In the first quarter of 2022, Nubia released its latest line of gaming phones—the RedMagic 7. This first release featured the RedMagic 7 Pulsar, with a buttery smooth 165Hz screen, massive 16GB RAM, a built-in fan, touch-sensitive shoulder triggers, and 256GB storage.

However, it seems that even these specs are not enough to satisfy the needs of the most discerning gamer. So, Nubia released the RedMagic 7 Pro Supernova: a beefed-up version of the smartphone released last February 2022.

But is it really worth the extra you'll shell out over the standard version? Let's find out.

In the Box

The phone comes in a gorgeous silver box featuring comic strip prints all around it. You also get a clear case, a 65-watt GaN Fast Charger, and a thick USB-C to USB-C charging data cable with the smartphone. There's also a plastic screen protector preinstalled on the phone, so you don't have to go out of your way for extra security.

The main difference between the Pro version over the standard is that it features a 16MP front under-display camera, a bigger 5,000mAh battery, and a better screen-to-body ratio (83.6% versus 87.1%). And although it only comes with a 65-watt charger, the phone also has a max 135W charging capacity, allowing you to recharge it from flat empty in around 15 minutes if you have a compatible charger.

Physical Design

The phone's all-screen affair helps give it a clean front design when you look at it. But if you turn it over, you'll see that it's not all business. It features a clear glass back, revealing some components. You can also see the 20,000 rpm fan to the left of the camera module, with RGB lighting that switches on when the fan activates.

There's a central aviation-grade aluminum frame at the back, which helps with heat dissipation and better grip. However, this design also makes the phone tilt when you tap either side of the screen when it's laid on its back.

Nevertheless, the included clear case levels the phone, so it doesn't wobble when you're using it. It's highly recommended that you install it since it improves grip and also insulates it from your hands when the phone gets warm during game time.

You should also note that it's not water-resistant at all, unlike other premium phones. The built-in fan precludes this, so you must be careful using your phone in the rain, and you definitely shouldn't submerge it in water.

Performance by the Numbers

Since this phone is the cream of the crop for Nubia's RedMagic line-up, it's powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC paired with a UFS 3.1 fast storage. It also boasts 18GB RAM (two more than the standard Pulsar version), and 512GB storage, doubling its capacity for storing more games.

But what do the benchmark numbers tell us? Here are the results we've got.

Geekbench 5

The RedMagic 7 Pro delivered practically the same results as the standard version on Geekbench 5, with 1,224 single-core score and a 3,709 multi-core score, compared to 1,223 and 3,630 for the standard RedMagic 7. In a wider context, it barely outperforms the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra while still being left behind the iPhone 13.

3DMark Wild Life

While the Pro version features 2GB more RAM and double the storage over the standard version, it surprisingly scored lower in this test. The 16GB RAM, 256GB storage Pulsar phone received 10,041 points, while the Pro version only had 9,934.

The Wildlife stress test returned similar results—the standard version's 10,049 points versus the Pro's 9,989. The phone also returned a paltry 78% stability, compared to the former's 95.4%. This made it worse than the iPhone 13 Pro Max, which received 81% but is still miles away from Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra's 52.5%.

After the stress test, the phone was so hot that users wouldn't be able to hold it properly. It registered a sizzling 54 degrees Celcius (129F), even with its built-in fan working at full speed. Nevertheless, it cooled down quickly enough (less than five minutes), thanks to the same fan.

PCMark

The test result from this app delivered 12,779 points, again making it statistically insignificant from the standard version's 12,737 points.

Gaming Experience and Ergonomics

When you're playing, both devices' performances are not much different. However, the 165Hz screen on the original RedMagic 7 makes for a much smoother gaming experience than the 120Hz display on the Pro. While the 45Hz difference between the phones isn't much, if you get used to the much faster screen, you'll see the difference when watching the playback of your match.

In the video above, the left side shows Real Racing 3 with the 165Hz RedMagic 7 Pulsar, while the one on the left is the 120Hz RedMagic 7 Pro. You might notice the slight difference in this playback video, but in the heat of battle, you won't notice it at all.

Furthermore, not many games can hit 165Hz. For example, Call of Duty: Mobile and League of Legends Wild Rift can only go as high as 60Hz, so the screen's fast refresh rate remains inconsequential.

When it comes to physical handling, the RedMagic 7 Pro's smaller form factor could be an issue when gaming, especially for those with bigger hands. The thinner bezels mean that your palm might hide content, and reaching the shoulder touch triggers might be a bit more awkward over the larger device.

Also, the Supernova (Pro) version only has one input air vent, compared to the Pulsar's two input vents, which means it heats up faster when gaming. When the phone gets hot, gaming could become uncomfortable. And if you don't let it cool down, it might even get too hot to handle.

On the other hand, the 5,000mAh battery gives you ample game time. Running the phone at maximum power for twenty minutes reduces the battery percentage by around 20%. Given that, you'll approximately have an hour and a half of high-performance gaming before it runs empty.

However, it isn't easy to recharge the phone while gaming, even if you use a third-party 90-degree USB-C charger, as its charging port's placement will interfere with your right hand. Nevertheless, the 65-watt GaN charging brick included in the box will allow you to get back to gaming in less than an hour.

In case you are able to charge while gaming, you can activate the Charge Separation feature. This allows the phone to draw power directly from the charging port and keep the battery from recharging. By doing so, you reduce the heat generated by the phone, thus allowing you to have better performance.

Daily Use

The first thing that stands out from this device over its standard siblings is the lack of an upper bezel. Because of its under-display front camera, the phone has a thinner top, giving it a slightly smaller footprint while retaining its 6.8-inch display.

This makes the RedMagic 7 Pro much handier than the lower models, although it still remains thick. And despite weighing 20 grams more, you'll barely notice the difference between the two devices.

However, the under-display camera (UDC) innovation comes with some compromises: a slower, less bright screen. The RedMagic 7 Pro only comes with a 120Hz display at 600 nits, which is significantly slower than the lower model's 165Hz screen and 700 nits brightness.

And while UDCs deliver a thinner bezel, it also compromises photo and video quality. That's because the light rays must pass through a screen layer before getting into the camera sensor. The image quality issues aren't as prevalent if you're shooting selfies in a well-lit room, but if you're taking low-light or against the light images with the front camera, you'll see severe losses in quality.

Furthermore, the phone takes some time to process the front camera image to improve its output, especially in challenging lighting situations. This means there's a significant delay from when you take the image until it's shown on the screen. It can also cause light streaks if you're shooting in the dark.

Sound Quality

The pro version houses an extra stereo speaker at the top, while the lower model only uses the earpiece as a secondary speaker. Nevertheless, both devices are equally loud, which is especially important in gaming.

You also get a 3.5mm headphone jack on both the standard and Pro models, so you can use your high-quality wired gaming headphones during matches. The placement is optimized for gaming, allowing the jack to slip in between your index and middle fingers. That way, holding and controlling the phone is less awkward, if not at all.

Camera Performance

The RedMagic 7 Pro features a standard wide, ultrawide, and macro camera. It also comes with a single white LED flash. The camera module is located at the center-top of the phone, arranged in a 2x2 grid. This layout improves the 4x1 layout in the standard model, which is prone to getting smudges from your fingerprint.

Despite that, the front under-display camera still has abysmal performance, and the rest of the phone's imaging capabilities are average. It performs well enough in bright situations, but as soon as you're in low-light, dark, or challenging conditions, the images are soft and lose their crispness.

You don't lose definition when zooming in to 2x, but image quality drops off beyond that. You also do not get ultrawide coverage when in video mode, so you're stuck with the 26mm wide lens when recording.

But if you're looking for a high-quality camera in a smartphone, you definitely shouldn't be considering this gaming device.

Should You Buy the RedMagic 7 Pro?

While getting the top version of a premium gaming phone sounds tempting for many, it isn't always the best decision. The RedMagic 7 Pro does deliver exclusive features, like an under-display camera, a smaller form factor despite a similar display size, and a bigger battery.

However, this comes with a compromise. You get a slower screen that's a bit dimmer, the phone gets warmer much faster, and the thinner bezels mean the shoulder triggers can be a bit awkward to use.

If you're looking for a gaming device that will let you game for as long as possible, the 5,000mAh battery on the RedMagic 7 Pro will probably give you 15 more minutes of playtime. But this slight advantage comes with a lot of tradeoffs.

Given that it's a Pro version we expect this phone to be a bit more expensive than the standard models. But, even if you're paying more, you might end up with a little bit less. Unless the under-display camera or the extra fifteen minutes of play time is that important to you, I'd recommend you stick to the standard RedMagic 7 model. It'll definitely be more than enough for your gaming needs.