For the few of us who do change phones on a regular basis generally opt for a budget smartphone as a secondary phone. Combine this with the fact that over 1.2 billion people in this world play games on a regular basis and we have almost a major chunk of the population looking for smartphones for gaming in the budget price bracket. Given the fact that the Android Play Store is crowded with games, we couldn’t help but play these three features together and come up a list of the best Android Phones for Gaming. So, let’s get started.
1. Xiaomi Redmi 4
Priced at Rs. 8,999, the Xiaomi Redmi 4 is easily the most affordable gaming phone now. The Redmi 4, seen as a successor to the Redmi 3S, features a 5-inch display and a 4100 mAh battery. This dual-SIM phone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 Soc which clocks at 1.4 GHz and 3 GB of RAM. The 32GB internal storage can be further increased to 128 GB with a microSD card. Considering the price, the battery life and gaming performance are above par. During the Guiding Tech gaming review and the full review of the Redmi 4, it behaved amazingly with little or no noticeable lags. Plus, the Redmi 4 packs in a neat matte rear which makes it easy to hold and play. Other than that, the Xiaomi Redmi 4 runs on Android 6.0.1 and packs in a 13-megapixel primary camera and a 5-megapixel selfie shooter. The Xiaomi Redmi 4 also has a lower variant (2GB/16GB) priced at Rs.6,999 and a higher variant (4GB/64GB) priced at Rs.10,999.
2. Xiaomi Redmi Note 4
Up next we have another Xiaomi device — the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 — priced at Rs. 9,999. The Redmi Note 4 sports a 2GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor and packs in 4GB of RAM. The internal storage of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 is at 64 GB which can be further increased to 128GB through a microSD card. Similar to the Redmi 4, the Note 4 is also powered by a 4100mAh battery which will easily see you through a day of regular use. The Redmi Note 4 performed amazingly well in our gaming review as well, with temperatures hovering only around 29-degree Celsius. On the camera front, the Note 4 packs in two cameras — a standard 13-megapixel at the rear and a 5-megapixel front shooter. On the software front, the Android version is Marshmallow and supports 3G, 4G, LTE and VoLTE out of the box.
3. Coolpad Note 5
Priced at Rs. 10,999, the Cool Pad Note 5 is an ideal device for casual gamers. One of the first Coolpad device to sport a metal unibody, the Coolpad Note 5 is powered by Qualcomm MSM8952 Snapdragon 617 clocked at 1.5 GHz with 4 GBs of RAM. Aforesaid, the Coolpad Note 5 is well capable of handling casual games or games in medium graphics settings. However, if you subject the Note 5 to graphics heavy game, the temperature tends to shoot up a bit. Other than that, the Note 5 packs in a 13 MP f/2.2 rear camera and a 8 MP f/2.2 front shooter. The 4100mAh battery of the Coolpad Note 5 easily lasts more than 24 hours on a single SIM and a full day on both the SIMs with WiFi and data enabled.
4. Lenovo K6 Note
The Lenovo K6 Note, launched in December 2016 is an ideal candidate for a budget gaming device. Priced at Rs. 11,699, the K6 Note is powered by 1.4 GHz octa-core processor Snapdragon 430 with 3GB RAM. The internal memory of the phone is at 32 GB which is expandable to 128 GBs. When it comes to the gaming front, the K6 Note handles both casual games and graphics-heavy games with ease. Though there are a couple of frames skips encountered during Asphalt 8, but it’s only at the higher-graphics settings. Considering the price, it’s not much of a dealbreaker. Coming to the camera specs, the Lenovo K6 Note packs in a 13-megapixel primary camera and an 8-megapixel front shooter. It runs on Android 6.0 and supports both 3G, 4G, and LTE.
5. Huawei Honor 5C
Fifth on the list is the Huawei Honor 5C. Launched in 2016, this 5.2-inch phone is powered by 1.7GHz octa-core Hisilicon Kirin 650 chipset and it comes with 2GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal storage. The internal storage can be further expanded up to 128GB. Though the battery specs are a tad less (3000mAh), if we were to compare it to the above devices, the Honor can handles games like a pro. Whether it’s a graphics heavy game or a casual game, the 5c will rarely see any jitters or lags. And when it comes to heating issues, the Huawei Honor 5C’s temperature hovers around a decent mark of 40-degeee Celsius. Beyond that, the phone runs on Android Marshmallow and packs in a 13-megapixel primary camera and an 8-megapixel selfie shooter.
6. Moto G4 Play
Priced at Rs. 7,999, the Moto G4 Play is next on our list. This 5-inch phone packs in 2GB of RAM and is powered by 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor. Similar to the above entrants, the 16GB internal storage can be expanded to 128GB through a microSD card. On the gaming front, the Moto G4 Plays handles all the games with ease, with temperatures hovering around 40-degree Celcius. Furthermore, racing games like Asphalt 8 can be played with no lag or frame skips. The Moto G4 Play is powered by a 2800mAh battery, so you might want to keep the charger nearby. It runs on Android Marshmallow and packs in 8-megapixel primary camera and a 5-megapixel front shooter.
7. Lenovo Vibe K5 Note
Last on the list is the Lenovo Vibe K5 Note. The Vibe K5 is a 5-inch smartphone which is powered by a 1.2GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 415 processor and comes with 2GB of RAM. It boasts of a 16GB internal memory and can be expanded to only 32 GB. But let not the small storage deter you, for the Lenovo Vibe handles games perfectly well. With the highest temperature hovering around 39-degree Celcius, it can handle both high-end games and casual games with ease. The Lenovo Vibe K5 packs in a 2750mAh battery and runs on Android 5.0. When it comes to camera specs, it has a 13-megapixel primary camera and a 5-megapixel selfie shooter.
That’s All, Folks!
Given the price tags, with these phones, you’ll get a decent game play. What’s more, the heating issues are also a tad less in these devices. So, which one of these made it to your wishlist? See Next: 14 Cool Gadgets to Buy Under Rs 500 In India
