Best 2019 gaming phones compared

Best gaming phone: Asus ROG

The Asus ROG phone (which stands for Republic of Players) offers the most power, the best ergonomics and the most thoughtful design. Its 6-inch AMOLED display updates 90 times per second, a first for any OLED phone. The higher refresh rate means less motion blur and faster response times. It's not as high as the Razer Phone 2's 120Hz LCD, but I've seen a noticeable improvement over other phones when playing games.

The phone's innovative AirTriggers, which are pressure-sensitive wedges that also serve as bumper buttons for games, extend control of the game beyond the screen. Its dedicated X mode provides you with an optimized gaming experience that can be made even more comfortable when you use the phone's removable fan accessory, which is included in the box. The ROG also has the longest battery life of the group and the largest number of gaming accessories you can buy, although the detachable fan is included with the phone.

The disadvantage is that at $ 900, you will pay a lot for these improvements and innovations.

Lily: Asus ROG CNET Phone Review

Best Gaming Phone Everyday: Razer Phone 2

If you're looking for a gaming phone that can act as a daily driver, I recommend the Razer Phone 2. It looks like a gaming phone, but is also a great phone to use every day, the rest of the time. The Razer Phone 2 is the only phone in the group to benefit from IP67 water resistance and wireless charging.

Of the four, I love the most the design of the Razer Phone 2. The monolith of 2001: The odyssey of space will desolate many people. But the selection feature on the Razer Phone 2 is its bright 120Hz display. Whether you play or not, animations such as scrolling pages have a very smooth appearance and the graphics are crisp. It has amazingly powerful built-in speakers and looks just as good for gamers as it is for anyone living on a movie and music diet.

In my initial review, the battery was not great, but with the update of Android 9 Pie, the life of the battery has improved significantly. Best of all, this phone is only $ 499 at the moment.

Lily: CNET Razer Phone 2 reviews

Best value gaming phone: Nubia Red Magic Mars

The Nubia Red Magic Mars is the sequel to the Red Magic phone from 2018. A Red Magic Mars with 64GB of storage and 6GB of RAM originally cost $ 399. Now this gives you a template with 128GB of storage and 8GB of RAM.

The Red Magic Mars offers many features such as capacitive shoulder knobs, an innovative cooling system and a great game mode at an affordable price. In addition to its custom game mode, the phone uses stock Android 9 Pie. Its biggest drawback is the screen. It's just OK, and it can not compete with Razer and ROG phones.

Apart from that, the phone is solid. But if you are interested in catching a Red Magic March, I would wait, or at least shop around. First, the black shark is often reduced and its price recently oscillates between $ 380 and $ 400.

Secondly, Nubia announced the Red Magic March 3 last week. It contains an upgraded Snapdragon 855 processor, a 90Hz OLED display, and an internal fan. These are huge upgrades. It has just been launched in China and is expected to hit the United States by the end of May. Best of all is the price; a model with 64 GB of storage and 6 GB of RAM will cost 2,899 yuan, or about $ 430.

Lily: CNET en Español Review of the Nubia Red Magic Mars

Best gaming phone with the best accessory: Black Shark

The black shark comes with a joystick that slips to the end of the phone. Having a physical joystick made a huge difference in the games for me. Unfortunately, I felt unbalanced when I used it. There is therefore a $ 89 Gamepad 2.0 with a more symmetrical design. Similar to the Nintendo switch, it has a left and right controller that slides and locks on each end of the phone.

Like the Red Magic Mars, the Black Shark is close to a stored version of Android. However, it is Android 8.1 Oreo and not Android 9 Pie. Although using the phone's user interface for activities other than games looks like using a Pixel 3 when it's out.

There are however some disadvantages, such as the lack of headphone jack and the very "cheap" plastic feel of the gamepad accessory.

At launch, the Black Shark costs $ 499, but you can find it for around $ 380 these days. In March, Xiaomi announced the Black Shark 2. It includes an updated Snapdragon 855 processor, a touch screen similar to Apple's 3D Touch, a built-in fingerprint reader, and mappable on-screen controls. Currently, it is on sale in China for 3,200 yuan, which equates to about 475 dollars. No word on American availability.

Lily: CNET en Español on Black Shark phone

Will we play a game?

I've played various games on all these phones, from role-playing games to scrollers to riddles. Here are five games that I have played on each phone and my notes on the experience.

Alto Odyssey

Black shark: After seven minutes, the phone warmed up. The physical buttons on the joystick were nice, but I did not find much advantage over the screen taps.

Razer: After eight minutes, the phone warms up on the sides and in the corners. The screen gave the constantly changing graphics an amazing appearance.

Mars magic red: In the darker scenes, it was difficult to see the details on the screen. As with the ROG, the touch buttons on the shoulders were acceptable, but I preferred the on-screen controls for this game.

ROG: After four minutes, the fan accessory came into play. The phone remained tepid throughout the game. The main game control is to type and tap / hold the screen. I've rather tried using the Pressure Sensitive AirTriggers, but for fast jumps and tight turns, I found more nuance in the controls on the screen.

PUBG

Black shark: Having the joystick on the Gamepad accessory and the actual buttons changed PUBG for me. It was so easy to run and move. With my fingers off the screen, I could also see the game better. Note that the Gamepad folds in some way and gives the impression that it's a real sneeze. This gives the Nintendo Switch the feeling of being a robust piece of German engineering.

Razer: After 12 minutes, the phone was very hot. The game control was good, but when I played with the $ 150 option Razer Raiju Mobile Game Controller It was a much more pleasant experience, especially since I did not have to hold a hot phone with my bare hands.

Mars magic red: The phone warmed up after 20 minutes. Capacitive shoulder knobs are perfect, especially for shots and knees.

ROG: The fan arrived immediately at low speed, but the phone was never hot. Matching the controls on the screen with shoulder pressure sensitive buttons (AirTriggers) was simple and made reading PUBG much easier.

Sdorica Sunset

Black shark: In a few minutes, the phone became really hot.

Razer: The music and effects sound fully on the built-in speakers. But man, man, was the phone hot?

Mars magic red: The sound was thin and when the volume got louder, it sounded muddy too. Without a case, it's my favorite phone to play Sdorica.

ROG: The phone has remained hot but has never been hot.

Shadowgun Legends

Black shark: Sometimes the joystick of the Gamepad 2.0 accessory m sent in the wrong direction. Recalibrate did not help.

Razer: The phone was hot at the hot edge. I used the included USC-B DAC headset dongle and a pair of Sennheiser headphones on the ear and was amazed by the sound quality.

Mars magic red: It was surprisingly comfortable to hold without getting hot. I did not experience any real benefit in using the capacitive shoulder knobs as compared to the on-screen controls.

ROG: Shadow Legends cooked the ROG hot enough and the fan turned on immediately. The shoulder buttons were not necessary for this game.

Nimian BrightRidge Captions

Black shark: It was another game where the gamepad accessory enormously improved the gameplay.

Razer: I've overcome the quality of graphics, effects and frame rates with this game. The Razer has become hot instantly. At least, the game was beautiful on the screen.

Mars magic red: Capacitive shoulder buttons helped in some aspects of the game.

ROG: The AirTriggers were good for the game.

This "player's look"

If you want a gaming phone, you have to look at the room. Angular lines, exposed copper heat sinks, a touch of neon or bright colors are the hallmarks of a gaming phone. The metallic red color of the Red Magic Mars allows you to take it and play it.

The ROG phone looks like something that Frank Gehry would have conceived of when he was a gambler. A smartphone is somewhere below all exposed copper heat sinks, carbon fiber and angular cuts. Its different textures and asymmetrical grooves look nothing like a phone I've ever used. An informal survey of friends and co-workers showed that people were divided on the look. Half loved it, but half hated it.

The black shark looks most like a normal phone. The sloping, smooth back presents an elevated area resembling outline lines on a topographic map – it's there that its lights are hidden.

Of the four, the Razer 2 phone has the most minimalist design. It has a rectangular shape with corners and edges at right angles. I realize that this approach does not suit everyone, but I find it particularly attractive.

Does the phone turn on unnecessarily?

• Black Shark: Yes, the logo and the four corners in bowtie on the back.
• Razer: Yes, the back of the Razer logo illuminates the color of your choice.
• Red Magic Mars: Yes, there is a long strip of LEDs at the back.
• ROG: Yes, the Asus logo on the phone and the removable fan illuminate the color of your choice.

Integrated physical game controls

Three of the phones use capacitive or pressure-sensitive buttons and / or touchscreens to enhance the game. The Red Magic Mars and Black Shark phones each have a physical switch that triggers a game mode to organize your games, optimize settings and protect your game sessions against interruptions. Black Shark calls his game mode "Shark Space". Every time I played on the Black Shark, I felt inclined to whisper to myself: "Go to the shark space".

The ROG and Red Magic Mars have fake shoulder buttons that can be associated with different actions for games such as firing a gun. The ROG also has a second USB-C port on the side, allowing you to keep the phone plugged in while playing in landscape mode, even if the cable falls into your hands. The other three phones charge only from the bottom, making them difficult to hold while playing and charging at the same time.

The Razer Phone 2 is the only phone in the group that does not have a physical function to improve game controls or ergonomics.

After spending hours playing games on each phone, most of these additions were fine, but did not bring a significant improvement in orders. I've found that good mobile games should be played with controls on the screen. However, it was useful to have capacitive touch buttons to play games originally designed for a console.

There is a feature I would add if I had to design a gaming phone: a joystick. I would like a key that can stay flat when it is not used and a telescope to play. Imagine something like an iPhone 8, where the home button appeared to serve as a mini joystick.

As phones move away from screens, fronts and chins around the screen, my dream of joystick does not seem to be able to come true. But as game phones tend to avoid traditional trends, there may be a day of hope.

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Razer Phone 2 is unpacked

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Same processor but we are faster

All of these phones use a Snapdragon 845 processor, which exceeds normal gaming speeds. For example, the ROG can achieve a sustained 2.96 GHz processor frequency while all other phones reach a maximum frequency of 2.8 GHz. In terms of perspective, the Pixel 3 is at 2.5 GHz.

Cooling systems are the key to a gaming phone

All these phones have an internal cooling system to prevent objects from getting too hot. This is probably the most important aspect of a gaming phone.

The Razer Phone 2 and ROG use a steam chamber cooling system to maximize the heat dissipation surface. The result is that there is no part of the phone that is hot to the touch. The ROG also uses a built-in cooling pad and a copper heat sink to combat heat. And if that was not enough, there is also a small fan that attaches to the back of the ROG and that Asus calls the AeroActive Cooler.

The black shark uses a liquid cooling system. As it heats up, a special liquid evaporates into gas and accumulates in the coldest areas of the chamber, eventually becoming liquid again. The Red Magic Mars also uses a steam heat sink, as well as four vents to keep things cool.

As expected, the four phones warmed up when I played games, but these cooling systems are entirely based on longevity. I found that the ROG with its fan accessory and the Red Magic Mars were the most comfortable to hold for long periods of play.

Which gaming phone is the fastest?

Each phone has performance enhancements that keep the phone fast and maintain that speed throughout the game. In terms of performance, all four phones work fairly close to each other and have been very fast. But, the Razer finally has the advantage over the other phones on the paper.

Display with high refresh rate

Almost all phones have screens that refresh 60 frames per second (fps). The Razer Phone 2 has a refresh rate of 120 frames per second, which allows for sharper images and text, as well as smoother animations. There is not a ton of mobile games designed for 120 frames per second, but the ones that were beautiful. And even games designed for lower refresh rates seemed good.

The only other phone with a high refresh rate is the ROG, which has a 90Hz display. Like the Razer, things are sharper and animations are smoother. The Razer Phone 2 has a much brighter screen, while the OLED screen of the ROG displays better, brighter colors.

The Red Magic Mars screen is the weakest part of the phone. It is weak and looks of lower quality when viewed next to other phones.

Android 9 Pie and Android 8.1 Oreo

• Black Shark: Android 8.1 Oreo. It is unclear exactly when Android 9 Pie will be available.
• Razer: Android 9 Pie
• Mars Red Magic: Android 9 Pie.
• ROG: Android 8.1 Oreo: Asus announced that it would switch to Android 9 Pie this year.

Solid battery life even when you play

The Razer Phone 2 and Black Shark both have a 4000 mAh battery. During our flight video streaming test in airplane mode, the lifespan of the phones was almost identical. The black shark remained on for 10 hours and 25 minutes and Razer Phone 2 lasted 10 hours and 31 minutes. It is worth noting that when I first reviewed the Razer for the first time last fall, it only lasted 9 hours and 11 minutes. This impressive extra hour is due to Android 9 Pie update.

The ROG also has a battery of 4000 mAh but lasted even longer in our tests, at 13 hours and 40 minutes. This is largely due to the OLED display of the phone, instead of an LCD screen like the other three phones.

The Red Magic Mars has the smallest battery of four to 3800 mAh, but managed a time of 14 hours and 7 minutes in our tests.

In daily use, the four phones have spent a day with a single charge, no problem.

Fast support

• Black Shark: Quick Charge 3.0
• Razer: Quick Charge 4.0+
• Red Magic Mars: Fast Charge 3.0
• ROG: Quick Charge 4.0

Big speakers, big sound

The built-in Razer and ROG speakers are powerful and offer a rich audio experience, whether playing a game or watching videos. The Razer also has a 24-bit digital-to-analog converter (DAC) via a USB-C dongle. With a good pair of headphones, the audio seemed warmer and more complete.

Why did not we consider the Galaxy S10E and the iPhone XR?

My priority was above all to compare the phones designed around the gaming experience. The Galaxy S10E or the iPhone XR would they be an excellent phone for games? Absolutely. They both have powerful processors, a lot of RAM and are a little more affordable than their flagship siblings, the iPhone XS and the Galaxy S10.

But neither one nor the other focuses solely on the experience and game culture. The iPhone offers an interesting situation because iOS firstly tends to create new games, and many games remain exclusive to iOS. To this end, Apple has announced that it will offer a subscription service to games with exclusives called Arcade. The platform offers incredible gaming experiences designed exclusively for the iPhone. At this point, it is unclear when the service will be launched or how much will be the subscription.

$ 499

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