Nubia Red Magic 5G review: a gaming smartphone with a 144 Hz screen

Gaming phones typically have high performance, responsive displays, sensitive keys, and a special cooling system. The new Nubia Red Magic 5G gaming smartphone has all this and more.

The Red Magic 3S had a decent set of features, however, the screen refresh rate in the new model increased from 90 Hz to 144 Hz. A main module of three cameras and a fingerprint scanner under the screen appeared. The Red Magic 5G also gets a Snapdragon 865 processor, a 6.65-inch Full HD display with Gorilla Glass protection, and a minimum of 8GB of RAM (12GB in some). The battery capacity is an impressive 4500 mAh when the camera shoots in 8K.

We get ample capabilities and a built-in cooling system that saves the hardware from overheating, which is inevitable during intense gaming. Equally important for gamers will be physical keys. On regular smartphones they are practically useless, however, any gamer will immediately appreciate this convenience. A dedicated gaming mode optimizes the use of component power for maximum performance.

But are there enough updates to make the Red Magic 5G a worthy successor to the series? Find out in my review.

Nubia Red Magic 5G specifications and prices

Review of the ZTE Nubia RedMagic gaming smartphone: active cooling, top processor, excellent screen

A detailed review of Nubia RedMagic 5G, an uncompromising smartphone for games and advanced users, from ZTE. The model is notable for the presence of built-in active cooling based on heat pipes and a turbofan, additional gaming hardware buttons, and the ability to connect to a gaming docking station. The smartphone's hardware is truly top-notch: it is a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor paired with an Adreno 650 video subsystem. The screen is at the same level - Super AMOLED FHD+ with a refresh rate of up to 144 Hz.

Content

• Smartphone characteristics
• Equipment and appearance
• Turning on and smartphone system
• Test applications and benchmarks
• Comparison with other gaming and non-gaming smartphones
• Camera testing
• Using a smartphone and playing games
• A spoon of tar
• Conclusion and conclusions

Smartphone ZTE Nubia RedMagic 5G (red)

Smartphone ZTE Nubia RedMagic 5G (black)

This review has been in drafts for quite a long time - in fact, while the author was writing this review, the sixth version of this gaming smartphone - Nubia RedMagic 6/6 Pro - had already become available for sale. However, the Nubia RedMagic 5G model under review is an excellent gaming smartphone of the previous generation, which has not lost any of its relevance. I will try to show in detail the main features and test the systems.

Smartphone characteristics

The characteristics of the smartphone are presented in the table below. Performance comparison tables are provided after the testing section.

Equipment and appearance

What gaming smartphones are can be seen in the example of the review of the Xiaomi Black Shark 4 gaming model. The comparison table was taken from the same review.

The unusual aggressive design of the rear panel makes the ZTE Nubia RedMagic smartphone stand out from other models. It fits like a glove in your hand, the shape is ergonomic, the body has slightly rounded corners.

The packaging is made of black velvet cardboard. The package includes a power supply and cable. External cooling fan and docking station must be purchased separately.

A massive processor cooling system based on heat pipes and a compact turbofan is built inside. On the sides you can see holes for ventilation. And in active mode, you can hear a faint sound of the cooling system operating.

The smartphone does not look large or bulky. Dimensions are approximately 16.9 x 7.8 cm with a thickness of less than approximately 9.8 mm. The weight is slightly more than usual models - just over 200 g.

On the side panels there are air ventilation outlets, magnetic pogo contacts for working with the docking station (optional), as well as power and volume buttons. The fingerprint scanner is hidden under the screen at the bottom.

On the bottom panel there is one of the stereo speakers, a SIM card tray, a microphone and a USB-C connector. The top panel houses a second microphone (to provide noise cancellation) and a 3.5mm audio output for wired headphones. Let me remind you that the smartphone claims Hi-Res Audio (32-bit/384kHz) certification.

Like other gaming smartphones, there are hardware triggers - additional game buttons that initially work in most games. The buttons are small in size and have a characteristic tactile shape.

My package included a 55 W charger with an American plug. You need to either select another charger (with a Euro plug and fast charging) or use an adapter. Also included is documentation for the smartphone and tray ejector.

Charger operating modes: 5V/3A, 9V/3A, 12V/3A, 15V/3A. The charging cable is a meter long, with thick insulation and an angled (!) connector. This is very convenient if you constantly play using mains power.

The tray is located at the bottom, double for a pair of SIM cards (nano SIM). Unfortunately, it is not possible to install a MicroSD memory card to expand storage. Therefore, it is better to immediately choose the 8/256 GB version. Note the red ring at the base of the tray - this is a silicone seal that provides some protection against dust getting inside.

The back panel is textured and has a complex, aggressive design with lettering and various V-shaped elements. The main camera is highlighted with a red hexagon.

The smartphone came from the seller half charged - we charge it fully and continue testing.

Turning on and smartphone system

The ZTE Nubia RedMagic smartphone is equipped with Redmagic 3.0 OS - a shell optimized for games based on Android 10. The version is global, Russian and Cyrillic are supported out of the box. There is also support for OTA Update.

Externally, Redmagic looks very interesting. Pictograms, wallpapers and menus in an aggressive red and black color scheme. The main points of use are the same as other smartphones with Android 10.

Screenshots of the Redmagic start and additional screens. There are a number of pre-installed applications from ZTE. Almost immediately a software update became available (the smartphone must first be charged). As I noted above, the smartphone works with USB drives and SSDs.

The menu contains a number of gaming and functional settings. For example, selecting the refresh rate (60/90/144 Hz), setting the turbo fan, setting to project the smartphone screen onto a large TV, etc.

I have the 8/256 GB version of my smartphone - you can see it in the screenshots. I note that the system takes up a little more than 2.5 GB, about 9 GB is available to the user. The Wi-Fi module is fast, Bluetooth version 5.1 with APT-X support.

Test applications and benchmarks

I move on directly to testing with various applications. First, let's look at the AIDA64 test report.

CPU-Z application test report. The model number indicated is NX659J.

Gaming smartphones must (must!) be stable during long-term operation under full load. The ZTE Nubia RedMagic smartphone has active cooling and without problems you can work/play for hours at a time with a full load, Wi-Fi broadcasts, etc. As can be seen from the CPU Throttling test, performance does not drop.

Test packages show the following results: 3D Mark SSE: 7218, PC Mark: 12214 units, which is very, very good. It picks up satellites quickly and can be used as a car navigator.

Comparison with other gaming and non-gaming smartphones

The ZTE Nubia RedMagic smartphone shows quite enviable test results. But what happens if you compare it with other smartphones?

Based on the results of a quick comparison of a number of modern gaming smartphones, the 6/6Pro is even more interesting, but somewhat more expensive. I note that the comparison did not include the new Asus ROG Phone 5, which is about to go on sale.

As well as a summary table with tests of other models and links to detailed reviews. Particularly interesting against the background of gaming and expensive smartphones is the POCO F3 5G, which has similar performance at half the cost.

To understand the actual dimensions, I’m using my old Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus. And here an interesting point arises - the ZTE Nubia RedMagic is a little more elongated and somewhat “thicker” relative to the Galaxy.

The design of the back side of the ZTE Nubia RedMagic is much more interesting. In terms of capabilities, both ZTE Nubia RedMagic and Galaxy Note 10 Plus can work with USB-OTG peripherals and can output video through a hardware output. Using a special cable or an active USB hub, you can connect a TV, projector or external monitor to HDMI.

Camera testing

The ZTE Nubia RedMagic has a triple camera and is decent, but peculiar. I’ll immediately highlight the main thing: the main 64 MP sensor (f/1.8) is one of the top Sony IMX686. It takes excellent photos. But as for the auxiliary cameras, everything is quite trivial. This is an 8 MP wide-angle camera and a 2 MP macro/depth sensor. Located vertically one above the other. A little higher there is a two-color flash. But the front camera is modest - only 8 megapixels (f/2.0).

The camera application is standard, but adapted for RedMagic OS. The 64 MP mode is turned on separately, there is a pro mode, there is a separate night mode, etc.

It shoots quite well. Enhancement algorithms, AI and HDR know their stuff. Photos are rich, clear, without blurring.

I liked that in the automatic mode the smartphone focuses well on objects (including complex ones with glare/glass) and correctly sets the white balance and correctly “catches” the color gamut, without distorting the colors like some Xiaomi smartphones.

The stamp in the corner (“Shot on…”) can be disabled or edited. Another example of a successful photo.

The color rendition of the main Sony IMX686 sensor is excellent. The photos turn out juicy.

The macro mode is available when the distance to the object is fairly close, but in principle it works.

An example of a photo taken with the front camera. In my opinion, they could install a more modern sensor, such as the POCO F3 or POCO X3 Pro with 20 megapixels. Well, so be it.

Photo properties of the resulting images.

Using a smartphone and playing games

I’ll say right away that I was extremely impressed by the function of broadcasting images from the display to external monitors. I’ve already tried playing on the big screen on 40″…50″ TVs, as well as through a projector. If you play for a long time, then it makes sense to connect a charger. A branded hub docking station would be much more appropriate in this case.

So, screen broadcasting can be configured using standard smartphone tools via Wi-Fi, or using an adapter cable from USB-C to HDMI. The photo shows a connected TV via HDMI with FullHD image transmission.

It is quite rare to find support for this function in smartphones, and it is even rarer to find a function that works correctly. ZTE Nubia RedMagic is doing well in this regard. You can safely play while controlling it on your smartphone, getting high-quality images on the big screen no worse than expensive consoles.

And the smartphone copes with other applications with a bang. I tried to use it as a DVR for a car and as a navigator.

A spoon of tar

What I didn't like about this model was the glass back panel. Chinese manufacturers began to adopt not only good technologies and use high-quality components, but also began to “indulge” in various bad marketing “goodies” that have a negative effect on the user. Namely: the glass back panel, which was broken (slightly, but unpleasantly) literally in the first months of use.

Of course, it is available for sale and you can change it, including yourself. But the negative impression remained.

Conclusion and conclusions

So, the ZTE Nubia RedMagic 5G gaming smartphone turned out to be very interesting. Shows enviable performance in games and heavy applications. The performance is of high quality, the cooling system copes with long-term load. Additional functionality makes work and games more convenient (HDMI video output, NFC, additional buttons, etc.). The rear camera is excellent. The smartphone is available in both black and red colors. To receive a discount, you can use the promotional code: GIFTWEEK2400 (2400 discount) or PODAROCHEK (1850 discount). In any case, this is a more than interesting smartphone.

You can find other tests and reviews of smartphones, smartwatches, as well as selections of gadgets and tools using the links below and in my profile.

Design and 144Hz display

The metal body, accented buttons on the sides, the cooling system and a separate gaming mode make the Nubia Red Magic 5G feel like a gaming smartphone.

The build quality is good, when the weight of the device is 218 g. Previously, such a phone would have been considered heavy, although now it weighs more than most other models. It is 17% heavier than the Galaxy S20 Plus, but the S20 Ultra is inferior in this aspect. However, the Red Magic 5G is larger and thicker than the huge S20 Ultra. The screen here is very large, which is what gamers need - although you will have to look for a wider pocket for your phone.

The back side has an unusual design and a system of three cameras, above which there is an LED flash. There are physical buttons and a game mode switch on the sides.

Most modern smartphones have a 60Hz display, which means it refreshes 60 times per second. 90Hz screens are becoming increasingly popular among high-end devices, and some even have panels with a 120Hz refresh rate. But Nubia has gone even further by offering us a 144Hz display - a feature that sets the Red Magic 5G apart from the crowd of competing devices. The faster the better for gaming. Is not it?

Nubia Red Magic 5G cameras

Red Magic 5G has a three-camera module, which is significantly superior to Red Magic 3S. The main sensor is a 64 MP Sony IMX686, supported by an 8 MP ultra-wide-angle lens and a 2 MP macro lens.

Overall, the camera captures photos of average quality, although the portrait mode on the main lens takes decent photos. Professional mode allows you to manually adjust ISO, white balance and many other parameters.

In the Nubia Red Magic 5G app, I miss the quick switch to ultra-wide-angle mode, which is a clear drawback. There is switching between zoom levels up to 10x magnification, which is practically useless, since the zoom here is digital, not optical. In addition, it is easier to do this with a standard gesture on the screen.

For shooting in low light there is a built-in night mode. It works great - there is little noise, there are enough details left. To use a macro lens you need to switch to Camera-Family mode. The main problem here is the lack of autofocus. However, we do have an assistant for selecting the subject to focus on and the ability to adjust manual focus.

The front camera shoots at a maximum resolution of 8 MP. There is a portrait mode, but it's hardly of much use, you can turn on the appearance enhancement settings, but, frankly, without them the photos are of much better quality.

In terms of video shooting, the Nubia Red Magic 5G camera can record 8K up to 24 fps. On paper it looks great, however, the application itself advises shooting in this quality only in good street lighting. Still, 8K is 8K. You can also record in 4K or 1080p at 60 fps. For encoding, you can choose between H.264, H.265 and HDR10 formats.

The video camera also supports shooting in super slow motion. According to Nubia, the frame rate in this case reaches 1920 - you can shoot a 2-second clip, which can be turned into a 64-second video at 30 fps. In general, according to calculations, this is 960 fps, but oh well, marketing. We have access to shooting at 480 fps, which also creates a video 64 seconds long, although for this you need to shoot for four seconds.

Overall, the Red Magic 5G's cameras are decent, but not the best among its competitors. However, if you're looking for a phone for gaming rather than photography, this is fine.

conclusions

Red Magic 5S from ZTE is a device for a specific target audience. Externally, many will like it: against the general background of identical smartphones, the gadget stands out with its rear panel. At the same time, they didn’t go overboard with gaming lights and neon: there are a few red accents, but nothing more.

The Red Magic 5S is also worth noting the good power under the hood, which can be cooled separately. The inclusion of a cooler is a separate feature of many devices with an emphasis on gaming.

We’d like to highlight the screen: bright, with wide viewing angles and high operating frequency. Such a display is enough to spare; it’s nice to watch content on it, use it as a viewfinder, and edit photos.

The camera can shoot in any conditions, but it is demanding of its owner: certain skills will still be needed.

Gaming Features

A small red switch on the side of the Nubia Red Magic 5G activates Game Space mode. It has settings to control the cooling fan, LED lighting, buttons and notifications during the game. Thanks to clever design, gaming keys are actually useful. They can be assigned to any point on the screen - for example, to activate nitro in Asphalt 9. They are ideal for games.

The set is complemented by a 4D vibration feedback system. A similar function was already available in Honor Play and other gaming models, but so far it has not made much of an impression, since only a few games support it: PUBG, Knives Out, Asphalt 9 and QQ Speed.

Screen refresh rate is important, although not all applications support high values. But if they support it, the difference is immediately visible, and the effect of the game becomes completely different. However, this indicator should not be confused with the frame rate in games. The frame rate is the rate at which the processor can generate frames, and the screen refresh rate is the number of physical pixel updates on the display.

Performance and Sound

You definitely won’t be disappointed with the speed of Red Magic 5G. Powerful mobile processor Snapdragon 865, large amount of RAM and internal memory, as well as a built-in cooling system. All games run smoothly, including popular ones like Fortnite, Call of Duty Mobile, PUBG and Critical Ops.

As for sound, there are two speakers: forward-facing (which also serves as a conversation speaker) and downward-facing. The 3.5mm headphone jack on the top side is also a nice and rare bonus these days.

There are almost no differences in sound quality between the Red Magic 3S and this model, although its brother has both speakers facing forward. For watching videos and calling, the quality is good, although for the best gaming and movie experience I recommend using decent headphones.

System and shortcomings

Nubia Red Magic 5G is full of advantages, but there are little things that ruin everything. Nubia seems to have focused on the core features of the phone and neglected the details.

There is no way to display the remaining battery level as a percentage, and there is no section for battery in the settings. To solve the problem you have to install a third-party application. The security update is dated March 2022, however, you shouldn’t expect frequent updates from Nubia, if you remember what happened with the Red Magic 3S. Nevertheless, Nubia promises to correct the situation and not repeat the mistakes of the previous model.

There are also problems with the fingerprint scanner under the screen - it doesn't do its job well. Difficulties begin with registering a fingerprint - it is almost impossible to do this the first time. Unlocking is also not very fast. According to the manufacturer, the company's engineers are working on this problem, however, an unpleasant aftertaste remains.

To the list of shortcomings we can add the lack of a switch to ultra-wide-angle mode in the camera application, the inability to control the fan outside the Game Space mode, and the cropped interface at the corners of the display. But perhaps the main disadvantage is that you cannot change the standard cover. This is one of those freedoms that everyone loves Android for - but not in the case of Red Magic. Indeed, a strange decision from the manufacturer.

Acquaintance

Usually we are not interested in gaming smartphones.
But in the case of Red Magic 5S from ZTE, we made an exception. Firstly, it is very beautiful, secondly, it is powerful, and thirdly, as it turned out, it takes good pictures. But they greet you by their clothes. The smartphone turned out to be very beautiful indeed. The back panel reminded us of the HUAWEI and HONOR flagships: frosted glass with a glow that seemed to come from inside the case. It looks very impressive. And the silver element also stands out in the design of the smartphone (at least that’s what it says here). We are talking about a special cooling system, which contains silver elements, an evaporation chamber and even a cooler, like in a computer and laptop. The latter is turned on in game mode by switching the red lever on the case.

This smartphone also features a large and flat 6.65-inch AMOLED display, which accelerates to a frequency of 144 Hz. Also for games there are special Air triggers on the side wall: these are touch buttons that can be used to control games.

But the main thing for us is the camera. It would seem that this is not a particularly important element for gamers. Apparently, this is why most smartphones have, at best, one average camera. But the company decided differently and installed three cameras at once:

• The main camera has a resolution of 64 megapixels. There is a 26mm (equivalent) wide-angle lens with an f/1.8 aperture. The sensor size is 1/1.72 inches. — The main camera has phase detection autofocus.
• 8MP 13mm (equivalent) ultra-wide-angle camera with f/2.0 aperture.
• 2 MP auxiliary macro camera.

Battery in Nubia Red Magic 5G

3D games eat up your battery as quickly as caterpillars eat up a fresh spring leaf. Therefore, Nubia installed a large 4500 mAh battery here that supports fast charging technology up to 55 W, but the included device is only 18 W. This is disappointing.

The smartphone has enough energy for about 5 hours of continuous 3D games or 14 hours of watching YouTube. On average, the device will easily withstand a day of battery life. Switching from 144Hz to 60Hz will increase this time, but not by much. The included charger allows you to charge your phone from 0 to 50% in about 40 minutes. A full charge takes approximately one and a half hours.

Autonomy

It was already said above that to charge the smartphone, an 18 W charger is included in the package. The battery supports 55W fast charging. Therefore, the owner of the device will have to separately purchase an accessory or not use its full capabilities.

One charge of the device is enough for 5 hours of gameplay. Alternatively, you can watch videos on YouTube for 14 hours.

It takes about an hour and a half to fully restore energy reserves.