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ZTE Nubia Red Magic 3

Specifications

ZTE Nubia Red Magic 3
ZTE Nubia Red Magic 3 (Nubia Series)
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 8 x 2.8 GHz, Cortex-A76 / A55 (Kryo 485)
Graphics adapter
Memory
8 GB 
, 6GB / 8GB / 12GB
Display
6.65 inch 19.5:9, 2340 x 1080 pixel 388 PPI, Capacitive, AMOLED, Corning Gorilla Glass, glossy: yes
Storage
128 GB eMMC Flash, 128 GB 
, 64GB / 128GB / 256GB
Connections
Audio Connections: 3.5mm, Sensors: Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, fingerprint, USB-C
Networking
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 5.0, GSM, CDMA, UMTS, LTE, Dual SIM, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 9.7 x 171.7 x 78.5 ( = 0.38 x 6.76 x 3.09 in)
Battery
5000 mAh Lithium-Polymer
Operating System
Android 9.0 Pie
Camera
Primary Camera: 48 MPix f/1.7, 26mm, 1/2.0", 0.8µm, video 4320@15fps
Secondary Camera: 16 MPix f/2.0, 2.0µm
Weight
215 g ( = 7.58 oz / 0.47 pounds) ( = 0 oz / 0 pounds)
Price
500 Euro

 

Price comparison

Average Score: 78.83% - good
Average of 18 scores (from 28 reviews)
price: 90%, performance: 95%, features: 91%, display: 79% mobility: 92%, workmanship: 73%, ergonomy: - %, emissions: - %

Reviews for the ZTE Nubia Red Magic 3

70% Nubia Red Magic 3 review
Source: Techradar English Archive.org version
The Nubia Red Magic 3 is affordable, despite the fact it packs incredibly powerful internals and mind-bogglingly good battery life, but it’s also very rough around the edges. The phone’s AMOLED screen isn’t particularly sharp or color accurate, there are translation issues aplenty within the UI, and third-party app support isn’t as reliable as it would be with more mainstream smartphones. Still, if you want to game, you want a big screen, great speakers, and stacks of power, your money won’t stretch further elsewhere.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 10/08/2019
Rating: Total score: 70%
The Nubia Red Magic 3 Review: A 90Hz Gaming Phone With Active Cooling
Source: AnandTech English Archive.org version
Overall, I think the best features of the Red Magic 3 remains its 90Hz screen as well as its very large battery capacity. Its performance is also among the best S855 out there. While it’s lacking some other high-end flagship features, particularly in terms of camera versatility, I think it’s still a reasonable package given that the phone retails for only $/€479.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 09/27/2019
90% Red Magic 3 Review
Source: Trusted Reviews English Archive.org version
The Red Magic 3 offers amazing value amidst the current gaming smartphone crop; boasting premium performance at a mid-range price. Chuck in special features, such as its turbo fan, a mammoth battery and an abundance of accessories, and the Red Magic 3 is hard to pass up if your number-one priority is gaming on the go.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 08/20/2019
Rating: Total score: 90%
76% Nubia Red Magic 3 128Gb Review
Source: Think Digit English Archive.org version
The Nubia Red Magic 3 packs a lot of features for a gaming phone, and it’s also the most affordable Snapdragon 855-powered gaming unit in the market right now. Everything from a high refresh-rate display to the ability to tweak CPU and GPU speeds to a literal fan inside the body and RGB lights, this is essentially what we expect from gaming smartphones these days. But it would’ve been all the more better if the performance also matched the feature list. Unfortunately, the phone doesn’t come across as well-optimised to utilise the sustained high-performance while gaming, as indicated by the frame rates most games delivered. There’s work to do and Nubia could just as well finish the job via a software update.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 08/10/2019
Rating: Total score: 76%
70% Nubia Red Magic 3 review
Source: Techradar English Archive.org version
The Nubia Red Magic 3 is affordable, despite the fact it packs incredibly powerful internals and mind-bogglingly good battery life, but it’s also very rough around the edges. The phone’s AMOLED screen isn’t particularly sharp or color accurate, there are translation issues aplenty within the UI, and third-party app support isn’t as reliable as it would be with more mainstream smartphones. Still, if you want to game, you want a big screen, great speakers, and stacks of power, your money won’t stretch further elsewhere.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 08/04/2019
Rating: Total score: 70%
78% ZTE nubia Red Magic 3 review
Source: GSM Arena English Archive.org version
The ZTE nubia Red Magic 3 left us with very mixed feelings. It is definitely one of, if not the coolest-looking gaming smartphone currently out there. Few have fully embraced the gamer aesthetic quite as boldly. Aggressive, striking lines and colors, plenty go RGB to go around. Going through the specs sheet and especially feature list does solidify the notion of a unique product. The active cooling fan alone is enough to make the Red Magic 3 stand out among the crowd. But even beyond that top-notch build quality, a 90Hz OLED panel, capacitive triggers on the side, a huge battery pack, just to name a few points do make for an excellent hardware package.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 07/26/2019
Rating: Total score: 78%
80% Nubia Red Magic 3 review
Source: Stuff TV English Archive.org version
With the power to play just about anything in the Play Store, a gorgeous high-refresh rate screen, built-in shoulder buttons and official hardware controller accessories, not many phones can beat the Red Magic 3 when it comes to games.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 07/25/2019
Rating: Total score: 80%
90% Red Magic 3 review
Source: Tech Advisor English Archive.org version
The Red Magic 3 is an impressive smartphone tailored towards gamers with features like touch-sensitive bumper buttons, custom cooling and a 90Hz display that can really provide the upper-hand in competitive mobile games, although we do feel a little let-down by the camera offering.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 07/18/2019
Rating: Total score: 90%
80% Red Magic 3 review: The best gaming phone going?
Source: Pocket Lint English Archive.org version
When you boil it down, having a phone this powerful with a decent camera and long battery life at this price is a total bargain. It's fast, goes all day, can handle any of your games, and controls really well thanks to shoulder buttons and a dedicated gaming mode.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 07/16/2019
Rating: Total score: 80%
85% Red Magic 3 review: this gaming phone has two fans now
Source: Neowin English Archive.org version
All in all, I truly love the Red Magic 3, despite all of its missteps. Most of them are, in my opinion, pretty minor, and the performance and general experience you get for $480 are an incredible value. A lot of these issues could be fixed with software updates, too, so there's always a chance that things will get better. As I mentioned above, if there's anything that stops me from really loving this phone, it's the lack of NFC. If you don't care about that or any of the other flaws I consider to be minor, the Red Magic 3 is an absolute bargain for its asking price. The performance you'll get out of it is likely unmatched, and it offers a fantastic gaming experience if you're looking for it. You can buy it from nubia's online store.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 07/13/2019
Rating: Total score: 85%
Nubia Red Magic 3 Review – The Gaming Phone For Everyone
Source: Know Your Mobile English Archive.org version
While a great many of us probably don’t feel we need a gaming phone, it’s becoming hard to ignore the fact that if you’re shopping on a budget but still want cutting-edge specs, this is the kind of device you should probably look into. The Red Magic 3 has a fantastic 90Hz AMOLED screen, brilliant sound, optional physical controls and a massive battery, yet it’s around half the price of the Samsung Galaxy S10. Sure, it lacks features like wireless charging, NFC and water resistance, but these are easy to live without when you consider how much you’re actually getting for less than £500. Add in the optional gaming accessories and the fact that it effectively doubles as a proper games console (even more so when you consider all of those lovely emulators you can download), and the Red Magic 3 becomes even harder to ignore. It may be big and the software has its quirks, but this is one gaming phone you should check out, even if you don’t intend to do any actual gaming on it.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 06/27/2019
80% Nubia Red Magic 3 Review
Source: NDTV Gadgets English Archive.org version
We have seen a lot of smartphones with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 SoC launching in India at reasonable prices. This is a good thing for smartphone buyers. Nubia has a direct competitor in the form of the Black Shark 2 ₹ 39,999, but has an advantage in terms of pricing. The base variant of the Red Magic 3 with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage is priced at Rs. 35,999 while the higher variant with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage is priced at Rs. 46,999.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 06/21/2019
Rating: Total score: 80% price: 90% performance: 100% display: 90% mobility: 90% workmanship: 80%
Red Magic 3 | A Gamers’ Paradise
Source: The Techy English Archive.org version
The display on the Red Magic 3 gaming phone is 6.65-inches 1080 x 2340 pixels AMOLED panel with 2.5D corning gorilla glass. It has a 19.5:9 aspect ratio and 430 nits of brightness and a 388 PPI pixel density. Paired with the 90 Hz refresh rate, it takes gaming to a whole new level. What makes the smartphone even more desirable is the LED strip which runs vertically on the back of the phone, just from below the camera. You also get a Red Magic logo underneath it. The LED light strip can be configured as a notification as well as a warning light for low battery etc.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 06/20/2019
90% Red Magic 3 Review : The Gaming Phone Sweet Spot
Source: Slashgear English Archive.org version
The Red Magic 3 is a gaming phone with highly decent specs for a mere $479 USD. It’s meant to look like a gaming phone and act like a gaming phone, so it has an LED strip down its back and red accents on black all over, as well as a 90hz-capable display. But this phone does not trap its user in a game-obsessed universe – the lights can be deactivated, and you can prolong your battery life to a great extent by skipping use of the phone’s potential high refresh rate until you need it.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 06/19/2019
Rating: Total score: 90%
80% Nubia Red Magic 3 Review: Another gaming phone, but is it for everyone?
Source: The Indian Express English Archive.org version
Red Magic 3 is a good gaming smartphone for the asking price. Nubia has put in every element a gamer could have asked for in a phone with focus on good performance and display along with a dedicated gaming mode. Considering the price of the Red Magic 3, this is one of the best deals you can get as of now, especially if you are into gaming.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 06/18/2019
Rating: Total score: 80%
80% Nubia Red Magic 3 review: A new benchmark for gaming smartphones
Source: India Today English Archive.org version
The Red Magic 3 feels like it has been designed by gamers and that’s a good thing if you love games. But if you are looking for a practical all-rounder, you may struggle to find a reason to buy this. As a daily driver, you have to compromise with practicality. This then only makes sense as a secondary device that goes with you in your backpack and comes out when you sit down for an hour-long session of PUBG with friends. Overall, if you want a very powerful smartphone for gaming without hurting your wallet massively, go ahead and buy the Red Magic 3.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 06/18/2019
Rating: Total score: 80%
Red Magic 3 review: Great value in a fun phone
Source: Android Authority English Archive.org version
It’s not perfect. The lack of NFC will hurt for many, the single lens lets down an otherwise impressive camera, there is the occasional lack of polish in the UI, and performance — while amazing — is not significantly better than other devices with similar specs. The looks will certainly be unappealing for certain users and the size alone is going to be a deal breaker in some cases.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 06/11/2019
Nubia Red Magic 3 Review: World First Coolest Design Gaming Phone
Source: Igeekphone English Archive.org version
What is commendable is that the Red Magic 3 also has a high degree of completion in areas other than games. The typical one is that with the rear single shot of an IMX586, you can take photos that are the same as the mainstream flagship during the day. It is true that the night performance is slightly unsatisfactory and there will be a lack of super wide-angle and super-macro photos. Limited. However, photographs have not been the focus of e-sports mobile phones. E-sports mobile phones are born as partial students. It is very difficult for their cameras to scan from the scanner to the first-line flagship level in some environments.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 05/14/2019

Foreign Reviews

ZTE Nubia Red Magic 3 Enormes Potenzial
Source: Android Pit German DE→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 05/28/2019
85% Nubia Red Magic 3, análisis: los "gatillos" integrados y el ventilador marcan diferencias para jugar con un móvil
Source: Xataka Spanish ES→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 06/07/2019
Rating: Total score: 85% performance: 98% display: 88% mobility: 98% workmanship: 88%
Análisis del Red Magic 3: uno de los mejores móviles para jugar
Source: El Androide Libre Spanish ES→EN Archive.org version
Positive: Attractive price; decent hardware; nice gaming performance. Negative: No NFC; poor cameras.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 09/20/2019
75% Recensione Nubia Red Magic 3 e VS Black Shark 2: ok il gaming, meno lo smartphone
Source: HDblog.it Italian IT→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 07/28/2019
Rating: Total score: 75% features: 91%
Nubia Red Magic 3 hands-on: un potenziale immenso
Source: AndroidPit.it Italian IT→EN Archive.org version
Positive: Powerful hardware; high performance; long battery life; great speakers.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 05/27/2019
80% On a testé le Nubia Red Magic 3 : le premier smartphone gaming équipé... d'un ventilateur
Source: 01Net French FR→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 07/29/2019
Rating: Total score: 80% performance: 100% mobility: 100%
40% Test Du Nubia Red Magic 3 : L'Innovation Inutile Et Buggée
Source: Frandroid French FR→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 06/16/2019
Rating: Total score: 40% performance: 80% display: 60% mobility: 80% workmanship: 50%
Test du Nubia Red Magic 3 : il sort le grand jeu
Source: Top for Phone French FR→EN Archive.org version
Positive: Solid workmanship; large AMOLED screen; long battery life; USB-C; mini jack. Negative: No NFC; no double tap; no Always on Display.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 09/06/2019
Prise en main du Nubia Red Magic 3 : immense potentiel mais...
Source: AndroidPit.fr French FR→EN Archive.org version
Positive: Fast device; excellent autonomy; great speakers.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 05/27/2019
90% مراجعة للهاتف Red Magic 3: هاتف الألعاب المنتظر!
Source: Unlimited Tech →EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 07/17/2019
Rating: Total score: 90%

Comment

Qualcomm Adreno 640: Graphics chip for smartphones and tablets that is intergrated within the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 SoC. Qualcomm claims that it is 20% faster than the Adreno 630 in the Snapdragon 845 SoC and offers 50% more compute units (ALUs).

Non demanding games should be playable with these graphics cards.

» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Graphics Cards and the corresponding Benchmark List.


SD 855: High-end SoC for smartphones that was introduced in late 2018 and manufactured in 7 nm at TSMC. Integrates one “Prime Core” based on a modified ARM Cortex-A76 architecture clocked at up to 2.84 GHz. Three more performance cores are also based on the A76 but clock up to 2.42 GHz. Furthermore, four energy saving cores are integrated that are based on the ARM Cortex-A55 architecture and clock at up to 1.8 GHz. In addition to the processor cores, the SoC integrates a X24 LTE modem (up to 2 Gigbit download), a new Wi-Fi modem (Wi-Fi 6 ready, 60 GHz mmWave), Hexagon 690 DSP with new Tensor cores for AI processing, a Spectra 380 ISP with an integrated computer vision engine and an integrated LPDDR4x memory controller.» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.


6.65":

It is a small display format for smartphones. You shouldn't be severely defective in vision, and you won't see much detail on the screen and only have a small resolution available. For that, the device should be small and handy, easy to transport.

» To find out how fine a display is, see our DPI List.


ZTE:

ZTE is short for Zhong Xing Telecommunication Equipment Company Limited, which was founded in China in 1985 and is partly state-owned. ZTE's core business is wireless, optical transmission, data transmission equipment, telecommunications software and cell phones, USB sticks, routers and tablets.


78.83%: This rating is not earth-shattering. This rating must actually be seen as average, since there are about as many devices with worse ratings as better ones. A purchase recommendation can only be seen with a lot of goodwill, unless it is about websites that generally rate strictly.


» Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.

 

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Current Prices
Stefan Hinum (Update: 2019-06-18)