3 WAYS GAMING PHONES EXCEL - YOU DON'T GET THIS IN AN iPHONE OR GALAXY

THE ROG PHONE 3 AND LEGION PHONE DUEL STILL HAVE TRICKS UP THEIR SLEEVE.

- ADAM PATRICK MURRAY

Why are gaming phones still a thing (go.pcworld.com/stng)? That’s what my colleague Michael Simon pondered after the recent releases of the Asus ROG Phone 3 and Lenovo Legion Phone Duel, and it’s a fair question to ask.

When the Razer Phone created the “gaming phone” market (go.pcworld.com/rz17) in 2017, it rolled out with unique features rarely—if ever—seen in smartphones: a high refresh rate screen, binned processors, copper vapor chambers, and in-your-face “gamer” aesthetics. But in the years since, many of those “gaming” features have trickled down to mainstream phones like the Samsung Galaxy (go.pcworld.com/ul20) and various OnePlus models (go.pcworld.com/7t1p). Again: Why are gaming phones still a thing?

Don’t be fooled: Despite the mainstream adoption of some of their features, these fire-breathing, enthusiast-focused devices continue to innovate. As someone who covered many of the most popular gaming phones, there are three key features (beyond their raw power) that help phones like the Asus ROG Phone 3 and Lenovo Legion Phone Duel stand out from the mainstream masses.