Red Magic 5G review - Big on gaming, small on everything else - Android

Gaming phones typically offer high performance, fast displays, big batteries, gaming triggers, and some kind of advanced cooling system. The Red Magic 5G offers all of those and some. Its predecessor, the Red Magic 3S, offered a similar set of gaming features, but this new iteration bumps the display’s refresh rate from 90Hz to 144Hz, adds a triple camera setup, and switches to an in-screen fingerprint reader.

Are the upgrades enough to make the Red Magic 5G a worthy successor? Find out in the Android Authority Red Magic 5G review.

Red Magic 5G review: It’s all about gaming

The Red Magic 5G is the latest gaming device from Nubia and an upgrade to its predecessor, the Red Magic 3S. The specs are impressive. It uses the Snapdragon 865, has a 6.65-inch Full HD display with Corning Gorilla Glass, and at least 8GB of RAM (12GB on some models). Plus, there is a 4,500mAh battery, a triple camera setup with 8K video recording, an in-screen fingerprint reader, built-in active liquid-cooling, hardware gaming buttons, and a dedicated gaming launcher.

The Snapdragon 865 coupled with a multi-sensor camera setup is common among premium Android smartphones, but the Red Magic 5G adds four important gaming features:

First, the 144Hz display. Most phones have a 60Hz display, or one that refreshes 60 times per second. 90Hz displays are increasingly popular at the high-end, and some phones now have 120Hz displays. Including a 144Hz display is a feature that raises the Red Magic 5G above the madding crowd. Faster is always better for gaming. 

Second, is the liquid cooling, designed to allow for longer periods of intensive gameplay without the phone overheating. 

Faster is always better for gaming.

Third, there are the hardware triggers. This feature might have zero practical use on a normal phone, but triggers are an excellent addition for gamers.

Last, there is the dedicated game mode, which brings gaming to the front and center.

What is it like to use the Red Magic 5G?

With its metal build, shoulder buttons, active cooling, and dedicated gaming mode, everything about the Red Magic 5G screams, “I am a gaming phone!” That means you’ll either love it or hate it.

The build quality is good and it weighs 218g. In the past, that would have made it a heavy phone, and it still is in many regards. The Red Magic 5G may be 17% heavier than the Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus, but it is still lighter than the S20 Ultra. However, it is longer, wider, and thicker than the already too-huge S20 Ultra. The Red Magic is a big device with a big screen, which is just what gamers want — though you might need bigger pockets.

The back of the device has a distinctive design that includes the triple camera setup and the Red Magic branding complete with LED lighting. Shoulder buttons, a switch for entering Game Space, and a pin connector are located on the side edges.

In its normal mode, the Red Magic 5G comes with fairly stock Android 10. It includes no bloatware and no pre-installed games, but there is the Red Magic Game Space.

The phone supports 5G in some markets, but not where we tested the phone. 

Is the Red Magic 5G good for gaming?