There have been many brands that have tried to be the choice for gamers over the past few years and frankly few have given continuity, especially in terms of design and value for money. This is where Nubia Technology, a company that started as a subsidiary of ZTE, has tried to set the standard by targeting all smartphone gamers with the Redmagic. After several weeks of use, we can finally give you our impressions of the new Redmagic 9Pro, a smartphone dedicated to gamers.
Cameras that deliver
This device has a 50 megapixel + 50MP +2 MP rear camera with a Samsung GN 5 1/1.57 sensor, Optical Image Stabilization (OIS), a 7P lens and anti-reflection system with APL coating. The front camera on the other hand is 16MP under display with a pixel size: 1.12μm and an aperture: 2.0.
Photography Methodology
All photos were taken with autofocus, as we do with all top-of-the-line cameras, to see shutter speed and performance in different lighting scenarios.
In the close-up photos, the colors came out a bit dull compared to what we had in reality. This happened to us in both normal and low-light conditions.
At night, the shutter is slow and misinterprets certain light sources, in addition to the lack of detail of distant objects.
The 10x maximum zoom shots are grainy and of average quality only in good lighting conditions. Macro is good, but not spectacular, as it can have some errors with backgrounds.
In natural light, shots are at the level of a top-of-the-line camera, but they are not out of the ordinary.
The software integrates functions that make it easier to capture star trails, starry skies, a larger electronic aperture, physiograms, slow motion at 120 or 240 fps, time-lapse, wide angle, document scanning, identity photos, panoramic photos, clones, multiple exposures, night mode, portrait and expert modes.
Video can be recorded in 720, 1080 and 4K at 30 or 60 FPS, as well as 8K at 30 FPS. It is important to note that the stabilization is not very good and only supports H.264, H265 and HDR10 formats.
Display
Its 6.8-inch Corning Gorilla Glass FHD+ AMOLED with a resolution of 2480 x 1116, a refresh rate of up to 120 Hz with a touch sampling rate of up to 960 Hz and an instant touch sampling rate of 2,000 Hz makes wonderful use of the screen-to-body aspect ratio of 93.7% with a maximum brightness of 1600 nits.
On this display, we were able to watch HDR-enabled content on Amazon Prime Video and up to 2160 at 60 frames per second on YouTube. Disney+, HBO Max and Star+ can be viewed in HD.
It also integrates a customization section where we can choose the refresh rate of the screen, which we can leave in automatic mode at 60, 90 or 120 Hz and let us know which one we are using in the status bar. The color can be adjusted in 3 different modes: Colorful, Standard or Soft and we can change the temperature in 3 levels, cozy, normal, or cold.
Performance
The Redmagic 9Pro is a monster in itself, and the fact that it has a heat sink to keep the processor temperature down is something to be appreciated, as the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 gets very hot.
The configuration we tested is the one that integrates 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of internal storage, although in our region there is another one with 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage. As for the multitasking performance we had no problem, in fact we consider that the processor left a little to be desired, since when doing the test that we always run of playing Fortnite with the highest settings doing a live from Twitch, it stayed at an average of 45 FPS average, when with the Nothing Phone (2) with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, same amount of memory and storage, it kept us an average of 60 FPS, same case with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 of the HONOR Magic5 Pro.
Games like Call of Duty: Mobile or Diablo Immortal ran over 60 FPS without any major problems, and it is important to note that the heat sink keeps the temperature in check.
Apps such as Alexa, Furbo, Google Assistant, Philips Hue, Hue Sync, Ring and syncing with headphones such as the WH-1000XM5 did not cause any major problems. Similarly, interaction with an LG Smart TV with WebOs worked well.
The dedicated Gaming Mode button seemed to us to be a great addition for the level of customization it allows, as you can control the audio, heat sink and performance mode, although we will review this in the operating system section.
Audio
It has two 1115K speakers and 5 magnetic units that deliver high fidelity audio certified by DTS: X ULTRA. This is noticeable when playing games or listening to music through external speakers. One of the things we really liked is that it has a 3.5mm port that can well exploit its ability to play 32-bit/384kHz Hi-Res audio files and the goodness of Snapdragon Sound.
Battery
This monster is powered by a double cell battery of 6500mAh with fast charge compatible with 80W, that with intensive use gives to support a whole day. It is noteworthy the care that has been injected to the charge of the same, since when it is connected, the heat sink is automatically activated to prevent the device from heating up. It is important to mention that it lacks wireless charging.
As in other devices in this category, it adds software where we can optimize battery usage with managers that help us identify which applications or hardware are draining the battery to be able to modify them manually if we wish.
Peripherals
This smartphone comes with an 80W fast charger, a SIM eject tool and a transparent protective case. The best feature is undoubtedly its customizable digital keys to improve the experience with some video games.
It is worth highlighting the experience of opening the device, as the packaging is particularly well taken care of, showing dedication to gamers.
Design
The Redmagic 9Pro respects the design of its predecessor, but the reconfiguration of the camera, the RGB details on the heat sink, the digital keys and the number on the back make it look spectacular. It is undoubtedly a smartphone that you turn to see in the same way for its robust design and to the touch generates the feeling of having a premium equipment. The button to activate the Gamer mode is an additional feature that really facilitates customization when playing games. Its 229 grams dimensions of 164 x 76.4 x 8.9 mm and glass design merge perfectly with its ICE 13.0 cooling system, which has the largest vapor chamber of 10182 mm², resulting in a reduction of up to 25°C in the temperature of the device and thus translating into better performance.
However, it adds standards such as Bluetooth 5.3, NFC and USB-C 3.2 that help to have a new generation of connectivity. It is important to note that the device is not waterproof or dustproof.
Operating System
This device runs on REDMAGIC OS 9.0 on Android 14 and has additions such as a personal assistant that reacts to certain actions, emphasizing that it is only meant to give some life to the device. What definitely shines is all the software dedicated to gaming, as the customization levels allow you to edit shortcuts, customize network settings, integrate services such as Xbox, Steam, PlayStation and even Epic Games.
You can also connect a keyboard and mouse for use in projection mode.
It is important to mention that during testing we had no problems with crashes or unexpected shutdowns.
The Redmagic 9Pro is the best smartphone for gaming this 2024, but we must take into account that it makes great sacrifices like the camera and the screen is not exactly what we would have liked, but taking into account the price vs the processor and hardware included, by far the option to consider if all we want is to play.
Best
- Cooling system
- Good performance
- Digital keys
- Dedicated software for gamers
- Battery life
- 2.3 mm jack
Worst
- Low-resolution screen for the price
- No wireless charging
- No water resistance
- No areas that use artificial intelligence
Rating: 9.1
