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With the new release of smartphones like ZTE nubia RedMagic 10 Pro and iPhone 16, the gaming phone market has never been so competitive. In fact, the arrival of ZTE nubia RedMagic 10 Pro is threatening the existing gaming smartphone leaders like the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and iPhone 16 Pro Max.
That said, Samsung is not backing down either. In February 2025, the South Korean smartphone giant released the new Galaxy S25 Ultra, bringing even more options for players to choose from.
In this article, we will showcase some of the best gaming smartphones you should buy in 2025.
Note: This article contains the personal and subjective opinions of the writer. Also, the prices mentioned herein are subject to change.
List of the best gaming phones for 2025
1) ZTE nubia RedMagic 10 Pro
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The ZTE nubia RedMagic 10 Pro is one of the best gaming phones you can buy in 2025. As of this writing, it features the most powerful Android chipset, the Snapdragon 8 Elite. It is configured with a dedicated vapor chamber and an active cooling fan inside, which keeps the chipset from throttling, even during long sessions of intense online multiplayer gameplay.
It is also designed to deliver a long battery life, thanks to the inclusion of an impressive 7,050 mAh battery. The ZTE nubia RedMagic 10 Pro can effectively run for two to three days on a single charge with light to medium usage.
The battery life will be slightly lower when gaming, but it will still be more than others on this list. The RedMagic 10 Pro delivers all that for under $650, which is simply unbeatable. The only problem is that it is not available in every region.
2) Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is the newest iteration in the Ultra series, and it will not disappoint in gaming. In fact, Samsung has upgraded the cooling system to minimize throttling and deliver even better gaming performance. The vapor chamber inside the Galaxy S25 Ultra is 40% larger than the one inside its predecessor, Galaxy S24 Ultra.
This gaming phone is also slightly thinner and lighter than its predecessor. The corners are more rounded this time to provide a comfortable grip, which was missing in the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
It's good to see Samsung taking notes and fixing things. The Galaxy S25 Ultra also has a larger display, which will certainly provide a better field of view.
3) iPhone 16
At under the $800 price bracket, the Apple iPhone 16 is a fantastic option. The Apple A18 chipset inside this gaming phone is so powerful that it can not only play mobile games but can also run console-level AAA games like Resident Evil Village, Assassin's Creed Mirage, Death Stranding, and more at around 30 FPS.
One might say 30 FPS is a bit low in 2025, but just the fact that it can play them will put a smile on the faces of many users.
The A18 chip can deliver 60 FPS without any issues in mobile games like Genshin's Impact, PUBGM, and COD Warzone. The battery life is also great. While the physical battery capacity looks lower than others on this list, the combined efficiency of iOS and this chipset deliver a really good battery life.
4) iPhone 16e
While there are many fantastic gaming smartphones, they all tend to cost close to or higher than the $1,000 price bracket. Many gamers simply cannot afford such a phone for gaming, and the iPhone 16e is designed for them. It features Apple's A18 chipset for gaming, which is quite powerful, as you know.
That said, the A18 chip inside this iPhone has one less GPU core than the one inside the iPhone 16. One less GPU core is not that big of a deal, so you will get a very similar performance in most games.
Reviews online would not recommend the iPhone 16e, and for good reasons. In our own comparison, we recommended the iPhone 16 instead of the 16e, as the former offers a lot more for $200 more, and we still stand by that.
However, if gaming is your only priority and you are under a very strict budget, you should get the iPhone 16e. At under $600, it is almost unbeatable in gaming.
5) OnePlus 13R
The OnePlus 13R is the one to get if you are on a strict budget but don't want to shift to iOS. It is the direct successor to the OnePlus 12R and brings many improvements in several aspects of the new smartphone, including the display, performance, camera, and battery life.
OnePlus knows just how much gamers love the R series of phones, so the company went ahead and gave this gaming phone a much larger vapor chamber for better heat management.
The battery capacity has also increased significantly, so it will be able to deliver even longer battery life. Whether you are casually browsing the web or playing games, the OnePlus 13R will last longer. The camera performance has also increased tremendously. It even has a new telephoto camera for zoomed shots.
This concludes the list of the five best gaming smartphones you can buy in 2025. The ZTE nubia RedMagic 10 Pro is the best choice, considering its price-to-performance ratio, but it is unavailable in every region. If that's the case in your region, you will have to choose between the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and the iPhone 16.
That said, if you are on a budget, you should choose between the iPhone 16e and the OnePlus 13R, depending on whether you prefer iOS or Android.
Also read: 5 best gaming mouse in 2025
