It’s time for your biannual phone upgrade, and you’ve been doing your research on handsets that will provide you with every level of convenience and aspect of lifestyle enjoyment. Key to your decision, if you enjoy online gaming on the move, is selecting a device that will enhance the tech in game development. Read on for the best options available now, for the months that lie ahead.
First up, let’s consider five of the year’s topnotch phones for online gaming and why these are ranked so highly.
Samsung Galaxy S21 series – pricey but perfect
While not specifically designed for online gaming, the 2021 renditions from Samsung are being described as “powerhouses that offer exactly what most gamers need in a handset”. With specs that get revved up a notch from the Samsung Galaxy S21 to the Galaxy S21 Plus and even Galaxy S21 Ultra, all models provide adaptive 120Hz AMOLED display, Snapdragon 888 or Exynos 2100 processors, and an enviable amount of battery life.
If you’re also a closet photographer, the Ultra is your baby due to its versatile setup and S-Pen support (for an added buck or several). Want to know how to optimise your gaming performance? Either option will work for you because they all offer Game Tool options so that you can easily tweak resolution, take screenshots and record useful (if kinky?) videos.
While you may gulp – or swoon– at the price, word on the street is that they’re “a great choice for those looking for one of the best online gaming phones money can buy”.
iPhone 12 Pro Max – sizeable screen
Despite iPhone launching as many as four smartphones this year, the iPhone 12 Pro Max is likely to catch your eye as a result of its truly impressive screen – it’s 6.7 inches, featuring a sharp OLED panel and an awesome 2 000 000:1 contrast ratio.
If you’re an Android fan, you may be going: “So, what!” But this baby has a list of pros ranging from damn-fine performance and awesome camera to a brilliant extended ecosystem. Refresh rates are not the hottest, at just 60Hz. Also, consider the iPhone 12 or iPhone 12 Pro if what you must pay on the iPhone 12 Pro Max is a bit too wallet unfriendly.
OnePlus 9 – no complaints
The OnePlus 9 is reported to offer a similar level of performance, charging speed and ultrawide photographic lens (with an enviable 50-megapixel resolution) as its pricier brother, the OnePlus 9 Pro. Just note, for the gamers and mega-travellers, this phone does not work on AT&T’s 5G network (only on those of T-Mobile & Verizon).
May not be an issue just yet? Let us know. Otherwise, the techies report it to be “an excellent device” with “a flagship feel” and performance to rival the highest-end Android option out there. I’m not sure the gamers would be likely to have any complaints.
Asus ROG Phone 5 – battery battalion
While we hate to prioritise one brand over another, it’s worth noting for the gamers among us that the “number one pick for the best online gaming phone” goes to this little beauty – according to AndroidAuthority.com. While other brands have ended up with gaming-friendly specs, this smartphone was designed and has been marketed with the gaming community in full focus.
Foremost among these is its battery power of 6 000mAh – but don’t discount the processor, screen-refresh rate, storage capacity or memory specs, either. Plus, there’s a headphone jack – yes, please. A secret: there’s no need to go for the Pro or Ultimate in this series because even the basic model offers the same front screen, Air Triggers shoulder 5 buttons and spec boosts (although, of course, these do ramp up a notch as you open your wallet wider).
Another aside? If you have extra cash to burn, the Pro and Ultimate models have an extra screen and two more touch sensors on the rear – a whole new design game is offered here. If you veer towards this brand, for whatever reason, you won’t be disappointed by the mobile gaming accessories still on the cards – Aeroactive Cooler, RGB cases, gaming clips, port extension docks…
They’re all provided to bring the gaming experience to its epitome. Some of the extras, of course, are not included. But it’s worth taking them all, obviously!
Google Pixel 4A – lowest price ever
You may not have known that Google was doing phones, but why not? This conglomerate rocks in most other areas, doesn’t it? Google Pixel 4A’s claim to fame is that it can rival any other handset that costs three or more times the price. It only comes in black, with 128GB of RAM and a sub-US$400 price tag.
Difficult to beat, methinks if online gaming, photography and price are your main pastimes and considerations. The screens are not huge (are you blind?) and the processor is not the fastest (how impatient are you?).
Aside from this baby’s gaming prowess, its camera is reported to take brilliant night pics, do astrophotography to the Nth degree and offer a portrait mode that may rival what a pro could have taken, back in the day, on film. Yowza! Five-point-eight inch screen, sufficient RAM to keep your numerous apps happy, a little water won’t melt it – how about giving this particular smartphone a whirl?
In summary, there are many smartphone options on the market that may – or may not – keep you happy at work, in the gym, when you’re gaming on public transport, or which assist (seamlessly) in maintaining your photo-storage capacity for posterity.
Our advice? Follow your gut instinct.
Skip over phones with teeny-tiny keys. The battery needs to last, long-time. And you don’t want to have to sit deleting multiple apps, on a weekend eve, just to be able to download and use the best online gaming app that’s – all of a sudden – in vogue.
