Overview and specifications

The gaming Red Magic portfolio from Nubia has been upgraded generationally with the ZTE Nubia Red Magic 10 series. The firm is continuing its bi-annual upgrade, and in our review, we’ll concentrate on the Red Magic 10 Pro, a bit more subdued version of the 10 Pro+ with faster charging and more storage. The Plus version is exclusive to the Chinese market, which explains why. However, because it uses a larger 7,050 mAh battery and charges at about the same speed (100W), the Red Magic 10 Pro, which we have here, is a closer brother to the Chinese 10 Pro+.

The 10 Pro offers a few enhancements over the biannual update. The Snapdragon 8 Elite is without a doubt the main component of the new Red Magic. Additionally, the 10 Pro is among the most reasonably priced Snapdragon 8 Elite-powered smartphones available. Therefore, even those who are not interested in gaming but are searching for more horsepower will find it ideal.

The display is also improved with the new Red Magic, which has a slightly better resolution and a refresh rate of 144 Hz instead of the 9S Pro’s 120 Hz.

ZTE Nubia Red Magic 10 Pro specs at a glance:

• Body: 163.4×76.1×8.9mm, 229g; Glass front, aluminum frame, glass back; Pressure sensitive zones (520Hz touch-sensing), Built-in cooling fan, Aviation aluminum middle frame.
• Display: 6.85″ AMOLED, 1B colors, 144Hz, 2000 nits (peak), 1216x2688px resolution, 19.89:9 aspect ratio, 431ppi.
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM8750-AB Snapdragon 8 Elite (3 nm): Octa-core (2×4.32 GHz Oryon V2 Phoenix L + 6×3.53 GHz Oryon V2 Phoenix M); Adreno 830.
• Memory: 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM; UFS 4.1 Pro.
• OS/Software: Android 15, Redmagic OS 10.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.9, 1/1.5″, 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS; Ultra wide angle: 50 MP, f/2.2, 1/2.88″, 0.61µm; Macro: 2 MP, f/2.4.
• Front camera: 16 MP, f/2.0, 1/3.06″, 1.0µm, under display.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 8K@30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps; Front camera: 1080p@30/60fps.
• Battery: 7050 mAh; 100W wired.
• Connectivity: 5G; Dual SIM Wi-Fi 6; BT 5.4; NFC; Infrared port; 3.5mm jack.
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (under display, optical); stereo speakers.

Finally, an astonishing 7,050 mAh of charge is stored in the device’s revolutionary silicon-carbon battery, which is said to be more efficient than conventional Li-Ion cells. It’s nearly tablet territory there.

All of the features that make the Red Magic 10 Pro a special, gaming-ready smartphone are still available, along with the remaining hardware and design. It still has an active cooling fan to keep the chipset cool, an unhindered full-screen front panel with an under-display selfie camera, and pressure-sensitive shoulder triggers.

Unboxing the Nubia Red Magic 10 Pro

The bundle includes a USB-C cable, an 80W charger, and the standard user manuals. Additionally, there is an odd-looking protective back cover that shields the glass back without interfering with the use of the side buttons. It seems soft to the touch and has a great grip, so we’re amazed it doesn’t feel cheap.

Design and ergonomics

With minor improvements, the Red Magic 10 Pro keeps the brash, gaming-focused design language of its predecessors. Its general form is similar to the blocky, angular design of the Red Magic 9 and 9S Pro, but it also has a glass back with a somewhat updated pattern underneath. Even if the changes are slight, they are what set it apart from the 9S Pro.

There are four color possibilities for the phone: Moonlight, Dusk, and Shadow. Our device, the Dusk model, has a semi-transparent back that hides the majority of the internal components while revealing screws and beautiful patterns. The series’ trademark industrial aesthetic is still present, but it appears a little more straightforward than usual.

The basic design of the rear camera module, which is flush with the glass, is nonetheless impressive. Although it looks like a triple ring, the arrangement only has two working cameras—50MP wide and ultrawide shooters—with the cooling fan placed in the third ring. When positioned on a level surface, a tiny LED flash that is located just outside the module adds a tiny protrusion to protect the back.

With a luminous ring surrounding the cooling fan, a tiny Red Magic emblem in the lower-left corner, and an X mark next to the cameras, RGB lighting is present but subdued.

With a flat 6.85-inch display encircled by tiny, symmetrical bezels, the front design is the same as the 9S Pro. The front and rear glass sheets are still nameless. Because of its excellent integration, the under-display selfie camera is almost noticeable.

Because the frame is made of aviation-grade aluminum, it will last a long time and still feel high-end. The overall comfort and sturdy construction are improved by the seamless transitions between the metal frame, glass back, and front.

Although the device’s shape may divide opinions, some people prefer the flat sides and sharp edges for gripping, while others dislike the sharp corners that dig into their palms.

Even though the Red Magic 10 Pro weighs 229g and is about 9mm thick, it is ergonomically made for gaming. The placement of the buttons and controls is deliberate; the tactile power and volume buttons are in the center on the right side. These are accompanied by an air vent, the Game Space switch, and capacitive triggers. To provide ideal cooling without overcrowding the design, a second vent is located on the left side.

A 3.5mm audio jack, a secondary speaker, and an infrared blaster are located on the top edge, while a USB-C connector, SIM tray, and loudspeaker are located on the bottom edge. For clear conversation, three microphones are positioned throughout the gadget, one of which is near the Game Space switch for gaming talks.

The Red Magic 10 Pro offers the same high-end, gaming-focused experience as the 9S Pro, although with a few modest improvements. The tablet is aesthetically pleasing and feels sturdy in the palm because of its redesigned back patterns, crisp lines, and balanced RGB lighting.

Lab tests: display, battery life, charging speed, speakers

The Red Magic 10 Pro boasts an upgraded 6.85-inch OLED display with 144Hz refresh rate and 10-bit color depth. It also features a slightly higher resolution of 1,216 x 2,688px than its predecessor. Notably, the 9S Pro and the generations before were capped at 120Hz, so the upgrade is more than welcome.

Proper HDR certification is the only thing lacking in this case. You can stream in HDR on YouTube, but that’s about it.

Positively, Red Magic has also succeeded in shaving off the screen’s bezels. Compared to its predecessor, the tablet now has a slightly smaller footprint and a larger 6.85-inch display. Nubia claims that the bezels are symmetrical throughout and have a thickness of 1.25 mm.

The under-display camera doesn’t change and is hardly perceptible. It compensates for an excellent full-screen viewing experience.

Additionally, it appears like the maximum display brightness has improved. The Red Magic 10 Pro can now reach up to 711 nits in manual mode and 1,596 nits in auto mode. It’s possible that this is the first Red Magic to reach a maximum brightness that is appropriate for the phone’s class.

Refresh rate

Options for refresh rates include 60 Hz, 90 Hz, 120 Hz, 144 Hz, and Intelligent Adjustment (Auto). The latter is the default setting; depending on the situation, it alternates between 60Hz and 120Hz. For example, while the screen is not in use, YouTube and Netflix automatically dial down to 60Hz.

The 144Hz option increases the refresh rate from 120Hz to 144Hz while still functioning as the auto mode. The 144Hz setting appears to be plenty efficient, so if you want the smoothest experience possible, use it.

Battery life

A 6.85-inch OLED panel and the power-efficient Snapdragon 8 Elite CPU power the Red Magic 10 Pro. A massive 7,050 mAh battery powers the gear. It should come as no surprise that its battery has exceptional endurance given that it is one of the largest on a contemporary smartphone.

Particularly considering the over 14-hour gaming runtime, an Active Use Score of 17:13 hours is really impressive. Our chart with the longest gaming battery life was topped by the Red Magic 10 Pro.

Charging speed

Compared to its predecessor, the new Red Magic 10 Pro delivers a pleasant charging improvement. Although it supports up to 100W, the smartphone comes with an 80W charging brick. Therefore, it is likely that you will need to purchase the quicker 100-watt charger from the Red Magic store separately. Compared to the previous generation, which had a maximum of 80W, this is still an improvement.

Nevertheless, even though the 10 Pro has a larger 7,050 mAh S/C battery and the same charger, we are shocked to learn that it charges much more quickly than its predecessor. 91% of the battery is charged in the first 30 minutes, but a full battery only takes 35 minutes. That far surpasses some of its rivals and is highly competitive in its class.

You can disable quick battery charging and program the cooling fan to activate while charging to keep the battery cool if you’re concerned about gradual battery wear.

Additionally, you may activate the Charge Separation feature, which reroutes power straight to the hardware and stops battery charging while the phone is in use. During extended gaming sessions, this bypass charging can lessen the accumulation of heat.

It’s important to note that Nubia has a large commission for reverse and wireless charging. In this class, there are two rather prevalent traits.

Speakers

The Red Magic 10 Pro, in contrast to typical phones, has symmetrical stereo speakers that emit music from both the top and bottom of the frame. Special grilles are available. The volume is therefore evenly distributed.

Speaking of loudness, the phone was significantly louder than its predecessor, receiving a “Very Good” score of -24.5 LUFS.

In terms of quality, not much has changed. We recommend turning down the volume a bit for the optimum audio experience because, although the bass is very evident and the tracks seem rich, there is a perceptible distortion of the highs and vocals at high volume levels.

Familiar triple-camera setup

The Red Magic 10 Pro features a 16MP under-display selfie on the front and the well-known triple-camera configuration on the back. However, in contrast to last year, the third camera—a specialized 2MP macro shooter—is functional, if ineffective. The other two 50MP cameras were supplied by OmniVision rather than Samsung.

• Wide (main): 50MP OmniVision OV50E40 (1/1.55″, 1.0µm-2.0µm), f/1.8, 18mm, multi-directional PDAF, OIS; 8K@30fps
• Ultra wide angle: 50MP OmniVision OV50D40, f/2.2, 1/2.88″, 0.612µm; 8K@30fps
• Macro: 2MP OmniVision OV02F10, f/2.4.
• Front camera: 16MP OmniVision OV16E1Q, f/2.0, 1/2.8″; 1080p@30fps

Daylight photos

We see a significant improvement Compared to previous under-display selfie camera implementations. The colors are okay, the dynamic range is pretty wide for a selfie cam, and the detail is aplenty, but we’ve definitely seen sharper selfies around. It’s most probably due to the camera’s UD nature.

Stills from the primary camera are not very remarkable, even in daylight. Things like greenery appear a little fuzzy, but sharpness and the amount of detail in close subjects are fine. With frequent clipped highlights, dark shadows, and even color loss in well-lit settings, the dynamic range isn’t very broad.

The ultrawide camera is a complete letdown. Although we had higher expectations for the 50MP sensor, the images appear soft and lack information, and the limited dynamic range frequently results in clipped highlights.

Taking pictures with the sun shining on the screen is one difficult situation for the under-display camera. Compared to a standard selfie unit, the lens flare is more noticeable.

You may also like to check out:

• The Magic 4 Pro is Honor Malaysia’s First Flagship Smartphone in Years
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• Lenovo Prods Legion 2 Pro’s Double Super Cooling System
• Huawei Announces The Huawei Mate 50 Series Global Release
• Pixel 6 Pro beats iPhone 13 Pro and smashes Galaxy S21 Ultra in this underestimated area

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