Editor’s Pick: Nubia RedMagic 7 Pro
Gaming smartphones: what are they good for?
UNLIKE MANY, I like gaming smartphones. In fact, I credit one for prying me out of the Apple ecosystem—I was sent a Black Shark 3 Pro phone for review, reluctantly gave it a go, and saw my Callof DutyMobile K/D ratio improve so much it felt like cheating. I got so used to the 90Hz display, I couldn’t go back to my iPhone.
I say “unlike many” because much like folding phones, I’ve never seen a gaming phone out in the wild. I was discussing smartphones with friends last year, and when we’d seen the usual Apple, Samsung, and OnePlus blowers, I took out my Lenovo Legion Phone Duel 2. I was immediately mocked for the phone’s distinctly uncool RGB lighting, dual USB-C ports, and popout selfie camera—and many of these friends work in the games industry!
The RedMagic 7 Pro is the latest attempt to make gaming smartphones a thing, and while it may not expand the category’s market share, it is the best attempt yet. First of all, it doesn’t look like a gaming phone. The 256GB storage color, named ‘Obsidian’, doesn’t even have RGB lighting (the 512GB ‘Supernova’ model does).
As expected, the phone is a beast when it comes to performance, with the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor and 16GB RAM (our review model came with 18GB). That results in Geekbench scores unmatched in the Android world, although the iPhone 13 Pro does still beat it. For mobile gamers, buying the RedMagic 7 Pro is much like dropping a 3090Ti into your desktop—you can comfortably max out the settings on whatever you’re playing. This means rock-solid 60fps performance in RPGs such as GenshinImpact, and even 120fps in MOBA game Vainglory.
The screen is a mixed bag, boasting a 120Hz refresh rate (good), 2400x1080 resolution (OK), and a 700 nits peak brightness (poor). It should be noted that the display is down from the 165Hz one on the standard RedMagic 7, for reasons we’ll explain later. We did like the 960Hz touch sampling rate, making general navigation feel snappy and gaming very responsive.
Gaming phones aren’t known for their cameras, and this RegMagic doesn’t change that. There are three sensors on the rear—a 64MP main, 8MP ultrawide, and 2MP macro. They’re fine in sunlight but struggle in low lighting. The big change on this phone, and presumably why RedMagic calls this a “Pro”, is its under-screen front camera. This 16MP lens is fine for video calls but not for selfies, as the detail is a little washed out. There’s no punch hole intruding on your game of Fortnite, but I prefer Lenovo’s pop-out camera solution.
If you play a lot of games, you’ll love being able to play using the triggers on this phone. They aren’t tactile switches, although the phone can vibrate to imitate this feeling, but they offer a 500Hz touch sampling rate, making them responsive for driving games and shooters.
The phone does a good job of staying cool while gaming, especially if you engage the 20,000rpm fan from RedMagic’s software (pop headphones on if you do). The phone sports a 5,000 mAh battery, the same capacity as Samsung’s S22 Ultra flagship. It struggles to last over 10 hours, though the included 65W charger can fully recharge it in under 30 minutes.
As I mentioned last issue, I’ll be keeping my Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, but I’ll miss gaming on the RedMagic 7 Pro. If you care more about gaming than taking selfies, though, this is the phone for you.
$799 (256GB version), www.redmagic.gg