaming and this is proof of the ROG line or Republic of gamers. Here Asus has built a dynamite gaming smartphone powered by Snapdragon 855 plus CPU with an astonishing 12GB of RAM, a monstrous 512GB internal storage and an incredible 6000 mAh battery. This smartphone is not a slouch.
The AMOLED display is simply stunning offering 10 bit HDR with 1 millisecond response time and 120Hz refresh rate for ultra high performance gaming. The refresh rate can also be dialed to 90 or 60 Hz to save battery life if you feel you need it. The resolution of the display is topped at 1080×2340 which is much lower than the OnePlus 7 Pro.
The lack of a QHD+ display is a bit disappointing for this raw unbridled Smartphone but it is not the end of the world. It does not disappoint when it comes to camera options. There is a 48MB and 13MB set with the rear camera as well as a 24MB selfie camera that offers great images that are less than professional-level shots.
Asus ROG Phone 2 offers gaming centric features including Armory Crate which includes game lobbies and consoles where you can browse through the available games and then set specific performance profiles for each. You can use this suite to clock the CPU, speed up the cooling fan or tailor your RBG light. It also includes air triggers outside the phone that can be mapped to specific functions.
Battery life is insane, thanks to the device’s 6000 mAh capacity that easily meets the requirements of high frame rate gaming. With regular usage, you can be worth several days of use from a single charge and recharging the device is fast and scary, thanks to a 30W hyper charger that can bring the battery to about half in 30 minutes. The only thing we miss is wireless charging but this is a small warning.
Asus ROG Phone 2 emphasizes competition with its gaming-centric design that doesn’t climb too much on smartphone features every day. If you want the best of both worlds and can justify the $700 price tag then we think it is the best choice for dedicated gamer.
Key Features
- Powerful Hardware: This phone has snapdragon 855 Plus gaming phone 2.96 Hz CPU.
- Great Screen: This phone has the world's first 10 bit HDR display at 120 Hz per 1 millisecond.
- Incredible Battery: This phone has a 6000 mAh battery with side charging design with ROG Hyper Charge and front-facing speakers.
Pros
- Maximum Gaming
- Top Notch Battery
Cons
- No QHD Plus
- No Wireless Charging
Maximum Gaming: This smartphone focus is primarily on achieving monstrously powerful gaming performance, while still operating as an excellent everyday smartphone.
Top Notch Battery: This smartphone supports 6000 mAh unhealthy battery life, which has the ability to last only one hour and recharge in one hour.
No QHD Plus: The AMOLED display lacks QHD Plus resolution which is a letdown for smartphones of this caliber.
No Wireless Charging: This smartphone does not have wireless charging facility which is a minor drawback.
