Even the flagship smartphone market, in general, is rife with compromises. If you want to get one of the best smartphones on the market, you're going to have to give up something that another user may have considered a deal breaker. For others, it's the lack of a headphone jack; for others, it's a lack of game-related design options; and for yet others, it's performance tradeoffs. What if I told you that the RedMagic 7 is the ideal smartphone that makes no compromises?
For background, RedMagic is a gaming-focused smartphone brand that strives to provide the greatest gaming phones on the market, and the RedMagic 7 is the latest version of that, powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor. It boasts an integrated fan, shoulder triggers that can be mapped to the screen, and a headphone connection on top of the large 6.8-inch 165Hz screen.
This phone appears to have everything, but what's the catch? It's a combination of software quality and software upgrades, as is customary with RedMagic phones. If you don't care about any of those things (and it can be tough to get past the annoyance at times), I don't think there's much of a catch at all. There is also a dearth of physical retail distribution in the majority of the world's main regions, although you should be able to buy the phone through the online shop and have it sent internationally.
REDMAGIC 7: Specification
Specification
| Dimensions and Weight |
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| Display |
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| SoC |
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| RAM and Storage |
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| Battery & Charging |
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| Rear Camera |
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| Front Camera | 8MP |
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RedMagic 7: Display
- AMOLED display with a large and brilliant screen
- The refresh rate is 165Hz.
- There are no notch or punch holes.
The RedMagic 7 has a massive 6.8-inch full HD 165Hz AMOLED display. It's not obstructed by a notch or punch hole, and it becomes fairly bright. Because of its size and the fact that nothing encroaches on the display, it's ideal for gaming or media consumption, but it's difficult to explain exactly how large it is. However, it makes perfect sense for a gaming phone.
In terms of visual quality, this is my first time viewing 165Hz, and the improvement over a 144Hz panel is barely discernible. There is clearly a diminishing return as refresh rates grow, but 165Hz is fantastic in its own right. There are also other frequency settings to pick from, including 165Hz, 120Hz, 90Hz, and 60Hz to reduce power usage.
The display is surrounded by a thin bezel, with only a little room for the selfie camera and a small gap at the bottom of the display. It also has a fully flat display and a pre-applied screen protector.
RedMagic 7: Design
- Shoulder triggers and a headphone jack
- Integrated fan
The one issue I encountered with the design of this phone was that the fan intake on the back of the phone might still be obstructed if the phone was placed on a table. However, it's doubtful that you'd be playing games while not holding your phone upright. The inclusion of the fan also implies that the phone is not IP certified for water or dust protection, which may be a deal breaker for some consumers given that many smartphones on the market today boast water resistance as a marketing feature.
RedMagic 7: Performance
- Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset
- Outstanding long-term performance
When utilising a gaming smartphone, one of the most crucial factors to consider is sustained performance. If the sustained performance is inadequate, you will have significantly diminished performance after what may be a short amount of time. I tested the thermal throttling on the RedMagic 7 for half an hour using the CPU Throttling Test software from the Google Play Store, and the results were impressive. I ran the test twice, once with the fan turned off and once with the fan turned on.
Both outcomes were rather nice, especially with the fan turned on. The only issue was that at the conclusion of the test, the phone became too hot to touch. That's not what you want from a gaming phone, and it's much more concerning when considering the phone's internals, notably the battery.
RedMagic 7: Software
- faulty software
- Translations are buggy.
The software on RedMagic devices is often lacking, and this is no exception. It leaves a lot to be desired in the sense that it is simply a bad experience. Inaccurate or bizarre translations plague the operating system, making for a fascinating experience at times, and much of the operating system's design is also highly "gamery." Furthermore, Google Pay does not function since it fails to pass Google's Compatibility Test Suite when a SafetyNet check is performed.
While it still has a lot of bad translations (and the occasional glitch), RedMagic's gaming space is a lot better than anything else on this phone. It makes sense in general, with a lot of helpful features and attention to detail, which is exactly what you'd want from a gaming phone.
Is the RedMagic 7 worth your money?
The RedMagic 7's main fault is software, and I don't simply mean the flaws I mentioned above. The firm has a tough track record when it comes to continuously upgrading its handsets, so you should evaluate the phone based on what it is today rather than what it may become with a software upgrade or two. You would almost likely receive upgrades, but I would be concerned about the introduction of new defects and other issues that will be impossible to reverse. In a day where firms have refined UX and offer as much as four generations of Android upgrades, the RedMagic 7 experience is disappointing.
As a result, unless you're a die-hard gamer, this phone may be difficult to suggest. It's the ultimate phone hardware in that it packs absolutely everything and the kitchen sink into one strong box, but it's not the ultimate phone since the software is a total shambles. If you believe you can get over that and all you want is a low-cost gaming phone, the RedMagic 7 may be a good buy.
The RedMagic 7 will be available for purchase via Nubia's global website beginning March 10. Obsidian, Pulsar, and Supernova are the three hues that will be offered. The base 12GB/128GB model costs $629 / €629 / £529, while the 16GB/256GB model costs $729 / €729 / £619. Finally, the highest model will cost $799 / €799 / £679 for 18GB RAM and 256GB storage. Nubia expects to release the RedMagic 7 Pro internationally in the second quarter of 2022. If you can get past the software, this is an excellent buy for €629, but that is a lot to ask.
