RedMagic 7S Pro went on sale in Europe this month and I’d recommend it as the best gaming smartphone you can buy right now.
Design and build
It looks a lot like the RedMagic 7 that I reviewed earlier this year and shares many of the same internal parts.
READ MORE: RedMagic 7 review: The most powerful gaming smartphone in the world right now
There is a metal frame and a glass front and rear and the latter features a semi-transparent design that emphasises the 20,000rpm RGB-lit cooling fan.
On the right hand side of the handset are the touch sensitive pads which act as shoulder triggers, grills for the fans in the active cooling system and the volume control.
On the left hand side is the unique red Game Space slider which looks a little like the OnePlus alert slider. More on it below.
It’s a big handset that weighs in with a similar heft to S22 Ultra and iPhone 13 Pro Max.
Performance
My review unit was the Supernova model with a staggering 18GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. (There is no expandable storage slot, incidentally.)
It is powered by the latest Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC which improves CPU and GPU performance by 10 per cent and battery efficiency by 30 per cent.
This is paired with Nubia's Red Core 1 gaming co-processor.
A key component is the Ice 10.0 Multi-dimensional Cooling System, essentially an air inlet, high-speed fan and exhaust duct that force air across the phone’s cooling chamber.
During tests, I carried out multiple benchmark tests and didn’t see any thermal throttling or reduced benchmark results over time like you would see with many phones.
And in real world lengthy gaming sessions, the device never gets warm or shows any hint of lag or a slowdown.
The Asus Rog Phone 6 Pro reportedly achieves similar benchmark results over sustained periods but it costs hundreds of euro more.
RedMagic 7S Pro runs Android 12 with its own RedMagic OS 5.5 on top.
Display
Gaming is a blissful experience, thanks in part to the quite stunning 6.8-in FHD+ AMOLED display which has a super smooth 120Hz refresh rate and 600 nits of brightness.
The display features a best-in-class 960Hz touch sampling rate, along with a pair of 520Hz shoulder triggers which can be mapped to control functions in games.
There is no punch-hole cutout or notch as the front facing camera is hidden under the display. This means you get a much more immersive gaming experience.
Gaming
It would be remiss to mention the firm’s trademark Game Space too which you activate with a slider.
This is a handy place from which to launch all your games.
You can reduce notifications, calls and distractions, fine tune power settings, adjust EQ, prevent accidental gesture swipes and view all of your game time stats.
When gaming, the best-in-class touch-sampling rate creates an ultra-responsive and smooth experience.
The haptic shoulder triggers can be mapped to different spots on the screen, which can be useful, and the set-up process for this is straight-forward enough.
Games run speedily and fluidly at their full frame rates – Real Racing 3 at 120 frames per second (fps) is an awesome experience.
Battery life
The phone uses a dual-cell 5000mAh power pack. How long it lasts depends on your gaming sessions and the type of games you are playing.
But for everyday smartphone use it lasted me from 8am to midnight with about 20 per cent left in the tank.
You get a superfast 65w charger in the box which will charge it fully from zero to 100 per cent in about 40 minutes.
There is no wireless charging but this is common with gaming phones.
Other features
The device includes a 3.5mm headphone port and a dual SIM tray.
The fingerprint sensor under the display is fast and consistently accurate.
There are stereo speakers which are sufficiently loud and clear for both gaming and watchign video content.
There is a built-in DAC (digital audio converter) that pairs nicely with wired earphones and the phone is certified for DTS Ultra X Surround Sound.
There is a rubberish protective case included in the box. It has cutouts for the fans and shoulder triggers.
There is a pre-installed screen protector and the front is protected by Gorilla Glass 5.
WiFi speeds and connectivity on the device are excellent.
There is a triple camera set-up with a perfectly acceptable 64MP f/1.79 wide angle primary camera that can capture video at up to 8K/30fps.
Verdict
The active cooling system is superb, and while you can hear the fan it’s a better scenario than the SoC throttling and slowing down your game play.
Which is great as this is the fastest Android phone I have ever used, and the ultra-high benchmark scores backed up my real-world experience.
I also love the in-display selfie camera which results in a much more immersive experience.
The phone’s speakers are loud and add to that enjoyment – although I wish they were front facing – and you get support for aptX Bluetooth codecs and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
If you love mobile gaming, then you will love RedMagic 7S Pro.
Pricing and availability
RedMagic 7S Pro (model reviewed with 18GB RAM/512GB storage) costs €949 from RedMagic EU site .
You can also get a 256GB/12GB model for €779.
RedMagic 7S Pro key specs (reviewed model)
Dimensions: 166.27 mm x 77.1 mm x 9.98 mm
Weight: 235g
Display: 6.8in AMOLED, FHD+ (2400 x 1080 pixel resolution), 120Hz refresh rate
Brightness: 600 nits peak
Colour gamut: 100% DCI-P3
Touch sampling rate: 960 Hz multi-touch
Cooling system: 59 blade fan, 20,000 RPM speed
Processor: Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 up to 3.2 Ghz with Adreno GPU and Red Core 1
RAM: 18GB
Storage: 512GB
OS: RedMagic OS 5.5 based on Android 12
Battery: 5000 mAh dual cell battery
Charging: supports quick charging up to 65 Watts (65W GaN charger included)
Connectivity: 5G, WiFi6, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS, GLONASS, NFC
Rear camera system: 64MP, f/1.79 main, 8MP and 2 MP secondary sensors
Video: Up to 8k video at 30fps
Front under-display camera: 16MP, video up to 1080P/30fps
Sensors: under-display fingerprint, compass, gyroscope, proximity, light sensor
Ports: USB 3.0 type C, Dual nano-SIM, 3.5 mm Audio Jack
Shoulder touch sensors (triggers): 520 Hz touch sample rate touchpads
