There are a couple of high-level ways for a player to use a mobile phone for real money gaming. You could use a mobile app to play games or visit one of the multiple gambling-game platforms that deliver an automatic, optimized mobile gaming experience to players.
But now there’s a new solution – firms are creating mobile phones that have ways to earn money purpose-built into their software. Just by owning that type of phone, you can earn extra income from playing games, alongside alternative money-making options like listening to music or watching videos.
Sound interesting?
Well, there’s some evidence from early sales that this form of gaming for real money is set to become wildly popular. So, let’s see how it all works in practice after we first look at the earning potential…
By RealMoneyGames – Steve Cross : Published 19th February 2025
How Much Money Can You Make?
We can use known figures from the Mode Earn Phone to make some early estimates of potential income. Mode Mobile, the device developer, have designed their unique smartphone to allow users to earn money through everyday activities. They state that users can earn up to $1,200 per year with the Mode Earn App, pre-installed on the device.
Key activities include earning roughly $60 annually for 30 minutes of daily music streaming, playing games, completing surveys, charging the phone, and consuming ad-supported content. The app offers 16 earning methods, though only a few, like music and surveys, are time-efficient.
You can see we’re not talking about massive amounts of cash here. But, the figures do indicate that a concerted effort by a user could result in paying for the cost of the phone over time. Hence, in effect, you’re getting a free phone with the prospect of making a profit.
The model seems sure to grow, with other manufacturers likely to offer their own hardware versions in future.
So, with that in mind, let’s see how the Mode Earn Phone and the model behind it functions.
What Is The Mode Earn Phone?
The Mode Earn Phone (MEP2) is Mode Mobile’s flagship device, running Android 11 with EarnOS, which integrates earning features directly into the system. Priced at ~$109.99 (unlocked), it targets budget-conscious users seeking passive income. The phone rewards users for daily activities, offering a unique blend of functionality and financial incentives.
How Do The Hardware Specifications Support Real Money Gaming?
The Mode Earn Phone features an octa-core processor, 4GB RAM, and 64GB expandable storage. It has a 6.52-inch HD+ LCD, a 13MP rear camera, and a 5MP front camera.
A 4000mAh battery with USB-C, dual SIM support, and a fingerprint sensor enhance functionality. Its competitive specs make it an entry-level device optimized for earning activities that include a feature involving game-play and makes playing of varied games for real money a valid option.
What Features Support Play To Earn Gaming?
The Mode Earn Phone is more than just a smartphone; it’s designed as a platform for generating passive income through a variety of activities, including Play-to-Earn gaming.
The phone features a built-in Mode Earn App that tracks activities like gaming, surveys, and web browsing, rewarding users for engagement. A Privacy Wallet ensures data protection while enabling P2E earnings. Users also have full access to the Google Play Store, allowing them to download and play various game genres.
Several integrated features contribute to the goal of making extra cash:
- Listening to Music: Earn ~$60/year for 30 minutes listening a day.
- Playing Games: Varied rewards availiable based on gameplay time and advertising interactions.
- Completing Surveys: Share opinions for points redeemable via PayPal or gift cards.
- Charging the Phone: Battery optimization is essential for continuous earning. The Mode Earn Phone features a 4000mAh battery with Charge Mode, allowing users to earn rewards while the device is plugged in. This feature monetizes common overcharging habits, maximizing passive income opportunities.
- Reading News/Watching Videos: Ad-supported content generates income for the viewer.
As a mobile phone, users can also access the internet as usual. So, it’s possible to play all the normal play to earn games and other types of mobile-optimized games alongside the option to play the native games.
It’s worth noting a distinction between play to earn games and the play and earn model that this phone enables. Traditional P2E games like Axie Infinity use blockchain-based token economies, where in-game NFTs fluctuate with cryptocurrency markets. Players often invest upfront (e.g., $600+ for starter Axies), creating a pay-to-win model that 64% of players cite as a key churn factor.
The Mode Earn Phone removes this barrier with its PAE model, offering non-blockchain rewards like gift cards, cashback, and free streaming subscriptions.
What Types Of Games Can You Play?
There are some key factors influencing the likelihood of a game doing well on the platform:
- Time Investment vs. Reward Ratio: Games requiring sustained engagement or frequent short sessions align well with the Mode Earn Phone’s reward structure.
- Task Completion Frequency: Titles with daily challenges, level-based progression, or in-game events allow users to accumulate points quickly.
- Genre Popularity: High-demand game genres often include monetization mechanics like in-app purchases and ad views, enhancing synergy with Mode Earn Phone’s earning model.
That brings us to a list of specific games and game genres that players flock to:
Role-Playing Games (RPGs): Generating over $20 billion annually, RPGs like Genshin Impact and RAID: Shadow Legends encourage prolonged engagement through quests, character progression, and loot systems. The Mode Earn Phone rewards users for completing missions and leveling up, making RPGs one of the most profitable genres.
Strategy Games: With $16.3 billion in annual revenue, strategy games like Clash of Clans and Rise of Kingdoms require tactical decision-making and daily logins. Users earn rewards for achieving in-game milestones, such as building structures or winning battles.
Hyper-Casual & Puzzle Games: Titles like Subway Surfers (2.39 billion downloads) and Candy Crush Saga thrive on simple mechanics and short play sessions. The Mode Earn Phone rewards frequent, brief engagements, making these games ideal for earning points through level progression and power-up unlocks.
Battle Royale & MOBA Games: Competitive titles like Free Fire and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang attract massive audiences. The Mode Earn Phone monetizes ranked matches, daily missions, and community challenges, allowing players to earn from their competitive gameplay.
Play-to-Earn (P2E) & Blockchain Games: While not pre-installed, blockchain games like Axie Infinity and The Sandbox allow users to trade NFTs and earn cryptocurrency. The device’s Crypto Mode further enhances profitability by rewarding blockchain engagement.
Some idea of potential earnings can be gleaned from this table comparing the game genres:
| Game Genre | Key Earning Activities | Estimated Monthly Earnings |
|---|---|---|
| RPGs | Completing quests, leveling up characters | $80–$150 |
| Strategy | Building empires, winning clan wars | $70–$130 |
| Hyper-Casual | Daily level completions, ad views | $50–$100 |
| Battle Royale/MOBA | Ranked matches, event participation | $60–$120 |
| P2E/Blockchain | NFT trading, crypto rewards | $100–$200+ |
How Is Player Usage Tracked?
The Mode Earn App uses machine learning to track and quantify user activities:
- Music Mode verifies song playback with acoustic fingerprinting.
- Surf Mode monitors ad views and search queries via browser extensions.
- Games Mode records playtime and achievements through SDK integrations.
How Does The Mode Phone Make Money?
Mode Mobile generates revenue through advertising, subscriptions, device sales, and equity crowdfunding.
- Ads appear during music streaming, on lock screens, and within apps.
- A $9.99/month subscription tier accelerates earnings.
- Revenue also comes from selling the MEP2 smartphone and licensing EarnOS to other manufacturers.
- Users can invest in Mode Mobile stock with a $750 minimum.
Third-party developers can monetize their apps through Mode’s revenue-sharing model, similar to Mistplay’s partnerships with 400+ publishers.
For instance, a puzzle game might allocate 20% of its ad revenue to Mode users, ensuring engagement translates into earnings.
How Does This All Translate Into Benefits For Users?
Mode’s Earn As You Go model leverages intermittent variable rewards, increasing app engagement by 40%. Users receive small, frequent payouts (e.g., $0.10 per 15 minutes of gameplay), giving a similar sort of dopamine boost that players of video slot machines experience.
Unlike blockchain games requiring DeFi knowledge, Mode simplifies earning through normal phone usage.
To reduce churn, Mode employs:
- Progression Systems: Unlockable earning multipliers (e.g., 1.5x after 100 hours) mimic mobile game level-ups.
- Social Proofing: Public leaderboards encourage competition among top earners.
- Loss Aversion: Daily login streaks reset reward multipliers if users become inactive.
Real User Viewpoints To Date
The Mode Earn Phone has over 40 million users and 2 million 5-star reviews on Google Play, indicating that phone users are generally happy with the device’s performance.
The low upfront cost seems to be a key contributor to take up, and with minimal bloatware the operation is not receiving any significant criticism.
However, earnings average ~$2 per day for heavy users, and key features have limited availability outside the U.S.
Some players have reported issues with graphically intensive titles like Genshin Impact where the graphics have put some strain on hardware.
Reports suggest Mode has a target of 5 billion users globally, though this may be overly optimistic. Competition from major brands like Samsung and Apple will remain a challenge for the foreseeable future.
Challenges & Concerns
Aside from the strong competition in the smartphone industry, Mode and any other operators going down the same route will recognize sustainability as their core issue.
Mode faces sustainability challenges due to its reliance on advertising, which accounts for 80% of revenue and exposes it to market downturns.
The MEP2’s proprietary earning modes remain exclusive to the device, limiting cross-platform flexibility.
Additionally, user base growth has led to reward depreciation, with average monthly earnings dropping from $100 in 2022 to $60 in 2025.
What Future Developments Could Enhance Player Engagement?
Mode currently operates without blockchain integration, but future iterations may align with Web3 trends:
- NFT Ownership: Certifying exclusive earning modes as transferable NFTs.
- DeFi Staking: Enabling users to stake earnings in yield-generating pools.
- DAO Governance: Allowing top earners to vote on features and reward structures.
Hardware Innovations may also enhance earnings potential:
- Proof-of-Attention Sensors: Eye-tracking cameras to verify ad viewership.
- Energy Harvesting: Kinetic charging systems rewarding physical activity.
- AI Co-Pilots: On-device LLMs optimizing earnings automatically.
Conclusion – Are Phones For Making Real Money From Gaming Worth It?
The Mode Earn Phone combines affordability with income generation, appealing to users seeking supplemental earnings. It does a good job of that, albeit only giving our fairly small rewards.
The strong argument is those low-value rewards are enough to cover the cost of the device.
For gamers, the Mode Earn Phone turns mobile gaming into a revenue stream, with RPGs, strategy games, and battle royale titles offering the highest profitability. Users can maximize earnings through dual-earning modes, subscription tiers, and task-based rewards.
You’re unlikely to be making vast sums of cash that you might earn playing real money skill games or gambling on games reliant on lucky outcomes, but still it’s some return for your efforts with minimal risk attached.
For investors, it offers high-risk, high-reward potential in a niche market. As of early 2025, the Mode Earn Phone has reportedly facilitated over $325 million in user earnings and generated $60 million in revenue since its inception.
With 32,481% revenue growth, the company is preparing for a potential Nasdaq listing under ticker $MODE, offering pre-IPO shares at $0.26. Now available at Walmart and Best Buy, the EarnPhone is gaining traction. Mode is 90% toward its $20 million fundraising milestone, with limited pre-IPO investment space remaining.
Looking forward, the success of the model depends on scaling adoption and optimizing monetization.
Given this level of success, it should just be a matter of time before users have access to a choice of different gaming phones which will reduce take-up costs and drive performance and earnings potential.