Whether you’ve realized it or not, you’ve probably seen large groups of people gathered in one spot with their eyes fixated on their phones and a look of determination on their faces, even more so than usual. There’s a new phenomenon that has people young and old hanging out in parks day and night, flicking their touchscreens and shouting in excitement. Why, you ask? Well, that’s because they all have one thing in common: they’re playing Pokémon Go, a newly released game in which children and adults alike can enjoy the fantasy of becoming a Pokémon master. Pokémon Go is a simple location-based game in which users are encouraged to explore their surroundings to catch Pokémon, collect items, and battle gym leaders. While it may sound appealing, Pokémon Go is serious business and it comes at a price. To enjoy it at its best, your phone will need network and GPS connectivity, a camera and gyroscope, and a large, hefty battery to get you through the day. With those requirements in mind, here are our top phone picks for starting your Pokémon Go adventure.
Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge
As Samsung’s current flagship phones, these devices feature all you need to become the very best. The Galaxy S7 has a 5.1" screen, while the Galaxy S7 edge features a 5.5" dual edge display. Both feature a large 2560 x 1440 resolution so you can see Pokémon with crisp and clear details, GPS connectivity that enables the game to track where you’re going in real time, a camera that lets you can utilize the AR (Augmented Reality) feature to catch Pokémon as if they existed in our world. You can even take pictures of and with your Pokémon before you capture them. The 3000 mAh battery on the S7 supports fast charging for more catching and less waiting. If you want to stay out a bit longer, the S7 edge holds up to 3600 mAh.
Sony Xperia Z5 Compact
Sometimes catching Pokémon and conquering gyms requires you to step out of your comfort zone and venture into some challenging environments. Luckily, the Sony Xperia Z5 Compact is waterproof and dustproof, so it’s ready to face whatever you may encounter. Furthermore, it measures only 4.6", making it much smaller than most standard smartphones, so you can easily use it with one hand and take it with you while you’re on the go.
LG G4
Playing Pokémon Go, or even just having it on, saps your phone’s battery very quickly. You can enable the battery-saver feature to conserve power for a bit but, in the long run, Pokémon Go is a very power-hungry app. With a removable battery, the LG G4 can keep running as long as you have charged spare batteries in hand. This also unchains you from the charging cable so you can truly continue on your journey to becoming a Pokémon master.
Motorola Moto G4
To play Pokémon Go, you’ll obviously need data and network connectivity. The Motorola Moto G4 is compatible with both GSM and CDMA networks, so you’ll be able to play the game regardless of what phone service provider to which you’re subscribed. You’ll also be able to swap carriers should the need arise. Additionally, it features GPS with GLONASS for accurate location tracking, so you won’t miss any Pokéstops throughout your trip.
BLU Studio One Plus
Pokémon Go is not a super-demanding game—thus, you can get by with almost any phone as long as it meets the minimum requirements, such as the BLU Studio One Plus. This phone is relatively affordable and has a 3200 mAh battery that’s comparable to and even beats other phones on the market. The only downside, though, is that it doesn’t support fast charging, so be prepared to carry a portable power pack or spend some time recharging indoors (preferably near a Pokéstop).
If none of the phones mentioned above fit your preferences, you’ll still be able to play Pokémon Go as long as your phone meets the following specifications.
Android
• Android 4.4 to Android 6.0.1 (Android N will not be supported until the official Android release)
• At least 2GB of RAM
• Preferred resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels (Not optimized for tablet)
• Strong Internet connection (Wi-Fi, 3G, or 4G)
• GPS and Location Services
• Intel® CPUs are not supported
iOS
• iPhone 5+
• iOS 8+
• Strong Internet connection (Wi-Fi, 3G, or 4G)
• GPS and Location Services
• Jailbroken devices are not supported
On the other hand, a new or second phone might not be the best choice. Therefore, you can also get a portable battery pack or case, such as the Apple iPhone 6/6s Smart Battery Case that will let you charge your current device on the go. A larger-capacity battery pack is definitely optimal; however, be sure to find one that’s a better fit for you. It’s a big world out there and if you want to catch ’em all, you’ll need to stay safe, stay alert, and keep your devices powered.
234 Comments
It should since the phone satisfies the games system requirements.
Will Pokémon Go run smooth on a Sony Xperia XA 16GB?
will it work on thee lg k3
Hello Tarquin -
We recommend at least 2GB of RAM (LG K3 has only 1GB of internal RAM) and a higher resolution screen than offered by the LG K3.
The suggestion for the LG G4 is outrages, the phone gets insanely hot (at the lockscreen button and the camera to the point where you can't touch it even) i know this from own experience.
also the battery life just plain sucks. as for the suggestion you switch battery's to keep unchained from cables is a horrible idea seeing it gets so hot!
I use the LG G4 and it is terrible for pokemon go, constantly lagging during catch and it makes it IMPOSSIBLE almost to catch legendaries.
they are crazy! LG G4 is the worst smartphone to play pokemon go
Moto G4?
Are you kidding me?
It's impossible to play without errors and overheating.
Please, remove that from the list.
Hi , can the honor 6x run pokemon go ? please answer me fast cause i'll buy it soon :D
Hi Wail -
The phone offers the following specifications and should work well with Pokemon GO:
Operating System: Android 6.0 Marshmallow
Memory: 3 GB
Chipset: HiSilicon Kirin 655
CPU: 2.1 GHz ARM Cortex A53 Quad-Core 1.7 GHz ARM Cortex A53 Quad-Core
GPU: Mali T830MP2
Storage: 32 GB
GPS: Yes
Wi-Fi: Yes, 802.11b/g/n
4G LTE: LTE: 2, 4, 5, 12 Bands
Native Resolution: 1920 x 1080
I cant tell how your list of phones is working out for ppl but as an active player I can recomend only one phone that is not on your list.
Best phone ever for pokemon go is Doogee Homtom HT6.
I have an octa core phone, but that ht6 is just way faster than mine, plus it has 6250 mAh battery that lasts around 13 hours of playing.
The Oukitel K4000 pro works well to.
After the last update, with all the Raids going on, most of the phones feel sluggish but that 'ol HT6 just wont stop. As perfect as ever.
I paid three times the price of ht6 for my phone but can not compete not at one single thing to that phone. Dont know what they put in that phone but it rocks!
The oukitel K4000 pro is rubbish worked for a couple of months. To many updates it can't keep up with it.
I see lot of people having trouble with GPS and it is almost 100% phone with MediaTek CPU. For some reasons those people have lot of eggs hatched, because they can stay still and their GPS is running around. But they have also trouble entering gym for the same reason.
Hi Will pokemon go work on LG g3
According to the system requirements of Pokemon Go, the LG G3 should be supported.
Android
Will Pokemon Go run good on Oppo r9? Specs:
Android
RAM - 4GB
Resolution - 1080x1920
Connection - 4G
GPS - True
CPU - Qualcomm
If your device fulfills the requirements below, it should.
Android
Pokemon Go will not run on Sony Xperia Z5 Compact with Androis 6.0.1!!!
Will Pokemon work on a Samsung s4
Currently have an lg g4 and it can't run it at all, despite being able to install the app from the store as soon as I enter my name and password an error screen appears saying that it is incompatible with the software or OS. Any suggestions?
Will pokemon go work on the HTC desire 530 please?
Hi Lindsey -
It may not run very well as the developers recommend a minimum of 2 GB internal RAM and this phone only offers 1.5GB RAM.
I used one from August to December. It was ok but got progressively slower - I think because more people signed up to play. It was often slow and jerky, and crashed two or three times an hour.
Also an external battery (or a pocket full of replacements) is an absolute must.
I did get up to level 23 on it though, so not completely unworkable
I played on an HTC desire 610 from July through February. There were certain times when it froze--usually between battles at gyms, and the qulity of play got worse rather than better. However, with the update in February, the phone seemed to function much better. I leveled up to a thirty before the HTC crashed completely--it went into a boot loop and could not be fixed. I'm not sure what made that happen.
I wouldn't recommend the LG G4. There's been a problem where after a while of usage, especially with Pokemon Go, the phone basically fries internally and goes into a bootloop. That's what I'm currently going through. :/ I will look into some of these other recs for my new phone though.
Me too! I wish LG would do something about this. I shopped around for months before settling on a LG G4 and now I am out hundreds of dollars and no phone!
Same with me. My LG G4 Just hang up while playing Pokémon Go. And it was stuck on LG logo. When I brought it to service center, they sy it was a boot loop issue. They simply told me that they need to replace the main bord to make it work again.
When you mean 2GB of RAM, you mean 2GB of free/unused RAM, right? My Samsung Galaxy Note 2 has 2GB of RAM but only 1GB is free and according to what I've seen, I have made all other requirements but the Google Play Store still says my phone isn't compatible, so it must be the RAM requirement. Am I right? Thanks for your help!
Niantic does not specifically say if it's 2GB of unused ram or not. That could be the issue though if Google Play is saying your phone is not compatible when everything else meets the requirements. You may have to contact and consult with Niantic directly to confirm.
It's not that, the playstore thinks your phone is outdated and you will have to install through apk. Just look up pokemon go apk on google and go on apkmirror and download it. If your phone has all the specs mentioned above, it should work fine.
If you purchase the Motorola for your kids to play Pokemon Go, you might as well stick their heads in the microwave and hit 'Start'. This is true for most US phones. Best SAR-levels are from Samsung phones, FYI - it's the only company that researches anternative antenna-tech to reduce radiation. Top 20 lowest SAR contains ~15 Samsung phones. Top 20 highest SAR levels have Motorola on place 1, 2 and 3.
Why the G4 and not the newer G5?
The phones selected by the author are just the phones he feels is best overall in terms of price and performance. The G5 would also support Pokemon Go.
Hi. My best friend got a lg k4 does it support Pokemon Go ? Please get back to me
Hi Bob -
These are the developer recommended minimum specifications:
Android:
• Android 4.4 to Android 6.0.1 (Android N will not be supported until the official Android release)
• At least 2GB of RAM
• Preferred resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels (Not optimized for tablet)
• Strong Internet connection (Wi-Fi, 3G, or 4G)
• GPS and Location Services
• Intel® CPUs are not supported
The new LG K4 does not offer the minimum RAM or screen resolution.
Anyone know is the Sony Xperia M5 runs Pokemon Go? :)
Yes, this phone can support Pokemon Go.
Are you sure about this? Because my Huawei p8 lite smart has alla the stats but it doesn't work even if is not rooted. Does Xperia M5 really run?
Furthermore Niantic doesn't really read the reclaim because the response is automatic.
According to the Niantic website, this phone does fulfill the Android system requirements and should support Pokemon Go.
Android
The Huawei GR3 Android 5.1 & 2GB Ram purchased in Australia for our annual trip to USA & purchased 2 sims from AT&T are not loading the game. Could it be the phones? Opened up gmail accounts in Australia prior to leaving, no sims,but loaded 3weeks prior to leaving.
Thanks, the traveller with angry & upset kids.
Re above is it the phones then? Can sell these back home, maybe get the Motorola,s?
Hi Neil -
The Huawei GR3 phones fulfill the system requirements of Pokemon Go. For your inquiry, I think you may need to try to contact Niantic directly.
The Huawei GR3 phones you have do fulfill the system requirements of Pokemon Go. For your inquiry, I think you may need to try to contact Niantic directly.
Mark & Geoff, Have tried everything with these, complete reset, at least 10 times each. No matter what to no avail. Bit the bullet, went & purchased the Motorola,s you plugged ^^^ above. End result ATM, 2 happy ankle biters. Thanks for replies & also the phones (5) mentioned above. Will sell the Huawei,s when get back home. Now the next thing is setting up the go plus button. Cheers $ thanks. ✌️👍
Hi Neil -
Glad we could help!
I just bought this phone today. Can.not get it to work. Taking it back tomorrow after reloading and even trying to open a new Google account...
anyone know if the huawei inspira will work for Pokemon go?? Im considering this for phone for my younger kids if it does
This phone would not be able to support Pokemon Go.
Pokemon Go works on which LG & Samsung Galaxy Cell Phones?
Pokemon Go will work with any LG or Samsung phone as long as the system requirements are fulfilled. Please see below.