Known for its gaming centric smartphones, Red Magic’s latest model is the 8 Pro which is, of course, powered by Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset and packed with features such as a built-in fan, shoulder triggers, RGB lights, and a 6.8-inch 120Hz OLED display. Priced at $650, the Red Magic 8 Pro could be the cheapest path to a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2-powered smartphone.
Besides the headline of being powered by 2023’s hottest flagship processor, the Red Magic 8 Pro has a great new design that, while it still has RGB lighting, looks more mature than its predecessor. We might go as far as saying that it’s almost understated because unlike the Red Magic 7, the Red Magic 8 Pro doesn’t scream out that its a gaming smartphone. But it is, and as such, has all the gaming elements you might want such as shoulder trigger buttons with a 520Hz touch sampling rate, fully customizable RGB lighting on the rear panel, and a Game Space Switch that toggels Game Mode on or off.
Accompanying the processor is 12/16GB of LPDDR5x RAM and 256/512GB of UFS 4.0 storage, which should make for a pretty slick user experience. The 6.8-inch AMOLED display sports FHD+ resolution, a refresh rate up to 120Hz, and up to 960Hz touch samping. It’s plenty bright as well with 1300 nits.
Special mention should be made regarding the ICE 11 cooling system which is now larger and double layered, resulting in a 600% increase in heat conduction efficiency. The built-in turbofan is capable of 20,000 rpm which reduces the temperature by 2.7°C and increases airflow volume by 35% whilst reducing noise by 4dB. In layman’s terms, you can expect the Red Magic 8 Pro to stay cooler for longer with less noise.
Keeping the lights on is a large 6,000mAh battery which supports 65W fast charging that can provide a full charge in just 43 minutes. Bluetooth 5.3, dual 5G SIMs, and a 3.5mm audio jack are present, and the 7th-Gen under-display fingerprint sensor also provides a heart rate detection function. Dual stereo speakers take care of audio and there’s even support for WiFi 7.
The Red Magic 8 Pro also features a trio of rear cameras that includes a 50MP main sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide lens, and a 2MP macro lens. The front camera is a second-generation 16MP under-display sensor which means that the display isn’t marred by a notch or cutout. Finally, the Red Magic 8 Pro runs Red Magic OS 6.0 (Android 13) out of the box.
At just $650 (£579) for the 12/256GB variant, the Red Magic Pro represents an affordable way to owning a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2-powered smartphone. The top of the range 16/512GB version will set you back $799 (£709), if you simply must have more storage and all the RAM. The Red Magic 8 Pro goes on sale globally from February 2nd. Let us know what you think of the new design in the comments below.
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He’s been an Android fan ever since owning an HTC Hero, with the Dell Streak being his first phablet. He currently carries a Realme GT Neo 2 in his pockets, a Lenovo Yoga Tab 11 in his backpack, and thinks nothing of lugging a 17-inch laptop around the world. When not immersed in the world of Android and gadgets, he’s an avid sports fan, and like all South Africans, he loves a good Braai (BBQ).
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This article originally appeared on https://www.talkandroid.com/379006-red-magic-8-pro-official/
