Nubia Red Magic 7S Pro review

Devoted gaming telephones have skilled a outstanding rise lately, with one firm main the way in which.  

Nubia doesn’t essentially make the most effective gaming handsets, but it surely does take advantage of. In simply over 4 years, a staggering 16 Pink Magic branded telephones have come to market. Most of those have been launched globally, which means there’s all the time a brand new mannequin simply across the nook. 

However Nubia’s 2022 replace cycle is aggressive even by its requirements. The Pink Magic 7S Professional launched globally simply three months after its predecessor, making substantial upgrades extremely unlikely. 

Regardless of that includes Qualcomm’s newest and best chipset beneath the hood it appears, feels, and performs virtually identically to the 7 Professional.

Design and construct

• Extra muted design than earlier Pink Magic telephones
• Heavy and hulking
• Underwhelming fingerprint sensor

Nubia launched a barely totally different design with the Pink Magic 7 Professional, so it’s no shock to see it keep the identical right here. It makes use of a mix of glass and aluminium, supplies we’ve come to affiliate with flagship telephones. 

Essentially the most eye-catching distinction in comparison with common handsets is a big metallic plate which extends down the center of the again of the cellphone. Nubia says that is to enhance warmth dissipation, though it provides considerably to the 7S Professional’s whole weight. 

It’s equivalent to the 7 Professional at 235g, however nonetheless one of many heaviest telephones you should buy. This isn’t an issue for lengthy gaming periods however does develop into uncomfortable if utilizing one handed for an prolonged interval. 

Inside that warmth dissipation plate, you’ll discover a rectangular rear digital camera module, consisting of three lenses and a flash. The 7S Professional is comparatively thick at 10mm, which means it sits virtually flush with the again of the cellphone.

It’s apparent from the rear design that it is a gaming cellphone, however the Obsidian (black) mannequin I examined is extra muted than previous Pink Magic handsets. There’s additionally a silver model, however the clear mannequin doesn’t make it onto the worldwide model. When you’re on the lookout for a wacky design or vibrant colors, the 7S Professional isn’t the cellphone for you. 

On each variations, Nubia has carried out an excellent job of concealing the built-in fan. Apart from a few grilles and the audible whirring when it’s in motion, you wouldn’t understand it was there. 

The Pink Magic 7S Professional retains a big 6.8in show, but it surely’s extra compact than you may anticipate. That’s as a result of the cellphone makes use of an under-display selfie digital camera, which means there’s no want for a notch. The lens continues to be nearly seen, however an 87.1% screen-to-body ration is mightily spectacular. Hopefully, all telephones will seem like this earlier than too lengthy. 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Thankfully, you don’t must depend on the front-facing digital camera for face unlock. The in-display fingerprint sensor will deal with that for you, however I used to be disillusioned with the way it carried out. Setup is easy, but it surely usually took a number of tries for the cellphone to recognise me. It additionally requires an extended press to unlock the 7S Professional than you could be used to. 

Nothing has modified on the perimeters of the cellphone, but it surely’s nonetheless very totally different to common handsets. Energy and quantity controls are joined by one of many fan grilles and twin shoulder triggers, making it very clear which manner to make use of the cellphone in panorama mode. On the alternative aspect, you’ll solely discover the bodily slider for turning on Sport Area, Nubia’s software-based gaming mode. 

It’s nice to see the headphone jack retained on the high, alongside one among two audio system. You’ll discover the opposite on the backside, alongside a twin SIM card tray and USB-C charging port. The latter’s positioning could show problematic whereas gaming, as charging whilst you play can get awkward. Asus’s ROG Telephones get round this utilizing a second side-mounted port, however Nubia has determined in opposition to it. 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

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Show and audio

• 6.8in Full HD+ AMOLED show
• 120Hz refresh fee, 960Hz contact sampling
• Above common twin audio system

The show modifications Nubia made with the Pink Magic 7S Professional have been controversial, however nothing has modified on its successor. Meaning it stays a transparent step down from the most effective cellphone screens in 2022, one thing you wouldn’t anticipate from a tool at this value. 

You continue to get a 6.8in, 1080×2400 AMOLED panel, giving it the more and more widespread 20:9 side ratio. It’d be good to have a better decision, however different show traits are extra related for gaming. 

They embrace a excessive refresh fee, one thing the 7S Professional possesses. However you’re restricted to 120Hz right here, whereas many gaming telephones go for 144Hz or 165Hz as a substitute. Nubia’s legitimate counterargument could be that many video games don’t assist these refresh charges, however the cheaper Pink Magic 7S nonetheless has a class-leading 165Hz show. 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

You may manually drop this right down to 60Hz or 90Hz to preserve battery life, however the refresh fee nonetheless can’t modify mechanically relying on what you’re doing.  

To assist offset this, the 7S Professional has the best contact sampling fee of any smartphone. It’s 960Hz, which means it could actually register as much as 960 instances each second. It makes the show ultra-fluid and responsive, which might make all of the distinction in FPS video games – particularly when paired with the 520Hz shoulder triggers. I definitely felt extra assured whereas taking part in fight video games reminiscent of Name of Obligation: Cellular and PUBG: Cellular. 

However even essentially the most avid gamer gained’t be taking part in on a regular basis. I’m happy to say the show is great for on a regular basis utilization, delivering vibrant colors and loads of element. It additionally has a powerful vary of viewing angles, regardless of being extremely reflective.  

Nevertheless, I used to be disillusioned with the brightness, or lack thereof. I recorded simply 252 nits on the most, far under most different smartphones. Utilizing the cellphone outdoor may be very tough consequently – I used to be usually squinting to make out something when the solar was out. 

As alluded to earlier, the 7S Professional has twin audio system. The stereo sound they produce is considerably higher than the typical smartphone – punchy audio with a satisfying hit of bass. Additionally they get impressively loud, however many particulars are misplaced at excessive volumes. 

These assist to ship an immersive gaming expertise, though many avid gamers will choose to attach headphones as a substitute. 

Specs and efficiency

• Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 and 12/18GB of RAM
• Stellar efficiency throughout the board
• Fan can get loud

There are a handful of small upgrades on the Pink Magic 7S Professional, however the processor is undoubtedly essentially the most important. It’s powered by the brand new Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, Qualcomm’s newest flagship chip. Good points in comparison with the common 8 Gen 1 are minor, but it surely maintains the Pink Magic model’s popularity for top-tier efficiency.  

The mannequin I examined combines it with 12GB of RAM, however there’s the choice for 18GB should you want any extra energy. I doubt it, contemplating the stellar efficiency the 7S Professional already delivers. 

Gaming on this cellphone is a pleasure, with quick, easy visuals and glorious responsiveness. I examined a number of the most demanding titles on the Play Retailer, together with Name of Obligation: Cellular, PUBG Cellular, and Asphalt 9, with no slowdown by any means. With the 120Hz refresh fee and 960Hz contact sampling, it felt like I had a vital benefit over gamers utilizing a daily smartphone. 

The one caveat is the fan, which kicks in as quickly as you load a recreation and will get fairly loud. It means the cellphone solely ever will get barely heat to the contact, however it may be distracting except you drown it out with audio. I attempted turning off the fan utterly, however the cellphone quickly acquired very popular – I wouldn’t advocate this. 

As ordinary, nice gaming efficiency interprets into real-world utilization. Widespread apps reminiscent of Chrome, Gmail, Maps and YouTube all run impeccably, even when split-screen multitasking. In actuality, it affords much more efficiency than you’ll ever want for any primary duties. 

However the 7S Professional can rival any smartphone when it comes to efficiency, which the benchmarks mirror:

In China you’ll discover the choice for 1TB of storage, however that’s not out there on the worldwide model. However 256GB or 512GB ought to be lots for most individuals, even when there’s no microSD enlargement. 

Cameras and video

• Triple rear cameras
• Principal lens is first rate, ultrawide and macro much less spectacular
• Poor under-display selfie digital camera

Like many earlier Pink Magic telephones, the 7S Professional has a set of triple rear cameras. Nevertheless, the 64Mp primary sensor is doing many of the heavy lifting right here.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

It’s the cellphone’s finest lens by a good distance, delivering pictures you wouldn’t usually affiliate with a gaming handset. The lens is especially suited to obviously outlined topics, whether or not it’s buildings, folks or pets. 

I used to be additionally actually impressed with the standard of portrait-style pictures it produced. The sting detection isn’t excellent, however the refined background blur it delivers is spectacular. 

Evening mode additionally depends on software program, and it improves low-light pictures with out making them look artificially vivid. Nevertheless, many key particulars are nonetheless misplaced. 

The latter additionally impacts panorama pictures, with overexposure one other widespread situation. You could be tempted to change to the 8Mp ultrawide sensor in these situations, however the drop-off in high quality means it’s not value it. That’s an actual disgrace, as the pliability of a 120° subject of view is a superb choice to have. 

Issues are even worse in relation to the 2Mp macro lens, which provides nothing to the digital camera expertise. For close-up pictures, I managed to get higher colors and extra element utilizing the principle lens as a substitute.  

Nevertheless, the selfie digital camera stays the one most disappointing factor concerning the 7S Professional. Not solely is it embedded beneath the show, Nubia has additionally downgraded it to an 8Mp sensor on the worldwide model. 

Predictably, the outcomes are considerably worse than a daily front-facing lens. Selfies are likely to look grainy and washed out, with virtually all particulars within the background misplaced. It’s high-quality for the occasional video name, however even for photographs with associates you’ll need one thing higher. 

The gallery under showcases a few of these inconsistencies, but additionally the 7s Professional’s means to take some good pictures. It simply can’t be relied on as your primary digital camera for something greater than informal use.

On the video aspect, the Pink Magic 7S Professional is able to footage as much as 4K at 30fps, however the default 1080p at 30fps is extra lifelike for on a regular basis use. It does a powerful job of preserving key particulars, however with out OIS (optical picture stabilization), video may be very juddery when transferring round. 

Battery and charging

• 5000mAh battery
• Comfortably all-day battery life
• Respectable 65W quick charging

The Pink Magic 7S Professional is supplied with a 5000mAh battery. That’s an honest capability, though it does should cope with a big, high-refresh fee show and loads of demanding apps.  

Battery life is stable consequently, albeit one step down from the most effective you’ll discover on any smartphone. With the brightness set to 200 nits, I recorded 10 hours and 37 minutes in PCMark’s battery take a look at. This goals to mirror real-world utilization by simulating a wide range of duties, however demanding video games depletes the battery way more shortly. 

Nonetheless, it’s attainable to get the system to final a really very long time. With the refresh fee set to 60Hz, I spent round 12 hours away from the charger and nonetheless had round 70% battery left. That was regardless of often utilizing cell information and GPS, plus protecting brightness near the utmost. 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Nevertheless, it’s value noting that some digital camera options are restricted when the battery may be very low. At beneath 5%, each portrait and night time modes gained’t work, however common photographs and video are unaffected. 

Once you do lastly run out of cost, a 65W charger is included in a field. Once more, it is a large step down from 135W adapter out there with the Chinese language model of the cellphone, but it surely’s not sluggish by any means. In beneath half-hour, the battery is totally charged, though there’s nonetheless no wi-fi charging. 

Software program and updates

• Pink Magic OS 5.5 over Android 12
• Sport Area and different helpful software program tweaks
• Just one new Android model assured

As anticipated, the 7S Professional runs Pink Magic OS over Android 12. That is model 5.5 of Nubia’s customized pores and skin, though not a lot has modified. Notable additions embrace a house display screen wallpaper rotation (full hyperlinks to in style articles) and the branding of gaming enhancements as ‘Pink Magic Drive’. 

The latter works in tandem with Sport Area, Nubia’s devoted mode for enjoying video games. That is nonetheless out there through a bodily slider on the aspect of the cellphone, though the principle web page has been redesigned. Core performance is unchanged although, which means it could actually nonetheless be used to tweak efficiency and management notifications. 

Whereas video games will be launched from the principle house display screen, it’s good to have this mode that’s separate from the remainder of the system. Utilizing it as a daily smartphone is satisfying, regardless of the addition of a number of widgets and varied redesigned inventory apps.  

Loads of acquainted Google options are nonetheless right here, together with the Messages app, Digital Wellbeing instruments and the Uncover feed to the left of the house display screen. 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Nevertheless, you may discover that many pre-installed apps can’t be uninstalled. There’s additionally no choice to alter the default launcher, one thing most Android telephones let you do. 

Nubia doesn’t make any particular replace commitments for the Pink Magic model, however mother or father firm ZTE’s coverage is disappointing. It ensures only one main model replace for Android, which means Android 13 might be the one one the Pink Magic 7S Professional will get.  

The corporate doesn’t say something about how lengthy you may anticipate safety updates. Contemplating the speed at which new Pink Magic telephones are launched, it is a actual concern. 

Value and availability

This could be a ‘Professional’ cellphone, however its pricing doesn’t essentially mirror that. The Pink Magic 7S Professional begins at $729/£669 for 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage – that is the mannequin I examined.

There’s additionally the choice to step as much as 18GB of RAM and 512GB of storage for $899/£809, however these are your solely two choices outdoors China.

The cellphone isn’t fairly out there but, however will likely be quickly – pre-orders begin on 2 August, and the cellphone is formally on sale from 9 August.

It isn’t fairly flagship cellphone pricing, but it surely isn’t far off. The 7S Professional is more than likely to go head-to-head with the Asus ROG Telephone 6, with the 6 Professional considerably dearer. However there are many nice options in our gaming cellphone chart, together with the Pink Magic 7 Professional. 

There’s little or no room for error at this value level, and 7S Professional nonetheless makes sacrifices in some key areas. Because of this, you’ll discover higher worth for cash elsewhere. 

Verdict

The Pink Magic 7S Professional is a superb gaming cellphone, however there are many causes to hesitate earlier than shopping for one. 

Gaming efficiency from the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 is great, particularly when mixed with class-leading 960Hz contact sampling and a 120Hz OLED display screen. However the cheaper common 7S has a better 165Hz refresh fee and avoids the headache of an under-display fingerprint sensor.  

Battery life is spectacular, however you miss out on the ultra-fast 135W charging in China and there’s nonetheless no wi-fi charging. The cameras are additionally unreliable, whereas the muted aesthetic and hulking design gained’t please everybody. 

Even should you’re set on shopping for a gaming handset, the Pink Magic 7S Professional is simply the precise choice should you use your cellphone in a really particular manner. For everybody else, there are higher options. 

Specs

• Android 12 with Pink Magic OS 5.5
• 6.8in FHD+ (1080×2400) AMOLED show, 120Hz refresh fee, 720Hz contact sampling 
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 
• 12/18GB RAM 
• 256/512GB inside storage (non-expandable) 
• 64Mp primary lens
• 8Mp ultrawide lens with 120° subject of view
• 2Mp macro lens 
• 8Mp selfie lens (under-display)
• Fingerprint scanner (in-screen) 
• Bluetooth 5.2 
• GPS 
• NFC 
• 5G 
• Twin-SIM 
• 5,000mAh non-removable battery
• 65W wired charging 
• 166.3 x 77.1 x 10 mm
• 235g