The best Android for games in 2025: Samsung, Google Pixel, and more

If you're after the best Android phone out there, you need to look no further than the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. This device is a king among cell phones, but such prestige comes at a high cost, with the phone costing at least $1,299.99, which is far beyond the budget for some. However, this phone ticks all of the boxes, boasting many impressive features.

Naturally, coming with the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, the Galaxy S25 is fantastic for gaming, with the 6.9-inch AMOLED 120Hz screen ensuring a crisp and clear display. The minimum 12GB RAM further supports your experience, meaning the most challenging mobile games are easy for this phone to handle.

Beyond Android gaming, Samsung is very well known for its cameras, and the Galaxy S25 Ultra is one of the best Android phones for photographers, boasting a 200 MP wide main camera, a 10 MP telephoto camera, a 50 MP periscope telephoto lens, and a 50 MP ultrawide option.

Samsung, like its competitors, is leaning heavily into AI with its phones now, and the Galaxy S25 Ultra is no exception. However, it's important to note that much of what the company is offering here isn't exclusive to this phone and can be found elsewhere. More importantly, though, you'll need to pay to access some features from 2026 onwards. For more on this one, read our Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra review.

While Poco might not be a household name in the same way Samsung and Google are, the F7 is an absolutely fantastic midrange Android, offering an almost flagship-level experience for less. It has a gorgeous OLED display, 12GB of RAM for ultra-fast app loading times, and a powerful Snapdragon chip that enables you to push the settings up to the max in demanding games like Genshin Impact and PUBG mobile.

Still, what makes us such big fans of the F7 is its charging and battery life. You can juice this pick from flat to full in well under an hour, which beats more expensive alternatives from the likes of Apple and Motorola, and it retains its charge for well over a day, even if you're spending longer than you should playing your favorite mobile games.

While the Poco F7 is a great option at the mid-range price bracket, it's worth pointing out that it is a pretty big phone, so if you're coming from something like an iPhone SE or Samsung A series device, it might take a little while to get used to the sizeable screen. It also gets a little warm when running demanding games, but in all fairness, so do most phones at this price point, and it never gets so hot that you feel like you have to put it down. For more details, see our Poco F7 review.

For this pick, it was a close call between the RedMagic 10 Pro and the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro, but considering how much more affordable the RedMagic option is, we had to go with that. It's still not cheap, sure, but for the price, you're getting almost unparalleled gaming performance in all the best Android games, a stunning 144Hz AMOLED display with super-slim bezels, and software that lets you customize your play experience more than any other phone on this list. It really is that good.

Still, the single best thing about the RedMagic 10 Pro is its capacitive shoulder triggers, which come in handy in games such as PUBG Mobile and Free Fire. These triggers make it so you don't have to reach for your gaming controller to jump into one of your favorite FPS games or racing games, and once you've gotten used to using them, going back to plain old touchscreen controls feels like a trip back in time, and not in the fun Doctor Who way.

While the RedMagic 10 Pro is a great gaming phone, it's not the best all-rounder and lacks a little in some other departments. The front-facing camera is almost surprisingly poor for an Android in 2025, but if you're not a big selfie taker, it shouldn't be much of an issue. You're also not getting as many years of software support as you would with the likes of the best Samsung phones and the best Google Pixel phones, with just one Android OS update guaranteed. For the full lowdown, check out our RedMagic 10 Pro review.

Point-and-shoot photography doesn't get any better on Android phones than it does with the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL. That said, Google's latest flagship has much more to offer than just a fantastic camera array, with a fantastic OLED screen, a specs boost, and seven years of updates all helping to justify the price tag.

The Pixel 9 Pro XL has a stellar triple camera set-up consisting of a 50MP wide camera, 48MP ultrawide, and 48MP 5x telephoto lens. In our testing, we found there wasn't a situation the thing wasn't ready for, be it epic wide landscape shots or zoomed-in macro snaps. Combine this with the stellar Pixel image editing tools, including the AI-powered Magic Eraser, and there's no better Android option for amateur photographers.

There are no massive drawbacks to the Pixel 9 Pro XL, though its Tensor G4 chipset is still behind competing Snapdragon options, even if it's better for gamers than the Tensor G3. It's also got a higher price point than we're used to seeing from Pixel devices, but considering the quality of the cameras, we think it's more than worth it. For more of our thoughts on this one, check out our Google Pixel 9 Pro XL review.

Although the Open is the first foldable phone from OnePlus, the company has deftly managed to craft an excellent device that beats out competing options from manufacturers more seasoned at making this form factor. Open or closed, its user experience is excellent.

Across the board, the Open offers everything you'd want from a phone in addition to its foldable features. All three of its OLED screens are sharp with a 426-431 pixels-per-inch range, pack a smooth 120Hz refresh rate, and are exceptionally bright with a 2,800 nits peak brightness, which is leagues above some of the other folding phones like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5.

The camera bump is large but houses some great lenses for photography and video, with a 48MP wide, ultrawide, and 64MP telephoto lens. Further adding to the Open's premium feel is the strong quality of its physical build and of its software, with OnePlus providing a seamless experience regardless of how you're using the phone.

Compromises in service of a foldable design come as no surprise, but the Open's biggest negatives are actually very easy to live with and may not faze some potential buyers. OnePlus has omitted wireless charging from the Open, likely because of its large camera bump, but its 67W wired charging is plenty fast. The biggest problem affecting the phone, though, is its IPX4 rating, which understandably gives caution to its $1,699.99 price tag.

While Samsung has had some competition in the book-style foldable arena in the last couple of years, the Korean tech brand still reigns supreme when it comes to flip phones. The Galaxy Z Flip 6 is the latest and greatest on offer, boasting top-tier gaming performance thanks to its Snapdragon chipset, a lovely form factor that feels nice in the hand, and a gorgeous OLED display that brings games to life.

Yes, the Flip 6 is a true all-rounder, and despite a few new flip phones arriving on the scene throughout the last twelve months, nothing quite lives up to it. Outside of how well it handles games, it also shares a lot of the AI features that you'd find on the other best Samsung phones. That includes Circle to Search with Google, which you can use to highlight an in-game boss on your screen and search for solutions on how to take them out, plus Generative Edit for photo editing and Live Translate.

Considering the price point, it shouldn't come as a surprise that there are no real drawbacks to the Z Flip 6. Admittedly, the screen crease is still visible when unfolded, but it's not nearly as bad as we've seen on previous models, and you adjust to it pretty quickly. It's also worth pointing out that while the Flip 7 is newer, it's not a massive upgrade, so it makes sense to save your money and pick up the slightly older model.

The Nubia Z70 Ultra is a fantastic addition to the best Android phones. Its stunning 6.85-inch AMOLED display is a real gem amid rivals in the market, with crisp colors and impressive brightness, and it's a great option if you're looking to spend a lot of time gaming and watching videos on your phone.

The Z70 Ultra's battery life is hard to compete with, easily powering through a full day of gaming and streaming with up to 30% remaining, and it charges back up to full in under an hour, too. Using the power of the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, you'll find everyday tasks are a breeze for this pick from our guide to the best Android phones, and gaming is as smooth as butter.

The only issue with the Nubia Z70 Ultra is that its selfie camera isn't the most impressive compared to some of the other options from this list, but it's still more than good enough for some snaps for your social media. It also doesn't offer the same sort of long-lasting software support as the latest Samsung or Google Pixel alternatives, but three years of Android and security updates is certainly better than nothing.

While the best rugged phones aren't for everyone, if you spend a lot of time on building sites or you've got an adventurous streak, the Doogee S200 is one of the best Android phone options for you. At around $400 at full price, the S200 is safely in the mid-range bracket but comes with tons of specialized features for work and leisure, including a fast-charging, long-life battery, 1.5m drop protection, and several useful survival apps.

What it lacks in sleek design and next-generation technology, the Doogee more than makes up for with its durability, usefulness, and versatility. What makes the S200 one of the best in the business in our books is its surprisingly good gaming capabilities.

As you might imagine, gaming is often low on the priority list for rugged phone manufacturers, but the S200 offers a smooth and enjoyable gaming experience alongside all of its other benefits. For more information, see our Doogie S200 review.

The Honor Magic 7 Pro is up there with the most impressive upgrades in Honor's arsenal. This refreshed Android mobile flaunts a truly superb display, making it ideal for viewing photos you've snapped with its equally impressive camera. Whether you need to capture close-up shots of nature or an ultrawide snap of your friends, you can do it all with ease - and it'll look great in the process.

A charger would be nice, considering the price, and Android software isn't exactly for everyone. However, when the performance is this solid and backed by a huge battery, the Honor Magic 7 Pro is a boon for anyone looking to upgrade their handset.

While the big launch of the Xiaomi 15 is yet to be ironed out, we've had our hands on it, and it's undoubtedly deserving of a spot in this guide. Taking everything that Xiaomi has worked on in previous models, the Xiaomi 15 is a boon to Android users looking for an alternative to Samsung or Honor handsets on the market. The refined HyperOS is incredibly easy to use and ideal for those of you leaping over from Apple's iOS software.

With 120Hz support and the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset under the hood, this is a considerable Android powerhouse for gaming on the go too, whether you're playing COD: Mobile or Zenless Zone Zero. We're all keen on the impressive set of cameras it has, making it a great pick for budding photographers aiming to get the perfect Instagram post.

The Xiaomi 15 performs great too, although it can get quite warm in a short space of time. With a better display than the iPhone 16 and faster charging speeds than the Samsung Galaxy S25, this is a handset worth looking at. If you need more information before making the plunge, check out our Xiaomi 15 review.

The Nothing Phone (3) was quite divisive in the lead-up to its release, which isn't helped by the fact that it comes with such a high price point despite its slightly weaker chipset. As such, it doesn't really offer the best value for money.

However, it's an incredibly unique phone, with a visually striking design, a minimal amount of bloat, solid performance, and a truly stunning display. Its battery is most certainly of flagship standard, and it offers a brilliantly smooth experience, whether you're browsing and scrolling, completing tasks, or gaming. Despite a few quirks with the AI settings, we've also seen fantastic results from the camera.

Of course, we also have to address the phone's most unique feature - the Glyph Matrix. This small screen on the phone's rear can display a variety of things, including volume, notifications, and calls, and you can also download a bunch of different Glyph Toys, including a leveler, a pixelated camera preview, and even spin-the-bottle and rock-paper-scissors minigames. While it can't quite beat the top phones on this list, it's undoubtedly a head-turner, and guides editor Tilly has been using it as her main phone since its release.