The Nubia RedMagic 7 is the latest gaming phone to arrive on the scene, and it boasts some impressive specifications. But can it take on the likes of the Black Shark 3 Pro?
Full-blooded gaming phones are a niche market to be sure, but when the concept is nailed — that is, high performance is joined by an ultra-responsive screen and ideal ergonomics — then it can be an irresistible package for obsessive mobile gamers. Now there’s a new one on the block, the Nubia RedMagic 7 — but how does it shape up by comparison?
On the performance side of things, there’s a lot to be impressed by. Powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset and equipped with an ICE 8.0 multi-dimensional cooling system with built-in turbofan, not mentioning a minimum 12GB of RAM, we expect this to be a seriously muscular device that should cope with almost anything you throw at it.
The 6.8-inch AMOLED display is equally feature-packed for a gaming phone; with a super smooth 165Hz refresh rate and a 720Hz multi-finger touch-sampling rate, it seems as responsive as you’d want, especially when you’re playing first-person shooters. The resolution is Full HD+ (1808x2400p) and maximum brightness is 700 nits; these specs aren’t the highest, and may mostly be intended to squeeze more life from its 4500mAh battery, though some gamers might particularly want a sharper screen to feel more immersed in their play.
Cameras are never the main priority for gaming phones, but this one still offers a triple lens set-up, including sensors of 64-megapixels, 8-megapixels, and 2-megapixels. The selfie camera clocks in at 8-megapixels.
In terms of design, it’s once again clear that Nubia has laser-targeted its potential audience, with a strong gaming aesthetic present throughout. There are three different colour schemes: Supernova, which has a transparent back that shows off RGB lighting on the turbofan; Pulsar, which has blue/pink “pulsating” colours; and Obsidian, which has a glossy black finish. More importantly, there are two dedicated 500Hz shoulder trigger buttons that offer a touch response as low as 7.4ms.
Prices and availability of the RedMagic 7 are as follows:
- Obsidian, 12GB RAM & 128 storage: $629 / €629 / £529
- Pulsar, 16GB RAM & 256GB storage: $729 / €729 / £619
- Supernova, 18GB RAM & 256GB storage: $799 / €799 / £679
This potentially impressive new product isn’t even the last we’ve heard from Nubia this year. The brand has promised to launch the RedMagic 7 Pro in the second quarter of the year, which will boast under-display camera technology for a completely uninterrupted screen unblemished by a visible selfie camera.