Gaming phones are a niche category of smartphones that cater to the needs of mobile gamers who want the best performance, features, and design for their gaming experience. There are many gaming phones on the market, but one of the most recent and impressive ones is the RedMagic 8 Pro, a flagship device from Nubia that was launched in December 2022. The RedMagic 8 Pro is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, which is the most powerful processor available for Android phones as of now. It also boasts a 6.8-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, a 6000mAh battery with fast charging, a triple rear camera setup with a 50MP main sensor, and a sleek design with RGB lighting and a built-in cooling fan. In this article, we will review the RedMagic 8 Pro in detail and see how it compares to other gaming phones and flagships in terms of design, performance, battery life, camera quality, software, and price.
Table of Contents
Design and Build Quality
The RedMagic 8 Pro has a modern and attractive design that stands out from other gaming phones. It has a rectangular shape with sharp edges and corners, giving it a futuristic and aggressive look. The back of the phone is made of glass with an aluminum frame, and it comes in two color options: black and transparent. The transparent version lets you see the internal components of the phone, including the cooling fan, which is a cool feature for tech enthusiasts. The black version has a matte finish that resists fingerprints and smudges.
The RedMagic 8 Pro has some distinctive features that make it a gaming phone. On the right side of the phone, there are two touch-sensitive shoulder buttons that can be customized for different games and functions. They have a 520Hz touch sampling rate, which means they are very responsive and accurate. On the left side of the phone, there is a switch that activates the Game Space mode, which is a dedicated gaming interface that lets you access your games, settings, performance modes, fan controls, and more. On the bottom of the phone, there is a USB-C port that supports OTG and DisplayPort, as well as an accessory connector that can be used to attach external devices like headphones or gamepads.
The RedMagic 8 Pro also has some RGB lighting effects that add to its gaming aesthetic. The logo on the back of the phone can light up in different colors and patterns, and there are two LED strips on either side of the fan that can also change colors. You can customize the lighting effects in the settings or turn them off if you prefer. The RGB lighting does not affect the battery life significantly, as it only consumes about 1% of power per hour.
The RedMagic 8 Pro has a solid build quality that feels premium and durable. It has a Gorilla Glass 5 protection on both sides of the phone, which makes it resistant to scratches and drops. The phone is also IP53 rated for dust and water resistance, which means it can withstand some splashes and raindrops. However, it is not fully waterproof or dustproof, so you should avoid submerging it or exposing it to harsh environments.
The RedMagic 8 Pro is not a small or light phone by any means. It measures 164 x 76.4 x 9.4 mm and weighs 228 grams, which makes it larger and heavier than most flagships and gaming phones. This is partly due to its large display and battery size, as well as its cooling fan mechanism. The phone can be difficult to use with one hand or fit in some pockets, especially if you have small hands or tight jeans. The phone also has sharp corners that can dig into your palms or fingers when holding it for long periods of time.
Display and Audio Quality
The RedMagic 8 Pro has an impressive display that offers a great viewing experience for gaming and multimedia consumption. It has a 6.8-inch AMOLED panel with a resolution of 1116 x 2480 pixels, which translates to a pixel density of 400 ppi. The display has a 20:9 aspect ratio, which makes it suitable for watching videos and playing games in landscape mode. The display also supports HDR10+, which means it can display a wider range of colors and contrast for enhanced picture quality.
The RedMagic 8 Pro has a 120Hz refresh rate, which means it can display up to 120 frames per second. This makes the display smoother and more responsive, especially for gaming and scrolling. The phone also has a 360Hz touch sampling rate, which means it can register your touches faster and more accurately. The display has a DC dimming feature, which reduces the flickering and eye strain caused by PWM (pulse-width modulation) at low brightness levels.
The RedMagic 8 Pro has a bezel-less design that maximizes the screen-to-body ratio. It has no notch or hole-punch cutout for the front camera, as it uses an under-display camera technology that hides the camera under the screen. This gives the phone a true full-screen look that is immersive and uninterrupted. However, the under-display camera also has some drawbacks, which we will discuss later in the camera section.
The RedMagic 8 Pro has a bright and vivid display that can reach up to 1300 nits of peak brightness in HDR mode. This makes the display easily visible in outdoor conditions and direct sunlight. The display also has good color accuracy and contrast, as it covers 99.6% of the RGB color space and has an infinite contrast ratio. The display has a DCI-P3 color gamut, which means it can display more colors than the standard sRGB gamut. The display also has an always-on display feature, which lets you see the time, date, battery level, and notifications without waking up the phone.
The RedMagic 8 Pro has excellent audio quality that complements its display quality. It has stereo speakers on the top and bottom of the phone, which produce loud and clear sound with good bass and treble. The speakers also support Dolby DTS:X Ultra audio technology, which enhances the sound quality and creates a surround sound effect for gaming and movies. The phone also has a 3.5mm headphone jack, which is rare for modern flagships and gaming phones. The headphone jack supports 32-bit/384kHz audio output, which means it can deliver high-resolution audio with minimal distortion and noise.
Performance and Gaming Features
The RedMagic 8 Pro is one of the most powerful phones on the market, thanks to its Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset. This is the latest flagship processor from Qualcomm, which is based on a 4nm process and features an octa-core CPU with one Cortex-X3 core clocked at 3.2GHz, two Cortex-A715 cores clocked at 2.8GHz, two Cortex-A710 cores clocked at 2.8GHz, and three Cortex-A510 cores clocked at 2.0GHz. The chipset also features an Adreno 740 GPU, which is capable of handling high-end graphics and gaming with ease.
The RedMagic 8 Pro comes with either 12GB or 16GB of RAM, depending on the storage option you choose. The phone offers either 256GB or 512GB of internal storage, which is plenty for storing your games, apps, photos, videos, and music. The phone uses UFS 4.0 storage technology, which is faster than the previous UFS 3.1 standard and allows for faster data transfer and loading times.
The RedMagic 8 Pro scored an impressive 1288866 points on AnTuTu Benchmark v9, which is one of the highest scores among Android phones as of now. It also scored 5211 points on GeekBench v5.1 single-core test and 16262 points on multi-core test, which are also among the top scores for Android phones. These scores show that the RedMagic 8 Pro can handle any task or game you throw at it with ease.
The RedMagic 8 Pro is not only powerful but also optimized for gaming performance and features. The phone has a built-in cooling fan that helps to dissipate heat and keep the phone running at optimal temperatures during intensive gaming sessions. The fan can be controlled manually or automatically via the Game Space mode or the dedicated app. The fan is relatively quiet and does not interfere with the audio quality of the speakers or headphones.
The phone also has some gaming features that enhance the gaming experience and performance. The phone has a Game Space mode, which is a dedicated gaming interface that lets you access your games, settings, performance modes, fan controls, and more. You can activate the Game Space mode by sliding the switch on the left side of the phone or by tapping the icon on the home screen. The Game Space mode has a minimalist and dark design that reduces distractions and saves battery life. You can also customize the Game Space mode with different themes, wallpapers, and icons.
The Game Space mode also lets you adjust the performance modes of the phone according to your preferences and needs. You can choose from four modes: Power Saving, Smart, Performance, and Beast. The Power Saving mode reduces the CPU and GPU frequency and brightness to save battery life. The Smart mode automatically adjusts the CPU and GPU frequency and brightness according to the game you are playing. The Performance mode boosts the CPU and GPU frequency and brightness to the maximum level for optimal performance. The Beast mode is the most extreme mode that overclocks the CPU and GPU frequency and brightness beyond the normal level for ultimate performance. However, the Beast mode also consumes more battery power and generates more heat, so you should use it with caution.
The Game Space mode also lets you control the fan speed of the phone manually or automatically. You can choose from three fan speeds: Low, Medium, and High. The Low speed is suitable for light games or when you want to reduce the noise of the fan. The Medium speed is suitable for most games or when you want to balance the performance and noise of the fan. The High speed is suitable for heavy games or when you want to maximize the performance and cooling of the fan.
The Game Space mode also lets you access some gaming tools that can enhance your gaming experience and convenience. You can access these tools by swiping from either side of the screen during a game. Some of these tools are:
– Touch Button: This tool lets you customize the touch-sensitive shoulder buttons on the right side of the phone. You can assign different functions or actions to each button according to your preference or game genre. For example, you can use one button to shoot and another button to aim in a shooting game, or use one button to jump and another button to slide in a racing game.
– Macro: This tool lets you record and execute a series of actions or commands with a single tap. You can use this tool to automate some repetitive or complex tasks in a game, such as farming resources, leveling up, or casting spells.
– Aim Assist: This tool helps you improve your accuracy and precision in shooting games by highlighting the enemies or targets on the screen with a red dot or crosshair.
– Screen Recorder: This tool lets you record your gameplay and save it as a video file on your phone or share it online with your friends or followers.
– Screen Capture: This tool lets you take screenshots of your gameplay and save them as image files on your phone or share them online with your friends or followers.
– Mini Window: This tool lets you open a small window on top of your game that shows another app or function of your phone, such as a calculator, a browser, a music player, or a messenger. You can use this tool to multitask or access some information without leaving your game.
– Network Accelerator: This tool helps you improve your network speed and stability by optimizing your connection settings and reducing latency and packet loss.
– Do Not Disturb: This tool blocks any incoming calls, messages, notifications, or alerts that might interrupt your game.
The RedMagic 8 Pro is undoubtedly one of the best gaming phones on the market, as it offers excellent performance, features, and design for mobile gamers. It can run any game smoothly and flawlessly at high settings and frame rates, thanks to its Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, 12GB or 16GB of RAM, UFS 4.0 storage, 120Hz display, touch-sensitive shoulder buttons, cooling fan, performance modes, fan controls, and gaming tools. It also has a stylish design with RGB lighting effects that make it stand out from other phones.
Battery Life and Charging
The RedMagic 8 Pro has a massive 6000mAh battery that can provide enough power for long gaming sessions and daily usage. The phone also supports fast charging with a 66W charger that can charge the phone from 0% to 100% in about 50 minutes. The phone also supports wireless charging with a 30W charger that can charge the phone from 0% to 100% in about 90 minutes. The phone also supports reverse wireless charging, which lets you charge other devices like headphones or smartwatches by placing them on the back of the phone.
The RedMagic 8 Pro has a good battery life that can last for a full day or more depending on your usage and settings. The phone has a battery saver mode that can extend the battery life by reducing the performance, brightness, and network activity of the phone. The phone also has an adaptive battery feature that learns your usage patterns and optimizes the battery consumption accordingly.
The RedMagic 8 Pro has a battery test mode that lets you test the battery performance and health of the phone. You can access this mode by dialing *#*#66#*#* on the phone app. The battery test mode shows you the current battery level, voltage, temperature, capacity, health, and cycle count of the phone. It also lets you run a battery stress test that simulates a heavy usage scenario and shows you the estimated battery life and power consumption of the phone.
Camera Quality
The RedMagic 8 Pro has a triple rear camera setup that consists of a 50MP main camera, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle camera, and a 2MP macro camera. The main camera has a Sony IMX766 sensor with an f/1.8 aperture, a 1/1.56-inch size, and a pixel size of 1.0µm. The main camera supports optical image stabilization (OIS), phase detection autofocus (PDAF), laser autofocus (LAF), and dual-LED flash. The main camera can capture detailed and sharp photos with good dynamic range and color accuracy in various lighting conditions. The main camera can also record 4K videos at 30 or 60 fps, or 1080p videos at 30, 60, or 120 fps.
The ultra-wide-angle camera has an f/2.2 aperture, a field of view of 120 degrees, and a pixel size of 1.12µm. The ultra-wide-angle camera can capture more scenery or objects in one frame, which is useful for landscape, architecture, or group photos. The ultra-wide-angle camera can also record 4K videos at 30 fps, or 1080p videos at 30 or 60 fps.
The macro camera has an f/2.4 aperture and a pixel size of 1.75µm. The macro camera can capture close-up shots of small objects or details with a minimum focus distance of 4 cm. The macro camera can also record 1080p videos at 30 fps.
The RedMagic 8 Pro has an under-display front camera that has a resolution of 16MP with an f/2.0 aperture and a pixel size of 1.0µm. The under-display front camera is hidden under the screen, which gives the phone a true full-screen look without any notch or hole-punch cutout. The under-display front camera can capture decent selfies with good exposure and skin tones in good lighting conditions. However, the under-display front camera also has some drawbacks, such as lower resolution, reduced brightness, visible pixels, and noise in low-light conditions. The under-display front camera can also record 1080p videos at 30 fps.
The RedMagic 8 Pro has some camera features that can enhance your photography and videography experience and quality. Some of these features are:
– Night Mode: This feature lets you capture brighter and clearer photos in low-light conditions by combining multiple frames with different exposures and noise reduction algorithms.
– Portrait Mode: This feature lets you capture photos with a blurred background and a focused subject, creating a bokeh effect that highlights the subject and adds depth to the photo.
– Pro Mode: This feature lets you adjust the manual settings of the camera, such as ISO, shutter speed, white balance, focus, and exposure, giving you more control and creativity over your photos.
– Slow Motion: This feature lets you record videos at a high frame rate and play them back at a slower speed, creating a dramatic and cinematic effect that captures fast-moving objects or actions.
– Time Lapse: This feature lets you record videos at a low frame rate and play them back at a faster speed, creating a compressed and accelerated effect that captures slow-moving events or changes.
– Panorama: This feature lets you capture a wide-angle photo by stitching together multiple photos taken in different directions, creating a panoramic view of the scene.
The RedMagic 8 Pro has a decent camera quality that can capture good photos and videos in various scenarios and modes. It has a 50MP main camera, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle camera, and a 2MP macro camera on the back, and a 16MP under-display front camera on the front. The main camera can capture detailed and sharp photos with good dynamic range and color accuracy in various lighting conditions. The ultra-wide-angle camera can capture more scenery or objects in one frame, which is useful for landscape, architecture, or group photos. The macro camera can capture close-up shots of small objects or details with a minimum focus distance of 4 cm. The under-display front camera can capture decent selfies with good exposure and skin tones in good lighting conditions. However, the under-display front camera also has some drawbacks, such as lower resolution, reduced brightness, visible pixels, and noise in low-light conditions.
The RedMagic 8 Pro also has some camera features that can enhance your photography and videography experience and quality. Some of these features are Night Mode, Portrait Mode, Pro Mode, Slow Motion, Time Lapse, and Panorama. These features let you capture brighter and clearer photos in low-light conditions, photos with a blurred background and a focused subject, photos with manual settings, videos at a high frame rate and play them back at a slower speed, videos at a low frame rate and play them back at a faster speed, and wide-angle photos by stitching together multiple photos taken in different directions.
The RedMagic 8 Pro is a great phone for gaming enthusiasts who also want to take good photos and videos with their phone. It has a powerful performance, a large battery, a stunning display, a stylish design, and a decent camera quality. It is one of the best gaming phones on the market that can also serve as a good camera phone.
Software and User Interface
The RedMagic 8 Pro runs on Android 12, which is the latest version of the Android operating system as of now. Android 12 offers a smooth and secure user experience with various features and improvements, such as:
– Material You: This feature lets you customize the look and feel of your phone with different themes, colors, shapes, fonts, and icons that match your personal style and mood.
– Privacy Dashboard: This feature lets you see and manage the permissions and data usage of your apps and services, as well as access some privacy settings and tools, such as Privacy Indicators, Approximate Location, and Microphone and Camera Toggles.
– One-handed Mode: This feature lets you use your phone more easily and comfortably with one hand by shrinking the screen size and shifting the content to the bottom half of the screen.
– Quick Tap: This feature lets you perform some actions or launch some apps by tapping the back of your phone twice, such as taking a screenshot, playing or pausing music, opening the camera, or launching Google Assistant.
– Nearby Share: This feature lets you share files, photos, videos, links, or contacts with nearby devices that also support this feature, without using any cables or internet connection.
The RedMagic 8 Pro also has its own custom user interface called RedMagic OS 5.0, which is based on Android 12. RedMagic OS 5.0 offers a gaming-oriented user experience with some features and enhancements, such as:
– Game Space: This feature is a dedicated gaming interface that lets you access your games, settings, performance modes, fan controls, and more. You can activate the Game Space mode by sliding the switch on the left side of the phone or by tapping the icon on the home screen.
– RGB Lighting Effects: This feature lets you customize the RGB lighting effects on the back of the phone with different colors and patterns. You can also sync the RGB lighting effects with some games or music apps for a more immersive experience.
– Under-display Front Camera: This feature lets you use the under-display front camera for selfies or video calls without any notch or hole-punch cutout. However, the under-display front camera also has some drawbacks, such as lower resolution, reduced brightness, visible pixels, and noise in low-light conditions.
– Dark Mode: This feature lets you switch to a dark theme that reduces eye strain and saves battery life. You can also schedule the dark mode to turn on or off automatically based on the time of day or sunset and sunrise.
The RedMagic 8 Pro has a smooth and secure software and user interface that offers a great user experience for both gaming and daily usage. It runs on Android 12, which is the latest version of the Android operating system that offers various features and improvements. It also has its own custom user interface called RedMagic OS 5.0, which is based on Android 12 and offers a gaming-oriented user experience with some features and enhancements.
Price and Availability
The RedMagic 8 Pro is available in two storage options: 256GB or 512GB. The 256GB option comes with 12GB of RAM, while the 512GB option comes with 16GB of RAM. The phone also comes in two color options: black or transparent. The transparent option lets you see the internal components of the phone, including the cooling fan.
The RedMagic 8 Pro is priced at $699 for the 256GB option and $799 for the 512GB option. The phone is available for purchase online through the official website of Nubia or through some third-party retailers like Amazon or AliExpress . The phone is also available in some regions like China, Europe, North America, India, Australia, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau.
The RedMagic 8 Pro is a reasonably priced phone for its specifications and features. It offers a powerful performance, a large battery, a stunning display, a stylish design, a decent camera quality, and a smooth software and user interface for both gaming and daily usage. It is one of the best gaming phones on the market that can also serve as a good flagship phone.
Conclusion
The RedMagic 8 Pro is a flagship device from Nubia that was launched in December 2022. It is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, which is the most powerful processor available for Android phones as of now. It also boasts a 6.8-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, a 6000mAh battery with fast charging, a triple rear camera setup with a 50MP main sensor, and a sleek design with RGB lighting and a built-in cooling fan.
The RedMagic 8 Pro is a gaming phone that offers excellent performance, features, and design for mobile gamers. It can run any game smoothly and flawlessly at high settings and frame rates, thanks to its Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, 12GB or 16GB of RAM, UFS 4.0 storage, 120Hz display, touch-sensitive shoulder buttons, cooling fan, performance modes, fan controls, and gaming tools. It also has a stylish design with RGB lighting effects that make it stand out from other phones.
The RedMagic 8 Pro is also a good phone for daily usage and multimedia consumption. It has a large battery that can last for a full day or more depending on your usage and settings. It has a stunning display that offers a great viewing experience for gaming and watching videos. It has a decent camera quality that can capture good photos and videos in various scenarios and modes. It has a smooth software and user interface that offers a great user experience for both gaming and daily usage.
The RedMagic 8 Pro is a great phone for gaming enthusiasts who also want to have a good flagship phone. It is one of the best gaming phones on the market that can also serve as a good camera phone, a good battery phone, a good display phone, and a good performance phone. It is reasonably priced for its specifications and features, and it is available in some regions and online platforms.
If you are looking for a powerful and stylish gaming phone that can also handle your daily needs and wants, then the RedMagic 8 Pro might be the right choice for you.
