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MagyarNubia RedMagic 5G smartphone review - Strong as a gaming phone, weaknesses in everyday life
The specifications of the RedMagic 5G state quite clearly that this is a gaming smartphone. The Nubia mobile phone has a 6.65-inch AMOLED display with a high touch-sampling rate of 240 Hz and an equally very high display refresh rate of 144 Hz. This is complemented by a Snapdragon 865 with active liquid cooling.
The entry-level version with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage costs 579 Euros (~$652) in some countries; for the configuration with 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage, prospective customers of the gaming smartphone have to pay 649 Euros (~$731).
Comparison devices
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Drive | Size | Resolution | Best Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 84.2 % | 06/2020 | Nubia RedMagic 5G SD 865, Adreno 650 | 218 g | 256 GB UFS 3.0 Flash | 6.65" | 2340x1080 | |
| 85.3 % | 06/2020 | Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro SD 865, Adreno 650 | 253 g | 256 GB UFS 3.0 Flash | 7.10" | 3120x1440 | |
| 87.8 % | 05/2020 | Xiaomi Mi 10 SD 865, Adreno 650 | 208 g | 128 GB UFS 3.0 Flash | 6.67" | 2340x1080 | |
| 88.4 % | 06/2020 | OnePlus 8 SD 865, Adreno 650 | 180 g | 256 GB UFS 3.0 Flash | 6.55" | 2400x1080 | |
| 82 % | 02/2020 | Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G SD 765G, Adreno 620 | 208 g | 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | 6.67" | 2400x1080 | |
| 87.2 % | 12/2019 | Asus ROG Phone 2 SD 855+, Adreno 640 | 240 g | 512 GB UFS 3.0 Flash | 6.59" | 2340x1080 |
Case - Gaming smartphone design
The design of the RedMagic 5G is, as usual for gaming phones, very special. In contrast to other upper-class smartphones, the flagship model from Nubia doesn't have a notch or punch hole, since the selfie camera is located in the comparatively wide bezel above the display.
The case, which is available in the Eclipse Black, Hot Rod Red and Pulse colors, leaves a high-quality and stable impression. The buttons for volume control and the on/off switch have well-defined pressure points. However, the power button is positioned very low. Moreover, the RGB light is on the back in all color variants.
Connectivity - Nubia RedMagic with status LED
Video content on streaming services can't be viewed in HD quality with the gaming phone because the Widevine DRM level is set to L3 in the RedMagic. The internal UFS storage in our test device has a capacity of 256 GB, out of which only about 229 GB is available out of the box. There is no option to expand the storage, but external storage devices can be connected via the USB 3.1 port using USB OTG.
Software - Nubia smartphone with Android 10
As operating system, the Chinese manufacturer has installed Android 10, which is complemented by the strongly modified RedMagic OS 3.0 user interface. With the last security update belonging to March 2020, the security patches are no longer quite up to date at the time of conducting this review.
Although the system interface is predominantly translated to the German language, this effort has been very unenthusiastic so that many areas of the configuration menu require the knowledge of English.
In addition to numerous customization options, the slider on the right side of the case can be used to activate the Game Space 2.1 gaming mode. Using its own interface and without other distracting apps, numerous gaming settings can be adjusted like controlling the fan or activating the shoulder buttons, for example.
Communication and GPS - Fast Wi-Fi 6 in the Nubia RedMagic 5G
As the name of the gaming phone already suggests, the built-in Qualcomm SoC supports the new 5G mobile radio standard with the SDX55 modem. But even in other respects, there are hardly any compromises to be made with the dual-SIM smartphone in terms of communication. The RedMagic 5G can access 18 LTE bands, but band 28 is missing. Bluetooth 5.1 is available for wireless communication, and a chip for near-field communication is also present.
The WLAN module also impresses in our WLAN test with high transfer speeds thanks to the ax standard and MIMO technology. The measured values with our Netgear Nighthawk AX12 reference router are, however, sometimes a bit inconsistent.
| Networking | |
| iperf3 transmit AX12 | |
| OnePlus 8 | |
| Nubia RedMagic 5G | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 | |
| Asus ROG Phone 2 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G | |
| iperf3 receive AX12 | |
| Nubia RedMagic 5G | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 | |
| OnePlus 8 | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro | |
| Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G | |
| Asus ROG Phone 2 | |
In order to be able to assess the location accuracy of the Nubia mobile phone in practice, we record a route in parallel to the GPS Garmin Edge 500 bicycle computer for comparison purposes. The satellite signal is determined quickly, and at the end of the 12-kilometer test track, the determined deviations of the GPS modules amount to approximately 200 meters. In this manner, nothing stands in the way of navigating with the RedMagic 5G.
Telephone and call quality - Nubia RedMagic without Wi-Fi calling
The call quality is at a good level. We can't detect a Wi-Fi calling option in the settings, but the Voice over LTE (VoLTE) option, which allows voice calls over the 4G network, is supported.
Cameras - Sony IMX686 in the Nubia smartphone
Selfie photos taken with the 8 MP front-facing camera of the RedMagic 5G often lack a bit of sharpness but are qualitatively satisfying for the price range. The main camera's 64-megapixel IMX686 sensor impresses in daylight with a high level of detail and dynamic range, but even here, the photos could be sharper. In the dark, the weaknesses of the Sony sensor become obvious. As with the Redmi K30 5G, low-light photos are poorly lit, grainy and not very sharp.
We liked the 8 MP ultra wide-angle camera of the gaming mobile phone. In daylight, detail-rich pictures are possible, even if the dynamic range in the photos is reduced, and the latter also appear somewhat over-sharpened.
Accessories and warranty - Nubia RedMagic with numerous gaming accessories
A quick-charge power adapter is included, but it only supports 18 watts. In addition, a USB-C cable and a SIM tool are included in the box - a protective case is missing. The protective case from Nubia must be purchased separately for 15 Euros (~$17). The manufacturer also offers gaming accessories such as a special gamepad or an adapter.
ZTE's subsidiary honors a 24-month warranty on its smartphones (EU and UK store); depending on the location of the retailer, there's also a retailer warranty.
Input devices and handling - Nubia smartphone with deficits
Inputs on the 6.65-inch display are accurately and quickly mapped up to the corners of the touchscreen thanks to a 240 Hz sampling rate (the touchscreen scans the surface 240 times per second). However, these attributes can't be attested to the optical fingerprint scanner below the OLED panel. Fingerprints are only recognized very slowly and often not at all. A biometric authentication via 2D face recognition using the front-facing camera is not offered. The built-in vibration motor doesn't convince us qualitatively either, because the vibrations are not precise. Typing fast with haptic feedback is barely possible with the Nubia mobile phone.
Display - Nubia RedMagic with OLED panel
With a refresh rate of up to 144 Hz, the OLED panel in the gaming mobile phone achieves a pixel density of almost 400 PPI at a resolution of 2340x1080 pixels and a diagonal size of 6.65 inches, which ensures sufficiently sharp display content under normal use and viewing distances.
As is typical with OLED panels, the Nubia mobile phone uses PWM at a frequency of 301 to 595 Hz to control brightness. The maximum brightness of 629 cd/m² measured by us is satisfactory, but with the ambient light sensor disabled, only 415 cd/m² is reached with the RedMagic 5G. The realistic APL50 test (Average Picture Level) with evenly distributed light and dark areas results in a maximum brightness of 862 cd/m².
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 92 %
Center on Battery: 593 cd/m²
Contrast: ∞:1 (Black: 0 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 8.1 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.95
ΔE Greyscale 7.1 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
100% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.28
| Nubia RedMagic 5G OLED, 2340x1080, 6.7" | Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro AMOLED, 3120x1440, 7.1" | Xiaomi Mi 10 Super AMOLED, 2340x1080, 6.7" | OnePlus 8 AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.6" | Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G LCD IPS, 2400x1080, 6.7" | Asus ROG Phone 2 AMOLED, 2340x1080, 6.6" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | 20% | 53% | 53% | 36% | 18% | |
| Brightness middle | 593 | 570 -4% | 786 33% | 778 31% | 658 11% | 580 -2% |
| Brightness | 601 | 589 -2% | 791 32% | 783 30% | 643 7% | 599 0% |
| Brightness Distribution | 92 | 90 -2% | 96 4% | 95 3% | 93 1% | 91 -1% |
| Black Level * | 0.49 | |||||
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 8.1 | 4.65 43% | 1.1 86% | 0.9 89% | 1.8 78% | 4.9 40% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 16.2 | 7.61 53% | 2.2 86% | 2.2 86% | 4.4 73% | 9.1 44% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 7.1 | 4.9 31% | 1.8 75% | 1.7 76% | 3.8 46% | 5.4 24% |
| Gamma | 2.28 96% | 2.205 100% | 2.26 97% | 2.25 98% | 2.22 99% | 2.17 101% |
| CCT | 7566 86% | 7500 87% | 6315 103% | 6481 100% | 6255 104% | 7487 87% |
| Contrast | 1343 |
* ... smaller is better
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 595 Hz | ≤ 99 % brightness setting |  |
The display backlight flickers at 595 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 99 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting. The frequency of 595 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 17263 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. | |||
The display color analysis is performed with the help of a spectrophotometer and the CalMAN software. The deviations in color (8.1) and grayscale reproduction (7.1) are still acceptable in view of the product class; nonetheless, they are very pronounced. In addition, at 7,566 kelvin, the panel's color temperature isn't optimally calibrated either.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 1.2 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 1.2 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 8 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21.1 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 2.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 1.2 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 1.2 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 7 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (33.1 ms). | ||
Outdoors, the RedMagic 5G makes a good impression in auto mode. The high contrast ensures sufficient readability; even in direct sunlight in summer, the display's content is still (partially) visible.
The decrease in brightness as well as in viewing angles is low even when viewing the screen from extremely flat angles.
Performance - Nubia smartphone with Snapdragon 865
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 found in the RedMagic 5G integrates a fast "Prime Core" running at up to 2.84 GHz and three additional Cortex-A77-based performance cores with a clock frequency of up to 2.42 GHz. To save power, four additional ARM Cortex-A55 cores were also integrated (1.8 GHz). The Qualcomm SoC also features a powerful Adreno 650 graphics unit.
As expected, the system speed of the gaming smartphone is very pleasing. The Snapdragon 865, in combination with 12 GB of memory and the 144 Hz panel, ensures a smooth operation in everyday life. Apps also open very quickly thanks to the fast Universal Flash Storage. The speed of the internal storage is on par with the UFS 3.0 competition, but the Xiaomi mobile phones Black Shark 3 Pro and the Mi 10 offer significantly better values for sequential writing.
In the benchmarks, the Nubia smartphone (without the fan) performs on par with its gaming rival, the Black Shark 3 Pro. Thanks to the lower resolution, the RedMagic 5G is even often ahead. The Nubia mobile phone scores particularly well in the system benchmarks of the PCMark for Android software. The Geekbench 5.1 multi-core result, on the other hand, is somewhat low.
| AnTuTu v8 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Nubia RedMagic 5G | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 | |
| OnePlus 8 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G | |
| Asus ROG Phone 2 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (527301 - 631025, n=24) | |
| Basemark GPU 1.1 | |
| 1920x1080 Vulkan Medium Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G | |
| Asus ROG Phone 2 | |
| Vulkan Medium Native (sort by value) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G | |
| Asus ROG Phone 2 | |
| 1920x1080 OpenGL Medium Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G | |
| Asus ROG Phone 2 | |
| VRMark - Amber Room (sort by value) | |
| Nubia RedMagic 5G | |
| Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G | |
| Asus ROG Phone 2 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (4988 - 7649, n=4) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (2523 - 10071, n=6, last 2 years) | |
| Jetstream 2 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (13.8 - 351, n=158, last 2 years) | |
| Asus ROG Phone 2 (Chrome 78) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (45.2 - 77, n=20) | |
| Nubia RedMagic 5G (Chrome 83) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G (Chrome 80) | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro (Chrome 83) | |
| OnePlus 8 (Chrome 83) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 (Xiaomi Browser V11.4.23) | |
| JetStream 1.1 - Total Score | |
| Asus ROG Phone 2 (Chrome 78) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (74.2 - 145.1, n=21) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 (Xiaomi Browser V11.4.23) | |
| Nubia RedMagic 5G (Chrome 83) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G (Chrome 80) | |
| OnePlus 8 (Chrome 83) | |
| Speedometer 2.0 - Result | |
| Average of class Smartphone (15.2 - 445, n=146, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro (Chrome 83) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (30.6 - 74.5, n=19) | |
| Nubia RedMagic 5G (Chrome 83) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 (Xiaomi Browser V11.4.23) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G (Chrome 80) | |
| OnePlus 8 (Chrome 83) | |
| Asus ROG Phone 2 (Chrome 78) | |
| WebXPRT 3 - Overall | |
| Average of class Smartphone (38 - 304, n=87, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 (Xiaomi Browser V11.4.23) | |
| Asus ROG Phone 2 (Chrome 78) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (97 - 127, n=23) | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro (Chrome 83) | |
| OnePlus 8 (Chrome 83) | |
| Nubia RedMagic 5G (Chrome 83) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G (Chrome 80) | |
| Octane V2 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (2228 - 89112, n=199, last 2 years) | |
| Asus ROG Phone 2 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (14606 - 31224, n=23) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 (Xiaomi Browser V11.4.23) | |
| Nubia RedMagic 5G (Chrome 83) | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro (Chrome 83) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G (Chrome 80) | |
| OnePlus 8 (Chrome 83) | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total | |
| Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G (Chrome 80) | |
| OnePlus 8 (Chrome 83) | |
| Nubia RedMagic 5G (Chrome 83) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 (Xiaomi Browser V11.4.23) | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro (Chrome 83) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (1623 - 2911, n=24) | |
| Asus ROG Phone 2 (Chrome 78) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (388 - 28190, n=157, last 2 years) | |
* ... smaller is better
| Nubia RedMagic 5G | Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro | Xiaomi Mi 10 | OnePlus 8 | Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G | Asus ROG Phone 2 | Average 256 GB UFS 3.0 Flash | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | 24% | 20% | 27% | -41% | -11% | 11% | 83% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB | 1654 | 1398 -15% | 1498 -9% | 1707 3% | 890 -46% | 1487 -10% | 1547 ? -6% | 1729 ? 5% |
| Sequential Write 256KB | 388.4 | 658 69% | 680 75% | 748 93% | 312.8 -19% | 386.4 -1% | 575 ? 48% | 1338 ? 244% |
| Random Read 4KB | 201.6 | 218.2 8% | 207 3% | 215 7% | 96.8 -52% | 165.9 -18% | 210 ? 4% | 266 ? 32% |
| Random Write 4KB | 193.6 | 261.5 35% | 215.9 12% | 203.9 5% | 101 -48% | 165.3 -15% | 188.5 ? -3% | 292 ? 51% |
Games - Nubia RedMagic with up to 144 FPS
Since this is a gaming mobile phone, we naturally test the RedMagic 5G's gaming suitability extensively. Fortunately, the Nubia mobile phone also turns its high performance and the 144 Hz screen accordingly into high frame rates.
With the app from Gamebench we measure an excellent 144 FPS (with fan) in the Dead Trigger 2 first-person shooter and the Real Racing 3 racing game. PUBG mobile reaches a good 60 FPS with the current firmware (v.409), but Nubia itself advertises the first-person shooter at 90 FPS - we can't confirm this.
In Game Space 2.1, the special interface in the RedMagic 5G, the touch-sensitive shoulder buttons can be assigned functions such as drifting and boosting in Asphalt 9. Like with the Black Shark 3 Pro as well, the racing game is only reproduced at 30 frames per second. The classic touch-screen control and the position sensors work without problems.
During long gaming sessions, the processor in the smartphone is actively cooled by a fan, which ensures a cool case in everyday use, but the fan noise is somewhat annoying without a headset.
PUBG mobile
Real Racing 3
Asphalt 9 Legends
Emissions - Nubia smartphone with stereo speakers
Noise emissions
The fan is clearly noticeable, but we don't hear any annoying whistling or beeping sounds.
Noise Level
| Idle |
| 28.4 / 28.5 / 28.7 dB(A) |
| Load |
| 41.1 / 45.8 dB(A) |
 | ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
||
min:  , med:  , max:  Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance) environment noise: 26.8 dB(A) | ||
Temperature
The case only heats up noticeably under load in everyday use. In our test under sustained load, the RedMagic 5G's heat development behavior provides stable FPS values in the Manhattan 3.1 test of the GFXBench app both with the fan on and without active cooling. However, more power is available to the gaming phone with the fan activated.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 40 °C / 104 F, compared to the average of 35 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 56 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 37.9 °C / 100 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 29 °C / 84 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.
Speakers
The stereo speakers can become quite loud at 83.4 dB(A). The sounding bodies provide for decent music reproduction, but the sound pattern is characterized by mid- and high-frequency tones; basses are not perceptible.
For an immersive sound experience while gaming, however, the 3.5 mm audio jack can be used.
Nubia RedMagic 5G audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83.4 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - o