 "Nubia Red Magic 3 vs Black Shark 2 vs OnePlus 7: Gaming phones face off")
Nubia just announced its gaming smartphone called the Red Magic 3 in India for a price of Rs 35,999 for the base variant. For some time now the gaming smartphone space in the country has heating up, what with the likes of the Xiaomi-backed Black Shark 2
smartphone announced recently and the ROG Phone (Review)
launched last year. [caption id=“attachment_6826911” align=“alignnone” width=“1280”]
Nubia Red Magic 3.[/caption]
There are a couple of firsts for the Nubia Red Magic 3 smartphone, such as an in-built cooling fan and the ability to record 8K videos, albeit only at 15 fps. As with any gaming smartphone, internals are extremely important and the Red Magic 3 does not disappoint. It comes with a Snapdragon 855 chipset along with 8 or 12 GB of RAM and 128 or 256 GB of internal storage.
While cameras are not the most important feature on a gaming-centric smartphone, it’s important to note that the Red Magic 3 only has a single camera at the back, which is a Sony IMX 586 sensor. On the front, we spot a 16 MP camera with an f/2.0 aperture which doesn’t have any AI portrait mode abilities. In fact, the phone cannot take bokeh shots from either the front or the back. As mentioned earlier the Nubia Red Magic 3 is competing against the Black Shark 2, and for good measure, the OnePlus 7 as well. So let’s have a look at a spec comparison of these three devices. Again we have to reiterate that this is merely a spec comparison and not a real-life test comparison. Stay tuned for our full review on the device.
| Smartphone | Nubia Red Magic 3 | Black Shark 2 | OnePlus 7 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display Size (inch) | 6.65 | 6.39 | 6.41 |
| Resolution (pixels) | 1080 x 2340 | 1080 x 2340 | 1080 x 2340 |
| Pixel Density (PPI) | 388 | 403 | 402 |
| Display Type | AMOLED | AMOLED | AMOLED |
| Dimensions(mm) | 171.7 x 78.5 x 9.7 | 163.6 x 75 x 8.8 | 157.7 x 74.8 x 8.2 |
| Weight (gm) | 215 | 205 | 206 |
| Dual SIM | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| SIM Type | Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM |
| Connectivity Types | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 |
| CPU Cores | Octa-core | Octa-core | Octa-core |
| CPU Clock Speed (GHz) | 1x 2.84 GHz Kryo 485 & 3x 2.42 GHz Kryo 485 & 4x 1.80 GHz Kryo 485 | 1x 2.84 GHz Kryo 485 & 3x 2.42 GHz Kryo 485 & 4x 1.80 GHz Kryo 485 | 1x 2.84 GHz Kryo 485 & 3x 2.42 GHz Kryo 485 & 4x 1.80 GHz Kryo 485 |
| GPU | Adreno 640 | Adreno 640 | Adreno 640 |
| RAM | 8, 12 GB | 6,8 GB | 6, 8 GB |
| Ruggedness | — | Splashproof | Splashproof |
| On-Board Memory | 128, 256 GB | 128, 256 GB | 128, 256 GB |
| Expandable Memory | No | No | No |
| Sensors | Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | In-display fingerprint, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | In-display fingerprint, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass |
| Primary Camera | 48 MP, f/1.7 | 48 MP, f/1.8 + 12 MP, f/2.2 | 48 MP, f/1.6 (primary) + 8 MP, f/2.4 (telephoto) |
| Optical Image Stabilization | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Camera Array | Single Camera | Dual-camera | Dual-camera |
| Autofocus System | Phase detection autofocus | Phase detection autofocus | Phase detection autofocus |
| Secondary Camera | 16 MP, f/2.0 | 20 MP, f/2.0 | 16 MP, f/2.0 |
| Video Capture | 4320@15fps, 2160p@30/60fps | 1080p@30fps | 2160p@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@480fps, Auto HDR, gyro-EIS |
| Flash | LED flash | LED flash | Dual-LED |
| OS Version | Android 9.0 | Android 9.0 | Android Pie |
| AI (Smart Assistant) | Google Assistant | Google Assistant | Google Assistant |
| GPS | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, WiFi Direct, DLNA, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, WiFi Direct, DLNA, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, WiFi Direct, DLNA, hotspot |
| Bluetooth | v5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD | v5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD | v5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD |
| NFC | No | No | Yes |
| Infrared | No | No | No |
| Fingerprint Scanner | Yes, rear button | Yes, In-display | Yes, In-display |
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | No | No |
| Radio | No | No | No |
| USB Type | Type-C reversible connector | Type-C reversible connector | Type-C reversible connector |
| USB Standard | USB 2.0 | USB 2.0 | USB 3.1 |
| Battery (mAh) | 5,000 mAh | 4,000 | 4,000 |
| Fast charging | Yes, fast battery charging 27W | Yes, fast battery charging 27W | Yes, 30 W Warp Charge |
| Colors | Black, Red, Camouflage, Red/Blue | Black, Silver, Blue | Mirror Grey, Almond, Nebula Blue |
| Prices in India | Starts at Rs 35,999 | Starts at Rs 39,990 | Starts at Rs 32,999 |
Verdict
The Nubia Red Magic 3 certainly has fancy features backing it up such as an internal cooling fan, capacitive buttons and an extremely cool looking back which resembles an angry demon. At the same time, one should also not forget that the phone just has a single camera at the back which, unless you’re a Pixel, should hamper photo taking abilities. The 5,000 mAh battery should give the Red Magic 3 quite a lot of juice although a full review will tell the truth. The 90 Hz display certainly goes in favour for the Red Magic 3 as neither of its competitors have this feature and as for 8K video recording, well it is more of a gimmick that you will most likely never use. All in all the Red Magic 3 looks to be quite the deal on paper and for its price, it will definitely look to push aside the Black Shark 2. Stay tuned for our review video of the Red Magic 3 on the Tech2 Gadgets YouTube channel.