Are Gaming phones really worth it?: The truth....

In the world of computers, there are devices called ''gaming computers'', which are designed for playing high end games with great computing power. Certainly, someone new to the term will think gaming laptops (or desktops) can only play video games just like a console. Not really, as they have that prefix due to the fact that gaming is the hardest thing a PC can do. High triple title games can push a computer to it's limits. Since the gaming industry is bigger than it's music and movie counterparts, it's safe to say that there's a growing demand for more gaming oriented devices, which include smartphones. Armed to the teeth, these phones bring to the table new and sophisticated features not found in phones at their price range.

1.0: Brief  history of Gaming phones:

 While the Asus ROG (Republic of gamers) phone is widely acclaimed to be the first gaming smartphone, gaming phones have been in production have been in production long before Asus decided to even create one. Some notably like the Nokia N-Gage.

The Nokia N-Gage

The N-gage was basically a combination of smartphone and a gaming system, all in a handheld package. Released around October in 2003, it was probably made to compete with the Gameboy advance, which was a big hit at the time. It was impressive, as it could play games other smartphones couldn't at the time, like Call of duty and Tony hawks pro skater. Although not a huge financial success, the N-gage actually started a new dimension of smartphone plus video game hybrids, which still head on till this day.

We also have the Sony ericsson play, of which we know the company for the PlayStation. The Sony Xperia was a promotion for Sony's gaming brand, and could play PSP (PlayStation portable) games.

2.0 Features of gaming Phones:

What features and specifications do Gaming phones boast that make them stand out from the others? Let's check them out.

2.1: High end Chipsets:

The main fact of buying gaming branded smartphones is that you're basically getting some of the best chipsets around. The Razer phone was released in 2017 with a snapdragon 835, and the Xiaomi black shark too in 2018 with a snapdragon 845. These chipsets by Qualcomm were the top of the line then providing enough GPU and CPU power to run some of the most intensive games and apps. A gaming phone will always try to field the latest chipset when possible in the market.

2.2: Quality screen resolutions and higher refresh rates:

Another notable specification of gaming phones is the screen resolution and refresh rate. most gaming phones employ a 2k or QHD resolution, while other phones mostly use a 1080p resolution. But in terms of refresh rate, these phones can use up to 144hz, which is the same rate used in high end gaming computers. Most flagships only use up to 120hz. This refresh rate will help in your competitive online gaming to make you have an edge in those shootouts.

2.3: Better Audio:

What's better than hearing the blasting sound of bullets, or the sound of your tires burning when making an intense drift? well, having great audio capabilities finally. Most serious gaming phones are armed with stereo speakers, which provide better sound and add to the overall gaming experience.
For example the first Asus ROG phone had dual front facing speakers with a smart amplifier which offered a hi-res 192kHz/24-bit audio and DTSX virtual 7.1-channel surround sound.

2.4: Better haptics feedback:



Haptics, is basically your phone or controller touching you. Yes, not only can you touch or respond to your controllers, but your controllers can respond to you too. But keep in mind that it's a mode of communication. An example is that vibration you get when you're detected or shot, or when you go off-road in a racing game.

As you've guessed, good haptics are extremely important for a complete gaming system. They do this by employing the best vibration motor when possible. There are actually two types of motors, the ERM(Eccentric rotating mass) and the Linear vibration motor. While the former is used extensively in most phones, few phones adopt the linear due to it's faster acceleration. some of which include the gaming phones.

2.5: Large batteries:

Oh-boy, if you think you've seen the biggest batteries around you need to check out the gaming phones! Some phones like the Asus ROG 2 even go up to 6,000mAh. Now that's something you don't see everyday.

2.6: Extra ''Gamey'' Internals and accessories:

While most smartphones have basic internals, gaming phones are notorious for cranking up the volume by a wide margin. Some smartphones come with a cooling pipe, a gaming phone actually comes with a fan that can reach up to 15,000 rpm. This is just the tip of the iceberg, as gaming phones employ premium features such as high amounts of RAM (like 12Gb), up to 512gb of internal memory of which Is UFS 3.0, mappable keys, array of ports, RGB lights and so on.

As for accessories, you could get the drift easily, gaming headphones, game pads, dual/twin screen clamps, peripheral cooling clamps, Mobile Desktop Dock, which allows users to connect the ROG phone to an external 4K UHD monitor, keyboard or mouse, and so on. Some even have enhanced software with proprietary gaming modes.

2.7: The brand:

 There's something about a brand name that gives out power and style, like walking into a coffee shop and seeing someone with the same product from a brand too. Brand identification is a feature that is well catered for in gaming phones and mostly for gamers. You can take pride in pulling out your phone, or gaming branded accessories and subsequently stand out in the mist of gamers too.

3.0: Bottom line: Do you really need a Gaming phone?

 Well if you've noticed, most of the features mentioned up there can be found on flagships at the range of 1000 dollars. Unlike in the world of computers, most smartphone games are not that taxing on hardware and can be suitably played across devices. In PC gaming older titles from 2015 can give modern computers a run for their money. But the truth is, most of the features or specifications of gaming smartphones are often exaggerated, and sometimes in a good way.

 Most serious gaming smartphones employ the absolute best of the best specifications, so if you're going for the best, you might want to get them. If one of their fancy features cater to your needs then go ahead. This can be their large batteries, high storage capability, refresh rate or even just the brand name. All this though if you can accept the price...as these phones often come above 500$.

But it all balls down to preference. These phones are targeted at a particular set of people, The gamers. There's a reason why gaming phones don't come with a top of the line camera or better call features. That's because those features aren't ''gamey'' by any chance. So if you're a hardcore gamer and you want people to know this, your gaming smartphone can be of help because its really flashy and will definitely stand out from the rest...….Obviously the RGB lighting and the aggressive looking metal bars will give it away. but if you're a corporate or business person where appearance and looks matters a lot, it might make no sense. Imagine being in a serious meeting and taking a phone call with something that looks like a piece of alien technology.

So that brings us to the end of the post. What do you think of  Gaming phones? effective? Gimmicky? Let us know below. Until then, see you next time.