The first gaming smartphone with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor will cost less than many 2022 flagships
This is going to be the year we see phones powered by Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip really take the flagship spotlight. But late last year a couple companies got an early start to some of their announcements, like Nubia did when it first revealed its 8 Gen 2-powered RedMagic 8 Pro gaming phone for China. Ever since then, we’ve been looking forward to getting the full details on plans for the phone’s international release. That finally arrives today, as Nubia shares plans for RedMagic 8 Pro worldwide sales next month, beginning February 2.
The RedMagic 8 Pro will come in two versions: 12GB RAM/256GB storage with a matte back, and 16GB/512GB with a half-translucent back and RGB lighting effects. Beyond this, the hardware is identical, with highlights like Snapdragon’s hottest new chipset, a 6000mAh battery capable of charging up to 65W, active cooling, and a 6.8-inch AMOLED screen with a refresh rate of 120Hz.
Since gamers will do anything they can to keep down lag, we even get an all-too-rare 3.5mm headphone jack. Nubia gives the phone a fingerprint sensor hidden behind the screen, and for imaging hardware, we’ve got a 50MP primary, a 2MP macro, and an 8MP ultrawide lens, plus a 16MP selfie cam up front.
Source: Nubia
While that new Qulacomm silicon should put this handset in an excellent spot to perform, this phone really looks engineered to squeeze everything it can out of the hardware without overheating, and the RedMagic 8 Pro comes equipped with a bigger liquid cooling plate and a 20,000 RPM. The phone runs on the Android 13-based RedMagic OS 6.0 and include a dedicated switch to activate Game Space, an overlay where you can adjust all your game-related settings.
Nubia has stated its desire to be “much more than a gaming smartphone.” While you can’t ignore hardware like the dual shoulder triggers, the brand has significantly toned down the gamer aesthetic of its phones, reducing the amount of RGB effects present in last year’s model. The RedMagic 8 Pro is subtle compared to most gaming phones, but it’s still clearly a gaming phone
The RedMagic 8 Pro looks to be a solid upgrade over last year’s RedMagic 7S Pro, which was our pick for the best-value Android gaming phone. The 12GB/256GB model will retail for about $650, and the 16GB/512GB edition will sell for $800 when they land on February 2 worldwide.
