Nubia REDMAGIC 7S Pro Review

I used to test mobile phones for one of the UK’s mobile networks absolutely ages ago, so it was a nice return to times gone by when I was sent a factory fresh REDMAGIC 7S Pro in advance of the launch. In fact, at the time of writing, they’ve only just announced the ICE 10.0 cooling system! The full specifications weren’t even out, just the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip and ICE 10.0!

Perhaps needless to say, I was excited to receive the package when it arrived. In the box, you get the REDMAGIC 7S Pro handset, a clear phone case, a US power adapter, a Type-C USB data cable, a SIM tray ejector, and a warranty card. While it was unfortunate that I had to cobble together a charging solution since I didn’t have a spare adaptor plug, it’s not unheard of for manufacturers to limit the number of plugs in boxes. And who knows, maybe the ones sold in the UK and Europe have the right plugs in the box.

For those of you who like the technical specifications, here’s what the Obsidian model has inside: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 paired with Red Core 1 (Nubia’s dedicated gaming chip), 5000mAh dual-cell battery, 12GB RAM, 256GB storage, and a 6.8in FHD + AMOLED screen with 120Hz Refresh Rate and 1080*2400 resolution. The cameras are 16MP UDC on the front and 64MP/8MP/2MP on the rear. The dimensions are 166.27mm*77.1mm*9.98mm, and it weighs 235g.

It also has a 3.5mm headphone jack, USB-C socket, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC, and a fingerprint sensor. But those are features you’d expect on a phone this expensive.

The first thing you’ll notice when looking at the REDMAGIC 7S Pro is how big the screen is. Not just because the bezel around the edge is so thin, but the front-facing camera is under the display, so you’re not missing a chunk of your screen. While it weighs a little more than the previous model, it’s not very noticeable even though it certainly feels a bit chunkier. That’s because it’s more squared off on the edges, presumably to fit in all of the various cooling tech.

On the right side of the handset are the volume and power buttons, as well as the two touch-sensitive “shoulder triggers”. On the left side is the switch to put the REDMAGIC 7S Pro into Game Space, which can be customised to mute certain notifications, and activates the cooling fan that spins at 20,000 RPM. At that speed, it’s certainly not the quietest cooling fan I’ve ever heard, and that is one of my very few complaints with the handset.

Once you’ve installed a game and assigned it to Game Space, the REDMAGIC 7S Pro works perfectly. Games load quickly, gameplay is smooth, and the screen is really responsive. The shoulder triggers (once activated) are a great change to having to tap the screen with your thumb. Game Space also has some benefits such as plugins to improve your game with, though none of them seem to be actual cheats, just things like having cooldown timers on the screen.

The other thing available in Game Space is the ability to stream the REDMAGIC 7S Pro to a PC with RedMagic Studio. While it seems mainly to allow you to more easily livestream, of course you can be a bit more precise with a mouse than you can with a finger, and you’re not looking at a smaller display.

As I usually don’t take a lot of photos, I’ll briefly mention the cameras. They looked fine to me, but the REDMAGIC 7S Pro watermarks them in the lower left. You may be able to deactivate that, or you might like that to prove to everyone which phone you have — you do you!

While I’d like to talk about how long the battery lasts, even while gaming, I never found myself running low. I try to limit my phone use after a couple of hours gaming to preserve power until I can plug in, but even with multiple gaming sessions, I never had to restrict usage or grab an emergency boost.

If you’re in the market for a high-end gaming phone, then I recommend the REDMAGIC 7S Pro. It’s been a joy to use, and I’ll be sad to go back to my old handset, which is over three years old. I’ve been using this one for all of my calls, texts, tweets, and “who was that actor and how do I know them?” internet searches, and I’ve really enjoyed gaming on it too.