Nubia Redmagic 9 Pro review

Finest Costs In the present day: Redmagic 9 Professional

Nubia has up to date its smartphone gaming line once more with the brand new Redmagic 9 Professional. It appears like we’re simply getting one mannequin globally, with no signal of the Redmagic 9 Professional+ being launched outdoors China.

So, are there enhancements when it comes to pace and cooling that make it value upgrading from predecessors? And is that this the brand new finest gaming cellphone you should buy? I load up some video games and see the way it handles the chaos. 

Design & Construct

• Stable, however large and heavy
• No waterproofing
• Cool lights

For those who’re aware of the Redmagic smartphones, the 9 Professional will look immediately recognisable. It shares a lot of the design aesthetic used on the earlier Redmagic 8S Professional and Redmagic 8 Professional. This implies you get a smartphone that can fill your hand after which some. Right here’s how the previous couple of Redmagic units evaluate of their dimensions:

• Redmagic 9 Professional: 164 x 76.4 x 8.9mm / 6.46 x 3.01 x 0.35 inches; 229g
• Redmagic 8S Professional: 164 x 76.4 x 9.5mm / 6.46 x 3.01 x 0.37 inches; 228g
• Redmagic 8 Professional: 164 x 76.4 x 8.9mm / 6.46 x 3.01 x 0.35 inches; 228g

The 9 Professional is kind of an angular machine, with sq. edges on the aluminium body that surrounds the 6.8-inch show. The correct flank has loads occurring, because it’s dwelling to the 2 520Hz touch-sensitive set off controls you need to use for gaming.

You’ll additionally discover a quantity button, energy button and pink sliding swap (used to allow the devoted gaming mode). If that’s not sufficient, there’s additionally a vent for the built-in cooling system, with an an identical one on the alternative aspect.

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Because of the latter, you continue to don’t get any waterproof score on the Redmagic 9 Professional (identical to earlier generations). The necessity to expel air by way of the fan and vents means you possibly can’t safe the unit from water getting in. For those who’re going to be enjoying out within the rain, then perhaps spend money on an umbrella. 

On the highest and backside edges there are the audio system that make up the stereo system, plus a 3.5mm headphone jack if you would like a extra immersive (and neighbour-friendly) audio expertise. A USB-C charging port is commonplace as of late, so it doesn’t look misplaced on the Redmagic 9 Professional, and it’s similar story for the twin (Nano) SIM card slot.

The 9 Professional has the cool, futuristic design we’ve come to affiliate with Redmagic units. My assessment pattern bears the Snowfall livery, which is a combination of white and silver and appears like a panel from some sci-fi spaceship. The Redmagic 9 Professional can be accessible in Modern (black and silver) or Cyclone (black and gold), all of which look nice.

On all fashions, there are numerous LEDs below the casing which emit colored lights by means of the set off buttons and an ’09’ printed on the again of the cellphone. These may be customised in a number of colors and patterns, making it simple to personalise them after they come on as you’re enjoying video games. Additionally they double as notification lights, so that you’ll simply be capable of see once you get any messages. 

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Accompanying these is the clear fan with multi-colour lights beneath, which is one other staple of the Redmagic vary. Whenever you’re enjoying video games, the fan will mild up because the cellphone cools itself, giving a type of mild present on the rear panel. It’s a type of issues the place a possible annoyance (a fan spinning up) is became a function as a substitute. Personally, I feel it’s quite a lot of enjoyable, even when the participant themself doesn’t get to see the lights. 

One design departure from the Redmagic 8 Professional is that the cameras not line up in the midst of the rear panel, however as a substitute kind a vertical column within the higher left part, with the fan on the backside. That is higher, because the earlier digicam bump fell proper the place your fingers can be when enjoying a recreation. That’s not a difficulty any extra because of the redesign. 

These with eagle eyes will realise that this implies one of many cameras has been dropped from the group, which is right. The 2MP macro lens isn’t any extra, which isn’t any nice loss as they’re just about ineffective on most telephones.

As with most gaming telephones, the Redmagic feels extra snug within the arms when held in a panorama orientation. In any other case, the heavy and tall format is usually a little bit of a beast in case you’re utilizing the cellphone for some time. You get a slimline protecting case with the cellphone, but it surely’s fairly flimsy and I positively nervous about dropping the 9 Professional – there isn’t quite a lot of grip accessible. 

Display & Audio system

• 6.8-inch FHD+ AMOLED show with 120Hz refresh fee
• Below-display selfie digicam
• Stereo audio system and three.5mm headphone jack

Sticking with the components from the previous few Redmagic telephones, the 9 Professional comes with a 6.8-inch, FHD+ (2480×1116) AMOLED panel.

As with these fashions, there’s additionally an under-display fingerprint sensor within the decrease third, plus an under-display selfie digicam on the high, which means your entire panel is uninterrupted by buttons or notches. Meaning it’s an ideal display screen for gaming or having fun with streamed video content material, as there’s nothing to distract your view. 

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It’s additionally a pleasant show to have a look at, with good colors, clean transitions because of the 120Hz refresh fee, sharp particulars and stable off-angle views. So that you’ll be capable of watch movies with buddies whereas making certain everybody can see what’s on the display screen.

Brightness shouldn’t be a difficulty both, as Redmagic claims that the utmost illumination ranges go up to an enormous 1600 nits. In my very own take a look at, I measured the total brightness on the conventional mode at 1242 nits, which was virtually blinding. 

The encircling bezels are slim, giving the Redmagic 9 Professional a powerful screen-to-body ratio of 93.7%, and it’s all protected by Gorilla Glass 5. A SGS Low Blue Mild Eye Safety certificates has additionally been awarded to it (from Swiss testing firm SGS), so that you shouldn’t get strained eyes from staring on the display screen for hours. Useful in case you’re stepping into an enormous recreation.

Controlling your character is correct and quick too, because the panel incorporates a 960Hz multi-finger contact sampling fee. That quantity refers back to the quantity of instances the show can refresh itself to register contact enter per second.

Whereas the visuals are spectacular, audio doesn’t fairly hit the identical heights. Sure, the dual audio system do kick out a good degree of quantity, and the corporate studies that it’s Dolby DTS: X Extremely licensed, but it surely all sounds a little bit hole. Bass is on the sunshine aspect, which is stunning in a tool this heavy and stable. 

Fortunately, there’s a 3.5mm headphone jack, which means you possibly can plug in an excellent set of wired headphones and expertise the immersive audio that the show deserves. You too can avail your self of the Bluetooth 5.3 capabilities that ought to guarantee a robust connection to your favorite wi-fi headphones. 

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Specs & Efficiency

• Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor
• Crimson Core 2 Professional devoted gaming chip
• ICE 13 upgraded cooling system

As you’d anticipate from a Redmagic cellphone, efficiency (particularly whereas gaming) is top-notch.

On the coronary heart of the facility is the brand new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, making the Redmagic 9 Professional one of many first to make use of Qualcomm’s flagship 2023 chip. It’s a stable step ahead over the 8S Professional too, with the corporate stating that the brand new {hardware} delivers a 32% improve in CPU efficiency and 34% in GPU efficiency, all whereas lowering energy consumption by between 30-40%. 

In day-to-day use, the 9 Professional is actually snappy and responsive, with apps opening rapidly and working with out situation. Clearly, the primary function of a cellphone like that is gaming, and in that enviornment it shines. 

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Utilizing the standard barrage of titles to check it out, together with Genshin Influence, Asphalt 9 and PUBG Cellular, the 9 Professional runs all the things with none noticeable stuttering or slow-downs. Even when there’s loads of on-screen motion occurring, the cellphone retains issues ticking over properly.

Controls are additionally very responsive, thanks in no small measure to the 960Hz touch-sampling fee on the show and 520Hz set off buttons, all of which execute instructions quick and effectively.  

There’s not an excessive amount of further warmth both, because of the ICE 13 cooling system that utilises a complicated double-layer vapour chamber plate below the show and improved airflow by means of the ducts. It’s all a step up from its predecessor, which was already excellent to start with.

The speeds are assisted by the newest LPDDR5X reminiscence (RAM) and quick UFS 4.0 storage, with configurations matched to the totally different colour-schemes. This implies you get both 16GB/512GB (Snowfall, Cyclone) or 12GB/256GB (Sleet). 

Right here’s how the Redmagic 9 Professional compares to its rivals in our commonplace benchmark assessments:

Cameras

• Samsung GN5 50MP 24mm important digicam with OIS
• Samsung JN1 50MP 13mm ultra-wide
• Improved 16MP under-display selfie digicam

Cameras could be one thing of an afterthought behind gaming efficiency on this sort of machine, however they continue to be a vital a part of each fashionable smartphone. So it’s excellent news that the dual rear cameras on the Redmagic 9 Professional ship some very first rate outcomes. 

The principle 24mm 50MP module sports activities the identical Samsung GN5 sensor because the Redmagic 8S Professional, which itself was a stable performer. Photographs on this confirmed an excellent degree of element, with exposures often being dealt with effectively. Sometimes, you’ll get a washed out picture the place the metering will get a little bit confused, however many of the pictures I captured on the 9 Professional had been very usable.

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Low-light efficiency is stable, with publicity once more remaining comparatively constant. I did see some noise seem in burst photographs, the place the sensor or software program was looking for particulars in the dead of night areas, however so long as you have got a gradual hand then you ought to be happy by the outcomes you will get out of this digicam. 

Switching to the 13mm ultra-wide lens continued this positivie, with the 9 Professional largely avoiding the standard drop in high quality and color definition that always goes with ultra-wide choices on mid-range telephones.

There’s additionally a load of modes you possibly can experiment with, together with star trails, mild drawing, time lapse and others.  

Video advantages from the optical picture stabilisation on the primary digicam, which does a tremendous job of protecting footage balanced, even whereas I used to be strolling alongside. Publicity works effectively too, with the cellphone coping with some sharp modifications of distinction whereas capturing on a very troublesome day for mild. 

The under-display selfie digicam does present enhancements over the past technology’s effort, which was terrible. However my recommendation right here stays the identical: if selfies are necessary to you, this isn’t the cellphone you need.

Right here’s a collection of pictures I captured with the Redmagic 9 Professional: 

Battery Life & Charging

• 6,500mAh battery
• 80W quick charging
• No wi-fi charging

For those who’re going to be doing quite a lot of gaming, you’ll need nice battery life, one thing the Redmagic 9 Professional delivers. It comes geared up with a 6,500mAh dual-cell, and it’s a tough battery to kill.

For those who’re solely doing a little bit of gaming all through the day and utilizing the cellphone like a traditional machine for the remainder of the time, then you definately’ll often be left with loads of cost left on the finish of the day. For some individuals, it’ll be a two-day cellphone.

Heavier classes of graphically intensive titles (particularly in case you’re in effectively lit areas and want the brightness up) clearly shortens the time between costs, however I by no means felt too nervous in regards to the 9 Professional working out of steam earlier than the top of the day.

I obtained round 4 or 5 hours of gaming out of the machine earlier than needing to recharge, however clearly there are elements at play that imply your mileage might differ. Placing it by means of our commonplace PCMark battery take a look at, the machine scored 10 hours 23 minutes, which is round an hour greater than the Redmagic 8S Professional. 

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There’s an 80W charger included within the field, and plugging the useless 9 Professional into introduced issues again to life in a short time. After quarter-hour there was 45% cost accessible, 85% after thirty minutes, with the total 100% recharge taking solely 44 minutes.

Software program

• Android 14 with Redmagic 9.0
• Sport House 
• Nonetheless buggy 

The Redmagic 9 Professional runs Android 14 out of the field, with Nubia’s personal Redmagic 9.0 pores and skin on high.

Other than the assorted techno-based art work and widgets, plus fascinating customisation results, it’s a gentle pores and skin that doesn’t obscure Android an excessive amount of. Sure, there’s some bloatware on board, however this may be deleted when you’ve arrange the machine. 

I encountered fairly a couple of bugs initially, with Google sign-ins not working and varied apps having issues, however this appeared to be because of the pre-release software program model. Issues settled down after a couple of updates. There’s the occasional glitch, such because the digicam app closing when the display screen senses a faucet that’s simply me making an attempt to carry the machine, but it surely’s a stable performer general.

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Sliding the pink button on the correct aspect of the 9 Professional launches the Sport House software program suite. This can be a long-standing function of Redmagic telephones, giving customers the flexibility to customize controls, quick-launch video games, handle in-game screenshots, organise plug-ins, set reminders and far more.

It’s a mature suite now, with a effectively thought-out vary of options that genuinely enhance the way you play on a cell machine. 

When it comes to replace, Nubia makes no particular dedication relating to the Redmagic 9 Professional. However on its website, the corporate says it “gives greater than 2 years of software program help”. It suggests the cellphone will get Android 16 and safety patches till the top of 2025, however nothing after that, which is disappointing.

Value & Availability

The Redmagic 9 Professional launched on 18 December 2023. It’s accessible immediately from the Redmagic site and prices £579/$649 for the 12GB/256GB configuration and £709 / $799 / €799 if you would like the extra capacious 16GB/512GB complement.

No carriers are promoting the cellphone on contract within the UK or US, so that you’ll have to purchase it outright and pair with a SIM deal as a substitute.

However that worth it in the identical ballpark because the Black Shark 5 Professional, which prices £729/$899 if you would like the identical configuration because the Redmagic baseline mannequin. For those who’re searching for arguably the perfect gaming smartphone, then the ROG Cellphone 7 Final is about nearly as good because it will get, however its pricing will take you over the £1,000/$1,000.

To see which different options are round, take a look at our round-up of the perfect gaming smartphones.

Verdict

The Redmagic 9 Professional is a wonderful gaming cellphone. Loads of energy below the hood, devoted {hardware}, spectacular cooling and nice battery life imply the gaming expertise is persistently unbelievable.

However it additionally achieves the uncommon feat of being a stable day-to-day cellphone. The cameras are higher than anticipated (other than the dodgy selfie one) and might ship very usable pictures and movies. 

The software program can be simple to make use of, offered you don’t thoughts some bloatware and the occasional bug. So the one actual barrier is the sheer dimension and weight of the machine. Like most gaming telephones, it’s a little bit of a beast, so it’s nonetheless solely actually value shopping for in case you love enjoying video games.

Specs

• 6.8inch FHD+ Q9+ show (2480 x 1116), 120Hz
• Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor
• Crimson Core 2 Professional Gaming chip
• 520Hz shoulder set off buttons 
• ICE 13 upgraded cooling system
• 22,000 RPM high-speed fan
• 12GB or 16GB LPDDR5X reminiscence
• 256GB or 512GB UFS 4.0 storage 
• Samsung GN5 50MP 24mm important (vast) digicam with OIS
• Samsung JN1 50MP 13mm ultra-wide
• 16MP under-display selfie digicam
• Below-display fingerprint sensor
• 3.5mm headphone jack
• Twin audio system
• Twin-haptic motors
• Bluetooth 5.3
• NFC
• Wi-Fi 7
• USB-C
• 6,500mAh battery with 80W quick charging 
• 164 x 76.4 x 8.9mm / 6.46 x 3.01 x 0.35 inches
• 229g