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Budget gaming phones have come a long way in terms of quality and performance. There are several on the market offering top-of-the-line hardware with excellent performance in a mobile setting. However, these are super expensive, often being as expensive as flagship devices in the market.
Luckily, there are several budget-friendly options available too. This guide will look into the best budget gaming phones to help you make an informed decision about your purchase.
Note: This article is subjective and reflects the writer's views.
The best budget gaming phones of 2025
1) REDMAGIC 10 Air
Price: $499.00
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The REDMAGIC 10 Air is undoubtedly one of the best budget gaming phones currently available on the market. REDMAGIC is known for making gaming-exclusive smartphones and its products have always featured high-end specs. The 10 Air offers great specs at a relatively affordable price. It even features shoulder triggers for precise gameplay and has an RGB ring on the camera module.
Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, it can easily handle the most demanding games at their best resolutions and graphics settings. It brilliantly runs features like hardware-accelerated ray tracing on compatible games, increasing the immersiveness and visual experience.
The base model comes with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage, which is incredible for gaming. Its 6.8-inch AMOLED screen is the largest display on the list and offers an immersive experience. The 6000 mAh battery lasts an incredible nine hours of moderate use or gaming. With lighter use, it runs an average of 12 hours, which is superb for the price.
Here's the buying link for the phone.
2) Google Pixel 9a
Price: $499
The Google Pixel 9a is an excellent option for those into premium smartphones in the Android ecosystem. Featuring a sleek design, the Pixel 9a is powered by the Google Tensor G4 chipset, which offers passable performance in gaming. While it isn't exactly a gaming phone, it offers super smooth framerates for the price, even with higher graphics settings on moderately demanding titles.
The Pixel 9a features 8GB RAM and 256GB storage, which is quite decent for gaming and multitasking. With a 6.3-inch OLED display, it is quite smaller compared to other budget gaming phones; nevertheless, it offers excellent color quality and immersivity. Its 5100 mAh battery lasts an average of 13 hours of moderate use and almost an entire day with lighter usage.
Here's the buying link for the phone.
3) OnePlus Nord N30 5G
Price: $299.99
The OnePlus Nord N30 5G is a solid option for those on a tighter budget. At less than $300, it offers excellent performance and serves as a great daily driver. Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G, it offers smooth performance on moderately demanding games. However, it may not be the best for demanding titles at higher graphics quality.
It features 8GB RAM and 128GB storage, which are quite decent for gaming purposes. It has a 6.72-inch IPS LCD display with a refresh rate of 120Hz, making the gameplay super smooth. The phone's 5000 mAh battery lasts an impressive 13 hours of use based on user reviews.
Here's the buying link for the phone.
Also read: 5 best gaming phones to buy in 2025
4) Apple iPhone 16e
Price: $599
The Apple iPhone 16e is one of the best budget options for Apple enthusiasts. It may not have the best specs for top-tier gaming, but its A18 chipset can run most modern titles at great graphics settings. Another great thing about gaming on Apple devices is the access to certain exclusive titles like the Resident Evil series, Final Fantasy series, and even games like Assassin's Creed Mirage.
This budget gaming phone features 8GB RAM and multiple storage options to choose from. It comes with a beautiful 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display, which offers incredible colors. Its 4005 mAh battery lasts around 26 hours of video playback according to Apple. However, based on user reviews, it lasts an average of 13 hours of moderate use.
Here's the buying link for the phone.
5) Nothing Phone (3a)
Price: $379
Most modern phones feature the same minimalistic design, which can get quite boring after a while. For those looking for unique-looking options, the Nothing Phone (3a) would be a solid choice. Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3, it can comfortably handle demanding mobile titles without any performance issues.
The device features 8 and 12GB RAM options, and up to 256GB storage. With a large 6.77-inch AMOLED display, it offers brilliant vibrance to media content and games. Its 5000 mAh battery lasts an average of 13 hours of moderate use according to reviews.
Here's the buying link for the phone.
This concludes the list of the best budget gaming phones available in 2025. We've included a varied budget range, each excelling in slightly different fields. While all phones mentioned in the list are great gaming devices, they also excel in other areas like daily multitasking, photography, etc.
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