Redmagic 7: The ultimate gaming smartphone?

Redmagic 7: Summary and price

The Redmagic 7 really offers the full range for gamers. With Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, 165 Hz fast OLED display, 720 Hz touch sampling rate, 65 watt fast charging, the data sheet reads like the wet dream of all mobile gaming fans. There are also numerous additional features that should make gaming more pleasant: for example, two configurable shoulder buttons, powerful cooling or Redmagic OS 5.0, which is tailored to gaming.

Our sample is already on the way, and as a gamer – you guessed it – I’m really looking forward to the test.

Unfortunately, you have to be patient for a few more days – namely until March 10th. Because then the Redmagic 7 should be available in stores around the world. The recommended retail price is a sporty EUR 699. The very impatient can already pre-order the smartphone under the following link:

Also note that Nubia is hosting a Call of Duty: Mobile tournament that will air March 4-6. You can already vote for your favorite and have the chance to win a free Redmagic 7. All information about the raffle can be found on the official Redmagic website.

theme and buttons

Whether in the colorful atompunk case design “Pulsar” or in the two stealth styles “Supernova” and “Obsidian”: The Redmagic 7 screams with every fiber GAMING SMARTPHONE! In addition to the angular shapes, there are also illuminated details in the housing. All color variants have the Redmagic logo illuminated. The “Obsidian” and “Pulsar” versions also have an RGB LED to the right and left of the logo, the “Supernova” version comes with an RGB fan.

The two shoulder buttons on the top of the case – viewed in landscape format – are also specially designed for gamers. Redmagic specifies the reaction speed as 7.4 ms, the sampling rate should be 500 Hz. The buttons should be made as responsive as possible so that your commands are implemented directly in the game.

If you are currently in a ranked match on CoD Mobile, a failure would of course be tragic. Therefore, the keys are also protected against sweat. In addition, their sensitivity can be adjusted in “Redmagic Game Space” – but more on that later.

screen

The screen is one of the most important features of every gaming smartphone – and Nubia is accordingly big here. The 6.8-inch display has an aspect ratio of 20:9. The resolution is Full HD+, i.e. 2400 x 1080 pixels. Sure, some competitors offer more; however, more pixels also require more SoC performance and eat away at the battery more.

The screen-to-body ratio is 91.28 percent. To really get the most out of this – and to avoid blind spots when gaming – the Redmagic 7 hides the selfie camera in the display. The dynamically controlled refresh rate of up to 165 Hz is also absolutely suitable for gaming. However, the maximum screen brightness drops somewhat at 700 nits. If you want to gamble at the bathing lake, you better look for a place in the shade.

The touch sampling rate is also worth mentioning: The Redmagic 7 offers 720 Hz here. This should ensure that the smartphone recognizes the inputs on the touchscreen with as little delay as possible – and you have no excuse for complaining about the hardware if you lose.

software

The Redmagic 7 runs Redmagic OS 5.0 based on Android 12 ex works. The Android interface offers all sorts of special features for gamers, including the Game Space in particular. The menu offers you countless options to tailor the smartphone to your gaming habits.

For example, you can specify exactly which notifications you want to receive while playing. You can also record your game sessions via Game Space or Redmagic Studio or stream them directly via USB-C or HDMI.

New to Redmagic 7 is the ability to take and view notes during gameplay via Game Space. For example, you always have certain strategies or build orders at hand. In addition, the Game Space now also offers an integrated stopwatch so that you can always keep an eye on the time during Speed ​​Runs & Co. And then there’s a reminder system so you never miss raid sessions or online tournaments again.

performance

The Redmagic 7 is one of the first smartphones with the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. The SoC has a high-performance core with 3.0 GHz, three strong cores with 2.5 GHz and four “small” cores with 1.8 GHz each. There is also a choice of 12, 16 or even 18 GB of RAM plus 6 GB of virtual RAM. The latter is part of the onboard memory allocated to RAM.

So that the SoC does not overheat when gaming, Redmagic installs a complex cooling system called ICE 8.0. In addition to all kinds of complex heat pipes, there is a powerful fan that is supposed to reduce the temperature by 16°C overall. Despite the maximum speed of 20,000 rpm, the brushless motor is said to be just 28 decibels quiet. We’re looking forward to the test.

In addition to the Qualcomm SoC, Redmagic also installs its own gaming chip called “Red Core 1”. This takes care of special features, including controlling the shoulder buttons and the vibration motor. According to the manufacturer, the Red Core 1 also improves light rendering in games and the quality of sound effects. Incidentally, the latter reach your auditory canal either via stereo loudspeakers, via Bluetooth headset (version 5.2) or – hurray – via a 3.5 mm jack.

camera

The previous Redmagic smartphones were all non-camera phones – and the Redmagic 7 is very similar. Yes, there is a triple camera on the back. In addition to the 64-megapixel main sensor, there is also an ultra-wide-angle camera with 8 megapixels on the back – the bokeh camera with 2 megapixels is more for cosmetics.

The selfie camera won’t break any quality records either – and it shouldn’t either. The focus of the Redmagic 7 is on gaming, and accordingly Nubia hides the camera under the display during regular operation. The priority of gaming versus camera is also clear in the international press release: the triple camera is described here in seven words. How cleverly the selfie camera (resolution? It doesn’t matter.) is hidden in the display so that it doesn’t get in the way when gaming is explained by the manufacturer in an entire paragraph.

battery pack

The battery in the Redmagic 7 has a capacity of 4500 mAh and supports quick charging with a rapid 120 watts. According to the manufacturer, with maximum charging power, it takes just 17 minutes to charge the smartphone from zero to 100. However, the mains adapter included in the scope of delivery can’t keep up with the speed – here it’s “only” 65 watts, which is still incredibly fast.

The battery life will definitely be an interesting topic for the practical test. With the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, Redmagic uses an efficient 4 nm processor. However, the cooling system should ensure that the SoC can run under full load for a longer period of time, and the display should also nibble a lot on the energy reserves at maximum speed.

outlook

I’ve talked a lot about the relevance of gaming smartphones as a niche category. In order for a gaming smartphone to work, it must inevitably offer features that are precisely tailored to the user and end up in a niche: mobile gaming. Because everyone plays on their smartphone, but not the same games.

Nobody needs a smartphone with a 165 Hz screen, a special cooling system or a game space to play Candy Crush or any of the mainstream titles that are currently trending. But someone who’s reasonably serious about playing multiplayer games, porting PC/console games to mobile, or other games that require a certain level of commitment is going to be much more receptive to this niche.

Therefore, I find the decision of ZTE and Nubia more than interesting. They’re really going all-out on this niche, rather than trying to strike an impossible balance and offer a smartphone that’s just a little bit more “gaming” than the rest.

I personally fit that typical user profile pretty well and can’t wait to test the Redmagic 7 to see how it fares in real life conditions.