The "Red Magic 8 Pro" is a smartphone developed by the company Red Magic. It falls under the category of gaming smartphones and is known for its powerful performance and gaming-centric features. The device comes with a large display, typically around 6.65 inches, providing an immersive gaming experience. It also boasts a high refresh rate, usually 144Hz or higher, ensuring smooth and fluid gameplay. In terms of specifications, the Red Magic 8 Pro is equipped with a powerful processor, typically a Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset, and ample RAM, usually up to 12GB or more.
Once you are in any game, you can swipe in from the side of the display to have all the customisable options available to you. The CPU and GPU settings are on show, and there is a dizzying lis of items that can be tweaked… touch sensitivity, frame rate, cooling fan speed, and the aforementioned shoulder triggers are perhaps the key ones to find the beast gaming environment.
This brings you into a landscape launcher which has almost no Android conventions but feels far more suited to the task inland - namely getting to your games and making sure the configurable hardware elements associated with each game are available. The brightness does not go as high as other gaming smartphones, and it only refreshes up to 120 Hz rather than the potential of 165 Hz found in other gaming phones.
In terms of specifications, the Red Magic 8 Pro is equipped with a powerful processor, typically a Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset, and ample RAM, usually up to 12GB or more. This allows for speedy performance and efficient multitasking. The device also offers ample storage space for games and other media, with options ranging from 128GB to 256GB or more.
Redmagic 8 Pro Review: Budget Gaming Has Never Been So Powerful
Gaming-focused smartphones are all about getting that last tiny bit of performance out of the hardware to make your experience as thrilling as possible. With specs as prominent as they have to be, finding a ‘budget’ gaming phone is not an easy task, which is where Nubia comes in. The latest in its Redmagic series - the Redmagic 8 Pro - offers high specs worthy of a gaming phone at as competitive a price as possible.
Nubia Redmagic 8 Pro
Probably the biggest thing to note is the price. Here in the UK, the Redmagic 8 Pro retails at £579, a significantly lower price than the likes of the flagship Asus ROG phone. Its broad specs promise a high degree of performance with Qualcomm’s SnapDragon 8 Gen 2 chipset at the heart of the smartphone, backed up by 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage in the base model. You have other models which go up to 16 GB RAM and 512 GB storage; but with one of the main selling points being the cost-effective price, I suspect the 12/256 model will be the one most people move to.
The other three elements that are seen as ‘default tech’ in gaming smartphones can also be found here - namely a larger than average batter (6000 mAh), two shoulder-mounted ‘air’ buttons that can be remapped as touch-presses on any part of the display, and active cooling with a fan drawing air through the chassis to help keep the heat down around the chipset and allow it to run for longer in a higher performance mode.
Nubia Redmagic 8 Pro
One area where the Redmagic Pro 8 breaks with convention (or at least most of the convention) are that this gaming phone does not scream gaming with excessive amounts of neon and sculpted multicolor panelling. Don't get me wrong; there’s still a lot more on show than a plain blank plate under some gorilla glass.
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Amy Danise EditorThere’s a rather simple design cue in all this, namely, get rid of the curves. The 8 Pro offers an angular blocky shape, a rectangular block punched out of a larger rectangular block. The rear of the phone has a curious three-level effect that you can see through the glass, which gives hints of a well-assembled phone without looking gaudy. The only touch to the gamer aesthetic is the RGB color ring around the fan, which lights up during operation. I feel a monochromatic light would be more in keeping with the design.
It’s also worth noting that the triple camera lenses do just out of the back so it’s not perfectly smooth. Nubia has been criticized on previous Redmagic phones as to the camera quality, so there was likely a feeling of ‘don’t compromise here’, but it does feel wrong in the hand and means there’s a tiny rock when you place the handset on a flat surface.
Nubia Redmagic 8 Pro
Round the front, you have a flat screen - no distortion here to get in the way of your gaming - with incredibly small bezels. Nubia has lifted the Redmagic 8 Pro closer to the ‘all-display’ front than most, something helped by putting the selfie camera underneath the display itself.
The screen itself shows a few compromises, though. The brightness does not go as high as other gaming smartphones, and it only refreshes up to 120 Hz rather than the potential of 165 Hz found in other gaming phones. That’s not as bad as you might think, because only a handful of games support or need the 165 Hz refresh. What it does show is that, in terms of hardware, Nubia has made a few smart decisions on where to compromise - that sub £600 price has to be achieved somewhere.
Nubia Redmagic 8 Pro
Where the Redmagic 8 Pro feels a touch let down is in the software. Again, sticking with the norms of the established gaming smartphone format, you have an Android launcher and a standalone gaming launcher. The former is functional at best. There are some curious bundled apps (with NextWord mashup of web browser and translation) standing out as a ‘why are you here?’ app; all your apps are going to be on the home screen rather than in a draw, and there’s a general feeling that a little bit more focus on consistent UI elements (eg the font size and spacing) would pay dividends.
Then there is the gaming launcher, handily available by the titular magic 'red switch' on the side of the machine. This brings you into a landscape launcher which has almost no Android conventions but feels far more suited to the task inland - namely getting to your games and making sure the configurable hardware elements associated with each game are available
Once you are in any game, you can swipe in from the side of the display to have all the customisable options available to you. The CPU and GPU settings are on show, and there is a dizzying lis of items that can be tweaked… touch sensitivity, frame rate, cooling fan speed, and the aforementioned shoulder triggers are perhaps the key ones to find the beast gaming environment.
This speaks to what it means to be a gaming smartphone. Every smartphone can play games, and smartphones sitting with the latest chipsets such as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 can play the games… but if you need that final frame per second, that slightly smoother experience, or any of the other small adjustments you need to make to be a better gamer, then you need a gaming smartphone with all of these options exposed quickly and easily while you are playing. Which the Nubia software allows.
Nubia Redmagic 8 Pro
In use I found the Redmagic 8 Pro to be a solid phone for playing. It is heavier than most, but personally, I’ve always preferred my hardware to be heavier and feel more robust - although for long playing sessions, it can become tiring. As for the blocky regular shape, I felt this gave me a comfortable hold thanks to the edges; these helped the handset feel secure in my hands.
The various techniques to aid cooling - from the fan and vents to the internal design - keep the heat more than manageable. Yes, the handset can get warm when put under load for some time, but it was never uncomfortable. Frame rates stayed high on key titles such as Dead Cells, Genshin Impact, and Call Of Duty Mobile. What’s less impressive is the speaker design. Using the earpiece as one speaker, and a regular side-mounted speaker as the second will have helped the price point, but these aren’t the forward-firing speakers of the competition. Thankfully there is a 3.5mm headphone jack, so getting latency-free audio into your headphones should not be a problem.
Nubia Redmagic 8 Pro
Nubia has iterated both on its previous gaming handsets, as well as the technology available, to bring a gaming smartphone to market at a very competitive price. It’s curious to call the £600 mark as ‘budget’ but there are many hardware requirements that are necessary to be seen as a relevant gaming smartphone which pushes any smartphone into this price range.
Yes there are compromises, the darker screen and the speakers are likely going to be the ones you first notice, but there are others that slowly come to light such as the lack of an IP rating. I’d also like to see the work put into the hardware design and the game launcher contribute towards the base Android experience.
So there are some downsides to the device, but in relation to that price, how large are the downsides? To be honest, not that much - unless you are going for the absolute top-tier games that benefit from that level of hardware, the Redmagic 8 Pro can comfortably meet the needs of those looking to get into serious smartphone gaming while offering an attractive upgrade package for those in the space looking to access the latest chipsets and innovations.
Disclaimer: Nubia provided a Redmagic 8 Pro for review purposes.
Then there is the gaming launcher, handily available by the titular magic 'red switch' on the side of the machine. This brings you into a landscape launcher which has almost no Android conventions but feels far more suited to the task inland - namely getting to your games and making sure the configurable hardware elements associated with each game are available
One of the standout features of the Red Magic 8 Pro is its cooling system. Gaming can put a strain on the device, causing it to heat up. However, this smartphone utilizes advanced cooling technology, such as liquid cooling, to keep temperatures in check and prevent performance throttling during extended gaming sessions. Another notable feature of the Red Magic 8 Pro is its gaming-specific software enhancements. The device often comes with a dedicated gaming mode or software that optimizes performance and provides additional features to enhance the gaming experience. This may include customizable settings, gesture controls, and even dedicated buttons or triggers for gaming. Red Magic 8 Pro also tends to have a robust battery life, allowing gamers to play for extended periods without worrying about running out of power. Additionally, the device supports fast charging technology, ensuring quick recharge times. In conclusion, the Red Magic 8 Pro is a high-performance gaming smartphone that offers a range of features and specifications aimed at optimizing the gaming experience. With its powerful processor, gaming-specific enhancements, efficient cooling system, and ample storage, this device is a popular choice among gamers looking for a smartphone that can handle their gaming needs..
Reviews for "Red Magic 8 Pro: The Phone That Takes Gaming to the Next Level"
1. Sarah - 2 stars - I was really disappointed with the Red Magic 8 Pro Presio. The screen quality was poor and the colors looked washed out. The battery life was also really short, even with minimal usage. I found the device to be quite laggy and slow, especially when trying to open apps or browse the internet. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this phone as there are much better options available in the market.
2. John - 1 star - The Red Magic 8 Pro Presio was a huge letdown for me. The camera quality was extremely poor, and the photos I took always turned out blurry and pixelated. The phone's performance was also very inconsistent, with frequent crashes and freeze-ups. The design was not very appealing either, feeling clunky and heavy in my hand. Considering the price I paid for this device, I expected much better quality and performance. I regret purchasing it and would not recommend it to others.
3. Lisa - 3 stars - Although the Red Magic 8 Pro Presio had some positive aspects, overall it fell short of my expectations. The gaming performance was decent, but the phone heated up very quickly during extended gameplay sessions, which was a major drawback. The software was also quite buggy, with frequent app crashes and slow response times. The device's battery life was average at best, requiring frequent charging throughout the day. The build quality of the phone was solid, but the user experience left much to be desired.