RedMagic 8S Pro Review: Powerful, Fast and Beautiful Phone!
After six months since the launch of the REDMAGIC 8 Pro, a new version has made its way to the market: the REDMAGIC 8S Pro.
The REDMAGIC 8S Pro builds upon the success of its predecessor, offering several updates and improvements. One of the standout features is the updated ICE 12 cooling system. This system retains the 20,000 RPM fan and RGB LED lighting, now available in all three finishes of this terminal.
The 6.8-inch AMOLED display remains unchanged from the previous model, continuing to offer a visually stunning gaming experience.
Under the hood, the REDMAGIC 8S Pro packs the powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, which delivers exceptional gaming performance.
The REDMAGIC 8S Pro continues to be a gaming-centric device, offering features that gamers will appreciate. With its powerful hardware, exceptional cooling system, and stunning display, it delivers an unmatched gaming experience. Whether you’re into high-performance mobile gaming or simply seeking a device with top-notch specifications, the REDMAGIC 8S Pro is a smartphone that is sure to impress.
RedMagic 8S Pro: Video Review
| Specs | RedMagic 8S Pro |
| Procesor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 2 (4 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 740 |
| RAM and Storage | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, |
| 512GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM | |
| OS | Android 13, Redmagic OS 8 |
| Display | 6.8 inches, AMOLED, 120Hz, 1300 nits (peak), 1116 x 2480 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~400 ppi density) |
| Front camera | 50 MP, f/1.9, 25mm (wide), 8 MP, f/2.2, 120˚, (ultrawide), 2 MP, f/2.4, (macro) |
| Front camera | 16 MP, f/2.0, (wide), 1.12µm, under display |
| Ports | USB-C and 3.5mm audio jack |
| Connectivity | 5G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC |
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass |
| Dimensions | 164 x 76.4 x 9.5 mm (6.46 x 3.01 x 0.37 in) |
| Weight | 228 g (8.04 oz) |
| Colors | Midnight, Platinum, Aurora |
Unboxing
The REDMAGIC 8S Pro arrives in a visually appealing gray cardboard box, which immediately catches the eye. While the box doesn’t display much information, it effectively protects the device, ensuring it reaches the user in pristine condition.
Upon opening the box, you’ll find a second cardboard box containing the accessories. The smartphone itself is placed on a separate level, while the remaining accessories are stored on the third level.
Along with the usual warranty card, the REDMAGIC 8S Pro comes with a practical transparent rigid plastic case. This case provides protection for the corners and back of the device, keeping it safe from scratches and minor impacts.
The package also includes a current transformer for fast charging, rated at 65W. This charging capability allows users to quickly recharge the device’s battery, minimizing downtime. The current transformer offers different charging modes, with the 20V/3.25A mode being highlighted as the most efficient option.
To complement the current transformer, a red USB-C cable is included in the box.
Design
The RedMagic 8S Pro is a remarkable smartphone known for its exceptional design. One of its standout features is its large 6.8-inch screen, which covers nearly the entire front surface, accounting for an impressive 93.7% of the total front area. With dimensions of 163.98 x 76.35 mm and a slim thickness of only 9.47 mm, the RedMagic 8S Pro manages to maintain a compact form factor despite its powerful specifications. Additionally, weighing in at 228 grams, it feels comfortable to hold, aided by its angled edges.
The back cover of the RedMagic features an original design that resembles a vinyl record, complete with concentric rings etched onto its surface. While the Midnight version comes in black, there are also options available in Platinum gray and a transparent Aurora version. A notable addition to all these variants is the presence of a fan with RGB LED lighting, adding an aesthetic touch and further enhancing its visual appeal.
On the left side of the device, you can find the volume buttons and the fan grill, which is an essential part of the ICE 12 cooling system. The RedMagic 8S Pro incorporates 11 layers of materials designed to dissipate heat effectively, including a graphene layer beneath the entire screen surface, a spacious three-dimensional steam chamber, and the iconic 20,000 RPM RGB fan inherited from its predecessors. With these components, the smartphone promises to maintain optimal temperatures during gameplay, which is ideal for its gaming-focused nature.
Moving to the right side, you’ll find the brand’s signature switch that activates the Game Space mode, a dedicated interface optimized for gaming, which we will delve into later in the RedMagic 8S Pro review. Equally important are the pair of tactile triggers situated in the corners of the device, boasting an impressive refresh rate of 520 Hz, making it a true gaming smartphone. Of course, the power/lock button, an essential component of any Android smartphone, is also present.
At the bottom, the RedMagic 8S Pro features a USB-C connector in its 3.0 version, allowing for both charging the device’s battery and connecting to a PC. Adjacent to the USB-C port, there is a tray that accommodates 2 Nano-SIM cards, enabling 5G connectivity. In terms of wireless connectivity, the device supports the latest generation Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be), NFC, and Bluetooth 5.3.
On the upper side of the device, you’ll find a TRRS jack connector, which serves as both a headphone and microphone port. Additionally, located at both ends of the device, there are a pair of stereo speakers that support DTS Ultra X sound, delivering sensational audio quality and impressive maximum volume.
Screen
The REDMAGIC 8S Pro boasts an exceptional screen that dominates the front surface of the device. The device features a 6.8-inch AMOLED display, crafted by BOE, in a 20:9 aspect ratio. The screen’s FHD+ resolution of 2480 x 1116 pixels results in a pixel density of 400 PPI, offering sharp and vibrant visuals.
One of the standout features of the screen is its high refresh rate of 120 Hz. This high refresh rate ensures smooth and fluid motion during gameplay and scrolling, enhancing the overall user experience. Furthermore, the multi-touch recognition update rate of 960 Hz reduces response time to a remarkable 1.4 ms, providing precise and instantaneous touch feedback.
With a brightness of 1300 nits at its peak, the display offers excellent visibility even in bright outdoor environments. The inclusion of DC Dimming technology helps to reduce flickering and eye strain when the brightness is lowered. Additionally, the REDMAGIC 8S Pro’s display supports HDR content, boasting a 10-bit color palette and a rich spectrum of 16 million colors. The screen covers 100% of the DCI-P3 color space, ensuring accurate and vibrant color reproduction.
To safeguard the display against scratches and minor impacts, it is protected by a layer of Gorilla Glass 5. This durable glass layer provides reliable protection while maintaining the display’s clarity and touch sensitivity.
Overall, the REDMAGIC 8S Pro’s screen is a true standout feature. Its AMOLED technology, coupled with a high refresh rate, fast touch response, and excellent color reproduction, offers an immersive and visually stunning gaming experience. Whether you’re enjoying high-definition content, gaming, or simply browsing, the REDMAGIC 8S Pro’s exceptional display ensures an enjoyable and captivating viewing experience.
RedMagic 8S Pro: Performance
The RedMagic 8S Pro houses the powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, which represents the latest generation of Qualcomm’s top-of-the-line processors. The processor consists of a total of 8 cores, led by a Cortex-X3 clocked at 3.2 GHz, two Cortex-A715 cores at 2.8 GHz, two Cortex-A710 cores at 2.8 GHz, and three Cortex-A510 cores at 2.0 GHz. To complement the processor, the device is equipped with Adreno 740 graphics, ensuring excellent gaming performance. The RedMagic 8S Pro offers two variants in terms of RAM and storage: 12/16 GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 256/512 GB of high-speed UFS 4.0 storage memory, respectively. The device achieves impressive scores, with 1,331,235 points in the Antutu test, demonstrating its exceptional performance. Whether you’re playing graphics-intensive games like Diablo Immortal or Genshin Impact, the RedMagic 8S Pro handles them with ease, delivering a smooth and immersive gaming experience.
The device’s high refresh rate screen enhances the gaming experience by providing sharp and smooth visuals. Fast-paced games particularly benefit from the screen’s high refresh rate, ensuring seamless and responsive gameplay. This heightened visual experience extends beyond gaming and is noticeable even during everyday activities such as scrolling through social media feeds.
The RedMagic 8S Pro features stereo speakers that deliver impressive sound quality and offer a good maximum volume level, enhancing the overall multimedia experience.
Running on the RedMagic 8.0 operating system, which is based on Android 13, the device offers a slight layer of customization, primarily focused on aesthetics. The dark and light themes, coupled with cyberpunk and space-themed wallpapers, align with the gaming brand’s visual identity. The device includes essential Google applications and minimizes bloatware, with only a few pre-installed applications such as Booking. However, the standout feature of the software is the Game Space interface. Activating it through the switch on the left margin, the Game Space interface provides shortcuts to games and important configuration options while playing. It also offers a range of plugins, some of which could be considered cheats, as well as the ability to customize various parameters for each game. These parameters include CPU and GPU performance, touch recognition, sound effects, and screen recording.
A crucial aspect of the software is the configuration of the tactile triggers, which can be mapped to any position on the screen. This functionality provides additional control options for gaming, granting two extra actions compared to conventional smartphones. The tactile triggers offer excellent configurability, allowing users to adjust their response to suit their preferences.
In summary, the RedMagic 8S Pro’s powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, coupled with its high refresh rate screen and thoughtful software enhancements, makes it an exceptional gaming smartphone. Its robust performance, immersive visuals, and customizable gaming features ensure an enjoyable and satisfying gaming experience.
Camera
The REDMAGIC 8S Pro features a camera setup that is driven by standard Android software, offering various effects in the Family Camera section. It includes a Pro mode for manual controls, as well as HDR and AI modes to enhance the quality of software-processed images.
Starting with the front camera, the REDMAGIC 8S Pro houses a 16-megapixel sensor under the screen, utilizing an under-display camera (UDC) technology. The UDC is cleverly hidden and is barely noticeable under normal lighting conditions. While this design allows for a full-screen display without the interruption of a notch, it does have its drawbacks in terms of image quality. Selfies taken with the front camera are decent, though not exceptional, especially when lighting conditions are not optimal.
Moving to the rear cameras, the REDMAGIC 8S Pro boasts a trio of sensors, deviating from the current trend of camera islands. Accompanied by an LED flash, the main sensor is an impressive 50-megapixel Samsung GN5, with a large 1/1.57″ size and an aperture of f/1.88. This sensor is the same one used in the Samsung Galaxy S22, highlighting its high-quality capabilities. It features phase detection autofocus (PDAF) for quick and accurate focus.
Alongside the main sensor, there is an 8-megapixel wide-angle sensor with a 120-degree field of view and a 13mm focal length. Additionally, there is a 2-megapixel macro sensor with an aperture of f/2.4. While the main sensor delivers excellent image quality in both well-lit and low-light conditions, the ultra-wide-angle sensor may not perform at the same level, and it is advisable to use it only when necessary. The macro sensor produces satisfactory results but is not outstanding. However, considering that the majority of photos will be taken with the main sensor, users can expect impressive image quality comparable to flagship devices from other brands not primarily focused on gaming.
The REDMAGIC 8S Pro also supports high-quality video recording, capable of capturing 4K video at 60 frames per second (FPS). However, recording in 8K is not recommended due to potential lack of smoothness.
Battery
The REDMAGIC 8S Pro excels in terms of battery life, thanks to the efficiency of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC and its impressive 6,000 mAh battery. This battery capacity is a rarity among smartphones and contributes significantly to the device’s longevity.
With regular usage, the REDMAGIC 8S Pro manages to exceed 6 hours of screen time and provide up to two days of autonomy on a single charge. This is an impressive feat, considering the device’s powerful specifications. However, it’s worth noting that battery life is reduced when engaging in intensive gaming sessions. For instance, with two or three hours of gaming, such as playing Genshin Impact, the battery life is reduced to a single day. Nevertheless, even with gaming, the device still offers commendable battery performance.
To further enhance convenience, the REDMAGIC 8S Pro supports 65W fast charging. With this feature, the battery can reach 100% capacity in approximately 35 minutes, providing a quick and efficient charging experience. Additionally, even a 15-minute charge can bring the battery level up to 50%, allowing users to get a significant boost in battery life within a short span of time.
RedMagic 8S Pro: Conclusion
The REDMAGIC 8S Pro shares many similarities with its predecessor, the REDMAGIC 8 Pro. The differences between the two models are minimal and primarily revolve around the rear design and an improved ICE 12 cooling system, which slightly enhances the already excellent cooling capacity of the previous ICE 11 system.
What remains unchanged is the exceptional combination of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor and the Red Core 2 coprocessor. This powerful duo, coupled with the device’s 6.8-inch 120 Hz AMOLED screen, positions the REDMAGIC 8S Pro as an outstanding smartphone, ideal for playing any Android game and capable of competing with flagship devices from any brand. With 12/16 GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 256/512 GB of high-speed UFS 4.0 storage, the device delivers top-notch performance and responsiveness.
The gaming-focused details of the 8S Pro are worth highlighting. The inclusion of touch triggers provides an additional layer of control for gaming, enhancing the overall gaming experience. The stereo speakers offer immersive sound quality and an excellent maximum volume level, further enhancing gameplay and multimedia experiences. Additionally, the Game Space software provides added functionality and customization options for gamers.
While the front camera may not match the image quality of flagship devices from other brands, it is worth noting that the REDMAGIC 8S Pro integrates the front camera under the screen, which justifies any slight compromises in image quality. This design choice allows for a truly immersive gaming experience without any interruptions.
Overall, the REDMAGIC 8S Pro is a device that delivers exceptional gaming capabilities and stands ready to compete with other flagship smartphones.
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