Best budget gaming phones perfect for the summer

Nothing beats playing games during summer. You have more time to play, friends and family are available to join, and — as we’ll find out — a ton of budget gaming phones are out and ready to handle your gaming sessions head-on!

In this list, we’ve rounded up some of the best budget gaming phones we think will be perfect for the summer heat.

Not only have we chosen devices that will be good choices for both veteran and newbie gamers alike, but these smartphones also bring great value even with their budget prices.

Without further ado, let’s get into it!

Infinix HOT 30

First on our list is the Infinix HOT 30. It has a 6.78-inch FHD+ IPS screen with a 90 Hz refresh rate, a MediaTek Helio G88 chipset, 8GB (+8 extendable) RAM, 128GB/256GB of internal storage (expandable up to 1TB), and a 5000 mAh battery capacity with 33W fast wired charging.

It also has a 50 MP main camera and a separate AI lens at the rear and an 8 MP selfie shooter at the front.

The HOT 30 is powered by a MediaTek Helio G88 chipset and offers good gaming performance for the price. Popular games such as Mobile Legends, Call of Duty Mobile, and Asphalt 9 all run well on the HOT 30.

Impressively, the HOT 30 can also run more graphically-intensive titles such as Genshin Impact, provided you have it set at low settings.

What makes the HOT 30 special is definitely its price. For an SRP of Php 6,999USD 119INR 10,111EUR 114CNY 869, it’s the only phone on this list that falls under the Php 7,000USD 119INR 10,112EUR 114CNY 869 range which is amazing given that it features a high refresh rate screen, a good chipset, decent memory capacity, and a big battery — at such a low price.

It also has one of the fastest wired charging speeds at this price segment with 33W. That’s pretty good considering that you’d have to shell out more money on other phones just to get faster charging.

While its camera system is merely average, it’s hard to argue against it having the best balance of essentials in a gaming-focused budget smartphone.

Redmi Note 12

Next on our list is the Redmi Note 12. It features a 6.67-inch FHD+ AMOLED with a 120 Hz refresh rate, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 685, either 4, 6, or 8GB of RAM, and either 64 or 128GB of internal storage.

It also has a 50MP wide sensor, an 8MP ultrawide, and a 2MP macro camera at the back, as well as a 13MP selfie shooter at the front. For battery, it has a 5,000 mAh cell with support for 33W fast charging.

The Redmi Note 12 will be best for gamers who want a great display, as its AMOLED panel definitely punches way above its price. Gaming on Redmi’s Note 12 is good too, with titles like Call of Duty Mobile and Mobile Legends having no issue or lag during gameplay.

We do have to mention that the Note 12 does at times provide inconsistent performance within its general UI, which is MIUI Global version 14.0.6 at the time of writing.

You can purchase the Note 12 for Php 8,599USD 147INR 12,422EUR 140CNY 1,067 for the 4GB RAM and 128GB internal storage version (online exclusive); Php 9,999USD 170INR 14,445EUR 162CNY 1,241 for the 6GB and 128GB variant; and Php 10,999USD 187INR 15,889EUR 179CNY 1,365 for the 8GB and 128GB internal storage option.

realme C55

Third on this roundup is realme’s C55. It features a 6.72-inch FHD+ IPS display with a 90 Hz refresh rate, a MediaTek Helio G88 processor, either 6 or 8GB of RAM, 128 or 256GB of internal storage, and a 5,000 mAh battery with support for 33W wired charging.

It also has a dual camera setup comprised of a 64MP main sensor and a 2MP depth lens. It also has an 8MP front-facing camera for selfies.

The realme C55 runs games well enough, with titles such as Mobile Legends having no problem in our experience. We also love the overall build and ergonomics that you get with the realme C55, as it is comfortable in the hand and feels solid, especially at this price range.

We did, however, wish its software was more optimized for its high refresh rate screen as transitions from 90 Hz to 60 Hz felt choppy on the C55 (with some stock apps not supporting 90 Hz out of the box). Otherwise, the realme C55 is another good pick on this list.

You can get the realme C55 for Php 8,999.00USD 153INR 13,000EUR 146CNY 1,117 for the 6GB + 128GB variant and Php 10,999.00USD 187INR 15,889EUR 179CNY 1,365 for the 8GB + 256GB configuration.

TECNO Spark 10 Pro

Last is the TECNO Spark 10 Pro. It has a 6.8-inch FHD IPS display with a 90 Hz refresh rate, a MediaTek Helio G88 processor, and a 5,000 mAh battery capacity with 18W fast charging.

The SPARK 10 Pro also has a 50MP main shooter and an AI lens, as well as a 32MP front camera. It will also come with 256 GB of internal storage and 16GB of RAM (8GB Extended).

The SPARK 10 Pro can decently run most modern games with no problem at all. It also has a clean design that’s reminiscent of much more expensive phones (think Apple’s iPhones).

We do wish that it had a brighter display and better speakers but we feel those are fair compromises given the budget price.

You can purchase the TECNO Spark 10 Pro with 8GB RAM and 256GB of storage for Php 7,499USD 128INR 10,833EUR 122CNY 931.

That ends our guide on what we think are the best budget gaming phones for the summer season!

Any phone here will honestly be great for your gaming sessions this summertime, but feel free to let us know which one is your favorite out of the four.

Let us know in the comments down below!