What’s the best gaming iPhone? Apple’s iPhone handsets keep their value for years after their release date, and with plenty of iPhone generations to choose from, there’s no one answer.
It all depends on the type of gaming you’re looking to do and the budget at your disposal when picking out the best gaming phone from Apple. If money is no object and you’re looking to play AAA games, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is the obvious choice, but if you prefer indies and don’t want to spend more than $500, you would be better off looking at a refurbished iPhone 14 or iPhone SE. With that in mind, this guide is here to help you find thebest iPhone for gamingforyour needs.
These arethe best gaming iPhones available right now:
1. iPhone 15 Pro Max – best overall
2. iPhone 14 Pro Max – best value
3. iPhone 14 – best mid-range
4. iPhone SE – Best budget
iPhone 15 Pro Max
Best overall iPhone for gaming
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iPhone 15 Pro Max specifications:
| Chipset | A17 Pro |
| Display | 6.7‑inch 120Hz OLED display, (2796 x 1290 pixels) |
| Storage | 256GB / 512GB / 1TB |
| RAM | 8GB |
| Battery | 4,441 mAh |
Reasons to buy
- Industry-leading performance
- Stellar display
- 120Hz refresh rate
Reasons to avoid
- Expensive
- Can get hot
The iPhone 15 Pro Max is easily the best iPhone for gaming at the time of writing. With its A17 Pro chipset, this thing is capable of running AAA games like Death Stranding and Resident Evil Village, demanding mobile titles like Honkai Star Rail and Diablo Immortal, and classic casual titles like Candy Crush and Royal Match. Simply put, if you’re getting an iPhone predominantly for play, this is the one you want.
Not only is it an impressive performer, but the 120Hz OLED display on the iPhone 15 is stunning, with that high refresh rate offering smooth-as-you-like visuals consistently. Combine all that with generous storage options starting at 256GB and the best battery life we’ve seen in an Apple smartphone to date, and it’s clear to see why we’re so enthusiastic about this recommendation. It could do with a little more RAM, but Apple isn’t the most generous brand in that department.
There is a pretty substantial caveat in that this phone is expensive. Outside of foldables from the likes of Samsung and OnePlus, you’re rarely going to come across anything as pricey as this, costing upwards of $1,400. It’s also worth pointing out that the 15 Pro Max can get a little hot if you’re playing over time, despite some software patches from Apple. So if you’re a serious gamer, it might be wise to invest in a cooling case.
iPhone 14 Pro Max
Best value for a gaming iPhone
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iPhone 14 Pro Max specifications:
| Chipset | Apple A16 Bionic |
| Display | 6.7-inch 120Hz OLED (1290 x 2796 pixels) |
| Storage | 128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB |
| RAM | 6GB |
| Battery | 4,323 mAh |
Reasons to buy
- AAA capable
- Fantastic display
- Top-tier performance
Reasons to avoid
- Expensive
- Lacking RAM
If you’re looking for the best value in an iPhone for gaming, the iPhone 14 Pro Max is that choice for you. It might be considerably more expensive than other older iPhones, but you really get what you pay for here.
The display is huge, at 6.7 inches, with a variable refresh rate of up to 120hz, high pixel density, and the new Dynamic Island cutout at the top. It also supports a much higher contrast ratio, HDR, and a much higher maximum brightness. Couple that with an enormous battery life of around 29 hours and you’ve got a serious gaming phone.
Setting aside the lovely textured matte glass and stainless steel design, and many other lovely features like that ridiculous three-camera setup, it really is the best iPhone for gaming.
iPhone 14
Best mid-range iPhone for gaming
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iPhone 14 specifications:
| Chipset | Apple A15 Bionic |
| Display | 6.1‑inch 60Hz all‑screen OLED display (2532 x 1170 pixels) |
| Storage | 128GB / 256GB / 512GB |
| RAM | 6GB |
| Battery | 3,279 mAh |
Reasons to buy
- Great OLED screen
- Solid battery life
- Affordable
Reasons to avoid
- Only 60Hz
- Not the best chip
The iPhone 14 is the phone we’d recommend to most serious prospective iPhone gamers and the best iPhone for gaming overall. Although we put the iPhone 14 Pro Max at the top of this guide – thanks to its high-level performance – the vanilla 14 model is around two-thirds of the price of the iPhone 14 Pro Max, but as it packs in most of the features that count, it’s the shrewd person’s choice.
You’ve still got a beautiful OLED display screen, which helps thebest iPhone gameslook their absolute best. While its battery life sits around the 20-hour mark, rather than the Pro Max’s 29, you’ll still get a lot out of it between charges.
If you’ve got money to spend, and you can live without the most luxurious of features, this is, without a doubt, the gaming iPhone to buy. It comes in a raft of fancy colors too, and we’re particularly big fans of the yellow option. Who doesn’t want a yellow iPhone?
iPhone SE
Best budget iPhone for gaming
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iPhone SE specifications:
| Chipset | A15 Bionic |
| Display | 4.7-inch 60Hz widescreen LCD display (1334 x 750 pixels) |
| Storage | 64GB / 128GB / 256GB |
| RAM | 2GB |
| Battery | 1,624 mAh |
Reasons to buy
- Cheap
- Decent battery life
- 5G ready
Reasons to avoid
- No OLED display
- Low RAM and storage
- Not the best performer
Bigger isn’t always better, as the iPhone SE can attest to. Not only is it the cheapest iPhone on the market, but it’s also got an upgraded A15 chip inside. That’s there to offer the same horsepower as an iPhone 13.
The trade-off? A smaller screen, no Face ID unlocking, and a home button, among other things. The screen could be the only dealbreaker though. It really is quite tiny. It’s an impressive phone nonetheless, and if you want access to the incredible A15 at the lowest possible price, this is the iPhone for you.
While all this is still true, it’s also worth pointing out that we’re anticipating a new iPhone SE model in 2025, with a souped up chipset and an OLED display. Both of these changes are sure to make the next SE even more ideal for gaming, and considering we’re also expecting the fourth generation model to retail for less than $500, it might be worth waiting a few months to pick up the latest version.
How we chose the best gaming iPhone
When creating this list, these were the criteria we used to determine whether or not any particular phone deserved a spot on this list:
- Recency: When looking at gaming phones, you should only consider those that are actively still being supported by their manufacturers. Those that don’t run the risk of becoming incompatible with the best mobile games.
- Battery life: Enjoy a nice long gaming session? You’re going to want something with a decent battery life. We’re not going to recommend the practically ancient iPhone 7 that only lasts six hours on its diminished battery – only recent models can offer a battery life of around 20 hours or more.
- Pricing: Obviously, iPhones are expensive, but they are also home to some pretty cool exclusive games. For those without a huge budget, we wanted to include a cheaper option (the SE) so you’d still be able to play those iOS games.
- Screen quality: To really make your games pop, you’ll want a nice big OLED screen, and we have focused on models thatfeature that, though we also included a cheaper LCD option for budget shoppers.
- RAM:The better the RAM, the more smoothly your iPhone will run your games. We recommend 6GB for the best performance, though you’ll still get by on the 2GB of the iPhone SE. We wouldn’t want to recommend anything with less.
Which is the best iPhone for gaming?
The iPhone 15 Pro Max is currently the best iPhone for gaming. Of course, the latest models are always going to be better for it than their predecessors, so we’re expecting the iPhone 16 Pro Max to usurp its predecessor, but for now, it’s a good choice.
Can you use an iPhone for gaming?
Of course. There’s even a whole service based around it. Read our list of every Apple Arcade game for an idea of the many games available on the platform. If you’re a serious gamer, you might want to opt for a 15 Pro or Pro Max, as these devices have 120Hz refresh rates, which makes for much smoother gameplay, but the difference is barely noticeable with a lot of casual and indie games.
Why do gamers prefer iPhone?
For many gamers, Apple’s devices are a preferred platform, as many games are very well optimized for iOS software. For example, Genshin Impact is only available at 120fps on iPhone, at the time of writing, so big fans of this game flock to Apple devices.
iPhones are also powerful devices capable of handling some pretty impressive games. If that wasn’t enough, iPhones have access to Apple Arcade, which gives you plenty of games to play for a relatively affordable subscription fee.
Where can I find the best iPhone deals?
Check out the following retailers if you’re after a good iPhone deal:
There you have it, our picks for the best iPhones for gaming. For more of the finest smartphones, check out our guides to the best Samsung phones, the best Xiaomi phones, and the best OnePlus phones. Or, if you’re looking for something new to play on, we’ve got a long list of the best portable gaming consoles to browse through.
