The Nubia Red Magic 9S Pro is the latest addition to the gaming smartphone market, and it aims to deliver a top-tier gaming experience with its cutting-edge hardware and innovative features. This review will dive deep into various aspects of the phone, including design, performance, display, camera, battery life, software, and overall gaming experience. Let’s explore what makes the Nubia Red Magic 9S Pro a standout device in the competitive gaming smartphone landscape.
Design and Build Quality
The Nubia Red Magic 9S Pro boasts a design that screams “gaming” from every angle. With aggressive lines, RGB lighting, and a transparent back panel showcasing some of the internal components, it is clear that this phone is built for gamers. The phone has a solid build quality with a combination of metal and glass, giving it a premium feel in the hand.
One of the standout features of the Red Magic 9S Pro is its built-in cooling fan. This fan, visible through the transparent back, helps keep the phone’s temperature in check during intense gaming sessions. It also adds a unique aesthetic element, as the fan is illuminated by RGB lights that can be customized through the phone’s software.
The phone’s ergonomic design ensures that it is comfortable to hold for extended periods. The placement of the shoulder triggers is perfect, allowing for a more immersive gaming experience without the need for additional accessories. The power and volume buttons are easily accessible, and the dedicated gaming mode switch adds a touch of convenience for gamers.
Display
The Nubia Red Magic 9S Pro features a 6.8-inch AMOLED display with a 2400 x 1080 resolution and a buttery-smooth 165Hz refresh rate. This high refresh rate is a dream for gamers, providing a fluid and responsive experience that is essential for competitive gaming. The display also supports HDR10+, ensuring vibrant colors and excellent contrast.
The screen’s touch sampling rate of 720Hz is one of the highest in the industry, making touch inputs incredibly responsive. This is particularly beneficial in fast-paced games where split-second reactions can make all the difference. The display’s brightness levels are impressive, making it easy to use even in bright outdoor conditions.
One of the unique features of the Red Magic 9S Pro’s display is the inclusion of an under-display fingerprint sensor. This sensor is fast and accurate, allowing for quick and secure unlocking of the phone. The thin bezels around the display provide an immersive viewing experience, and the lack of a notch or punch-hole camera ensures an uninterrupted screen.
Performance
At the heart of the Nubia Red Magic 9S Pro is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, paired with up to 18GB of LPDDR5X RAM and up to 512GB of UFS 4.0 storage. This combination delivers top-of-the-line performance, making the Red Magic 9S Pro one of the most powerful smartphones on the market.
In benchmark tests, the Red Magic 9S Pro consistently scores at the top, outpacing many of its competitors. The phone handles multitasking with ease, allowing users to switch between apps and games without any lag. The ample storage ensures that there is plenty of space for large game files and other media.
The phone’s cooling system, which includes the built-in fan and a vapor chamber, does an excellent job of keeping temperatures in check. Even during extended gaming sessions, the phone remains cool to the touch, preventing any performance throttling that could impact the gaming experience.
Gaming Experience
Gaming is where the Nubia Red Magic 9S Pro truly shines. The combination of the high refresh rate display, powerful processor, and advanced cooling system creates an exceptional gaming experience. Games run smoothly with high frame rates, and the responsive touch controls make gameplay more precise.
The shoulder triggers, which are customizable through the Red Magic software, add a new dimension to mobile gaming. These triggers can be mapped to various in-game actions, providing a console-like experience without the need for additional accessories. The haptic feedback is also well-implemented, adding to the overall immersion.
The Red Magic software includes a dedicated gaming mode called “Game Space.” This mode optimizes the phone’s performance for gaming, allowing users to block notifications, adjust fan speeds, and monitor system performance. The software also provides a range of customization options for the RGB lighting, allowing users to personalize their device.
One of the standout features of the Red Magic 9S Pro is its support for 5G connectivity. This ensures low-latency gaming, even when playing online multiplayer games. The phone also supports Wi-Fi 6E, providing fast and stable wireless connections.
Camera
While the Nubia Red Magic 9S Pro is primarily a gaming phone, it still offers a capable camera setup. The phone features a triple-camera system on the back, consisting of a 64MP main sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide sensor, and a 2MP macro sensor. On the front, there is a 16MP selfie camera.
The main camera performs well in various lighting conditions, capturing detailed and vibrant photos. The ultra-wide camera is useful for capturing broader scenes, while the macro camera allows for close-up shots with decent detail. However, the camera performance is not on par with flagship smartphones focused on photography.
The camera software includes various modes and features, such as night mode, portrait mode, and AI scene detection. These features enhance the overall photography experience, but the camera is not the primary selling point of this phone.
Battery Life
The Nubia Red Magic 9S Pro is equipped with a 5,500mAh battery, which provides excellent battery life even during extended gaming sessions. With moderate usage, the phone can easily last a full day on a single charge. The phone also supports fast charging at 120W, allowing users to quickly recharge the battery.
In real-world usage, the fast charging feature proves to be incredibly convenient. A quick 15-minute charge can provide several hours of usage, making it easy to top up the battery during breaks. The phone also supports 65W wireless charging, which is a nice addition for those who prefer a cable-free charging experience.
Software
The Nubia Red Magic 9S Pro runs on RedMagic OS 6.0, which is based on Android 14. The software is optimized for gaming, with various features and settings designed to enhance the gaming experience. The user interface is clean and intuitive, with a focus on providing quick access to gaming-related settings.
One of the standout software features is the Game Space, which allows users to create a dedicated gaming environment. This mode provides tools for performance monitoring, fan control, and notification management, ensuring an uninterrupted gaming session. The software also includes various customization options for the RGB lighting and shoulder triggers.
While the RedMagic OS provides a great gaming experience, it is not as polished as some other custom Android skins. There are occasional bugs and inconsistencies, but Nubia has been proactive in providing software updates to address these issues.
Conclusion
The Nubia Red Magic 9S Pro is a gaming powerhouse that delivers an exceptional experience for mobile gamers. Its combination of a high refresh rate display, powerful processor, advanced cooling system, and gaming-focused features makes it one of the best gaming smartphones on the market.
While the camera performance and software polish may not be on par with other flagship devices, the Red Magic 9S Pro excels in its primary purpose: gaming. The phone’s design, with its aggressive aesthetics and customizable RGB lighting, adds to its appeal, making it a standout device for gamers.
If you are a mobile gaming enthusiast looking for a device that can handle the most demanding games with ease, the Nubia Red Magic 9S Pro is an excellent choice. Its performance, features, and design make it a worthy contender in the gaming smartphone market, and it is sure to impress even the most discerning gamers.