I have a fair bit to say about the REDMAGIC 7 and what it offers. First and foremost, this is a gaming device, and I put it through the paces as one rather than thinking of it as a phone. I managed to use the REDMAGIC 7 for several hours at a time, playing games of various types that I would not have otherwise enjoyed. The REDMAGIC 7 really managed to open up a new world of gaming for me, so I see it as pretty darn successful at what it does.

The REDMAGIC 7 has a ton of built-in software options and widgets for getting the most out of gaming, such as adjusting the screen refresh rate, custom performance profiles, and aiming assists; I was actually a bit overwhelmed by it all. You can set different types of button emulation for the triggers, change the screen sensitivity, or play with haptic options. There really is a lot here, all as part of the RedMagic 5.0 OS. Since having this phone, I've seen four OS updates, and each has made marked differences in how the phone performs, and some of the features the REDMAGIC 7 offers have been refined, so nubia is still working on making this the best possible.

Putting the phone through benchmarks and playing games sees it offer top-level performance that rivals the very best out there. Automatic game mode will turn on the fan to keep the phone cool and hold dynamic CPU speed as high as possible. The REDMAGIC 7's cooling was purposefully designed around making it possible, which the materials used to make the cooling elements reflect, and even the paste put on the heatsink of the chip was carefully considered.

I could take some time to speak about the camera features and how the other regular phone stuff operates, but since it has Android 12 as its base, that stuff is all up to date and working well. All the regular features you would expect from such a phone are here, and the camera does a decent job, but isn't this phone's main feature at all. Call quality is fairly good, and the phone has considerable volume on tap, so your calls are crisp and clear.

Speaking of volume and speakers, this phone supports DTS:X Ultra, so the sound quality on tap is actually far better than I had expected, and really shows that nubia understands that audio is important. 3D positioning in games was far better than I could have hoped for and helped me win games.

On the subject of winning, that came relatively easy on the REDMAGIC 7 thanks to the additional triggers. I can't emphasize enough how helpful those trigger panels are, and their ability to help me reach top scores in FPS games can't be ignored. It nearly felt like cheating, to be honest, yet anyone with an add-on controller could do the same. It just so happens that added controller functions are built right into the REDMAGIC 7, which helps it make a case for being a great gaming device.

It cannot be ignored that the REDMAGIC 7 is a niche device, yet nearly everyone has a phone these days, so that niche for outside-the-box handsets might actually be a fair bit of the market. Mobile gaming takes up a fair bit of time for lots of people, and things like add-on controllers and such can take that mobile gaming experience on a completely different tangent than with common handsets from manufacturers like Samsung and Apple. The REDMAGIC 7 goes over the top in providing a gaming-focused experience and is packed with stuff to give you an edge over players with other handsets. If you take your mobile gaming seriously, looking at a device such as this should just come naturally.

Wrapping it all up, the REDMAGIC 7 is a very capable, decently outfitted gaming device that also happens to be a phone. Its top-level processor ensures that mobile gaming on it is smooth and silky, and the modest battery life provides a couple of hours of hardcore gaming, which is more than some laptops. If you're in the market for such a device, you should really consider the nubia REDMAGIC 7. You do have to keep in mind that gaming comes first and being a phone second, though.