With smartphones swiftly replacing gaming consoles as the go-to gaming platform, it is not surprising that the landscape of gaming phones is fast evolving too.
According to a recent Statista survey in the UK, about 58% of people between the age of 16 and 24 had played games on their mobile devices, compared to the previous year’s 47%. The study also found that persons between the age of 35 and 44 had the highest growth at 24%.
This massive growth can be attributed to the widespread introduction of advanced batteries. Other factors include; cooling features, processing speed, responsive displays, RAM, 5G connectivity, and high refresh rates.
Thus, there are numerous gaming phones for players in the UK to choose from. But, before buying one, there are certain factors that must be considered.
Factors To Consider Before Buying a Gaming Phone
Processor
The processor is the first factor to look out for when searching for a gaming phone. Players who want to enjoy glitch-free gaming that won’t drain their batteries must get a phone with an advanced processor.
Samsung Exynos 2100, Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 and Apple’s A14 Bionic chip are some of the most advanced processors in the UK.
The best gaming phones should incorporate processors with fast neutral engines. These processors must be able to run millions of operations, such as graphics-intensive games and AI apps, without hanging.
Display
When it comes to mobile games, every smartphone player knows that display is king. They understand that quality display is critical to their gaming experience and an immersive, HD display is non-negotiable.
It’s a crucial factor in some games such as Clash of Clans or when you play online slots. Nowadays slots are as immersive as ever, with excellent graphics on the main game and bonus rounds.
To find the most exciting slots, comparison sites do all the hard work for you and even check for free spins to get you started. On the platform, you’re also able to read unbiased reviews and play demo versions, so you can see if the graphics work well on your smartphone. Furthermore, they have listed game guides, strategy tips, device compatibility, and payment options.
When searching for your next gaming phone, carefully observe the display resolution, e.g., OLED, Super RetinaFull HD, etc. Also, examine the screen-to-body ratio and how fast it refreshes.
A superfast refresh rate, such as 120Hz, will give your smartphone the capacity to handle complex programs and transitions seamlessly. Moreover, with such a high refresh rate, your phone should be able to perform smooth-looking motions like spinning the reels of a slot game.
RAM
The memory of the phone is another factor you must pay attention to. It makes your smartphone more adaptable to gaming. While an average smartphone has 4 to 8GB RAM, today, there are more sophisticated phones with higher RAM of 10 to 12GB.
Hence, getting a phone with more RAM will guarantee minimal lagging, faster game-loading speed, and higher memory space.
Additionally, a higher RAM enables your phone to successfully run multiple apps in the background without the OS crashing. Thus, your gaming phone has more capacity to run more efficiently.
Battery
Mobile games, particularly the graphics-intensive ones PUBG and FIFA can be a drain on your battery. Therefore picking a phone with a decent battery is paramount.
Whether you’re playing with a Wifi connection, mobile data, or offline is another question that should pop into your mind when buying a gaming phone. This is because your phone’s battery life drains faster when you are playing on a Wifi connection or mobile data.
Thus, manufacturers have created phones with sizable but powerful batteries to eliminate issues in gaming phones. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra and Oppo Find X3 Pro with 5000mAH and 4500mAH batteries are excellent for mobile gaming.
Before getting that new smartphone, ensure you check the battery’s capacity, measured in mAH. Also, check the hours of audio and video playback it can handle and look at its charging ability, whether it’s a fast-charging phone.
Best UK Gaming Smartphones at a Glance
- Lenovo Legion Duel 2
- Asus ROG Phone 5s Pro
- Nubia Red magic 7
- Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
- Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
- Oppo Find X3 Pro