Tech Guides & Reviews

Gamer’s Choice – Best Smartphones

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Written by Tim Barnes-Clay

With advancements in smartphone technology moving at a seemingly unstoppable rate over the last few years, apps are now available for almost everything. Now, phone companies have turned their attention to gaming and gamers.

Whether we need to keep track of every pulse in our body or complete almost every task imaginable with the swipe of our fingertips, the astonishing evolution within the technological sphere has taken us to places we couldn’t have imagined a few years ago.

Our access to entertainment has been the area to face the most development, bringing us closer to watching films and TV shows and playing games with stellar graphics which would have seemed impossible for PC’s only a generation ago. Here’s our guide to the best gaming smartphones out there right now.

Samsung Galaxy S5

Samsung launched what is arguably the best smartphone for gaming earlier this year with the Galaxy S5. With a 2.5 GHz quad core processor and integrated graphics engine, along with a full HD 5.1 inch display, these specs are some of the most impressive we’ve seen so far and allow you to play games on a handheld like you have never done before – from simple online casino games at site like www.gamingclub.com/au/online-blackjack to those with advanced graphics such as Galaxy On Fire 2 HD. The S5 also lets you connect to 4G and Wi-Fi at the same time, meaning you receive the quickest internet connection possible. Add to that an extremely capable and quick 16 megapixel camera and heart rate monitor, this beast strives to be the ultimate in mobile phone technology.

Sony XPeria Z3

Hot off the heels of the XPeria Z1 and Z2 models, the Xperia Z3 will be released later this month and looks like a standout contender. The sleek design will feature a 5.2 inch LED screen using the same technology as Sony’s BRAVIA TV range, great battery life and offers seamless transition from your PS4 console – taking integrated gaming to a whole new level. The Z3 will also contain a powerful quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor and if the previous models are anything to go by, this latest phone will be a welcome addition to the mobile gaming landscape.

HTC One (M8)

The HTC One (M8) is also a worthy contender. Boasting a 2.3 GHz quad core Qualcomm processor and a 5 inch screen with 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution, it is one of the best phones for gaming around. Although this does mean the pixel count comes in a little lower, at 441ppi, this isn’t something our eyes can see. The extra 0.3 inches from its predecessor the HTC One M7 is what makes the difference here, and gamers will know how much a bigger screen affects gaming comfort. However, the M8 is slightly inferior to the S5 when it comes to the hardware, but there is no doubt that this machine packs quite the punch. 

iPhone 6

Where would we be without Apple? Arguably the strongest player in the market, with queues running from Oxford Circus to Bangkok, the iPhone 6 improves upon its predecessor in almost every way: the screen is bigger and sharper, it has more storage and a higher battery life. As for the processing power, the iPhone 6 has a 20% quicker CPU and a 50% quicker GPU than the iPhone 5 which ran on a dual-core 1.3GHz processor with 1GB RAM. These improvements are impressive to say the least and would definitely be worthy consideration for any gamer. However, if you’re already the owner of an iPhone 5s, this might not be a purchase worth the effort, as the improvements are not significant enough to warrant further spending.

Google Nexus 5

Did someone say “best bang for your buck”? Because that’s exactly what this baby is! With its Snapdragon Chip, it’s still relatively fast, and at half the price of its competitors, for some this represents a godsend. On top of that, it has a great display and is well-calibrated and highly functional, which makes gaming a veritable pleasure. Under the hood it boasts a 2.26 GHz processor and an 8 MP camera. This is undoubtedly the budget option, but definitely worth the price.