Best gaming phones in India for Battlegrounds Mobile India, Free Fire, Fortnite and more

A gaming phone has to be the one that gives you an edge over regular smartphones while playing games. It needs to have an advanced thermal cooling system to keep the heat at bay, a powerful gaming-centric chipset coupled with ample RAM and fast storage, a high screen refresh rate, and powerful speakers. A handful of gaming phones in India now come with capacitive trigger buttons up on the edges to give you better control while playing. Here we take a look at some of the best gaming phones in India in 2021 that you can buy. The smartphones come from well-known brands such as ASUS, POCO, OnePlus, and Samsung, and can handle games like Battlegrounds Mobile India, Free Fire, Asphalt, COD Mobile, Garena Free Fire, and Fortnite.

Read more: Battlegrounds Mobile India launch date, features, rules, and more: everything we know so far

Apart from gaming smartphones, the list also includes some flagship mobile phones such as iPhone 12 series with their class-leading specs can handle demanding titles.

Read more: Best Snapdragon 888 phones list: OnePlus 9 series, ASUS ROG Phone 5, Realme GT, and more

Best gaming phones in India

ASUS ROG Phone 5

The ASUS ROG Phone 5 (review) is right on top of pretty much every gaming mobile phone 2021 list out there. It has been rated to be the best in the category, owing to its hardware. The ASUS ROG Phone 5 packs flagship Snapdragon 888 SoC with liquid cooling as well as AeroActive Cooler 5 fan, which is included in the box for Pro and Ultimate variants. The gaming phone also features a 6.78-inch FHD+ AMOLED 144Hz refresh rate screen, 65W fast charging solution, up to 18GB of RAM + 512GB storage, and a whopping 6,000mAh battery.

Best gaming phones in India

Additionally, the ASUS ROG Phone 5 has capacitive trigger buttons on the edges that you can map to an in-game function or command. For photography, there is a 64MP triple camera setup at the back and a 24MP selfie camera on the front. ASUS ROG Phone 5 specifications are also headlined by great speakers, side-mounted USB Type-C port, in-display fingerprint scanner, RGB logo, 5G, and multi-antenna Wi-Fi, among other things. The ASUS ROG Phone 5 price in India starts at Rs 49,999.

iQOO 7 Legend

The iQOO 7 Legend (review) is another great gaming phone in India you can buy right now. The smartphone recently made its debut in the country, with Snapdragon 888 SoC ticking at its core and a 4,096sqmm vapour chamber to keep the thermals in check. The handset sports a 6.62-inch AMOLED display with Full HD+ resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, and 300Hz touch sampling rate. It also offers HDR10+ certification and an in-display fingerprint scanner.

The iQOO 7 Legend comes with up to 12GB LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB expandable UFS 3.1 storage. The device also has the Extended RAM technology that uses some storage to expand the RAM. In optics, the handset features triple rear cameras comprising a 48MP Sony IMX 598 primary sensor, a 13MP ultra-wide lens that doubles as a macro shooter, and a 13MP portrait lens with a focal length of 50mm. For selfies, there’s a 16MP camera on the front. The phone is driven by a 4,000mAh battery with a 66W fast charging solution.

Mi 11X

The Mi 11X (review) is a high-performance flagship killer that can handle AAA games with ease. The handset’s specifications are as follows: Snapdragon 870 SoC, 6.67-inch 120Hz AMOLED display, 4,520mAh battery, and 33W fast-charging support. The smartphone is equipped with up to 8GB RAM and 128GB storage, which is further expandable via a microSD card.

On the camera front, the Mi 11X sports a triple camera setup at the back, with a 48MP primary sensor, an 8MP wide-angle lens, and a 5MP macro lens. There is a 20MP camera on the front for selfies and video chats. The handset comes with a side-mounted fingerprint scanner. Other features include stereo speakers, Dolby Atmos, High-Res audio, IP53 for dust and water resistance, and connectivity options such as 5G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.1, GPS, and USB Type-C. The Mi 11X is priced starting at Rs 29,999.

OnePlus 9 series

OnePlus 9 series is a premium smartphone that can double up as a gaming device. The credit goes to its best-in-class features and specifications. The series, comprising OnePlus 9 (review), OnePlus 9R (review), and OnePlus 9 Pro (review), ships with a 120Hz refresh rate display, a 4,500mAh battery, and a 65W fast charging solution. The OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro are powered by Snapdragon 888 SoC, which is the most powerful chipset from Qualcomm yet, whereas the OnePlus 9R rocks the Snapdragon 870 SoC – the second-best thing from Qualcomm.

The OnePlus 9 Pro also supports a 50W fast charging solution and is IP68 water- and dust-resistance certified. The handset sports Hasselblad’s quad rear cameras with 48MP + 50MP + 8MP + 2MP sensors. The OnePlus 9 has triple 48MP + 50MP + 8MP Hasselblad-branded cameras at the back, while the OnePlus 9R employs a regular 48MP + 16MP + 5MP + 5MP quad-rear camera system. The OnePlus 9 series price in India is set at Rs 39,999 for the base model.

Read more: Forget the OnePlus 9, THIS is the smartphone you should buy

Samsung Galaxy S21 series

Samsung Galaxy S21 series phones’ performance is on par with some of the best gaming phones in India. The handsets are equipped with adaptive 120Hz refresh rate displays, up to 5,000mAh battery, up to 16GB RAM + 512GB storage, Gorilla Glass Victus, and fast charging 25W fast charging. The Galaxy S21 series, which consists of the regular S21 (review) as well as Galaxy S21 Plus (review) and Galaxy S21 Ultra (review), is powered by Exynos 2100 SoC. It’s the flagship chipset from Samsung with a 5nm manufacturing process and the same number of cores as the Snapdragon 888 SoC.

In addition to that, the Samsung Galaxy S21 series has an array of cameras comprising wide, ultra-wide, and telephoto sensors with up to 100x Space Zoom. The handsets are IP68 water- and dust-resistant certified and sport UWB tracking. The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra also comes with support for S Pen.

iPhone 12

Apple’s flagship iPhone 12 (review) is not a gaming-focused smartphone, but it has got the A14 Bionic chip, which can make minced meat of everything you care to throw at it. The handset can handle even the most demanding titles just like that. The iPhone 12 rocks a 6.1-inch XDR OLED Super Retina XDR display that doesn’t support high screen refresh rate, but bears 2,532 x 1,170p resolution and HDR support.

The iPhone 12 specs also include Face ID tech, IP68 rating, dual 12MP rear-facing cameras, 12MP selfie camera, up to 256GB storage onboard, 5G connectivity, and 2,815mAh battery that is rated to last up to 8-10 hours on average to heavy usage between charges. The gaming phone in India can be fetched at a starting price of Rs 69,900.

Samsung Galaxy S20 FE

Users who are fans of Samsung’s software and display, but want something more affordable than the flagship S21 series can buy the Galaxy S20 FE (review) for gaming. The smartphone is powered by last year’s flagship chipset Snapdragon 865 SoC coupled with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage that is further expandable via a microSD card slot. The handset sports a 6.5-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED Infinity-O display with a 120Hz refresh rate and punch-hole cutout for the selfie snapper. Software-wise, it runs Android 11 OS with OneUI 3.1 custom layer on top.

Among the best gaming phones in India 2021, Samsung Galaxy S20 FE also features a triple-camera setup at the back for photography. The setup comprises a 12MP wide-angle camera, a 12MP ultra-wide lens, and an 8MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom and up to 30x Super-Resolution Zoom. On the front, the phone has a 32MP snapper for selfies and video chats. There is an in-display fingerprint sensor for security and a 4,500mAh battery with 15W charging support. It is also IP68 certified for water and dust resistance. The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE is selling in India at Rs 55,999.

POCO X3 Pro

This gaming phone from Xiaomi’s spin-off brand POCO has a mid-range octa-core Snapdragon 860 SoC ticking at its core, with a liquid cool technology. Apart from that, the POCO X3 Pro (review) offers a 120Hz refresh rate screen with 240Hz touch response, 450nits brightness, and Corning Gorilla Glass 6. The handset employs up to 8GB of RAM and 128GB UFS 3.1 storage with support for a microSD card (up to 1TB). It’s driven by a whopping 5,160mAh battery with 33W fast-charging and 26W USB PD support.

In the camera department, the POCO X3 Pro sports quad cameras at the back with a 48MP primary sensor, an 8MP secondary lens, and a couple of 2MP sensors for depth and macro shots. There is a 20MP camera on the front for selfies, a side-mounted fingerprint sensor for security stereo speakers, and Hi-Res audio support. Connectivity options include 4G LTE, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, NFC, IR Blaster, and USB Type-C port for charging. The POCO X3 Pro comes with a sticker price of 18,999 for the base 6GB RAM + 128GB storage variant.

Realme X7 Pro

For gamers looking for an affordable flagship, the Realme X7 Pro (review) should fit the bill. The handset is powered top-end MediaTek Dimensity 1000+ SoC mated with HyperEngine 2.0, which optimises CPU and GPU frequencies and manages RAM to further improve the performance. The smartphone sports a 6.55-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display that bears a 120Hz refresh rate for smooth animation and graphics.

The Realme X7 Pro runs Android 10-based Realme UI out of the box and houses a 4,500mAh battery with a 65W fast charging solution. The handset sports a 32MP selfie camera on the front for selfies and video calling, while around the back, it flaunts a quad-camera setup with a 64MP primary sensor. This best gaming phone in India is selling with Rs 29,999 sticker price for the sole 8GB RAM + 128GB storage,

Moto G40 Fusion

The Moto G40 Fusion (review) is among the most affordable gaming phones you can buy in India right now. The handset’s specifications include a gaming-centric Snapdragon 732G chipset paired with Adreno 618 GPU, up to 6GB RAM, and 128GB expandable storage. It also sports a 6.8-inch FHD+ display that comes with HDR10 support, 120Hz refresh rate, and a punch-hole camera. The phone packs a 6,000mAh battery will last over a day and supports 20W Qualcomm Quick Charge 4.0 support.

As for the cameras, the Moto G40 Fusion has triple cameras as well, with a 64MP primary sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens with 118-degree FoV – it also works as a macro-vision lens. The handset has a 32MP snapper on the front for selfies and video chats. The Moto G40 Fusion measures 169.6 x 75.9 x 9.8mm and weighs 225 grams.

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