At a lookSkilled’s Score
Execs
- Nice efficiency
- Strong cameras
- Wonderful battery life
- Devoted gaming options
Cons
- Huge and heavy
- Some software program glitches
- Bloatware
Our Verdict
The Redmagic 9 Professional is a good gaming cellphone that may additionally maintain its personal in on a regular basis use. It’s an enormous, heavy cellphone, however that’s justified by the succesful {hardware} inside.
Worth When Reviewed
€649
Greatest Costs Right now: Redmagic 9 Professional
Nubia has up to date its smartphone gaming line once more with the brand new Redmagic 9 Professional. It appears to be like like we’re simply getting one mannequin globally, with no signal of the Redmagic 9 Professional+ being launched exterior China.
So, are there enhancements when it comes to velocity and cooling that make it price upgrading from predecessors? And is that this the brand new finest gaming cellphone you should buy? I load up some video games and see the way it handles the chaos.
Design & Construct
- Strong, however huge and heavy
- No waterproofing
- Cool lights
When you’re conversant in the Redmagic smartphones, the 9 Professional will look immediately recognisable. It shares a lot of the design aesthetic used on the earlier Redmagic 8S Professional and Redmagic 8 Professional. This implies you get a smartphone that may fill your hand after which some. Right here’s how the previous couple of Redmagic gadgets examine of their dimensions:
- Redmagic 9 Professional: 164 x 76.4 x 8.9mm / 6.46 x 3.01 x 0.35 inches; 229g
- Redmagic 8S Professional: 164 x 76.4 x 9.5mm / 6.46 x 3.01 x 0.37 inches; 228g
- Redmagic 8 Professional: 164 x 76.4 x 8.9mm / 6.46 x 3.01 x 0.35 inches; 228g
The 9 Professional is sort of an angular system, with sq. edges on the aluminium body that surrounds the 6.8-inch show. The precise flank has lots occurring, because it’s dwelling to the 2 520Hz touch-sensitive set off controls you need to use for gaming.
You’ll additionally discover a quantity button, energy button and pink sliding swap (used to allow the devoted gaming mode). If that’s not sufficient, there’s additionally a vent for the built-in cooling system, with an an identical one on the other aspect.
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Because of the latter, you continue to don’t get any waterproof ranking on the Redmagic 9 Professional (similar to earlier generations). The necessity to expel air through the fan and vents means you’ll be able to’t safe the unit from water getting in. When you’re going to be enjoying out within the rain, then perhaps spend money on an umbrella.
On the highest and backside edges there are the audio system that make up the stereo system, plus a 3.5mm headphone jack if you need a extra immersive (and neighbour-friendly) audio expertise. A USB-C charging port is customary nowadays, so it doesn’t look misplaced on the Redmagic 9 Professional, and it’s identical story for the twin (Nano) SIM card slot.
The 9 Professional has the cool, futuristic design we’ve come to affiliate with Redmagic gadgets
The 9 Professional has the cool, futuristic design we’ve come to affiliate with Redmagic gadgets. My evaluation pattern bears the Snowfall livery, which is a combination of white and silver and appears like a panel from some sci-fi spaceship. The Redmagic 9 Professional can be out there in Smooth (black and silver) or Cyclone (black and gold), all of which look nice.
On all fashions, there are numerous LEDs below the casing which emit colored lights via the set off buttons and an ’09’ printed on the again of the cellphone. These might be customised in a number of colors and patterns, making it simple to personalise them after they come on as you’re enjoying video games. Additionally they double as notification lights, so that you’ll simply be capable to see while you get any messages.
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Accompanying these is the clear fan with multi-colour lights beneath, which is one other staple of the Redmagic vary. Whenever you’re enjoying video games, the fan will gentle up because the cellphone cools itself, giving a type of gentle present on the rear panel. It’s a kind of issues the place a possible annoyance (a fan spinning up) is became a function as a substitute. Personally, I feel it’s quite a lot of enjoyable, even when the participant themself doesn’t get to see the lights.
One design departure from the Redmagic 8 Professional is that the cameras now not line up in the course of the rear panel, however as a substitute kind a vertical column within the higher left part, with the fan on the backside. That is higher, because the earlier digicam bump fell proper the place your fingers can be when enjoying a sport. That’s not a problem any extra because of the redesign.
These with eagle eyes will realise that this implies one of many cameras has been dropped from the group, which is right. The 2MP macro lens is not any extra, which is not any nice loss as they’re just about ineffective on most telephones.
As with most gaming telephones, the Redmagic feels extra snug within the palms when held in a panorama orientation. In any other case, the heavy and tall format is usually a little bit of a beast if you happen to’re utilizing the cellphone for some time. You get a slimline protecting case with the cellphone, nevertheless it’s fairly flimsy and I undoubtedly anxious about dropping the 9 Professional – there isn’t quite a lot of grip out there.
Display screen & Audio system
- 6.8-inch FHD+ AMOLED show with 120Hz refresh charge
- Beneath-display selfie digicam
- Stereo audio system and three.5mm headphone jack
Sticking with the components from the last few Redmagic telephones, the 9 Professional comes with a 6.8-inch, FHD+ (2480×1116) AMOLED panel.
As with these fashions, there’s additionally an under-display fingerprint sensor within the decrease third, plus an under-display selfie digicam on the prime, which means the complete panel is uninterrupted by buttons or notches. Meaning it’s an ideal display screen for gaming or having fun with streamed video content material, as there’s nothing to distract your view.
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It’s additionally a pleasant show to take a look at, with good colors, easy transitions because of the 120Hz refresh charge, sharp particulars and strong off-angle views. So that you’ll be capable to watch movies with buddies whereas making certain everybody can see what’s on the display screen.
Brightness shouldn’t be a problem both, as Redmagic claims that the utmost illumination ranges go up to an enormous 1600 nits. In my very own take a look at, I measured the complete brightness on the traditional mode at 1242 nits, which was virtually blinding.
The encircling bezels are slim, giving the Redmagic 9 Professional a powerful screen-to-body ratio of 93.7%, and it’s all protected by Gorilla Glass 5. A SGS Low Blue Gentle Eye Safety certificates has additionally been awarded to it (from Swiss testing firm SGS), so that you shouldn’t get strained eyes from staring on the display screen for hours. Useful if you happen to’re entering into an enormous sport.
It’s an ideal display screen for gaming or having fun with streamed video content material, as there’s nothing to distract your view
Controlling your character is correct and quick too, because the panel encompasses a 960Hz multi-finger contact sampling charge. That quantity refers back to the quantity of instances the show can refresh itself to register contact enter per second.
Whereas the visuals are spectacular, audio doesn’t fairly hit the identical heights. Sure, the dual audio system do kick out an honest degree of quantity, and the corporate stories that it’s Dolby DTS: X Extremely licensed, nevertheless it all sounds slightly hole. Bass is on the sunshine aspect, which is shocking in a tool this heavy and strong.
Fortunately, there’s a 3.5mm headphone jack, which means you’ll be able to plug in an excellent set of wired headphones and expertise the immersive audio that the show deserves. You may as well avail your self of the Bluetooth 5.3 capabilities that ought to guarantee a powerful connection to your favorite wi-fi headphones.
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Specs & Efficiency
- Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor
- Crimson Core 2 Professional devoted gaming chip
- ICE 13 upgraded cooling system
As you’d anticipate from a Redmagic cellphone, efficiency (particularly whereas gaming) is top-notch.
On the coronary heart of the ability is the brand new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, making the Redmagic 9 Professional one of many first to make use of Qualcomm’s flagship 2023 chip. It’s a strong step ahead over the 8S Professional too, with the corporate stating that the brand new {hardware} delivers a 32% improve in CPU efficiency and 34% in GPU efficiency, all whereas decreasing energy consumption by between 30-40%.
In day-to-day use, the 9 Professional is definitely snappy and responsive, with apps opening shortly and operating with out difficulty. Clearly, the principle goal of a cellphone like that is gaming, and in that enviornment it shines.
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Utilizing the standard barrage of titles to try it out, together with Genshin Affect, Asphalt 9 and PUBG Cellular, the 9 Professional runs all the things with none noticeable stuttering or slow-downs. Even when there’s loads of on-screen motion occurring, the cellphone retains issues ticking over properly.
Controls are additionally very responsive, thanks in no small measure to the 960Hz touch-sampling charge on the show and 520Hz set off buttons, all of which execute instructions quick and effectively.
There’s not an excessive amount of extra warmth both, because of the ICE 13 cooling system that utilises a sophisticated double-layer vapour chamber plate below the show and improved airflow via the ducts. It’s all a step up from its predecessor, which was already superb to start with.
The speeds are assisted by the most recent LPDDR5X reminiscence (RAM) and quick UFS 4.0 storage, with configurations matched to the totally different colour-schemes. This implies you get both 16GB/512GB (Snowfall, Cyclone) or 12GB/256GB (Sleet).
Right here’s how the Redmagic 9 Professional compares to its rivals in our customary benchmark exams:
Cameras
- Samsung GN5 50MP 24mm important digicam with OIS
- Samsung JN1 50MP 13mm ultra-wide
- Improved 16MP under-display selfie digicam
Cameras may be one thing of an afterthought behind gaming efficiency on this type of system, however they continue to be a necessary a part of each trendy smartphone. So it’s excellent news that the dual rear cameras on the Redmagic 9 Professional ship some very first rate outcomes.
The principle 24mm 50MP module sports activities the identical Samsung GN5 sensor because the Redmagic 8S Professional, which itself was a strong performer. Photographs on this confirmed an excellent degree of element, with exposures often being dealt with nicely. Often, you’ll get a washed out picture the place the metering will get slightly confused, however a lot of the photographs I captured on the 9 Professional had been very usable.
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Low-light efficiency is strong, with publicity once more remaining comparatively constant. I did see some noise seem in burst pictures, the place the sensor or software program was looking for particulars at the hours of darkness areas, however so long as you will have a gentle hand then you have to be happy by the outcomes you may get out of this digicam.
Switching to the 13mm ultra-wide lens continued this positivie, with the 9 Professional largely avoiding the standard drop in high quality and color definition that always goes with ultra-wide choices on mid-range telephones.
The dual rear cameras on the Redmagic 9 Professional ship some very first rate consequence
There’s additionally a load of modes you’ll be able to experiment with, together with star trails, gentle drawing, time lapse and others.
Video advantages from the optical picture stabilisation on the principle digicam, which does a high-quality job of holding footage balanced, even whereas I used to be strolling alongside. Publicity works nicely too, with the cellphone coping with some sharp modifications of distinction whereas capturing on a very troublesome day for gentle.
The under-display selfie digicam does present enhancements over the past technology’s effort, which was terrible. However my recommendation right here stays the identical: if selfies are vital to you, this isn’t the cellphone you need.
Right here’s a number of photos I captured with the Redmagic 9 Professional:
Battery Life & Charging
- 6,500mAh battery
- 80W quick charging
- No wi-fi charging
When you’re going to be doing quite a lot of gaming, you’ll need nice battery life, one thing the Redmagic 9 Professional delivers. It comes geared up with a 6,500mAh dual-cell, and it’s a tough battery to kill.
When you’re solely doing a little bit of gaming all through the day and utilizing the cellphone like a standard system for the remainder of the time, you then’ll often be left with loads of cost left on the finish of the day. For some folks, it’ll be a two-day cellphone.
When you’re going to be doing quite a lot of gaming, you’ll need nice battery life, one thing the Redmagic 9 Professional delivers
Heavier classes of graphically intensive titles (particularly if you happen to’re in nicely lit areas and wish the brightness up) clearly shortens the time between fees, however I by no means felt too anxious in regards to the 9 Professional operating out of steam earlier than the tip of the day.
I bought round 4 or 5 hours of gaming out of the system earlier than needing to recharge, however clearly there are elements at play that imply your mileage could fluctuate. Placing it via our customary PCMark battery take a look at, the system scored 10 hours 23 minutes, which is round an hour greater than the Redmagic 8S Professional.
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There’s an 80W charger included within the field, and plugging the useless 9 Professional into introduced issues again to life in a short time. After quarter-hour there was 45% cost out there, 85% after thirty minutes, with the complete 100% recharge taking solely 44 minutes.
Software program
- Android 14 with Redmagic 9.0
- Sport Area
- Nonetheless buggy
The Redmagic 9 Professional runs Android 14 out of the field, with Nubia’s personal Redmagic 9.0 pores and skin on prime.
Apart from the assorted techno-based art work and widgets, plus fascinating customisation results, it’s a light pores and skin that doesn’t obscure Android an excessive amount of. Sure, there may be some bloatware on board, however this may be deleted when you’ve arrange the system.
I encountered fairly a couple of bugs initially, with Google sign-ins not working and numerous apps having issues, however this gave the impression to be as a result of pre-release software program model. Issues settled down after a couple of updates. There’s the occasional glitch, such because the digicam app closing when the display screen senses a faucet that’s simply me making an attempt to carry the system, nevertheless it’s a strong performer total.
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Sliding the pink button on the precise aspect of the 9 Professional launches the Sport Area software program suite. This can be a long-standing function of Redmagic telephones, giving customers the flexibility to customize controls, quick-launch video games, handle in-game screenshots, organise plug-ins, set reminders and far more.
It’s a mature suite now, with a nicely thought-out vary of options that genuinely enhance the way you play on a cell system.
By way of replace, Nubia makes no particular dedication relating to the Redmagic 9 Professional. However on its website, the corporate says it “gives greater than 2 years of software program assist”. It suggests the cellphone will get Android 16 and safety patches till the tip of 2025, however nothing after that, which is disappointing.
Worth & Availability
The Redmagic 9 Professional launched on 18 December 2023. It’s out there instantly from the Redmagic site and prices £579/$649 for the 12GB/256GB configuration and £709 / $799 / €799 if you need the extra capacious 16GB/512GB complement.
No carriers are promoting the cellphone on contract within the UK or US, so that you’ll have to purchase it outright and pair with a SIM deal as a substitute.
However that value it in the identical ballpark because the Black Shark 5 Professional, which prices £729/$899 if you need the identical configuration because the Redmagic baseline mannequin. When you’re on the lookout for arguably the perfect gaming smartphone, then the ROG Telephone 7 Final is about nearly as good because it will get, however its pricing will take you over the £1,000/$1,000.
To see which different alternate options are round, take a look at our round-up of the perfect gaming smartphones.
Verdict
The Redmagic 9 Professional is a wonderful gaming cellphone. Loads of energy below the hood, devoted {hardware}, spectacular cooling and nice battery life imply the gaming expertise is constantly implausible.
But it surely additionally achieves the uncommon feat of being a strong day-to-day cellphone. The cameras are higher than anticipated (apart from the dodgy selfie one) and might ship very usable photographs and movies.
The software program can be simple to make use of, offered you don’t thoughts some bloatware and the occasional bug. So the one actual barrier is the sheer dimension and weight of the system. Like most gaming telephones, it’s a little bit of a beast, so it’s nonetheless solely actually price shopping for if you happen to love enjoying video games.
Specs
- 6.8inch FHD+ Q9+ show (2480 x 1116), 120Hz
- Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor
- Crimson Core 2 Professional Gaming chip
- 520Hz shoulder set off buttons
- ICE 13 upgraded cooling system
- 22,000 RPM high-speed fan
- 12GB or 16GB LPDDR5X reminiscence
- 256GB or 512GB UFS 4.0 storage
- Samsung GN5 50MP 24mm important (extensive) digicam with OIS
- Samsung JN1 50MP 13mm ultra-wide
- 16MP under-display selfie digicam
- Beneath-display fingerprint sensor
- 3.5mm headphone jack
- Twin audio system
- Twin-haptic motors
- Bluetooth 5.3
- NFC
- Wi-Fi 7
- USB-C
- 6,500mAh battery with 80W quick charging
- 164 x 76.4 x 8.9mm / 6.46 x 3.01 x 0.35 inches
- 229g
