Review of RedMagic 8S Pro

Some of the most powerful gaming smartphones available are found in Tech Developer Nubia's RedMagic brand of phones, which forgoes some of the standard mobile phone functions in favor of pure gaming capability. It's up to you whether you play mobile games on your phone long enough to overlook certain conveniences, but RedMagic is back with the 8S Pro, a quicker smartphone with not too many significant changes.

To those who are unaware, the RedMagic 8S Pro is a powerful gaming phone with a stylish design. It bears a lot of similarities to the RedMagic 8 model that came before it. Both have an aluminum shell and are available in three different colors: silver for the "platinum" model, black for the "midnight" model, and black for the "aurora" model, which is again black but has see-through parts to show off some of the technology inside. Whichever one you choose, be ready for some intense gameplay.

Although the RedMagic performs better than any other device in its class, it is lacking a few important functions that users who want to use it often may find lacking. Now that we've had a few weeks to use the RedMagic 8S Pro, we can say with confidence that it's a fantastic gaming device that can handle whatever you throw at it. The decision of whether or not you are willing to overlook its nitpicks is fully yours.

Cost and accessibility

The Nubia RedMagic 8S Pro is now available in three distinct colors and spec levels, and it comes with a three-tiered price structure.

• Midnight – 12GB RAM + 256GB Memory ($649)
• Platinum – 16GB RAM + 512GB Memory ($779)
• Aurora – 16GB RAM + 512 GB Memory ($799)

Specifications

The RedMagic 8S Pro specifications are as follows:

Characteristics

The RedMagic 8S Pro's powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor makes gaming its primary focus. This implies that seamless gameplay occurs across all graphical settings. According to my observations, they also operate coolly because of the sizable ICE 12.0 cooling system. Underneath the screen, the gadget employs a kind of graphene that helps prevent the battery from overheating.

Your gaming experiences will be enhanced by the RedMagic Game Space Center. There is a red metal button on the right side of the device that, when flipped, automatically launches the Game Space, a separate menu and launcher that gathers all of your games and provides highly configurable options for each one. You may experiment with the fan and refresh rate, and you can use all of your phone's power for gaming.

The device's two completely customizable touch-sensitive black dots, known as the shoulder triggers, are located next to the Game Space button on the right side. To use the left or right trigger, just open Game Space and move it over the prompt that appears on the screen. I utilized these triggers, for example, to set the left to strike and the right to leap during Genshin Impact.

Using these triggers is quite pleasant, and I always enjoy that I can take my large, awkward thumbs off the screen—especially when it's looking this good. Additionally, the triggers provide haptic feedback, which gives you a pleasant little rumble each time you execute a command. Although using an external device, like as a Backbone controller, is still an option, these triggers are a truly nice touch and a much appreciated addition.

The RedMagic 8S Pro is not waterproof, despite having a strong aluminum body and a thick gorilla glass display. This is probably because the ICE cooling system has a sizable open vent on each side. This is another contemporary comfort that some may expect to be included but isn't since the phone is primarily intended for mobile gaming.

The RedMagic 8S Pro has Android 13 and is optimized for this device with various functions. It may also be used as a phone when necessary. Overall, Android users will recognize this as a similar interface even though you can add widgets to the homepage to manage things like the fan and refresh rate. You have the insane ability to alter the OS's refresh rate, so if you'd want, you may utilize that power to build yourself a very responsive UI.

Image

Three cameras are included on this stylish gadget, the primary one having a 50MP resolution and an f/1.88 wide lens. A second 8MP f/2.2 13mm ultrawide lens is placed next to it, followed by a third 2MP f/2.4 macro lens. Together, these cameras provide HDR, and the software's enormous processing power allows for rapid focusing and a low-light image.

I must admit that after using the RedMagic 8S Pro's cameras for a few weeks, I'm impressed. Even if they can't match the clarity or color of the iPhone 14, the 50MP camera on this gadget nonetheless produces sharp, vibrant shots, particularly in ideal lighting. If you wish to add some blur to your backdrops, there is a portrait option as well as an excellent low light performance in the night mode.

I've been scurrying about snapping photos for general use, at the park, and inside. The video output may even reach 8K quality, and the images are very vivid and detailed. One thing to note is that you must disable the device's obtrusive "shot on the RedMagic 8S Pro" statement in the settings. If you don't want your well-taken photos damaged, turn this watermark off right away since after you take a picture, you can't get it off.

Construct

The phone we're examining is the Platinum model, and it's big. Despite not having the appearance of a "gaming" phone, it is showy with its rectangular corners and brushed metal back. Your gaming sessions are illuminated by a few RGB lights; one is located over the sizable ICE fan, and there are other lights above the RedMagic logo and additional lettering on the device's back. They're a nice addition, but if you want to play games on the Tube without seeming like a total geek, you can turn them off as well. In any case, that's what I did.

I like the RedMagic 8S Pro's rectangular monolithic form, despite its weight. Additionally, it's still a manageable size for daily usage, with two thumbs for simple navigation and messaging, among other features. It's definitely making a statement with its size and brightness, but overall, I really like the square form and metallic appearance.

Show

The 6.8-inch AMOLED screen of the RedMagic 8S Pro has a brightness of up to 1300 nits. Stated otherwise, this ranks among the top flagship displays available for purchase. When outdoors, very clear and bright, with just the appropriate amount of color and detail to make any game appear amazing.The action really takes off in our testing when we play games like Genshin Impact, Pokemon Unite, PUBG Mobile, and more. With its large screen, minimal bezels, and lack of a notch, almost the whole front of the gadget is dedicated to gaming. Without a notch, the selfie camera is situated underneath the screen, in case you were wondering. Although the poor quality of the selfie camera is a drawback, I doubt gamers will be very concerned about it.

Life of Battery

Naturally, using that much power has costs associated with it, but fortunately, there is a twin 6000mah battery with a 65W charger. This indicates that, based on my observations, games with demanding graphics only need three or four hours of battery life. Anything less challenging, however, translates into much, much more. The phone uses very little battery life while in standby mode; you can keep it there for days at a time and still have a respectable amount of battery life remaining.With a USB-C connector on the bottom, the 65W charger allows it to charge quite rapidly as well. It may be preferable for a gaming phone to have the USB-C connector on the side so that it doesn't interfere with your hands while you're gaming, but it's not a major issue since it only takes an hour to fully charge. Although there isn't wireless charging, there are plenty of USB-C chargers. I don't know why Nubia is excluding wireless charging; maybe there isn't room within the hardware-focused smartphones.

Achievement

Up to now, RedMagic 8. The RedMagic 8S Pro does, however, vary in a few ways, chief among them being performance. Even though both devices use RedMagic's Red Core CPU in conjunction with the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, which is overclocked to boost overall performance, the RedMagic 8S Pro is currently one of the most powerful smartphones available. There is a noticeable difference if you're serious about your mobile gaming, but you'll need to have a very keen eye to see it.When the phone is in the Game Space mode, the majority of its massive RAM is immediately allocated to gaming. This varies depending on the model; for example, the midnight model has 12GB RAM and 256GB memory, while the platinum and aurora variants have 16GB RAM and 512GB memory. Although the midnight model isn't exactly lacking in capabilities, having this much power is a wonderful perk if you're a hardcore mobile gamer.We have been experimenting with the RedMagic 8S Pro for a few weeks now, and it is undeniably a very powerful gadget. It can run demanding games at their highest graphics settings, such Fortnite and Genshin Impact, and maintain a consistent framerate. In addition, the AMOLED panel has a 960Hz touch sampling rate and a refresh rate of 120Hz. Put another way, this gadget responds to input extremely rapidly and with remarkable responsiveness. In demanding games like Pokémon Unite and PUBG Mobile, it feels just fantastic.As previously shown, even with the graphical settings cranked to the highest, games like Genshin Impact, Honkai Star Rail, PUBG Mobile, and others run very well. This usually translates to a steady 30 frames per second framerate, but with a few changes, it's also fairly easy to get 60 frames per second in virtually any game that supports the setting. In terms of sheer power, this is without a doubt the most astounding gaming phone I have ever encountered.

Is it wise to purchase the RedMagic 8S Pro?

All things considered, the RedMagic 8S Pro is a sturdy brick of a phone, and its brushed aluminum finish gives it a very polished and sophisticated appearance. It's heavy, but it feels wonderful in the hands, and on lengthy plays, the sharp corners may be a little irritating. But this is one of the most powerful gaming phones available, ready to handle any challenge you throw at it.There are certain exclusions because of the emphasis on gaming and the large, brilliant screen. The front-facing camera is particularly underwhelming, and wireless charging is something I now expect from a contemporary gadget. This indicates that you are receiving a phone that is solely focused on gaming, combined with the absence of any waterproofing. However, it's quite amazing at what it does.

Should you find the RedMagic 8S Pro unsuitable

These are some more options that you may like.

RedMagic 7 or 8Since the RedMagic 8S Pro doesn't much differ from the RedMagic 8, you may want to consider purchasing the earlier model if it's on sale. It's still a complete workhorse, so if you don't mind a little performance loss, you can purchase a cheaper smartphone that has the same screen, body, and cameras.Acer ROG 7 Ultimate

With a few exceptions, the Asus ROG 7 Ultimate is the most similar product available on the market and performs almost all of the functions of the RedMagic 8s Pro. The ROG 7 has an AMOLED screen that is comparable, however its refresh rate is 165 Hz. At this moment, the differences are negligible, but if the ASUS is available for less money, that could be the better option.