The RedMagic 8 Pro improves on prior achievements but leaves out the two areas where RedMagic phones have historically struggled: photography and software localization. However, this model also comes with a new, more svelte design that might appeal to those who don’t want their gaming phone to seem like a gaming phone. It also has lots of power, a long battery life, and a number of useful utilities for gamers.
The RedMagic 8 Pro is a strong candidate to be one of the top gaming smartphones in 2023. One of the first models to include the most advanced and potent Snapdragon chip, it outperforms almost all competitors in terms of performance. The phone has more gaming functions than ever before and a lot more practical form, so I anticipate that more people will be glad to carry it around in their wallets and bags.
However, some persistent RedMagic phone difficulties still exist. While the under-display camera does a fantastic job of hiding the sensor from view, it detracts from the 8 Pro’s already subpar photography with murky-looking selfies. The menus and software are still the poorest translated I’ve seen on any phone.
This RedMagic 8 Pro review will demonstrate that, compared to earlier incarnations, the phone now appeals to a wider range of users. However, it still truly only works well for a serious smartphone gamer. Continue reading to find out what we mean.
RedMagic 8 Pro review: Price and availability
The base price is $649 / £579, which is slightly more expensive than the RedMagic 7’s debut price of $629 but far less expensive than the prices of the RedMagic 7 Pro ($799) and RedMagic 7S Pro ($729).
Given RedMagic’s hardware, this is remarkably low. You would need to spend roughly $800 for a Samsung Galaxy S22 or Google Pixel 7 Pro to receive a comparable display or performance experience from another brand.
It has been confirmed that the RedMagic web store will sell the RedMagic 8 Pro in the US and the UK. There is now no availability in Australia, but there is yet hope because ZTE, the parent company of RedMagic, distributes phones there.
RedMagic 8 Pro review: Design
With its most recent phones, RedMagic has been veering away from its loud and colorful gamer design, and the RedMagic 8 Pro is the company’s biggest stride yet toward mainstream acceptance.
The RedMagic 8 Pro now has flat sides, a gloss black on matte black design, and individual back cameras similar to the Galaxy S22 Ultra. It is also somewhat smaller and lighter than the model from the previous year. RedMagic’s gaming-focused phone isn’t something you’d be ashamed to have on the table during a business meeting, despite the fact that it clearly draws inspiration from the best smartphones now available. Only the logo and trigger indications on the phone’s back are allowed to use RGB lighting.
Of course, there is the Void colorway, which adds a translucent rear and additional RGB lights to the built-in fan, if you do prefer a louder option. The majority of users, in my opinion, will probably want to continue using the all-black Matte style that I tested.
The under-display camera is back on the front of the phone, which means the screen content is not obstructed by camera holes. However, I’m more pleased with how much the bottom screen bezel has shrunk. RedMagic phones in the past featured noticeable chins, but the current design is considerably cleaner.
There are cutouts for the built-in cooling fan, two capacitive triggers, and a slider switch to access the phone’s dedicated gaming hub menu on the sides in addition to the standard volume and power buttons and USB-C connection. You can’t accuse RedMagic of cutting corners on features because there is an audio socket for wired headphones or earbuds on the top, which is often a simple metal rail on most phones.
The RedMagic 8 Pro might have a problem with durability. An older form of the toughened glass used in many popular smartphones, Gorilla Glass 5, was used to construct its display. There is no IP rating for water/dust resistance because of the fan holes, so you’ll need to be careful not to drop the RedMagic because there’s a good risk it will harm its fan, if not other internal components.
RedMagic 8 Pro review: Display
With its most recent phones, RedMagic has been veering away from its loud and colorful gamer design, and the RedMagic 8 Pro is the company’s biggest stride yet toward mainstream acceptance.
The RedMagic 8 Pro now has flat sides, a gloss black on matte black design, and individual back cameras similar to the Galaxy S22 Ultra. It is also somewhat smaller and lighter than the model from the previous year. RedMagic’s gaming-focused phone isn’t something you’d be ashamed to have on the table during a business meeting, despite the fact that it clearly draws inspiration from the best smartphones now available. Only the logo and trigger indications on the phone’s back are allowed to use RGB lighting.
Of course, there is the Void colorway, which adds a translucent rear and additional RGB lights to the built-in fan, if you do prefer a louder option. The majority of users, in my opinion, will probably want to continue using the all-black Matte style that I tested.
The under-display camera is back on the front of the phone, which means the screen content is not obstructed by camera holes. However, I’m more pleased with how much the bottom screen bezel has shrunk. RedMagic phones in the past featured noticeable chins, but the current design is considerably cleaner.
There are cutouts for the built-in cooling fan, two capacitive triggers, and a slider switch to access the phone’s dedicated gaming hub menu on the sides in addition to the standard volume and power buttons and USB-C connection. You can’t accuse RedMagic of cutting corners on features because there is an audio socket for wired headphones or earbuds on the top, which is often a simple metal rail on most phones.
The RedMagic 8 Pro might have a problem with durability. An older form of the toughened glass used in many popular smartphones, Gorilla Glass 5, was used to construct its display. There is no IP rating for water/dust resistance because of the fan holes, so you’ll need to be careful not to drop the RedMagic because there’s a good risk it will harm its fan, if not other internal components.
RedMagic 8 Pro review: Cameras
The RedMagic 8 Pro replaces the 64MP sensor with a lower-resolution but larger-sensored 50MP sensor, making it the first main camera upgrade to any of RedMagic’s phones, Pro or otherwise, since 2020’s RedMagic 5G. The Samsung Galaxy S22 and Pixel 7 series both use the same Samsung GN5 sensor. And those are some great photo-taking phones.
We can see that the new hardware performs admirably in this comparison with the iPhone 14 Pro Max, our current top model among the finest photography phones, in a shot of an Elizabeth Line tube sign. When using the default camera settings on both phones, the RedMagic’s image is cooler than the iPhone’s, but it’s also far more detailed.
The RedMagic camera’s other equipment stays the same. A 16MP under-display selfie camera is on the front, while there are 8MP ultrawide and 2MP macro sensors on the back. As we’ll see, these lenses severely let the RedMagic down.
Through the lens of the RedMagic 8 Pro, this ultrawide photo of the Paddington Bear statue in Paddington Station appears both cooler and fuzzier. It makes sense why its shot in this case isn’t up to par because it does have a resolution and size disadvantage compared to the iPhone 14 Pro Max’s 12MP sensor.
The macro camera, the last back camera on the RedMagic, is a sensor we frequently regret being included in phones simply because it frequently serves to increase the number of cameras. When compared to the software macro photograph captured with the iPhone 14 Pro Max’s ultrawide camera, the quality of the image of a portion of Paddington Bear’s luggage label shot with this tiny 2MP camera is noticeably lower. The color is faded out, it’s grainy, and the focus is off. And believe me when I say that out of a dozen attempts, this is the best one.
