Gaming Phone: 5 Top Picks for Gamers

Picking the ideal gaming phone can be tough simply because you’re spoiled for choice. In 2025, there are plenty of amazing options available. However, a great gaming experience depends on the perfect combination of speed, storage, display quality, and battery life. Not every phone offers that.

Among today’s popular flagship devices, we’ve picked out five standouts for gaming, including the iPhone 17 Pro Max and Galaxy S25 Ultra.

Before we dive into our top choices, let’s talk about what makes a phone a great choice for gaming:

• Processor and Speed: A strong processor guarantees fluid gameplay in demanding games.
• Ample Storage: Essential for storing all your games without the hassle of managing apps and files.
• High-Quality Display: A high refresh rate, like 120Hz, and an OLED or AMOLED display make games vibrant and immersive.
• Long-Lasting Battery and Fast Charging: Extended battery life and fast charging options keep you gaming without frequent pauses.
• Cooling Systems: These are crucial for preventing overheating during long gaming sessions and come standard with today’s top-notch phones, including all of the ones on our list.

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What Are the Top Gaming Phones?

Let’s get into some of the best gaming phones. Our options have been chosen with adaptive features in mind, such as a high-performance processor, high-resolution displays, large screens, and long battery lives, ensuring these phones give you the best gaming experience.

1. Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max

The Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max is one of the most powerful gaming smartphones available today.

It has a massive 6.9-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display with ProMotion for smooth gameplay. HDR support and peak brightness up to 3,000 nits means mobile games (like Resident Evil 4) will look bright under many lighting conditions.

Powered by the new A19 Pro chip and a redesigned thermal system, the iPhone 17 Pro Max provides up to 40% better sustained performance compared to previous pro-level iPhones, according to Apple. That translates to potentially fewer frame drops and longer play sessions.

Also, between the iOS App Store and Apple Arcade, you’ll have access to some of the biggest mobile game libraries available.

Battery life is another standout feature of the iPhone 17 Pro Max. Its 4,676 mAh battery delivers up to 39 hours of video playback and fast charging gets you to 50% in just 20 minutes with a compatible charger.

Pros

• A 6.9-inch OLED display with 120Hz ProMotion for smooth gameplay
• A19 Pro chip with improved GPU/CPU and thermal design
• Longest-ever iPhone battery life (up to 39 hours video playback) with fast charging
• Large app ecosystem, including Apple Arcade and AAA console ports
• Premium build with Ceramic Shield and titanium frame
  

Cons

• High price point compared to other smartphones
• Storage is non-expandable after purchase, which could be limiting for larger game libraries
• Limited flexibility compared to Android
• No expandable storage slot

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2. Galaxy Galaxy S25 Ultra

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra isn’t marketed as a gaming phone, but with its powerful hardware and display, it might as well be.

Its 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen has a 120Hz refresh rate, plus Gorilla Armor 2 for reduced glare and a peak brightness of 2,600 nits — great for many lighting conditions.

Powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip and 12GB of RAM, the S25 Ultra can handle demanding titles while maintaining performance during long sessions thanks to improved thermal management. It also gives you access to both the Google Play Store and Samsung Galaxy Store, so game availability should not be an issue.

The 5,000 mAh battery is also great for long playtimes, and it supports 45W fast charging, wireless charging, and reverse wireless charging.

Pros

• Large QHD+ AMOLED with 120Hz and anti-glare protection
• Snapdragon 8 Elite + 12GB RAM for smooth gaming
• 5,000 mAh battery with fast wired and wireless charging
• Dual app store access (Google and Galaxy)

Cons

• No 3.5mm headphone jack

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3. Google Pixel 10 Pro

The Google Pixel 10 Pro is the company's most powerful gaming phone yet, with a 6.3-inch QHD+ OLED display, 120Hz refresh rate, and peak brightness of about 3000 nits for smooth and bright gameplay whether indoors or out.

Powered by the Tensor G5 chip and 12GB of RAM, the Pixel 10 Pro can handle many of the casual and AAA titles on the Google Play Store. Its 4,870 mAh battery also allows you to play longer, and supports fast and wireless charging.

Pros

• Bright OLED display with 120Hz refresh rate
• Tensor G5 + 12GB RAM for gaming
• 5,100 mAh battery with fast and wireless charging
• Seven-year software updates and Gemini AI features

Cons

• Expensive compared to other Android phones
• No expandable storage slot
• No 3.5mm headphone jack

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4. Galaxy Z Fold7

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 is one of the most interesting gaming smartphones on this list.

It has a 7.6-inch foldable AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate and up to 2,600 nits peak brightness. The 6.3-inch outside display also runs at 120Hz, so you can jump into a game without even opening the phone.

It's powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy and 12GB of RAM, and can run more advanced titles without breaking a sweat. The 4,600 mAh battery also supports 45W fast charging, wireless charging, and reverse charging, while storage goes up to 1TB.

With access to both the Google Play Store and Samsung Galaxy Store, it’s one of the most versatile gaming phones available.

Pros

• Huge 7.6-inch foldable AMOLED with 120Hz refresh
• Snapdragon 8 Elite + 12GB RAM for top-tier performance
• 4,600 mAh battery with fast wired and wireless charging
• Dual app store access (Google + Galaxy)
  

Cons

• Extremely expensive
• Bulkier than standard phones
• Battery can drain quickly under heavy use, especially on the larger display

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5. iPhone 16 Pro Max

Apple's iPhone 16 Pro Max is still one of the best gaming smartphones you can buy, especially if you don’t need the very latest model.

Its 6.9-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display with ProMotion delivers smooth 120Hz gameplay for compatible titles, HDR support, and up to 2,000 nits peak brightness outdoors. While not as bright as the newer iPhone 17 Pro series, games will still look sharp.

Powered by the A18 Pro chip and 8GB of RAM, the iPhone 16 Pro Max can handle graphically demanding titles, including console-level games available on iOS, like Fortnite. Apple’s App Store and Apple Arcade also have a large library of optimized games.

Its 4,676 mAh battery is rated for up to 33 hours of video playback, and fast charging gets you to 50% in about 30 minutes with a 20W adapter.

Pros

• Large 6.9-inch OLED with 120Hz ProMotion
• A18 Pro chip delivers solid gaming performance
• Long battery life (4,676 mAh, up to 33 hours playback) with fast charging
• Large game library via the App Store and Apple Arcade

Cons

• Peak brightness (2,000 nits) lower than iPhone 17 Pro Max
• No expandable storage
• More expensive compared to Android gaming phones

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The Bottom Line

Gaming phones are very powerful devices, and choosing the right one could leave you with a miniature gaming PC in your pocket. The key is to find the one with the gaming features that are most suited to your needs. 

At the end of the day, it’s important to thoroughly research each phone’s specs to evaluate which will be the best choice for your gaming experience. Whether you are looking for a gaming phone or just a regular smartphone, Navi can help you find what you need — try our free, unbiased Phone Deal Finder today. We search through thousands of phone deals to find the best choices for you.

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