RedMagic 8 Pro review

The RedMagic 8 Pro is a gaming smartphone that offers amazing performance, a smooth and bright display, a long-lasting battery, a stylish design, and a plethora of gaming features.

However, it also has some minor drawbacks that might not affect everyone but are worth mentioning.

If you are looking for a smartphone that can handle any game you throw at it with ease, you might want to consider the RedMagic 8 Pro. 

This device is one of the first to feature the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, which is the most advanced processor for Android phones right now. It also has a gorgeous 6.8-inch AMOLED full-screen display with a 120 Hz refresh rate and a 960 Hz touch sampling rate for smooth and responsive gameplay. 

In this review, we will highlight the display, form factor, camera and gaming credentials of the RedMagic 8 Pro, and show you why it is a great choice for gamers and non-gamers alike.

Display

The display of the RedMagic 8 Pro is one of its main attractions. It has a bezel-free design that gives you a true full-screen experience. 

The screen size is 6.8 inches, which is perfect for immersive gaming and media consumption. The resolution is 2400 x 1080 pixels, which translates to a pixel density of 400 ppi. The screen is also very bright, with a peak brightness of 1300 nits. The display supports HDR10+ and DCI-P3 colour gamut for vivid and realistic colours. But what makes the display really stand out is its refresh rate and touch sampling rate. The refresh rate is the number of times the screen updates per second, and the touch sampling rate is the number of times the screen registers your touch input per second. 

The higher these numbers are, the smoother and more responsive the gameplay will be. The RedMagic 8 Pro has a refresh rate of 120 Hz, which means it can display up to 120 frames per second (fps). 

This is twice as fast as most standard smartphones, which have a refresh rate of 60 Hz. The touch sampling rate of the RedMagic 8 Pro is even more impressive, at 960 Hz. This means it can register your touch input up to 960 times per second, which is almost 16 times faster than most standard smartphones, which have a touch sampling rate of 60 Hz. 

These features make the RedMagic 8 Pro one of the best displays for gaming on the market.

Form Factor

The RedMagic 8 Pro has a sleek and stylish design that reflects its gaming identity. It has a matte black finish with red accents and an RGB light strip on the back that can change colours according to your preference. 

The rear also houses a transparent window that reveals the built-in turbofan that helps cool down the device during intensive gaming sessions. 

The phone has a metal frame that gives it a solid feel and durability. The RedMagic 8 Pro also has two shoulder triggers on the right side that can be customised for different games and functions. The phone measures 173 x 77 x 9.5 mm and weighs 220 g. It is neither the smallest or lightest phone around, but it is comfortable in the hand both for regular use and a marathon gaming session. 

The phone has a fingerprint sensor on the back and a face unlock feature for security. It also has dual stereo speakers with DTS:X Ultra support for immersive sound quality, a USB-C port for charging and data transfer, but it does lack both a headphone jack and microSD card slot. The phone has a massive battery capacity of 6000 mAh, which can last for up to two days of normal use or up to eight hours of continuous gaming. The phone also supports fast charging with a 65W charger that can fully charge the phone in about an hour.

Camera

The RedMagic 8 Pro has a quad-camera array on the back and a single selfie camera on the front. The main camera on the back has a 64 MP sensor with an f/1.8 aperture and phase detection autofocus (PDAF). It can capture detailed and sharp photos in good lighting conditions, and it also has night mode for low-light situations. The main camera can also record videos up to 8K resolution at 30 fps or up to 4K resolution at 60 fps. The other cameras on the back include an 8 MP ultra-wide-angle camera with an f/2.2 aperture and a 120-degree field of view, a 2 MP macro camera with an f/2.4 aperture for close-up shots, and a depth sensor for portrait mode effects. The ultra-wide-angle camera can more scenes and perspectives, but it also suffers from distortion and noise at the edges. 

The macro camera can capture some fine details when you get close enough to the subject, but it has a limited focal range and a low resolution. 

The depth sensor helps create a bokeh effect for portraits, adding some depth and drama to your shots. Overall, the rear cameras are capable and versatile for casual photography, but they are not quite reaching the dizzy heights of capability seen in rival devices. The selfie camera on the front is a 16 MP sensor with an f/2.0 aperture and an under-display design. This means that the camera is hidden under the screen and only becomes visible when you switch to selfie mode. 

This gives the phone a seamless and futuristic look, and it also eliminates any notch or hole-punch that might interfere with your gaming or viewing experience. The under-display camera produces clear and bright selfies, especially in good lighting conditions. 

The camera also has a minimal black spot around it on the screen, which is hardly noticeable when watching videos or playing games. The selfie camera can record videos up to 1080p resolution at 30 or 60 fps, delivering footage that is both smooth and stable.

Gaming Features

The RedMagic 8 Pro is not just a powerful smartphone, but also a dedicated gaming device that offers many features to enhance your gaming experience. Here are some of the gaming features that you will love:

Game Mode

This is a special mode that you can activate by flipping a switch on the side of the phone. It blocks notifications, calls, and other distractions, and optimises the performance, network, and cooling of the phone for gaming. It also gives you access to a dashboard where you can adjust various settings, such as fan speed, brightness, refresh rate, touch sampling rate, and more.

Game Space

This is a dedicated app that lets you manage your games and access various tools and features, such as screen recording, screen capture, macros, game statistics, and more. You can also customise your RGB light strip effects and shoulder triggers settings from here.

Shoulder Triggers

These are two physical buttons on the right side of the phone that you can use as extra controls for your games. You can map them to any function or key you want and adjust their sensitivity and vibration feedback. They have a 520 Hz touch sampling rate for fast and accurate response.

Red Core 2

This is a dedicated gaming chip that works with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 to improve the frame rate stability and graphics quality of your games. It also supports AI features, such as voice control and face recognition.

Cooling System

The RedMagic 8 Pro has a comprehensive cooling system that consists of a built-in turbofan, a graphene layer under the display, and a double layer VC liquid cooling plate. These components work together to dissipate heat from the phone and keep it cool during intensive gaming sessions. The turbofan can spin up to 20,000 RPM and has an aviation aluminium middle frame for durability.

Dual Stereo Speakers

The RedMagic 8 Pro has two powerful speakers on the top and bottom of the phone that provide immersive sound quality for your games and media. They support DTS:X Ultra technology for surround sound effects and dynamic bass enhancement.

DisplayPort

The RedMagic 8 Pro has a USB-C port that supports DisplayPort technology, which means you can connect it to an external monitor or TV for a bigger screen experience. You can also use a wireless dongle or Chromecast to cast your screen wirelessly.

Accessories

The RedMagic 8 Pro supports various accessories that can enhance your gaming experience even more. For example, you can use the RedMagic Cyberpods wireless earbuds for low-latency audio, the RedMagic Cybercase for extra protection and style, or the RedMagic Ice Dock for extra cooling and charging.

Gaming Community

The RedMagic 8 Pro also gives you access to a gaming community where you can interact with other gamers, share your gameplays, join tournaments, win prizes, and more. You can also get exclusive updates and offers from RedMagic through this platform.

Verdict

The RedMagic 8 Pro is a gaming smartphone that delivers on its promise of providing a powerful and immersive gaming experience. 

It boasts a stunning display, a fast processor, a large battery, a cooling system, and many gaming features that make it stand out from the crowd, despite marrying those bleeding edge features with merely serviceable functionality when it comes to the camera.

If you are looking for a smartphone that can handle any game you throw at it with ease, you should definitely consider the RedMagic 8 Pro. The RedMagic 8 Pro is available now from the official website, starting from £579 for the 12GB/256GB model and £709 for the 16GB/512GB model, at the time of writing.