This is the RedMagic 7, it’s a brand new 2022 gaming phone from Nubia. It’s got a 165hz AMOLED screen, the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip, shoulder triggers, USB-C Fast Charging and a dedicated gaming mode.
Specs
So first up, it uses the latest Qualcomm chip, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. This was announced at the end of 2021, and this is one of the first phones to launch with it in 2022. This chip is a huge leap forward in terms of the performance it can deliver.
It has 256GB of storage and 16GB of LPDDR5 memory. It also has bluetooth, stereo speakers with DTS sound and a triple mic setup. The model sits in the middle as there are two other colours and specs to choose from. One comes with 12GB of RAM while the other has 18GB of RAM. For gaming and even general use this phone feels snappy.
Screen
Taking a look at the screen, the RedMagic 7 comes with a 6.8” AMOLED display, with a 1080 x 2400 resolution. The display is vibrant, crystal clear and the black levels are perfect. Its max brightness is 700 nits, so it’s not super bright but for indoor use and away from direct sunlight it’s fine.
I’ve tested the screen out on a few different things like gaming, netflix and YouTube. And it all displays really well, no complaints with how it looks.
It is using Gorilla Glass 5, which is surprising as we’ve had Victus out for a while now. It’s still going to protect it against drops and scratches though.
The fact it’s AMOLED means the viewing angles are awesome on this and it looks really nice. It’s super smooth as it’s got a 165Hz refresh rate which is perfect for gaming. It feels rapid when scrolling and swiping between screens. But if you don’t want to use the 165Hz you can adjust it in the settings down to as low as 60Hz. 165 is great but it will consume more battery so if you don’t need it it’s best to move it down.
Not only is the refresh rate impressive, it also has a 720Hz touch sampling rate. This means that even if the screen is refreshing at 165, it’s checking for your touch input at a rate of 720hz, that’s rapid and one of the fastest phones out there.
At the top of the screen there’s a front facing 8MP camera. It also has an under screen fingerprint reader which has been responsive every time I’ve used it.
Shoulder Triggers
Like with last year, the RedMagic 7 comes with some impressive shoulder triggers for gaming. These allow you to play mobile FPS games, like COD Mobile, with the equivalent of L and R triggers. Although they are called triggers, they don’t actually move in and out, they are touch sensitive with a sort of haptic feedback vibration. The design of the triggers feels comfy and easy to use, especially with this non-slip texture to them.
Plus the refresh rate has been improved on these to 500Hz, up from the previous 400hz.
To enable these triggers, along with some other dedicated gaming features, you first need to switch the phone over to the gaming mode.
Gaming Mode
In Game Space you can see the CPU, GPU and network usage. You can change the refresh rate, turn the fans on and off and even record your gameplay. This is useful if you want to record videos for YouTube or share with your mates.
The triggers can be set up here too, where you can decide where on the screen these triggers actually control or touch. I can set the triggers for aiming and firing or accelerating and braking depending on the game I’m playing.
There are loads of other settings in Game Space, including snapping or overlaying windows. Like a browser tab for a walk through guide. You can even toggle messages off so you’re not distracted while gaming. Game Space is definitely a huge selling point of this phone and it offers some great features. Even the UI has had an improvement.
Design
When it comes to the design, it’s actually pretty good looking for a gaming phone. It clearly has that gaming vibe to it.
It’s got 3 cameras including a 64MP lens, an ultra wide and a macro lens. There’s a flashlight under that too. There are even some hidden LEDs on the back that light up while gaming, this includes the logo and the LED strips either side. These can be turned on and off in the gaming mode settings, but it definitely adds a whole different look to it.
It’s got a 3.5mm headphone jack on the top, useful for a lot of people while gaming. A USB-C port on the bottom next to a speaker grille and a dual 5G sim card slot.
I chose the Pulsar colour, which has this kind of vibrant, gradient, neon vibe to it. This is one of three colours to choose from. It’s also available in Supernova which is transparent and Obsidian, which is basically black.
It’s pretty big and compared to my 13 Pro Max it’s a little bit bigger, that should give you an idea on its size. It’s got a glass front and back with a metal frame, so it feels solid and weighty.
OS
It runs on RedMagic 5.0, which is basically a modified version of Android 12.
95% of the phone will run like any other android phone on Android 12. It’s only when you go into the dedicated gaming mode or Gaming Space do you activate the true RedMagic OS features. On the whole if you’re used to Android you’ll like this.
Cooling
Now with the new chip and the powerful gaming mode it offers, you might wonder how hot it gets. Well I was playing COD Mobile for a couple of hours to test it out, and it definitely gets warm to the touch, but nowhere near as hot as I was expecting.
The cooling system has been improved over the previous model, it’s called ICE 8.0. They’ve added a second air inlet which should make a huge difference at keeping the phone cool while gaming. This extra inlet is supposed to increase the airflow by 35%. Along with the high thermal conductivity gel and superconducting copper coil, this works well.
Battery / Charging
It comes with a 4500 milliamp hours Battery which for normal use will easily last you an entire day. When using it for gaming it’s rated for a good 3-5 hours.
It’s capable of fast charging and it comes with a 65W USB-C charger in the box. That’s awesome as last year it only shipped with a 30w charger. Just to note that it does not support wireless charging.
Camera
As mentioned it comes with 3 cameras. It has your normal camera modes, but it also has a night mode, portrait, and support for 4K and 8K recording. I’ve taken a handful of photos, and they look fine, but it won’t be the main reason you’d buy this phone.
Final Thoughts
So the ultimate question, would I recommend this phone? Yes, I would. It’s packing the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon chip, it’s got an awesome 165hz AMOLED screen and it’s perfect for gaming. I think it’s a brilliant phone and for anyone interested in gaming this could be the perfect buy. Let me know what games I should test out on this new phone, and whether you’d buy a gaming phone yourself?