Top 5 Gaming Smartphones in the USA for 2025

I’ve been using the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EQ and the NuraTrue Pro earbuds with the phone and music sounds fantastic. Masses of bass, huge presence, and crystal clear definition.

There are other new additions to the ROG Phone’s repertoire, too, including X Capture, which lets you record key events during a game when the system recognizes a particular pattern (such as for boss kills).

On the “shoulders” of the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate are AirTriggers, a pair of ultrasonic buttons that can be assigned to different in-game actions, and each has nine possible gestures with sensitivity adjustment under the X Mode menu.

I can’t say I noticed a big difference between playing my games of choice on the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate over the Galaxy S23 Ultra, but what is obvious is if I was playing for an hour or more, I’d much prefer to do so on the Asus phone.

Asus tuned the software with a stable 60 frames-per-second as its goal in games like Genshin Impact, Diablo Immortal, Arena of Valor, and PUBG. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 also future-proofs the phone for gaming too, as it supports hardware-level ray tracing for realistic graphics.

It practically goes without saying that the performance is superb. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 has already proven itself, and it means the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate takes gaming in its stride.

The ROG Phone 7 Ultimate also excels when it comes to audio.

The USB Type-C connector on the side means the phone can easily be charged while you play, and the central placement of the processor inside the phone means the chassis doesn’t get hot around your fingers and palms.

Stunning 165 — Hz AMOLED panel gets brighter than previous years

More customizability than any other Android device

The best onboard sound of any phone today

Clean Android interface with no bloat

Better cameras this time around

ASUS hasn't changed things too much on the design front, and that's a good thing. The ROG Phone 7 Ultimate has excellent in-hand feel, and the bold styling at the back is guaranteed to turn heads.

The design itself is a little more restrained, and the result is that the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate looks cleaner and a bit more modern than its predecessor.

It is a unique feature that isn't available on any other gaming phone, and having used it extensively last year, I can attest to its performance during marathon gaming sessions.

AirTriggers are back, and you'll find two ultrasonic buttons on either side on the right, and they offer extensive customization for in-game actions. The power button and volume rockers are on the right as well, and the former is located just below where your thumb rests.

Phenomenal for marathon gaming sessions

Amazing speed, tops its rivals in benchmarks

Excellent display runs faster than it should

Big battery for long game times

The ROG Phone 7 Ultimate isn’t just blazing fast; it also comes with an external cooling fan that can blow air into the phone itself. Yet it still remains sleek and splash-proof (to an extent).

Here’s what getting the Ultimate gets you. You get a faster, brighter display, up to 165Hz, which is frankly ludicrous because I couldn’t push any gaming content to draw that fast, but it beats the 120Hz that’s the norm on other top-end phones.

You also get some serious audio, with an extra push from that AeroActive cooler. If you like to play loud without headphones, whether it’s gaming or watching movies, the extra sub provides a real boost.

Ultimate comes with cooling fan Sharp, bright display with 120Hz refresh ×Fast 80W charging and included plug ×Excellent performance with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 ×Alert slider is back

Incredibly good speakers, plus subwoofer in the cooler accessory

The AMOLED screen is bright, punchy and vivid. Asus claims a peak brightness of 1500 nits, which I found to help ensure the display is visible even with bright sunlight. The phone also supposedly covers 150.89% of the sRGB gamut, ensuring accurate colours for games and videos.

Among the best performing Android phones

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the under-display fingerprint sensor on the ROG Phone 7 works tremendously well — it's responsive and easy to use.

Astounding multi-day battery life

Impressive display with 165 — Hz refresh rate and HDR10+ support

Powerful performance with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset

IP54 water resistance for added durability

High-quality audio with stereo speakers and 32-bit/384kHz audio support

Large 6000m — Ah battery with fast charging support

Excellent gaming experience with pressure-sensitive gaming triggers

Motorized cooling air vent for effective heat dissipation