There is a vast array of gaming phone options in the market right now. Since the Razer Phone revived the gaming phone category in 2017, gamers have seen loads of gaming phones, such as the Black Shark family and the Asus ROG Phone series.
The term “gaming phone” is quite vague in practice. This is because plenty of brands interpret this term as packing a phone with better cooling and powerful internals. But things got better when the XDA-Developers has uncovered Google’s Game Device Certification.
Such certification reveals that there are a number of requirements for a device before it can obtain the game device certification for it.
How Can a Device Qualify for a Game Device Certification
The very first requirement before qualifying for a game device certification is that the device should have “predictable performance.” Meaning, there should not be any lost CPU cores, unexpected throttling, or any other odd system behavior when a user is playing games on the phone.
In addition, Google is paying close attention to GPU performance for the program. The search engine giant said that the device must offer a modern and updated GPU as well as display APIs. Google particularly mandated that the devices applying for game device certification should support Vulkan 1.1.
Moreover, the last requirement addresses the device’s RAM behavior. Google said that a certified gaming phone should provide access to RAM in a predictable way. The search engine giant noted that a certified gaming phone must be able to provide a minimum of 23GB of RAM to be used by a process before finally getting killed off.
Google Says: Some Features for Gaming Phones Are Necessary
Reportedly, Google mandated a number of requirements for gaming phone certification. However, one could agree that this is a low bar. For instance, all flagships, excluding Huawei and a number of Samsung devices, use the Snapdragon 855 chipset. This chipset supports Vulkan 1.1. In fact, this API is supported on mid-range silicon.
For that reason, RAM management and better cooling become two challenges for manufacturers. Yet, many of the existing gaming phones right now are claiming to have improved cooling measures and a huge amount of RAM.
Another thing worth noting is that the refresh rates, as well as the physical inputs, seem to not be taken into account for devices that are applying for gaming phone certification. There are devices similar to the Razer Phone series that offer 120Hz refresh rates. This means a smoother system and gaming experience. On the other hand, the Asus ROG Phone family offers ultrasonic triggers. These triggers act like shoulder buttons for the gaming phone.
To put it simply, the definition of Google for a gaming phone is basically a reasonably powerful device that will not overheat and has sensible RAM management.
The Important Features and Specs that You Should Look for in a Gaming Phone
Now that you know how Google defines a powerful gaming phone, now is the time for you to find out the important features that a gaming phone should have.
- Chipset
Essentially, the chipset is the heart of every gaming phone. The clock speed of a phone determines the speed of the device with normal operations. On the other hand, the core count is an indication of the number of tasks the device can handle simultaneously without lagging. Needless to say, the age of dual core and quad-core is nearly gone.
Now is the age of octa core or eight cores. This means that a smartphone can handle more functions many times in comparison to its earlier versions. In addition, the chipset is called SoC. Moreover, for most gaming phones, Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 is the preferred SoC.
- Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)
This one is a significant factor for those who consider buying a gaming phone. The GPU handles the graphic functions of the phone. Unlike the chipset processor, a GPU has hundreds of normal cores that work by handling fast and complex graphics. This means that if a phone has more cores, it will mean a smoother game.
Google’s Most Important Gaming Phone Features
- High Refresh Rates
A refresh rate is the number of times the graphic frames appear while the screen is renewing. For this reason, higher refresh rates are better. This is because it provides you a smooth view of the graphics, most especially the video.
Moreover, gaming phones must have a refresh rate of as high as 120Hz and a minimum of 90Hz.
- Large and Sensitive Screen
It is important for gaming phones to have a screen large enough for the elements of a game to be visible and trackable. Many gamers prefer phones with at least a 6.5-inch screen size for an enhanced experience. In addition, the screen must be sensitive to pressure, has a fast response to touch, and supports HDR.
- Long Battery Life
The capacity of your gaming phone’s battery will provide you uninterrupted gaming for long periods of time. When all the aforementioned gaming features are met by your gaming phone, its battery can be quickly exhausted. But this is not actually a matter of concern because most modern gaming phones are equipped with high battery capacities.
- RAM
Mobile gamers should also look into the phone’s RAM. The reason is that it provides the space that your gaming phone needs in order to handle the temporary data while a program is running. It is important to note that multiple running programs need higher RAM. to get the most out of your gaming experience, around 6 to 8GB of RAM should be enough.
Conclusion
Gaming phones are very popular right now. The specs and features mentioned above are what you need for your phone if you want it to provide a perfect gaming experience. Still, the continuous advancement of technology means that necessary features and specs will also change. This means that gaming phones will become even more powerful in the near future.