This week has entered my third week of using the RedMagic 8 Pro as a daily device. More specifically, the first ones that I play every day such as Call of Duty Mobile, Marvel Snap and Asphalt 9 are all played on this device only during use. This is the device with the worst performance I have tried so that after several gaming sessions the device still does not heat up.
Terrible as it is, this device tested my patience until I remembered the verse "patience is half of faith". Not because there is a time delay problem until the device cannot be used but because RedMagic OS 6 is a half-baked operating system. It just literally retranslates Chinese to English so it's hard to understand.
SPECIFICATIONS
REDMAGIC 8 PRO
6.8″ AMOLED screen, 120Hz
1116 x 2480 pixels
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor (4nm)
1x 3.2 GHz Cortex-X3 chip
2x 2.8 GHz Cortex-A715
2x 2.8 GHz Cortex-A710
3x 2.0 GHz Cortex-A510
Adreno 740 Graphics Chip
RAM 12GB RAM LPDDR5X
25GB UFS 4.0 Internal Storage
Main Camera 50 MP Samsung GN 5, f/1.88 (Wide Angle)
8 MP, f/2.2, (Ultra-Wide Angle)
2 MP, f/2.4, (Macro)
Front Camera 16 Megapixel f/2.0
2nd Generation under-screen camera (UDC).
6000mAh battery
65W wired charging
Charging bypass
SIM/Telephony Dual SIM Nano /5G
NFC Yes
Audio 3.5mm audio jack
Stereo speakers
Waterproof None
Fingerprint Scan System under the screen
Sale Price RM3699 (12/256 GB) (Matte color)
RM4299 (16/512 GB) (Void color, transparent)
SCREEN
The 6.8-inch screen size is undeniably large with a bezel-less design, no notch, no camera hole and barely visible bezels. Indirectly makes using the RedMagic 8 Pro screen truly immersive. Not only that, the provided under-screen fingerprint scanner is also very fast and has no problem detecting dirty fingers. The flat screen provides a more satisfying video watching experience without any distractions.
The screen quality of this device is bright enough and can be used outside under the scorching sun without any problem. This is enabled with the Sunlight Mode feature that brightens the screen at the maximum rate supported on the panel. It's just a shame the ambient light sensor to automatically control the brightness doesn't work well. Not sure if it's because the underscreen camera is interfering or just a software issue. The same issue happened on last year's RedMagic 7S Pro.
No other issues for the screen, but more of a grumble. The website does not list HDR10+ support even though it is actually supported. It's just that it's limited to YouTube only and other platforms like Netflix can only stream FHD+ resolution. Despite not being able to enjoy true HDR content, the Enhanced Display Mode feature that increases the level of screen saturation, contrast and brightness helps video streaming platforms display adequate quality for gaming devices with full high-resolution screens.
The best thing this screen also has is 120Hz support which is always smooth and fast. No matter before or after playing games and launching heavy applications, the screen remains fun to touch and scroll. What is disappointing is that the screen does not use an LTPO panel to save battery consumption and does not support a refresh rate as high as rival gaming devices such as Asus ROG Phone 6 and Realme GT3 which support 165Hz and 144Hz.
DESIGN
My opinion on the design is still the same as in the first look article I published a few weeks ago. RedMagic 8 Pro is a gaming device with the most beautiful design I have ever seen. The design is simple, elegant, looks luxurious, flat on every side, and the finish of the back panel is very nice. The design is also colorful, the patterned, gradient color is no longer a trend. On the other hand, the use of one color with different tones is more pleasing to the eye and began to be used by many.
Despite the boxy design, every corner of the device is not sharp. This makes the device easy to operate without pain in the palm. 8 Pro is also a device that I have to operate with two hands because with one hand it is quite difficult with smooth sides and no additional grip.
Not forgetting that this device has an RGB system hidden behind the shoulder button text and brand. This RGB system is made up of LED strips that can be fully controlled through RedMagic OS. There is an option to light up when receiving a notification, specifically for the first, the lights move and change according to the beat of the music, when charging and there is also an option to light up when the shoulder button is pressed.
The ventilation holes named Cooling Air Duct on the left and right series add more cool value to this device. This is an example of a neat, simple design that still wants to look a little bit different to distinguish itself from the design of competing devices.
These vents are for releasing hot air with the help of a built-in physical cooling fan system. The right row is also where the tactile shoulder button is located and the drop-down switch to activate prime mode.
The left side only has volume adjustment buttons and another cooling air duct. While above there is another microphone hole, speaker grill and 3.5mm audio jack. Finally at the bottom there is another microphone hole, SIM card slot and speaker grille as well. Every button feels good to press, only the drop down switch on me needs to be raised more to feel when pushed. In the next version maybe Red Magic can see what OnePlus has done because it is the best standard.
RedMagic 8 Pro really looks sexy and beautiful. For me who used Nextbit Robin and Razer Phone 2, this device in terms of shape and feel in the hand is more or less the same. It's just that for some reason I feel that this device may not have a solid construction.
Although I have never dropped this device, I always have the feeling that it will slip out of my grip. This is because usually the smooth sides and the use of thin bezels can cause the device to keep falling and the screen shattering. The protective frame provided is a hard plastic type, which does not protect the device from falling and also does not provide additional grip. There is a cavity on the side of the frame that exposes most of the side of the device.
INTERFACE AND USER EXPERIENCE
On RedMagic 7S Pro and RedMagic 8 Pro, both versions of RedMagic OS running have the same problem. This problem is as I mentioned at the beginning of the article which does not affect the performance of the device but makes the user experience less satisfactory.
8 Pro uses a Chinese-language operating system that is directly translated into English without any changes. This makes the text displayed messy so that some see all the words, some are truncated and some are still untranslated. The device I am using for this review is not the initial version but the version sold to the general public. Disappointing with language implementation that is not mature enough.
For a global version device, good use of English is mandatory. Using this device with RedMagic OS 6 Android 13 reminds me of using imported Xiaomi devices running Chinese MIUI a while back.
The translation is not complete, there are still many applications that are difficult to understand and the Play Store is installed as a sideload. Because of that, many feature and function terms are hard to find because unlike competing devices that come with neater translations.
The translation is not good, Android 13 features that are already used on many device manufacturers are not offered in RedMagic OS 6. From color themes, customization and others, many use their own versions. It's good to use a separate version because it can ensure updates and security. But I'm not convinced that RedMagic can manage it well based on their history of updates on previous devices.
A good example that I always use is;
Red Magic Studio – Still a favorite feature, just scan the QR code on the phone and the content is immediately broadcast on the laptop screen. This makes it easier for me to enjoy video content and previews on a larger screen.
Sound Sharpening – This feature of making the audio from the speaker sharper is not so great, because the audio quality of the speaker itself is not tuned well and only towards loud and noisy sound.
neo AI – Features that cannot be controlled and run a lot in the background. But it works (maybe), because the memory management on this device is so good that there are no lag issues.
Cooling Fan – The setting controls the ICE 11 Multi-Dimensional Cooling System which is a cooling fan that moves at a maximum rate of 20,000 RPM. Easy to use, but the settings are still a lot of foreign language text.
SuperSnap – The screenshot management feature, including adding a watermark is also convenient for me. Permua or an application that displays important information when I capture can know the source from which device.
Pulse Scanner – Xiaomi has it, Realme has it now RedMagic wants to have it too. But on the RedMagic 8 Pro the data obtained cannot be used because it is too far away from two other devices that are more or less the same data found on the Apple Watch.
Mora – A useful anime digital assistant, where the battery status can be told, notifications can be mentioned, location changes, "a" interactive digital assistant that is quite helpful, but at the same time has an annoying voice that easily makes people around misunderstand.
BENCH MARK
Just like my first glance, the RedMagic 8 Pro benchmark score is still among the highest. Normally I say benchmark test results are just numbers and real world usage is more important. In the case of the 8 Pro, the benchmark and the real world go hand in hand. Equally great and equally terrible.
Imagine I play Genshin Impact for about 15 minutes, the device still doesn't heat up. Just warm but still bearable without wanting to take a break and this is proof that the physical cooling fan really does play a role. Permua also remains running at 60FPS. Then when playing Marvel Snap, Call of Duty Mobile and Asphalt 9, the device delivers amazing performance. Never before have I played the first game with such a satisfying experience that I ran away for several hours.
Geekbench 6
RedMagic 8 Pro – 1868/5147
OnePlus 11 – 1495/4805
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra – 1922/5017
AnTuTu 3D
RedMagic 8 Pro – 1,293,501
OnePlus 11 – 1,104,135
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra – 1,171,384
3D Mark Wildlife Extreme
RedMagic 8 Pro – 3738
OnePlus 11 – 3712
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra – 3247
As before, the Geekbench 6 score was a bit weak on single-core usage, but it was the fastest in multi-core as it reached 5,147 which no other device could reach. AnTuTu 3D is also the fastest so far that the application tells the score received is at an incredible rate of 1,293,501. 3DMark is also the fastest, but the OnePlus 11 is close behind at 3,738 and 3,712. This is the score I've come to expect for a gaming device because there's a good cooling system and memory management.
There is no doubt that RedMagic OS 6 is a good operating system. But it's a pity that the translation of the text is incomplete and there are still many random bugs that will not provide a good user experience. This indirectly makes me not confident about the future of this device. People will also definitely give a negative perception to the RedMagic brand.
TELEPHONY AND GPS
Phone calls on this device are normal and clearly audible. As for the data connection, I did not succeed in testing 5G. But the 4G LTE connection I was able to get was stable with always receiving a full bar no matter where I was. WiFi is also ok because at home my WiFi connection is quite weak, but the device has a pretty good signal.
The use of GPS in the beginning is quite slow. Locations are difficult to lock down but after about 30 seconds the ins and outs of instructions can be given well. Maybe because the software is causing the GPS problem to lock the location at a faster rate.
CAMERA
The camera quality of RedMagic 8 Pro when compared to other gaming devices such as Black Shark 5 Pro or Asus ROG Phone 6D is still far behind. These two competitors have realized that even though the device is for beginners only, the camera is still important if users want to capture special moments during the match, want to save memories or want to stream live. Unfortunately, the rear camera and selfie camera of this device are weak.
The 8 Pro uses Nubia's camera app which is all basic. There are interesting features, but more gimmicks like the 3D photo mode is just a process of taking several pictures and combining them like a slide presentation that can move according to the device's gyroscope. Other modes only follow trends such as Star Trail, Light Painting and many more. But the not so good camera makes me not want to use this extra feature.
The camera on this device is just there and for unique results you need to rely on filters that make images look like classic photos and more.
BATTERY
If the 6000mAh battery doesn't hold up, there is clearly a big problem. Thanks to this device, with my extreme usage like notifications always coming in, streaming videos & music, playing games, being active on social media and all network settings I turned on the RedMagic 8 Pro without any problems to reach almost over 7 hours 30 minutes SOT. This means that with more disciplined use, there is no problem with SOT reaching 8-9 hours.
Like the Asus ROG Phone 6D, the RedMagic 8 Pro also includes a Charge seperation feature. It supplies power to the device but bypasses the battery. Indirectly, users can still play with all their heart without having to worry about the health of the battery being affected and the problem of the device heating up.
Even so, the 65W fast charging is not fast enough to charge the 6000mAh battery. The device takes around 90 minutes to charge from 0% to 100%. Whereas the flagship device can now charge the device to full in less than an hour.
AUDIO
At first I was angry at RedMagic for including a poor quality speaker system. Don't they know that gamers want loud audio, deep bass for every gunshot and a deep soundtrack? It's not that the audio is too loud, sharp and loud. But after I connected my IEM to the 3.5mm audio jack, I was speechless because the audio quality produced was very solid with good audio isolation and an immersive listening experience. In other words, the physical speaker of the device is not satisfactory and requires additional audio accessories for more satisfactory audio.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX?
Here is what was included in the box we received.
1x Redmi 8 Pro
1x Plastic frame.
1x 65W three pin charger.
1x USB-C to USB-C charging cable.
1x SIM Pin.
1x Manual.
CONCLUSION
After using the RedMagic 8 Pro for three weeks, I can say that it is truly an awesome device. It terrorizes with ridiculously fast performance without any heating issues. I enjoy using this device to play favorite games, watch videos because of the wide screen and long lasting battery. The features on RedMagic OS are also many great ones that are not offered by other manufacturers.
If you are really serious at first and don't care about other software problems such as camera or language, this device is very suitable to have. I am sure and trust my words you will not regret with the performance capabilities of this device. But other aspects I would say buy Asus ROG Phone 6 or 6D because it offers better software. For the RedMagic 8 Pro if you buy during the promotional period the price is only RM2899 (12/256 GB) – the cheapest gaming device so far with the latest specifications.
But if you miss it, the selling price is RM3699 and reaches RM4299 for the 16/512 GB model. With RedMagic you only get the device, but ROG Phone if you take the Ultimate, a cooling fan is also given. Which one is your favorite?
Pro
A wide screen without distractions.
The most powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 device to date.
Beautiful and unique design.
65W fast charging with bypass charging support.
Cons
RedMagic OS 6 which is still not quite ripe.
Concerns about software updates.
The audio is just loud, but not good.
