If you’re a gamer, then you know that a good gaming phone is essential for the best gaming experience.
But with so many different gaming phones on the market, it can be difficult to choose the right one for your needs. That’s why we’ve put together this guide to the best budget gaming phone for 2023.
Gaming sensations like Fortnight and PUBG can thank their mobile platform and portability for ridiculous run-away success. And it’s no wonder considering the power inside the best smartphones around.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Budget Gaming Phone
When you’re looking for the best budget gaming phone in 2023, there are a variety of factors to consider. You’ll want to think about how much RAM the device has,
what type of processor it has, and the battery life. Additionally, you’ll want to take into account the screen size and resolution, as well as what kind of graphics card is included with the gaming phone.
Some phones may have dedicated gaming buttons that you can use to control your games more easily. You should also look into any extra features such as wireless charging or fast charging, as these can make gaming more convenient.
Finally, you should think about any additional accessories you may need such as a case or controller to get the most out of your gaming experience.
Our Top Picks for the Best Budget Gaming Phone
It’s the end of 2022, which means it’s time to start looking ahead to the best gaming phones of 2023. This year, there are some great affordable options for gamers who don’t want to break the bank.
Our top pick for the best budget gaming phone is the ASUS ROG PHONE 5. It has a powerful processor and plenty of storage, and it comes with free access to OnePlus’ gaming subscription service.
If you’re looking for something a little more expensive, we recommend the Red Magic 6. It has an impressive display and a powerful processor that makes it perfect for gaming.
Whatever your budget, there’s a great gaming phone out there for you. So start planning your gaming future and choose the phone that’s right for you!
Comparing Key Specs and Features
So, you’re in the market for a gaming phone. But with so many models on the market, which one should you choose?
Let’s take a look at some of the key specs and features that you need to consider when making your decision. The first thing to look at is the processor. A good gaming phone should have a processor that is fast and powerful enough to handle the most demanding games.
Next, you need to consider the graphics. The best gaming phones have high-quality graphics that can render stunning visuals. You also need to make sure that the phone has a good amount of RAM, as this will help to ensure smooth gameplay.
Finally, you need to think about the battery life. A good gaming phone should be able to last for at least a few hours of intense gaming. So, make sure to check out the battery specs before making your purchase.
The Impact of Phone Refresh Rates on Gaming Performance
When selecting the best budget gaming phone of 2021, refresh rate is one of the most important factors to consider. Refresh rate is the number of times per second that a display refreshes its image.
A higher refresh rate means that your phone will be able to render images more quickly and crisply. This will ensure smooth and realistic gameplay, with minimal motion blur or stuttering.
Fortunately, modern gaming phones are coming equipped with higher refresh rates than ever before – with some models offering up to 144 Hz for a truly amazing gaming experience.
1.Red Magic 6 The Most popular Gaming Phone in 2021
- Screen size: 6.8in Full HD+ (1080×2400),
- RAM: 8/12GB
- CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 888
- Rear camera: 64Mp main, 8Mp ultrawide, 2Mp macro camera
- Front camera: 8Mp
- Battery: 4500mAh
- os : Android 11 with Red Magic OS 4.0
The Red Magic 6 ticks nearly all the boxes from a design standpoint, but the more pressing question is how well it handles gaming across a variety of genres and styles. The short answer? Superbly. The Red Magic blazes through some of the most demanding titles on the Google Play Store with ease.
Red Magic 6 Pros and Cons
Pros
- 144Hz AMOLED display
- Top-notch performance
- Gaming-focused feature
- Gaming control adjustments
- Headphone Jack support (5G, WIFI 6, Android-11 compatible)
Cons
- Gets hot quickly
- Heavy phone
- Lacks wireless charging
$649.99
VIEW
2. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G most popular gaming phone under $1400
- Resolution: 1440 x 3200 pixels
- Screen size: 6.8 inches
- CPU: Exynos 2100 (5 nm)
- RAM: 12 GB, 16 GB
- Storage: 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB
- Battery: Li-Po 5000 mAh
- Rear camera: 108 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 10 MP, f/4.9, 240mm (periscope telephoto), 10 MP, f/2.4, 72mm (telephoto), 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm (ultrawide)
- Front camera: 40 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide)
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5g is both an exceptional flagship and one of the most well-rounded – and expensive – phones on the market right now, and that makes it a most popular gaming phone under $1400
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G Pros and Cons
Pros
- Premium design
- Incredible cameras
- 6.8 inch 2k display with 120Hz support
- Powerful stereo speakers
Cons
- No microSD slot
- Very expensive
- Thick and heavy
$1,399.99
VIEW
3. Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC the Best Gaming Phone in 2021
- CPU: Snapdragon 732G
- RAM: 6GB
- Storage: 64GB/128GB
- Battery: 5,160mAh
- Rear camera: 64MP + 13MP + 2MP + 2MP
- Front camera: 32MP
- Screen size: 6.67-inch
- Weight: 215g
- Dimensions: 165.3 x 76.8 x 9.4mm
The Poco X3 NFC is a good performer, thanks to its mid-range Snapdragon 732G chipset with 6GB of RAM. According to Qualcomm, the 732G provides 15% faster graphics rendering than its 730G predecessor
The Poco X3 NFC supports 33W fast charging, with a claimed ability to go from empty to fully charged in 65 minutes and to deliver 62% charge in 30 minutes. The required 33W charger is provided.Xiaomi’s Poco X3 NFC is great value for money,
Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC Pros and Cons
Pros
- 120Hz screen
- IP53 rating
- NFC support
- IR blaster
- Good performance
- Affordable price
Cons
- Lots of bloatware
- Pop-up ads
$269.50
VIEW
4. Vivo IQOO 3 5G best budget Gaming Phone in 2021
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Soc
- RAM: 6 GB, 8 GB, 12 GB
- Internal storage: 128 GB, 256 GB
- Display: 6.44 inches
- Main camera:48 MP, f/1.8, (wide), + 13 MP + 13 MP + 2 MP
- SELFIE CAMERA:16 MP, f/2.5, (wide)
- BATTERY : Li-Po 4440 mAh battery, 55W fast charging
The Vivo Iqoo 3 is India’s first 5G gaming phone and boasts impressive speed, performance and excellent battery life. What makes it even more attractive is its price. Though it’s not available directly in the UK, you can pick it up for around £600 or less
Vivo IQOO 3 5G Pros and Cons
Pros
- Excellent haptic motor
- Air triggers
- 55W charging is insanely fast
- Powerful Performance
- SuperFlash Charge
Cons
- 60Hz fresh rate only
- No stereo speakers
$599.87
VIEW
5. ASUS ROG PHONE 5 budget Gaming Phone under $800
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 888
- RAM: 8GB / 12GB / 16GB
- Storage: 128GB / 256GB
- Display: 6.78-inch AMOLED
- Camera: 64MP f/1.8 wide + 13MP f/2.4 ultrawide + 5MP macro
- Selfie Camera : 24MP f/2.0
- Battery: 6,000 mAh
- Charging : 64W fast charging.
The ASUS ROG PHONE 5 really invests in the tech gamers want, and that means as well as a strong all-round hardware spec this phone delivers a 144Hz refresh rate display as well as built in shoulder button triggers.
ASUS ROG PHONE 5 Pros and Cons
Pros
- Packed with power
- Advanced fast charging features.
- Advanced case cooling
- Dedicated gaming buttons
- RGB light panel on the back
Cons
- No wireless charging.
- Average camera performance.
- Camera zoom easily beaten
$735.00
VIEW
6. Google pixel 6 pro popular Gaming Phone in 2021
- Processor: Google Tensor (5 nm) (CPU) Octa-core (2×2.80 GHz Cortex-X1 & 2×2.25 GHz Cortex-A76 & 4×1.80 GHz Cortex-A55)
- RAM: 12GB,
- Storage: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB
- Display: 6.71 inches, LTPO AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10+
- Camera: 50 MP f/1.9, 25mm (wide), + 48 MP + 12MP
- Selfie Camera : 11.1 MP, f/2.2, 20mm (ultrawide)
- Battery: Li-Ion 5003 mAh,
- Charging : Fast charging 30W, 50% in 30 min (advertised), in 63 min (advertised) ,Fast wireless charging 23W
- OS : Android 12
The Pixel 6 Pro has been totally redesigned and features dual-tone glass finishes, along with a camera array that sits in a bar all the way across the rear of the phone. There’s now an in-display scanner (as is the trend across Android flagships), and the 120Hz LTPO AMOLED is the largest (and smoothest) of any Pixel smartphone.
Google pixel 6 pro Pros and Cons
Pros
- Tensor performs well
- Comes running Android 12
- Beautiful new design
- Incredible cameras
- Excellent 120Hz screen
Cons
- Fingerprint sensor isn’t great
- Confusing 5G coverage
$999.99
VIEW
7. Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra The popular Gaming Phone in 2021
- Processor: Qualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G+ (7 nm+)
- RAM: 8GB, 12GB UFS 3.0
- Storage: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB
- Display: 6.9 inches, Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+
- Camera: 108 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), + 12MP + 12MP
- Selfie Camera : 10MP
- Battery: Li-Ion 4500 mAh
- Charging : Fast charging 25W
- OS : Android 10, upgradable to Android 11, One UI 3.0
The most popular Gaming Phones you’ll also want to make sure you’re getting a phone that kicks ass in other departments too. With that in mind, the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra takes no prisoners.
With a gorgeous full-screen 6.9-inch display, now running at an adaptive 120Hz, games have never looked better on a cell phone. All that extra space makes FPS titles much easier to enjoy too, with your thumbs not taking up as much real-estate on the screen. Meanwhile, subtle software tweaks mean you’ll get better performance from your battery and the phone runs cooler than most rivals when playing graphically-intensive games on high settings.
Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra Pros and Cons
Pros
- Dynamic 6.9-inch 120Hz display
- Streams Xbox games
- Very good battery life
- S-Pen enhances multiple apps
Cons
- Camera bump is pretty big
- Expensive
$819.00
VIEW
8. iPhone 13 Pro Max The popular Gaming Phone in 2021
- Processor: Apple A15 Bionic (5 nm)
- RAM: 6GB
- Storage: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB NVMe
- Display: 6.7 inches, Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak)
- Camera:
12 MP (wide), 12 MP (telephoto), 12 MP (ultrawide) - Selfie Camera : 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide),
- Battery: Li-Ion 4352 mAh, non-removable (16.75 Wh)
- Charging : 15W
- OS : iOS 15, upgradable to iOS 15.1
The iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max have the best cameras and best battery life of any iPhone we’ve tested. Both offer a number of high-end features, like the ability to record ProRes videos, which help them live up to the Pro in their names. Overall the iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max are outstanding, which is why we’ve given them a CNET Editors’ Choice Award. Our original review, first published in September, follows.
iPhone 13 Pro Max Pros and Cons
Pros
- ProMotion screen brings 120Hz smoothness
- 3x optical zoom telephoto
- Improved camera performance in low light
- Super Retina XDR OLED with Dolby Vision.
Cons
- Little heavy
- Low battery capacity
- Same old design.
$1099.99
VIEW
Where to Find Affordable Gaming Phones
If you want to find an affordable gaming phone, the internet is the best place to start. There are many websites that offer great deals on budget gaming phones
You just have to do your research to find the best ones. You can even join online forums and groups dedicated to gaming phones and ask for recommendations from other gamers.
You can also check out reviews from tech gurus who have already tried out a lot of gaming phones. Doing so will make sure that you get the best value for your money when it comes to purchasing a budget gaming phone.
Conclusion
The best budget gaming phone is the Asus ROG Phone 5. It’s got a great processor, a lot of RAM, and a high refresh rate display. Plus, it has a large battery that’ll keep you gaming for hours.
These are our picks for The Most popular Gaming Phone in 2021 offer at the moment. We’ll update this list with new models once they are launched.
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