Introduction

Smartphones have become part of daily living for most these days, with an integration into the things we do each day that is truly impressive. These days our phones are capable of a lot, thanks to apps that make use of of the hardware available in unique ways. Apps are one thing, yet games are another. Idle time while commuting or while sitting on the couch at the end of the day is easily occupied with our phones; our attention taken not only with gaming but with social media too. For some of us those games and such are a big thing; it should be no surprise that we see our phones get customized towards those tasks we use them for most outside of the basic things they offer, such as gaming.



The REDMAGIC 7S Pro is nubia's latest gaming-focused Android-based phone; a phone that takes gaming as it main focus and feature, and it includes some nifty hardware that makes all of that possible. This isn't a bunch of add-on features; nubia takes gaming seriously and designs their phones for gaming specifically, and all else comes second to that core focus. We've got dual shoulder triggers with a 520 Hz polling rate, a main AMOLED screen that polls even faster than those triggers at 960 Hz; a game mode that pushes everything else out of focus and puts the games up in front, and a gaming-focused stereo audio design that ensures you have every edge possible to help you win those games.

Boasting some truly impressive specifications, the model I have here has 18 GB RAM and 512 GB of storage, and a 4 nm Snapdragon 8+ Gen1 octa-core CPU that boosts up to 3.2 GHz. The nubia REDMAGIC 7S Pro can generate a fair amount of heat while gaming, so nubia designed a cooling solution to overcome that, including a RGB fan that spins up to a rather impressive 20,000 RPM. Yes, 20,000 RPM. More specifications are below:

Unboxing

The REDMAGIC 7S Pro comes in a fancy silver box, with a host of artwork all over that lends well to the REDMAGIC 7S Pro's focus on gaming.


Opening the box reveals an equally impressive presentation. You find a box with some goodies up top, then the phone itself, and after that, more goodies.


Inside the box, we find a rubberized sleeve with cutouts, a USB 3.0 Type-C cable, and 65 W GaN US charger. There is also a SIM tool and some paperwork inside the box.


The provided case is made of a soft clear plastic, and has cut-outs all over. I can see how it will absorb impacts from falling, but it does feel a bit flimsy.


The provided adapter is nubia's own GaN design. GaN adapters allow for larger charger capabilities in a small package, and the one provided certainly fits the bill for that. The unit outputs 65 W total at maximum voltage and supports various voltage output modes to suit your preference when charging. 65 W is enough to charge many laptops, including the one I'm typing this on.

A Close Look

The nubia REDMAGIC 7S Pro is a larger phone that fits well in my hand. The design has squared-off edges that give the phone a nice high-quality feel front and rear. On the rear we find the square camera array, mounted into an inset panel in the middle of the phone's rear. This raised panel is exposed by the provided rubberized clear case, seemingly to aid in cooling.


There are dual trigger panels on on side of the phone. We also find the majority of buttons on this side.


Both the volume rocker and the slightly smaller power button next to it are on the right side of the phone along with those trigger pads. The opposite side contains the "Game Space" switch, a little ability that takes what is a a switch for silent mode on many phones, and gives it an entirely different purpose.


The provided camera array sports three separate lenses, clocking in at 64 MP main, 8 MP wide, and 2 MP macro. The three lenses integrate with each other seamlessly, providing a decent level of specifications and capabilities. Then we have the selfie camera, which is hidden under the screen itself, as is a fingerprint sensor.


One of the features that sets the nubia REDMAGIC 7S Pro apart from other phones is the built in 20,000 RPM fan. The RGB LEDs of the fan light up as it quietly spins.


At the bottom end we find a USB 3.0 port, a speaker grille, a mic and the dual-SIM dock, while the top side carries a speaker port, a mic hole, and an analogue headphone connector.


Its worth noting that nubia spent some time with those speaker holes, ensuring they provide clean and clear sound. These are larger openings on either end of the REDMAGIC 7S Pro.


The other large opening, of course, is that headphone jack. It's worth noting that the use of the under display camera allows for this phone to have the same size screen as its older REDMAGIC 7 brother, yet be physically smaller by a fair bit. It does also gain about 20 grams in weight compared to its older brother, weighing in at 235 grams.