ZTE Nubia Red Magic 9 Pro and 9 Pro Plus Smartphones Review – This year, ZTE is planning to introduce their Nubia Red Magic 9 Pro and 9 Pro Plus smartphones. Both of them look quite fascinating at first impression, while at the same time, you are getting a pretty decent configuration of the latest hardware and compelling software. With this, you will obtain an immersive and powerful performance experience, which is tough to find nowadays.
But there’s no doubt that the Red Magic lineup phones always bring something new to the table. For your information, the new Red Magic smartphone is offering improved hardware with an astounding gaming experience. Moreover, the company also includes the latest Snapdragon chipset under the hood. Through this, you can expect an exceptional level of gaming and performance combination. It’s just the tip of the iceberg, and there are lots of things that need to be covered. So, let’s head toward the detailed review of the ZTE Nubia Red Magic 9 Pro and 9 Pro Plus smartphones.
Table of Contents
ZTE Nubia Red Magic 9 Pro and 9 Pro Plus Smartphones Review
Highlights
- Both models have the same build with a 6.8-inch AMOLED panel with 120Hz refresh rate support.
- As for the hardware support, you are getting the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset accompanied by Adreno 750 GPU.
- As for the software layering, both devices arrive with the custom skin of Redmagic OS 9 with the latest Android 14 OS.
- A decent 50MP triple camera setup with a 16MP selfie sensor will appear on ZTE Nubia Red Magic 9 Pro and 9 Pro+.
- The Red Magic 9 Pro arrives with a massive 6500 mAh battery configuration with an 80w wired fast charging.
- On the other hand, the Red Magic 9 Pro+ brings a decent 5500 mAh battery with a robust 165W wired fast charging.
Design and Display
ZTE Nubia Red Magic lineup phones have already cracked the code to bring together a combination of beautiful and aesthetic designs that will loved by gaming-centric users. Although, you won’t notice that much difference from the previous models like the Red Magic 8 Pro series phones. But still, there are noticeable differences in the color choices.
The users can pick both models in Sleet Black and Snowfall Silver color options. On the other hand, if you are looking for something fancy and appealing, then you should consider checking out the Cyclone variant. It comes with a transparent black panel, which gives both models an aesthetic appearance. Moreover, the phone’s built quality is superb, and you will also notice a solid aluminum side frame with gaming triggers.
You will also find the pressure-sensitive zone that can render up to 520Hz touch sensing. Following this, the flat 6.8-inch AMOLED panel will bring immersive colors and contrast. Furthermore, the 120Hz refresh rate support brings more smoother experience. Not to forget, you are getting 1600 nits peak brightness so that you can enjoy games even outdoors. At the same time, the company also added the Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection on both smartphones. Furthermore, both devices have an 8.9mm thickness and weigh around 229 grams which is a bit bulky. Anyways, you won’t be facing any issues while using these devices in terms of viewing experience.
Memory and Internal
Under the hood, the most impressive thing about both devices would be the latest 4nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset. This chip provides 15% more performance and renders up to 10% better graphics compared to the previous-generation chip. Moreover, this new chipset has also pushed the performance benchmarks. Although, it’s not a major jump in the processing speed.
But still, the octa-core processor can push the CPU limits up to a 1×3.3 GHz clocking speed using the primary core. As far as the software interface is concerned, the Redmagic OS 9 is loaded with a wide range of gaming tools. With them, you can monitor a variety of aspects including resolution, refresh rate, ping, enable DND, and many more things. Furthermore, the phone runs on the latest Android 14 OS and you can expect a few years of OS updates and security updates.
On the other hand, you can adjust the interface layout according to your desire. In terms of the storage options, the users can pick the Red Magic 9 Pro with 256GB to 512GB UFS 4.0 internal storage, which will be accompanied by 8GB to 16GB RAM support. As for the 9 Pro Plus model, you are getting almost the same storage and RAM except for an additional 1TB internal storage with a 24GB RAM variant option.
Camera
The camera quality of the gaming-centric phones often didn’t match according to the price point. However, you don’t have to worry about those things since both devices ZTE Nubia Red Magic 9 Pro and 9 Pro Plus arrive with a great advantage when it comes to capturing photos in low light as well as daylight.
The colors and contrast are praiseworthy, while the software end handles the camera lens precisely so that you can obtain remarkable photos without any hassle. At the same time, it’s good to see that the native camera is also using generative AI features to improve the photography experience. In terms of specs, the device will bring a 50MP primary sensor with a decent optical image sensor.
On the other hand, the phone also includes a 50MP ultra-wide lens that will capture wide-angle shots effortlessly, while the device will also equip a 2MP macro lens for close-up clicks. Following this, you are also getting a 16MP selfie lens with decent photo-capturing abilities. Not to forget, the primary setup on both smartphones can record up to 8K resolution videos at 30fps with no trouble. Plus, there are various functions available in the camera app that you can try to take videos for different occasions. Aside from this, you will be able to record 1080p videos at 60fps from the front camera. However, you are not going to receive stabilization support on any of the cameras of both devices.
Battery and Others
As for the battery section, you are getting a decent 5500 mAh battery configuration with the Red Magic 9 Pro Plus device with robust 165W wired fast charging support. With this combination, the users can smoothly refuel the battery in less than 20 minutes from scratch to 90%. At the same time, the Red Magic 9 Pro brings a more massive 6500 mAh battery. However, you are getting an 80W wired fast charging support.
Through this, it will require up to 25 minutes to refuel the battery percentage from 20% to full. Although, you won’t receive a wireless charging configuration here. But still, it’s noteworthy that people will get immersive astounding sensors, Bluetooth, 5G connectivity, NFC support, and many other things. Not to forget, the device also equips a 3.5 mm jack so that you can connect external audio devices hassle-free.
Aside from this, the sound output is enhanced thanks to the stereo speakers. Lastly, the ZTE Nubia Red Magic 9 Pro starting cost is around $620 (Rs 51,690 in India) approx. Following this, the ZTE Nubia Red Magic 9 Pro Plus is priced at $780 (Rs 64,999 in India) approx. Both models offer impeccable features, especially for gaming sessions. Besides this, they also deliver flagship-level performance with good battery life.
ZTE Nubia Red Magic 9 Pro Plus Pros and Cons
ZTE Nubia Red Magic 9 Pro Plus Specifications Detail
Down below you can see the full specifications of the ZTE Nubia Red Magic 9 Pro Plus smartphone.
| Specifications | ZTE nubia Red Magic 9 Pro Plus |
| Network | 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G |
| Announced | November 2023 |
| SIM | Dual SIM |
| Dimensions | 6.46 x 3.01 x 0.35 inches |
| Weight | 229 g |
| Size | 6.8 inches |
| Display | AMOLED 1B colors 120Hz 1600 nits brightness 20:9 ratio ~400 PPI density |
| Protection/Others | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 Pressure-sensitive zones (520Hz touch-sensing) Built-in cooling fan Aviation aluminum middle frame |
| Resolution | 1116 x 2480 pixels |
| OS | Android 14, Redmagic OS 9 |
| Chipset | 4nm – Qualcomm SM8650-AB Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 |
| CPU | Octa-core 1×3.3 GHz Cortex-X4 5×3.2 GHz Cortex-A720 2×2.3 GHz Cortex-A520 |
| GPU | Adreno 750 |
| Card slot | No |
| RAM | 16GB, 24GB |
| Internal | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB UFS 4.0 |
| Camera | 50 MP (wide), PDAF, OIS 50 MP (ultrawide) 2 MP (macro) LED flash, HDR, panorama Max – 8K@30fps |
| Selfie | 16 MP (wide), under display HDR Max – 1080p@30/60fps |
| Loudspeaker | Yes (stereo speakers) |
| 3.5mm jack | Yes 32-bit/384kHz Hi-Res audio Snapdragon Sound |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Bluetooth | 5.3, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless |
| GPS | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| NFC | Yes (market/region dependent) |
| Infrared port | Yes |
| Radio | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG, accessory connector, DisplayPort |
| Sensors | Under display fingerprint, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass |
| Battery | Li-Ion 5500 mAh 165W wired, PD3.0 |
| Colors | Sleet (Black), Snowfall (Silver), Cyclone (Transparent Black) |
| Expected Price | $780 (Rs 64,999 in India) approx |
Conclusion
After going through each section, we didn’t find much difference between the Red Magic 9 Pro and 9 Pro Plus, except for more storage options and faster charging support with the Pro+ variant. Apart from this, the rest of the specs are identical. Overall, the Red Magic 9 Pro series phones are a good deal as a gaming-centric phone. Speaking of downsides, then the absence of gyro-EIS support on the camera and the lack of wireless charging is a bit disappointing.
On the other hand, you are also getting impressive camera quality, long-lasting battery life, an interesting user interface, and a remarkable display experience as a bonus. But if you want to choose between both models, we would suggest the Red Magic 9 Pro as a complete package. Yet, you can also compare this phone with the Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro in the meantime to make a decent decision according to your requirements. Anyway, the final decision is up to you, so choose accordingly.
