Lenovo has entered the gaming smartphone business and today (July 22) announced the Lenovo Legion Phone Duel. Depending on where in the world you live, however, you may have trouble getting into the game.

The Legion Phone Duel boasts the kind of powerful specs one would expect from a high-end gaming phone; Lenovo is one of the companies committed to using Qualcomm's Snapdragon 865 Plus system-on-chip, the other being Asus' upcoming ROG 3 cell phone. The phone also features a dual liquid medium heat floating cooling system, a 6.59-inch AMOLED display, and up to 16GB of RAM.

What it does not have is a U.S. ship date. A Lenovo spokesperson told us that the Legion Phone Duel will debut in China this month at an undisclosed price. It will then roll out to select markets in Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. There are no plans for a U.S. launch.

This will be a disappointment for U.S. gamers, as the Lenovo Legion Phone Duel seems to boast a number of features that could make it a prime candidate for the best gaming phone.

Highlights of the Lenovo Legion Phone Duel include:

Horizontal pop-up camera: If you have been following the leaks of the Lenovo Legion Phone Duel, you already know this feature, but this gaming smartphone emerges from the side bezel It has a 20MP pop-up selfie camera. This is an unusual placement for a front camera. It's great for streaming; Lenovo opted for a horizontal selfie cam because that's the direction the phone is held when you play games, and positioning the camera should make it easier to stream your gaming sessions from the Legion Phone Duel

The camera should be positioned in the same direction as your mobile phone.

The camera uses quad-microphone noise cancellation and background removal to aid in the live stream, and if you drop the Legion Phone Duel, the auto-retract feature will activate and the camera will pop back into place.

Ultra-fast refresh rate: Premium smartphone makers are of the opinion that faster display refresh rates will provide a more immersive experience, especially when it comes to gaming. As a result, many models, including mid-range models such as the newly introduced OnePlus Nord, now feature a 90 Hz refresh rate. Some models are also coming out with refresh rates of 120 Hz, which is double the frequency found in most models.

Lenovo has upped the ante with the Legion Phone Duel, boasting a 144 Hz refresh rate. Meanwhile, the phone's touch sampling rate of 240 Hz should eliminate lag during gaming sessions. With full HD resolution and quadruple stereo speakers, Lenovo is betting that it can offer gamers a more immersive experience.

Dual charging ports: A phone that delivers this much power needs a big battery, so Lenovo opted for two power packs: by combining two 2,500mAh batteries, the Legion Phone Duel has a total of 5,000mAh to keep you gaming all day. According to Lenovo, in a clever twist, each battery was moved to the side of the phone so that even when the phone is turned on its side, the hands do not feel the heat from being placed on top of the logic board.

Speaking of sideways mode, if you want to refill the battery while playing games, the USB-C port is on the side opposite the pop-up camera. This allows you to plug in and charge without cables getting in the way. There is also a conventional USB-C port on the bottom of the phone, allowing both ports to charge at once. According to Lenovo, a full charge takes only 30 minutes.

Other game-centric features: the Lenovo Legion Phone Duel comes with other features and enhancements that will probably be experienced most often to see how they enhance game play. The phone features embedded virtual and dual ultrasonic trigger buttons, with dual vibration engines providing tactile feedback in some games.

Landscape mode allows the phone to be used in landscape orientation and allows users to fine-tune the home screen to their liking with customized layout themes. There is also a home mode for casting or playing games on the connected display while using a wireless keyboard and mouse.

The Lenovo Legion Phone Duel is powered by a Snapdragon 865 Plus, so it can connect to 5G networks where available. The device also supports Wi-Fi 6, a new wireless networking standard that provides faster and more efficient connections. In short, Lenovo's new gaming smartphone means that streaming gaming sessions will not be plagued by delays or latency.