If you’re a mobile gamer and want to take your portable gaming experience to the next level, it might be a good idea to invest in a gaming phone. Having the best smartphone can make a massive difference in your gaming experience. But the mainstream phones aren’t necessarily always good gaming phones. Fortunately, there are multiple options for us to choose from.
Also: The best Android phones you can buy
The best gaming phones offer added shoulder trigger buttons for more intuitive play sessions. The iPhone 16 Pro Max and Galaxy S25 Ultra are still on this list for their sheer processing power and excellent displays but added external buttons can be an excellent way to enhance your gaming experience, which is why we also included gaming-specific smartphones.
What is the best gaming phone right now?
Our top pick for the best gaming phone is the ZTE Nubia Z70 Ultra thanks to its intuitive display, great performance for gaming, and good battery life. Each of the other options below check the boxes for the best features for gaming, so keep reading to find the best gaming phone for you.
The best gaming phones of 2025
I was able to go hands-on with the Nubia Z70 Ultra and found it offers an enjoyable gaming experience. The 6.85-inch AMOLED screen is sharp and bright and offers a class-leading 144Hz refresh rate for smoother gameplay. While not many games support this level of high refresh rate, it helps with the overall usability experience and is also smoother and snappier than others. The Snapdragon 8 Elite is both powerful and efficient and delivers great performance.
I also love having an unobtrusive screen–it’s not until you use one that you realize how much more intuitive the display feels. The Z70 Ultra’s under-display camera might deliver below-average selfies, but I’m happy to make that tradeoff for a better gaming experience. As for the optics, they aren’t as powerful as other phones in the segment, but this is a power-centric phone, which delivers on its promises.
ZTE Nubia Z70 Ultra specs: Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite | Display: 6.85 inches | Storage options: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB | RAM: 12GB, 16GB, 24GB | Rear cameras: 50MP main, 50MP ultrawide and macro, 64MP telephoto (2.7x) | Front camera: 16MP | Battery capacity: 6150mAh
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The Galaxy S25 Ultra is one of the lightest big-screen phones you can buy right now. Samsung reduced a noticeable amount of weight on its flagship this year, which might let gamers play for long durations without hand fatigue. While I don’t like the new boxy design for regular use, it’s a good structure for landscape use in gaming. Plus, the corners are now curved, so it sits comfortably in the hands.
Review: Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
This is also the phone to buy if you want the best display in your hands. The Galaxy S25 Ultra’s screen is protected by the Corning Gorilla Armor 2, which reduces the screen reflection more than last year. The anti-reflective coating is a game-changer if you use your phone outdoors or in harsh lighting conditions. You’ll enjoy gaming on this phone.
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra also has the most versatile camera setup on a mainstream phone. Whether you want a high-res ultrawide-angle sensor or 3x and 5x optical zoom, this 2025 Samsung flagship has you covered. The 5,000mAh battery might be changed but it lasts longer than its predecessor.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra specs: Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite | Display: 6.9 inches | Storage options: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB | RAM: 12GB | Rear cameras: 200MP main, 50MP ultrawide, 50MP telephoto (5x), 10MP telephoto (3x) | Front camera: 12MP | Battery capacity: 5,000mAh
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If you are in the Apple ecosystem, the iPhone 16 Pro Max is the best gaming phone for you. The in-house A18 Pro chipset is a powerhouse that will handle intensive gaming without any issues. It sports one of the biggest displays on a smartphone, a 6.9-inch bright and vivid screen.
Review: iPhone 16 Pro Max
The ProMotion display is tuned for many games and iPhone 16 Pro Max is one of the few phones that gives you a very good overall mix of features. It’s also the best iPhone to buy for battery life. You can game for hours without being bothered about draining the battery on this iPhone.
Apple’s 2024 top-of-the-line iPhone features an unchanged camera setup from last year but with added features like Audio Mix, Photographic Styles, and more. If you want a gaming phone that’s reliable, long-lasting, and will be with you for years, the iPhone 16 Pro Max won’t disappoint—just don’t have high hopes for Apple Intelligence and Camera Control.
Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max specs: Processor: Apple A18 Pro | Display: 6.9 inches | Storage options: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB | RAM: 8GB | Rear cameras: 48MP main, 48MP ultrawide and macro, 12MP telephoto (5x) | Front camera: 12MP | Battery capacity: N/A
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The OnePlus 13R is a mid-range smartphone with a flagship chipset. Like last year’s OnePlus 12R, it is powered by a year-old chipset and focuses on delivering great performance for the price. It also comes with some display features directly borrowed from the more expensive OnePlus 13.
Review: OnePlus 13R
It’s the most powerful smartphone in its segment. The $600 device offers a big display with AquaTouch 2.0 technology and Glove Mode, so it’s easier to control in challenging situations. For example, you can play games on it near a pool without worrying about the water droplets registering fake touches.
With a 6,000mAh cell, the OnePlus 13R can last you several gaming sessions. It features a (relatively) big heat dissipating area so that the phone body remains cool even after an extended period of intensive use. It works well for the most part. The OnePlus 13R isn’t a camera-focused phone, but you get reliable optics that can capture some really good photos.
OnePlus 13R specs: Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 | Display: 6.8 inches | Storage options: 256GB/512GB | RAM: 12GB | Rear cameras: 50MP main, 8MP ultrawide, and 50MP telephoto | Front camera: 16MP | Battery capacity: 6,000mAh
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The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 is my choice for the best gaming smartphone hardware despite Samsung’s minor upgrade last year because of its polished software and upgraded processor. It doesn’t have 2025’s Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset but the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy is tuned for great performance.
Review: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6
The best part about having a foldable phone is that it unfolds into a tablet-size display. Samsung’s display is more intuitive than others, thanks to the under-display camera inside the folding screen. It makes for an enjoyable gaming experience.
However, Samsung’s 2024 foldable packs a battery that might not last you more than a few gaming sessions. The 4,400mAh battery will barely get you through the day without gaming I recommend it over the Pixel 9 Pro Fold and OnePlus Open because of the more powerful Qualcomm chipset.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 tech specs: Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 | Display: 6.2-inch exterior and 7.6-inch interior | Storage options: 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB | RAM: 12GB | Rear cameras: 50MP wide, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP telephoto | Front camera: 10MP front | Battery capacity: 4,400mAh
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We know that different people might be looking for different things when shopping for the best gaming phone. For example, if you want the fastest and most powerful gaming phone on the market, look for products built on the latest processors (like Snapdragon 8 Elite and A18 Pro) with fast refresh rates and high storage capacity. After evaluating the five gaming phones above, we concluded that the ZTE Nubia Z70 Ultra was the best gaming phone to buy.
However, if you’re on a budget, then price will probably be your biggest consideration. In that case, we’d recommend an affordable option like the OnePlus 13R. While it might be slightly less powerful than the best gaming phone, it’ll still offer the essential functionality that you’d need.
| Phone | Price | Display | Refresh rate | Processor |
| ZTE Nubia Z70 Ultra | $750 | 6.3 inches | 144Hz | Snapdragon 8 Elite |
| Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra | $1300 | 6.9 inches | 120Hz | Snapdragon 8 Elite |
| Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max | $1200 | 6.9 inches | 120Hz | A18 Pro |
| OnePlus 13R | $600 | 6.8 inches | 120Hz | Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 | $1600 | 6.2 inches and 7.4 inches | 120Hz | Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 |
ZDNET’s review team spends upwards of a year testing the ins and outs of every major phone release, evaluating the day-to-day performance, camera quality, battery life and endurance, and special features. Here’s a breakdown of every factor we consider before we make recommendations:
- Design and ergonomics: How good a phone looks and feels plays a big role in many users’ buying journeys, so we consider these aspects heavily when testing.
- Performance: Several factors affect a phone’s performance, including LTE/5G signal, battery life, and background tasks. Therefore, we typically begin our evaluations with a fully charged handset, with all background tasks closed, and with as stable of a mobile connection as possible.
- Camera quality: ZDNET tests phone cameras by capturing hundreds of photos and videos of various subjects and in various lighting conditions. We also compare the output to that of older models.
- Battery life and charging: It’s also important for us to evaluate how long phones last under light, moderate, and heavy usage, how long they take to recharge, and how they do it (wired, wireless, or both).
- Special features: These features distinguish tested devices from a bustling smartphone market and hopefully bring added value to users, not the opposite.
- Pricing and availability: Beyond budget considerations, we also note if a phone is available in the US or only internationally.
For a more extensive breakdown, check out our comprehensive phone testing methodology page.
Technically, any phone that allows you to play games could be considered a gaming phone. However, there are a handful of phones that have been designed and marketed as “gaming phones,” such as the Asus ROG Phone lineup and Nubia’s RedMagic series.. For the purposes of our review, we’ve highlighted some of these products, as well as more mainstream options that would work well for gamers (like the iPhone 16 Pro Max).
Not necessarily. Some popular non-gaming phones are powerful enough to support rigorous mobile gaming. Plus, these phones often outperform dedicated gaming phones when it comes to other features (like camera quality and design).
Still, if you love mobile gaming and want a product that’s designed for that specific purpose, then a gaming phone might be the right choice.
There are several things to look for when shopping for the best gaming phone. First, you’ll want to look for a phone with a fast and powerful processor. The processor is the central technical component of a smartphone, overseeing every command and ensuring your phone performs the tasks you ask of it. Right now, the best processors include the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite and Apple A18 Pro.
Additionally, you’ll also want to look for a phone with a high screen refresh rate. Measured in Hertz (Hz), this number is an expression of how many times your screen refreshes every second. As you might expect, a higher refresh rate is essential for a smooth gaming experience with less lag. Today’s best gaming phones have refresh rates of at least 120Hz.
Finally, keep an eye out for phones with ample storage, Random Access Memory (RAM), and battery life. Simply put, the more storage, RAM, and battery capacity your phone has, the better it will be for mobile gaming. You’ll be able to enjoy longer, uninterrupted gaming sessions without slowing down your phone or draining the battery.
A gaming phone can absolutely be worth it if you are someone who primarily uses your phone for portable gaming. A dedicated gaming phone is not necessary if you prefer to game on a console or PC and use your phone for more every day activities such as calls, emails, camera capabilities, and more.
Most gaming headsets are compatible with phones, if the phone uses a standard 3.5mm audio jack. Many phones today have moved away from the 3.5mm jack, to allow for the phone itself to be thinner and not have to accompany the traditional headphone jack. Several phones on this list, such as the iPhone 16 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, use USB-C however, the easy fix to this problem is to use a dongle that converts from 3.5mm jack to USB-C.
Other gaming phones worth considering
Smartphones Reviewed & Compared