Nubia Red Magic 7 Pro Review: Only ‘Pro’ in Parts

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Razer may have launched the first actual gaming phone, however 3 different firms have ruled the marketplace since then. Asus’s ROG Phones have lengthy been thought to be the units to overcome, with Xiaomi’s Black Sharks generally a extra inexpensive selection.

But Nubia is probably the most prolific, with a complete of 14 Red Magic telephones in simply 4 years. The Red Magic 7 Series sees each common and Pro fashions launched globally for the primary time.

A value building up way the 7 Pro is the most costly gaming phone Nubia has ever made. But relying on what’s vital to you, it’s now not essentially an improve over the common Red Magic 7. Here are my ideas after spending a couple of weeks with the phone.

Design & construct

  • Premium construct, together with steel plate on again
  • Under-display selfie digital camera makes phone extra compact
  • Even heavier than common Red Magic 7

Unlike some Pro telephones, you’ll right away inform the variation between the Red Magic 7 Pro and its common counterpart.

Nubia has taken the courageous determination to embed the front-facing digital camera beneath the exhibit, relatively than in a height bezel or notch. It’s totally hidden when the usage of maximum apps, however you’ll almost definitely understand it with the display off.

Nubia Red Magic 7 review

Initially, I used to be disillusioned with Nubia for necessarily downgrading the Red Magic 7 Pro cameras. But that all-screen design does assist ship an immersive gaming enjoy, and I doubt maximum players will care about decrease high quality selfies.

It nonetheless helps face unencumber, however I consider most of the people will use the optical in-display fingerprint sensor as an alternative. This is straightforward to arrange and has a top good fortune price.

The Red Magic 7 already had slender bezels, however the 7 Pro takes issues to the following point. An 87.1% screen-to-body ratio is spectacular for a gaming phone, and it permits for a similar huge 6.8in exhibit inside a extra compact physique. It’s considerably more straightforward to make use of one-handed and extra pocketable in consequence.

Nubia Red Magic 7 review

However, that hasn’t had an impact at the weight of the 7 Pro. At 235g, it’s if truth be told 20g heavier than the common fashion. Still, I had no factor the usage of both tool for lengthy gaming periods.

The 7 Pro’s additional weight comes from an aluminium plate which extends down the again of the phone. Nubia says that is to assist with warmth dissipation, but it surely’s possibly additionally why the corporate modified the digital camera module design from the common fashion too.

The perfect factor about that is that the digital camera module sits virtually flush with the again of the tool. The 7 Pro is thicker than maximum at 10mm, however this can be a profitable trade-off.

Nubia Red Magic 7 review

Compared to earlier Red Magic telephones, color choices at the 7 Pro are extra muted. The ‘Supernova’ fashion which exposes some internals is solely to be had at the top-spec fashion. If 256GB garage is sufficient for you, Obsidian (black) is your best option.

Nubia features a transparent plastic case in the field, which does a just right activity of defending probably the most fragile portions of the phone. However, it indisputably detracts from the 7 Pro’s design. If you continue to need that additional layer of coverage, I’d suggest the one legit case to be had at the Red Magic website online.

It’s industry as standard at the aspects of the tool, a minimum of through Nubia’s requirements. The proper aspect is the place you’ll in finding virtually all bodily controls – quantity rocker, energy button and shoulder triggers – along considered one of two fan grilles. This is sensible, as you’ll need simple get admission to to these kinds of whilst gaming.

Nubia Red Magic 7 review

The solely button you’ll in finding at the left aspect is a slider for Game Space, Nubia’s software-based gaming mode. There’s additionally nonetheless a three.5mm headphone jack, stored out of the best way at the height of the phone. A unmarried USB-C port remains in its conventional place on the backside, flanked through a SIM tray and speaker grille. No lawsuits right here.

Screen & audio system

  • 6.8in Full HD+ AMOLED exhibit
  • Refresh price right down to 120Hz, however contact sampling now 960Hz
  • Decent stereo audio system

A smartphone is not anything and not using a nice exhibit, which the Red Magic 7 Pro indisputably delivers. It has the similar 6.8in AMOLED display because the common fashion, sticking with a 1080×2400 answer. Increasing the latter to 1440p would’ve been an glaring improve, however its omission right here isn’t a dealbreaker in anyway.

A extra atypical trade is the diminished refresh price, from the class-leading 165Hz right down to 120Hz. It’s a extraordinary transfer on a Pro-branded tool, but it surely does deliver the 7 Pro in line with many different flagship smartphones.

However, I will be able to obviously perceive why Nubia has taken this determination. Only a handful of video games can output at 165Hz, lots of which aren’t fashionable amongst cellular players. Even with each telephones aspect through aspect, I struggled to note the variation between 120Hz and 165Hz. Battery existence additionally advantages, however I’d like to peer an adaptive refresh price offered. Currently, you’re fastened at 60, 90, or 120Hz.

Nubia Red Magic 7 review

To catch up on this modification, Nubia has higher the contact sampling price of the Red Magic 7 Pro. It now stands at 960Hz, the absolute best you’ll in finding on any phone. That way it will possibly sign up contact enter as much as 960 instances each and every 2d, one thing this is keenly felt whilst gaming. This ultra-responsive exhibit is a pleasure to make use of.

With all that in thoughts, the principle conclusion this is that the exhibit remains to be very spectacular. Colours are wealthy and colourful, and it nonetheless has greater than sufficient element for most of the people. With a max brightness of 459 nits in checking out, I had no issues the usage of the phone outdoor, both.

Gaming may well be the concern, but it surely’s simply as spectacular when surfing social media or staring at movies. For the latter, audio system tackle larger significance.

The Red Magic 7 Pro has a stereo setup that produces audio that’s impressively loud and punchy, albeit susceptible to distortion at upper volumes. The sound could also be moderately missing in bass, making it higher fitted to voices than tune.

Specs & efficiency

  • Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and separate gaming chip
  • 16GB RAM on each world fashions
  • Superb efficiency in all eventualities

Performance is a space the place Red Magic telephones incessantly punch above their weight. But with increasingly mid-range telephones provided with Qualcomm’s flagship processors, the 7 Pro doesn’t somewhat stand out in the similar manner.

On the worldwide model, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip is paired with 16GB of RAM throughout each configurations. An 18GB choice is solely to be had at the common fashion, however that’s overkill even in hard scenarios.

You additionally get Nubia’s customized ‘Red Core 1’ gaming chip right here, which optimises vibration, comments, lighting fixtures, and sound results for the most productive conceivable gaming enjoy.

Nubia Red Magic 7 review

Even enthusiast-level players will battle to note any slowdown. I examined a collection of titles, together with Call of Duty: Mobile, Real Racing 3, and FIFA Mobile. Performance throughout all 3 is very good, as is the case with extra informal video games comparable to Rocket League Sideswipe and eight Ball Pool.

However, when having access to the ‘Game Space’ mode, the built-in fan will kick in each and every time through default. This is ok if you happen to’re enjoying an in depth open global recreation; much less so for a 2D pool sim. Fortunately, this will also be grew to become off if you happen to’d want.

Game Space could also be the place you’ll spice up efficiency even additional (at the price of battery existence) and configure the shoulder triggers. If you incessantly play FPS video games, having devoted controls makes a large distinction.

Predictably, this superb efficiency extends to on a regular basis utilization. Alongside the 120Hz refresh price and 960Hz contact sampling, the entirety from internet surfing and social media to fast messaging apps and taking footage are super-smooth and responsive.

This superb efficiency is mirrored in the benchmarks under:

Disappointingly, there’s nonetheless no choice for microSD expandable garage. Considering the dimensions of a few recreation information, 256GB might not be enough room. 512GB is your solely selection at the world model – it might’ve been great to peer the 1TB fashion launched outdoor China.

Of direction, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip way you additionally get 5G make stronger. That’s been a function of Red Magic telephones since early 2020, and is subsidized up through Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, and NFC make stronger.

Cameras

  • Triple rear cameras
  • 64Mp major lens is excellent, ultrawide and macro underwhelming
  • Poor selfies from under-display digital camera

Even despite the fact that cameras aren’t a concern on gaming telephones, Nubia has persevered operating on bettering them. The Red Magic 7 Pro, like its common sibling, has a collection of triple rear cameras: 64Mp major, 8Mp ultrawide, and 2Mp macro.

(*7*)

Aside from a moderately longer focal period at the ultrawide, each telephones have similar digital camera {hardware}. What’s extra, the standard of pictures on be offering right here way pictures can not be thought to be a weak point on Red Magic telephones. They can’t compete with the most productive digital camera telephones round, but it surely’s a large step ahead.

Provided the lighting fixtures is just right, that major lens will serve you properly. It’s specifically adept at panorama pictures, that are colourful, well-exposed and be offering a tight quantity of dynamic fluctuate. I used to be steadily tempted to modify to the ultrawide lens, however a noticeable drop in high quality made me reluctant.

The 7 Pro gives single-tap switching between them throughout the digital camera app, in addition to 2x and 5x zoom. Without a separate telephoto lens, high quality takes successful, however pictures are nonetheless usable.

With no separate intensity sensor, portrait-style pictures are reliant on utility. I were given some in point of fact great stills with a blurred background, even though edge detection is a commonplace factor. The software-based Night mode does a just right activity in low-light too.

But the low-quality macro sensor is beautiful pointless – you’ll recuperate close-up pictures from the principle lens.

Red Magic 7 Pro camera test

Of direction, probably the most arguable trade at the Red Magic 7 Pro is that selfie digital camera. Housed beneath the exhibit, it’s an overly other technique to the normal 8Mp sensor at the common fashion. Nubia has bumped it as much as 16Mp to assist compensate, but it surely’s now not sufficient.

Like earlier under-display sensors, selfies lack one of the definition and element you’d generally be expecting. Nubia applies some competitive utility processing after you’ve taken the shot, however they are able to nonetheless finally end up blurry or poorly uncovered.

However, that is obviously a step ahead in comparison to early iterations of the under-display digital camera, and a gaming phone is almost definitely a just right position to check out the tech. Low high quality selfies aren’t a subject for many cellular players, so it’s a compromise many might be glad to make.

The Red Magic 7 Pro has quite elementary video specifications, providing 1080p video at both 30fps or 60fps. But the inclusion of optical symbol stabilisation (OIS) way photos stays stable even if there’s a variety of motion.

Battery existence & charging

  • 5000mAh battery
  • All-day battery existence, together with some gaming
  • 65W adapter delivers complete rate in 30 minutes

The battery at the 7 Pro is a extraordinary one. On the only hand, a 5000mAh capability is a transparent improve directly to the 4500mAh mobile in the common Red Magic 7. But it’s if truth be told moderately smaller than the 5050mAh battery at the world model of final yr’s 6S Pro.

Nonetheless, I’m happy to document that battery existence is a lot better at the 7 Pro than the common 7. In the similar Geekbench 4 battery check, I recorded 8 hours and 44 mins with the brightness at 120 nits. That’s virtually 50 mins longer than the Red Magic 7, which might make the entire distinction whilst gaming.

This solely serves as a measure of screen-on time, however losing the refresh price right down to 90 or 60Hz will lengthen this even additional. After a complete day’s utilization, I nonetheless had some battery to spare, even with an hour or so of gaming.

Nubia Red Magic 7 review

When the battery does run out, the 65W adapter incorporated in the field gets you up and operating in no time. From off, I recorded a 65% rate in quarter-hour; the phone used to be absolutely charged in beneath part an hour.

It’s a disgrace to not see the attention-grabbing 135W speedy charging come to the worldwide model – that is still excusive to China. I doubt many of us will take factor with those speeds, however the persevered loss of wi-fi charging is extra disappointing.

Software & updates

  • Red Magic OS 5.0 over Android 12
  • No explicit utility make stronger commitments
  • Great for gaming, much less spectacular for different scenarios

As standard, the 7 Pro runs Nubia’s customized Red Magic OS pores and skin over Android 12. This 5th iteration provides a number of gaming-focused widgets and different tweaks, however remains to be moderately tough across the edges.

You nonetheless get complete Google get admission to, together with Discover to the left of the house display. Nubia has incorporated a number of of its personal apps, however many of those will also be uninstalled.

Nubia Red Magic 7 review

Annoyingly, the Red Magic 7 Pro nonetheless doesn’t permit you to switch out the default launcher for one thing other. The choice is lacking from the Settings app, which gives in-depth customisation however will also be complicated every now and then.

The stripped-back UI of Red Magic OS is designed to get you gaming as temporarily as conceivable. Activating Game Space by way of the bodily slider takes you to a hub for the entire titles you may have put in.

It gives a number of gear to assist maximise efficiency and minimise distractions. However, you’ll nonetheless temporarily get admission to key messaging apps, together with WhatsApp, Telegram and Discord. It’s slightly complicated to navigate, however in reality helpful when you get the cling of it.

These days, Nubia telephones are reasonably fast to get new variations of Android once they release. But the corporate hasn’t publicly dedicated to a particular choice of years of utility make stronger. Considering Red Magic telephones’ competitive replace cycle, that’s a purpose for fear.

Price & availability

Nubia has stored issues easy on the subject of Red Magic 7 Pro pricing, a minimum of at the world model. It begins at £679/$799 for 16GB RAM and 256GB of garage, however doubling the latter to 512GB will price you £759/$899.

To purchase the phone, you’ll wish to head to the Red Magic website online in the United Kingdom and US – it’s now not to be had by way of another store. There aren’t any carriers stocking the phone both, but it surely’s simple to pop in your individual SIM or benefit from an excellent SIM-only deal.

Considering you’ll wish to purchase the 7 Pro outright, that pricing could also be a priority. The common Red Magic 7 has a an identical function set and is considerably extra inexpensive – ranging from £529/$629 – whilst Asus’ ROG Phone 5 is solely moderately dearer. Plenty of different choices are to be had in our gaming phone chart.

Verdict

The Red Magic 7 Pro is probably the most complex gaming phone Nubia has ever made, but in addition probably the most divisive.

It gives shocking efficiency, because of Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, a separate devoted gaming chip and beneficiant helpings of RAM. The huge, silky-smooth AMOLED exhibit is a pleasure to behold, whole with class-leading 960Hz contact sampling price.

Elsewhere, a hefty 5000mAh mobile delivers all-day battery existence, whilst 65W speedy charging way you’ve were given a complete rate again in lower than half-hour. Even the rear cameras are spectacular at the moment.

But it is that front-facing digital camera that can divide opinion. Embedded beneath the exhibit, its effects are demonstrably worse than a standard selfie lens. Nubia’s option to drop the display refresh price to 120Hz additionally hurts a part of the Red Magic line’s distinctive enchantment.

Combined with a value hike, solely probably the most devoted players will have to pay additional for the Red Magic 7 Pro. Most might be happier with the common fashion, or some of the rising choice of choices.

Specs

Nubia Red Magic 7 Pro: Specs

  • Android 12 with Red Magic OS 5.0
  • 6.8in Full HD+ (1080×2400) OLED exhibit, 20:9, 120Hz
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
  • 12/16 GB RAM
  • 256/512GB inner garage (non-expandable)
  • 64Mp major, 8Mp ultrawide, 2Mp macro cameras
  • 16Mp selfie digital camera (under-display)
  • Fingerprint scanner (in-screen)
  • Wi-Fi 6E
  • Bluetooth 5.2
  • GPS
  • NFC
  • 5G (mmWave, sub-6)
  • USB-C
  • 5,000 non-removable battery
  • 65W stressed charging
  • 166.3 x 77.1 x 10 mm
  • 235g



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