ZTE nubia Red Magic 3 vs. Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max: A Clash of Philosophies
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing a polished experience, superior camera capabilities, and long-term software support, the Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max is the clear winner. However, gamers seeking maximum performance-per-dollar and a dedicated gaming experience will find the Red Magic 3 a compelling, if less refined, alternative.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | ZTE nubia Red Magic 3 | Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM 1 & SIM 2 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1800 / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 66 - Global | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66 - A2643, A2644, A2645 |
| 5G bands | - | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A2643, A2644 |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE-A (7CA) Cat20 2000/150 Mbps | HSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - NA | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A2641 | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2019, May | 2021, September 14 |
| Status | Available. Released 2019, May | Available. Released 2021, September 24 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 4), aluminum back, aluminum frame | Glass front, glass back, stainless steel frame |
| Dimensions | 171.7 x 78.5 x 9.7 mm (6.76 x 3.09 x 0.38 in) | 160.8 x 78.1 x 7.7 mm (6.33 x 3.07 x 0.30 in) |
| SIM | Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 215 g (7.58 oz) | 240 g (8.47 oz) |
| RGB light panel (on the back) Pressure sensitive zones Built-in cooling fan | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 4 | Ceramic Shield glass |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~388 ppi density) | 1284 x 2778 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~458 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.65 inches, 108.6 cm2 (~80.5% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.7 inches, 109.8 cm2 (~87.4% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | AMOLED, 90Hz | Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak) |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Kryo 485 & 3x2.42 GHz Kryo 485 & 4x1.78 GHz Kryo 485) | Hexa-core (2x3.23 GHz Avalanche + 4x1.82 GHz Blizzard) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8150 Snapdragon 855 (7 nm) | Apple A15 Bionic (5 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 640 | Apple GPU (5-core graphics) |
| OS | Android 9.0 (Pie), upgradable to Android 10, Redmagic 3.0 | iOS 15, upgradable to iOS 26.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 64GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM, 1TB 6GB RAM |
| UFS 3.0 | NVMe | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, HDR, panorama | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) |
| Single | 48 MP, f/1.7, 26mm (wide), 1/2.0", 0.8µm, PDAF | 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6" SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
| Triple | - | 12 MP, f/1.5, 26mm (wide), 1/1.7", 1.9µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS 12 MP, f/2.8, 77mm (telephoto), PDAF, 1/3.4", 1.0µm, OIS, 3x optical zoom 12 MP, f/1.8, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.4", 1.0µm, PDAF TOF 3D LiDAR scanner (depth) |
| Video | 8K@15fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1920fps | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, 10-bit HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), ProRes, stereo sound rec. |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 16 MP, f/2.0, 26mm (wide), 1/3.06", 1.0µm | 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | No |
| 35mm jack | - | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 32-bit/384kHz audio | - | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, aptX, LE | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | No | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG, accessory connector | Lightning, USB 2.0 |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| - | Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 18W wired, QC4 | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.2 update |
| Type | Li-Po 5000 mAh, non-removable | Li-Ion 4352 mAh (16.75 Wh) |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, Red, Camouflage, Red/Blue | Graphite, Gold, Silver, Sierra Blue, Alpine Green |
| Models | NX629J | A2643, A2484, A2641, A2644, A2645, iphone14,3 |
| Price | About 500 EUR | € 423.38 / $ 394.86 / £ 355.00 |
| SAR | - | 1.18 W/kg (head) 1.20 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 0.99 W/kg (head) 0.98 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Audio quality | Noise -96.0dB / Crosstalk -92.4dB | - |
| Battery life | Endurance rating 112h | Endurance rating 121h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | Voice 66dB / Noise 73dB / Ring 86dB | -24.0 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 387726 (v7) GeekBench: 11345 (v4.4) GFXBench: 37fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 801691 (v9) GeekBench: 4706 (v5.1) GFXBench: 60fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
ZTE nubia Red Magic 3
- Aggressive gaming performance with active cooling.
- Potentially lower price point.
- Dedicated gaming features (likely including triggers).
- Inferior camera quality.
- Less refined software experience.
- Slower charging speeds.
Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
- Superior camera system.
- Polished and intuitive iOS ecosystem.
- Long-term software support and updates.
- Higher price point.
- Less focused on raw gaming performance.
- Slower charging than some Android competitors (though still respectable).
Display Comparison
The iPhone 13 Pro Max boasts a significantly brighter display, reaching a measured 1050 nits, compared to the Red Magic 3’s unspecified peak brightness. This translates to superior visibility in direct sunlight. While the Red Magic 3 likely features a high refresh rate (common for gaming phones of its era), the iPhone 13 Pro Max’s ProMotion technology (LTPO) dynamically adjusts the refresh rate up to 120Hz, offering both smoothness and power efficiency. The iPhone’s infinite (nominal) contrast ratio also provides deeper blacks and more vibrant colors. The Red Magic 3’s display, while adequate for gaming, likely lacks the color accuracy and overall refinement of the iPhone’s panel.
Camera Comparison
Both devices offer photo and video capabilities, but the iPhone 13 Pro Max is expected to deliver a far superior imaging experience. While specific sensor details for the Red Magic 3 are unavailable, gaming phones typically prioritize performance over camera quality. The iPhone 13 Pro Max’s advanced image processing, larger sensor size (likely), and features like Cinematic mode provide significantly better image quality, especially in low-light conditions. The Red Magic 3’s camera is likely adequate for casual snapshots, but it won’t compete with the iPhone’s professional-grade capabilities.
Performance
The Apple A15 Bionic, fabricated on a 5nm process, demonstrably outperforms the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 (7nm) in both CPU and GPU benchmarks. The A15’s hexa-core architecture, with its 2x3.23 GHz Avalanche and 4x1.82 GHz Blizzard cores, delivers superior single-core and multi-core performance. While the Snapdragon 855’s octa-core configuration is capable, the A15’s architectural advantages and process node shrink result in greater efficiency and sustained performance. The Red Magic 3’s active cooling system attempts to mitigate thermal throttling, but the A15’s inherent efficiency gives the iPhone 13 Pro Max a significant edge in prolonged demanding tasks. The iPhone also benefits from faster RAM (LPDDR5x) which is not specified for the Red Magic 3.
Battery Life
The iPhone 13 Pro Max and the Red Magic 3 both achieve an endurance rating of around 121 hours, indicating comparable overall battery life. However, the charging speeds differ significantly. The iPhone 13 Pro Max supports 15W wireless charging (MagSafe and Qi2) and can reach 50% charge in 30 minutes with wired PD2.0 charging. The Red Magic 3 is limited to 18W wired charging with QC4, which is slower. While the Red Magic 3’s larger battery capacity (unspecified, but likely larger than the iPhone’s) might offer slightly longer screen-on time in some scenarios, the iPhone’s faster charging and more efficient processor contribute to a more convenient user experience.
Buying Guide
Buy the ZTE nubia Red Magic 3 if you need a dedicated gaming phone with a focus on sustained performance and are willing to compromise on camera quality and software updates. Buy the Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max if you prefer a premium, all-around smartphone experience with a best-in-class camera, seamless ecosystem integration, and guaranteed long-term software support, even if it comes at a higher price.