Gaming on smartphones was just casual affair a few years ago and fast forward to 2020, now everyone is behind chicken dinners with graphics-heavy games such as  PUBG Mobile and Call of Duty. This is also forcing smartphone makers and chipset suppliers to bring the performance and experience focused gaming smartphones to the market.
While chipset makers like Qualcomm and MediaTek are bringing a dedicated line of the gaming-centric chipset, smartphone OEMs are trying to mix the right combo of hardware and software. Some companies like Nubia, Asus, Black Shark make only gaming-centric smartphones and also comes with optional hardware accessories like a trigger, controller, etc.Â
For this compilation of the best gaming smartphones, we've tried to include devices at all price points to help you make a better decision.
As of now, the top two trending mobile games include PUBG Mobile and Call of Duty. So, for our best gaming smartphone phone list, we have considered processor and GPU speeds, RAM size and other odds and ends.
The top gaming phones don't just play the best smartphone games without a hitch, they’ll also maintain the best visuals and performance for games coming over the next few years. Think about the phones below as future-proofing your next device into the year 2021. These are also the first ones to adopt upcoming tech such as faster storage, better cooling, high refresh rate displays, etc.
We've examined all the options and chosen the best phones for gaming based on the factors above. Here's our list of the best gaming smartphones in India for June.
Asus recently surprised everyone by pricing the new ROG Phone II at Rs 37,999 in India (base variant), making it one of the best-specced devices for the price. It houses a monster 6,000 mAh battery, has a smooth 120Hz refresh rate Super AMOLED panel along with the latest specifications such as a Snapdragon 855+ and a minimum of 8GB of RAM.
It comes with a host of hardware additions as well, including additional shoulder buttons, vents for better air circulation and an expansion port to connect accessories such as a gamepad or an extra display.
Read the full review: ASUS ROG Phone 2 ReviewÂ
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Realme's newest smartphones for India are a welcome addition to the affordable flagship space, marrying last-gen internals with trendy features to keep the price low. At its heart is the very capable Snapdragon 855 Plus chipset, which is able to run all games smoothly. The 120Hz refresh rate display is a joy to use.
It also has one of the best camera packages currently available on a smartphone. In terms of performance, it also brings fast UFS 3.0 storage as well as LPDDR4X RAM. It also supports 30W fast charging which only takes about an hour to go from empty to full.
Check out our detailed Realme X3 SuperZoom review
Check out the Realme X3 on Flipkart
Nubia's gaming arm has been an underdog in the gaming smartphone space, but the Red Magic 3S truly one of the most enjoyable phones one can have. It has respectable internals such as the Snapdragon 855 Plus, 12GB of RAM and a big 90Hz AMOLED display. Gamers are sure to appreciate the additional customisable shoulder buttons and the RGB strip across the spine.
The 5,000 mAh battery ensures that gaming sessions last for many hours, and the included fast charger is a boon. The dual front-firing speakers are pretty loud, and the powerful "4D" vibration motor makes gaming very immersive.
The Red Magic 3S is just the Red Magic 3, except for the fact that the 3S is powered by the Snapdragon 855 Plus chipset, which should further enhance the gaming experience.
Read our full review: Nubia Red Magic 3 Review
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While gaming smartphones have one main objective (provide a good gaming experience), it's great when they excel as a conventional phone as well. That is the main reason why the just-launched OnePlus 7T makes it to our list. Not only does it have the latest specifications and one of the best high refresh rate displays on a smartphone, but also offers a great flagship experience thanks to its high-quality design, extremely fast charging, and versatile triple camera setup.Â
It may not be as well designed as the 7 Pro, but some may prefer the taller yet flat display over a curved one. The wider display makes gaming very immersive.
Read the full review: OnePlus 7T Review
Realme surprised everyone launching its new flagship in India so quickly, making the Realme X50 Pro the first 5G phone in the country. However, it has a lot more going for it.
For starters, it has a 6.44-inch Super AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate for smoother visuals. To keep everything running, there's the Snapdragon 865 at its heart, along with LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage.
Moreover, it is one of the few phones with dual stereo speakers for a better audio experience without earphones on.
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It would be unfair to not have an iPhone on the list of best gaming smartphones. Along with unmatched performance and graphical prowess, the iPhone 11 Pro Max brings a big, high-resolution display with just the right amount of bezel on the sides for grip.
The new dual stereo speaker setup is also a godsend, and will be appreciated by many. If budget is not an issue, and you are looking for a phone that can last you for a few years, this one deserves your attention.
Read our detailed iPhone 11 Pro Max review
iQoo, Vivo's gaming sub-brand, aimed to be the first to bring a 5G smartphone to India with the iQoo 3 series. While that didn't happen, the 4G variants are still extremely competitive and worth considering.
The Snapdragon 865 inside means this device has the most powerful chipset available. Paired with equally fast storage and RAM, and the iQoo 3 becomes every gamer's dream. It also has capacitive shoulder buttons for gaming.
Along with decent battery life, it also supports 55W fast charging which can take the phone from 0 to full in 40 minutes. The cameras are also admirable and reliable.
With the recent price drop, the iQoo 3 starts at Rs 34,990 and with ICICI Bank credit card, you can get starting at just Rs 31,990. This is an incredible deal considering it comes with the latest Snapdragon 865 chipset.Â
Read iQoo 3 review
The Realme 6 is the company’s latest mid-range with a gaming-centric chipset, the MediaTek Helio G90T. It is also the cheapest phone in the market we found that can touch 60fps on PUBG Mobile, even the Snapdragon 720 chipset struggles. It also comes with a high 90Hz refresh rate.
Apart from processor and high refresh rate, you get up to 8GB RAM and 128GB storage for under Rs 17,000. On the camera front, it comes with a quad-camera setup, consisting of a 64MP primary camera implementing the Samsung GW1 image sensor, followed by an 8MP ultra-wide shooter, a 2MP black and white portrait lens and a macro shooter. The selfie camera is a 16MP shooter.
You get a punch-hole display measuring at 6.6-inch LCD panel with Full HD+ resolution. The fingerprint scanner is located on the side. It packs in a 4,300mAh battery and 30W fast charging capabilities via Type-C interface.Â
Buy Realme 6 on Flipkart
After more than a year, Poco finally made its comeback with a mid-range smartphone in India with a bang. Just like the OG Poco F1, the Poco X2 tries to replicate the same success in the budget segment. The device is one of the most affordable smartphone in India with a Snapdragon 730G chipset.Â
We tested two of the most popular games on GameBench Pro performance metrics, Call of Duty Mobile and PUBG Mobile. While CoD Mobile was able to touch 55 median fps, PUBG Mobile couldn’t go beyond 30fps on the highest settings.Â
Not just that, it is also the cheapest phone with a 120Hz refresh rate display, with the closest alternative costing almost twice as much. This should combine well with the hardware and MiUI 11 optimizations for a very smooth experience.Â
Lastly, it also brings one of the most capable camera packages on any smartphone, with the new 64MP Sony IMX686 image sensor as the primary camera, and 8MP ultra-wide shooter, a 5MP macro lens and a depth sensor. Overall, the Poco X2 os one of the best value for money smartphone available in India as of today.