If you’re a gamer, then you certainly must have a gaming console or a PC that is equipped to handle graphic-intensive games. However, not everyone has the time to sit tethered to a TV all the time. While portable gaming consoles such as the Nintendo Switch and the Steam Deck do exist, they become yet another gadget that needs to be charged and carried around wherever you go. This is where mobile gaming comes in. Gaming smartphones not only fulfill the purpose of a smartphone such as calls and texts, but they are also powerful enough to run mobile games, allowing you to take a breather during the break while at work or even the airport. Whether you’re on the train, flight or even passing time in the office, you can play a variety of games to pass the time.
However in the ocean of smartphones out there, choosing a good gaming smartphone can become a tedious task. It is important to pick a device with the right features, processor, and display – all of which can affect your gaming experience. So, before having a look at the 7 best gaming smartphones of 2023, know what should you look for when buying a gaming smartphone.
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What should you look for when buying a gaming smartphone?
While gaming smartphones are aimed especially at gamers with a flagship processor, they’re also equipped with good cameras, and offer a long battery life, making it ideal for most smartphone users. A good gaming smartphone should have a fast processor and ample amount of RAM to run even the most graphic-intensive games like Asphalt 9 or Call of Duty Mobile. The top processors in the market are the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 which powers Android devices, while the most powerful iPhone features the A17 Pro SoC. Having a large display can enhance the visual appeal of games. The display technology and even the resolution can make or break your gaming experience. Moreover, having a gaming smartphone with a high refresh rate will enable more immersive gaming. The best gaming smartphones in the market feature 144Hz, and even 165Hz displays.
Now that you know all the things that you should know about while making your pick, check out the 7 best gaming smartphones of 2023 among the likes of iPhone 15 Pro Max, Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, Asus ROG Phone 7, iQOO 11, and more.
1. iPhone 15 Pro Max
The top offering from Apple, the iPhone 15 Pro Max gets the new A17 Pro SoC under the hood. It is the first chipset in the industry to be fabricated on a 3-nanometer process, which has allowed Apple to fit in more transistors, not only promising a boost in power but also in energy efficiency. The A17 Pro is the company’s fastest mobile chip yet. It gets hardware-accelerated ray-tracing which Apple claims is 4 times faster than software-based ray-tracing. All these fea
Apple has also started offering console games on the device, with Resident Evil Village already available on the App Store, and games like Death Stranding Resident Evil 4 and Assassin’s Creed Mirage on the way.
iPhone 15 Pro Max features the same 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion technology as its predecessor but now comes in a new titanium finish. Owing to this change in structure, the iPhone 15 Pro Max has become Apple’s lightest ever ‘Pro Max’ iPhone. The iPhone 15 Pro Max has a triple camera setup with a 48MP primary sensor at the back. It gets a new 5X telephoto lens at 120mm.
2. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is the company’s flagship device and is one of the best gaming smartphones out there. It runs on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, one of the most powerful chipsets available, paired with 12GB RAM and 256GB UFS 4.0 storage. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra features Real-Time Ray-Tracing as well as a Vapor Cooling Chamber to keep the device cool during intense gaming sessions. It runs on One UI 6 based on Android 14.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra features a massive 6.8-inch Quad HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a resolution of 3088×1440 pixels and a 120Hz refresh rate. If you often use your smartphone in the dark, then the Galaxy S23 Ultra has got your back with its Eye Comfort Shield feature. At the back, there is a quad camera setup, which is headlined by a 200MP shooter that features astrophotography, meaning you can even take snapshots of the Moon! It also features improved video stabilization with 2X wider OIS. There’s a 12MP selfie shooter on the front.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra also comes with an in-built S Pen, allowing you to create amazing artwork or even doodles. Other features include 5G, dual SIM support, and Ultra Wide Band (UWB) support. All these features are backed by a 5000mAh battery which supports up to 45W wired and 15W wireless charging.
3. Asus ROG Phone 7
The Asus ROG 7 is one of the very few dedicated gaming smartphones in the market. It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC and Adreno 740 GPU, which is paired with 12GB LPDDR5X RAM and 256GB UFS 4.0 storage. The ROG Phone 7 gets dedicated gaming features such as Ultrasonic sensors for AirTrigger 3, grip press, GameCool 7 thermal design, and AeroActive Cooler 7. It also gets AS coating for reducing friction when hand sweating.
On the front, you get a 6.7-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with a refresh rate of 165Hz. The display is HDR 10+ certified and has a pixel density of 395ppi. Adding to its gaming advantages are a 300Hz touch sampling rate and 24.3ms touch latency. The Asus ROG Phone 7 sports a triple camera setup featuring a 50MP primary sensor, 13MP ultrawide camera, and 5MP macro camera. On the front, you get a 32MP selfie shooter which uses frame binning to output an 8MP image. To enhance the gaming experience, the smartphone features symmetrical dual front-facing speakers with Dirac HD Sound. And to ensure that your communication with your fellow players doesn’t break down, it gets three microphones with ASUS Noise Reduction Technology.
All these features are backed by a 6000mAh battery that supports up to 65W fast charging but it does not get wireless charging functionality.
4. iQOO 11
The iQOO 11 is powered by the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor as the Samsung Galaxy S23 series and ROG Phone 7, meaning it is potentially just as good as a gaming powerhouse. The smartphone comes with up to 16GB RAM and 256GB UFS 4.0 storage. It gets a V2 dedicated graphics chip that enhances the gaming visuals, and full sensory gaming controls which allow more immersion. The iQOO 11 gets a 6.7-inch 2K E6 LTPO AMOLED display with a refresh rate of 144Hz. There’s Corning Gorilla Glass Victus on top for protection against accidental drops.
On the back of this gaming smartphone, there is a triple camera setup, comprising a 50MP primary camera, 13MP telephoto camera, and 8MP ultrawide sensor. The primary sensor features GN5 OIS ultra-sensing technology, whereas the telephoto sensor supports 2X optical zoom. There’s also a 16MP selfie camera on the front. iQOO claims that the smartphone has a BMW M Motorsport-inspired design, and gets Silicone leather on the back. It also gets an optical fingerprint sensor.
Enhancing the smartphone’s gaming prowess is the massive 6000mAh battery. It supports 120W FlashCharge which iQOO claims can charge the phone to 100 percent in just 25 minutes.
5. Xiaomi 13 Pro
While the Xiaomi 13 Pro is not marketed among the gaming smartphones, it certainly is backed up by flagship specs. The smartphone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC which is paired with up to 12GB LPDDR5X RAM and up to 512GB UFS 4.0 storage. It runs on MIUI 14 based on Android 14. The device features LiquidCool Technology with multi-layer graphite sheets, and the X-axis vibration motor helps create immersion during gaming.
On the front, the Xiaomi 13 Pro gets a 6.7-inch WQHD+ LTPO AMOLED display with a 120Hz dynamic refresh rate. It is a Pro HDR panel that supports Dolby Vision and HDR 10+. The smartphone sports a triple rear camera setup with a 50MP Leica wide lens, a 50MP telephoto camera, and a 50MP ultrawide lens. The primary camera is a Sony IMX989 sensor, while it also gets a 75mm Leica telephoto camera. The camera system is backed by the Xiaomi Imaging Engine. On the front, you get a 32MP selfie shooter. It also gets an under-display fingerprint scanner, as well as AI Face Unlock. All these features are backed by a 4820mAh battery with support for 120W fast charging and 50W wireless charging.
6. Infinix GT 10 Pro
Although it is not as powerful as its other counterparts, the Infinix GT 10 Pro is an option if you’re looking for a gaming smartphone without spending a fortune. The device features a cyber mecha design with LED lights at the back that will appeal to gamers. These LED lights are not just for appeal but also perform 5 different actions – incoming calls, notifications, gaming, charging, and powering on. It also features an all-sensory game engine, a vapour chamber, as well an 11-layer cooling structure design. The 4D vibration haptic also enhances the immersion during gaming.
The Infinix GT 10 Pro is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 8050 5G SoC with 8GB LPDDR4X RAM and 256GB UFS 3.1 storage. The RAM can virtually be expanded to 16GB, allowing games to run more efficiently. Moreover, the storage can be expanded to 1TB via Micro SD storage. The smartphone gets a 6.67-inch FHD+ flexible LTPS AMOLED display with a refresh rate of 120Hz and peak brightness of 900 nits. It features DCI-P3 Wide Colour Gamut. To enhance the gaming input, the Infinix GT 10 Pro gets a 360Hz touch sampling rate.
On the back, there is a triple camera setup, with a 108MP primary camera, 2MP macro camera and 2MP depth sensor. On the front, you get a 32MP selfie shooter. These features are backed by a 5000mAh battery with 45W wired charging.
7. iQOO Neo 7 Pro
Gaming smartphones have become extremely popular these days, and iQOO joins some of the world’s top brands in the category of best gaming smartphones. Launched in July this year, the iQOO Neo 7 Pro 5G packs a 6.78-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with HDR10+ support and a resolution of 2400 × 1080 pixels. The display supports up to 1300 nits peak brightness. It has a 120Hz refresh rate which helps make the gaming experience a lot smoother. To keep up with the most demanding games, the smartphone gets the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 octa-core chipset under the hood clocked at 3.0GHz and is offered in two LPDDR5 RAM options – 8GB and 12GB. It also features an Independent Gaming Chip (IGC) which boosts the fps while keeping the power consumption low. To make gaming more immersive, the iQOO Neo 7 Pro 5G gets an X-Axis Linear Motor which offers 4D vibrations. Other gaming features include a Game Voice Changer, Game Display Enhancement, Motion Control, Game Control Customization, and a 1200 Hz Instant Touch Sampling Rate.
If you like to store all your files and photos on your smartphone, it gets up to 256GB UFS 3.1 storage. For people who love to capture snapshots of their favourite moments on their smartphones, the iQOO Neo 7 features a triple camera setup at the back, which includes a 50MP primary camera, 8MP depth sensor, and 8MP macro camera. The 50MP GN5 sensor is equipped with Dual Pixel Pro technology which promises fast and accurate autofocus, as well as Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) for stable shots. It also features various modes such as Sports, Night Sports, Pure Night View, and more. On the front, you get a 16MP selfie shooter.
Gaming smartphones usually have a long battery life for those long gaming sessions, and iQOO Neo 7 Pro 5G is no different. It features a massive 5000mAh battery and supports up to 120W fast charging. iQOO claims that it can charge up to 50 percent in just 8 minutes!
Now that you have read about the 7 best gaming smartphones of 2023, go ahead and make your pick!
Source: tech.hindustantimes.com
