ZTE nubia Red Magic 3 vs. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G: A Deep Dive Comparison
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing a versatile experience with a stunning display and exceptional camera, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G is the clear winner. However, budget-conscious gamers will find the Red Magic 3 offers compelling performance for its price, albeit with compromises in other areas.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | ZTE nubia Red Magic 3 | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G |
| 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, 14, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 48, 66, 71 - SM-G998U1 |
| 5G bands | - | 2, 5, 25, 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - SM-G998U1 |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE-A (7CA) Cat20 2000/150 Mbps | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G (5+ Gbps DL) |
| 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, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - SM-G998B | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2019, May | 2021, January 14 |
| Status | Available. Released 2019, May | Available. Released 2021, January 29 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 4), aluminum back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 171.7 x 78.5 x 9.7 mm (6.76 x 3.09 x 0.38 in) | 165.1 x 75.6 x 8.9 mm (6.5 x 2.98 x 0.35 in) |
| SIM | Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) |
| Weight | 215 g (7.58 oz) | 227 g (Sub6), 229 g (mmWave) (8.01 oz) |
| RGB light panel (on the back) Pressure sensitive zones Built-in cooling fan | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Stylus support | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 4 | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~388 ppi density) | 1440 x 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~515 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.65 inches, 108.6 cm2 (~80.5% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.8 inches, 112.1 cm2 (~89.8% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | AMOLED, 90Hz | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1500 nits (peak) |
| - | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Kryo 485 & 3x2.42 GHz Kryo 485 & 4x1.78 GHz Kryo 485) | Octa-core (1x2.9 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.80 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x2.2 GHz Cortex-A55) - InternationalOcta-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) - USA/China |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8150 Snapdragon 855 (7 nm) | Exynos 2100 (5 nm) - InternationalQualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) - USA/China |
| GPU | Adreno 640 | Mali-G78 MP14 - InternationalAdreno 660 - USA/China |
| OS | Android 9.0 (Pie), upgradable to Android 10, Redmagic 3.0 | Android 11, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 6.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 64GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 128GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 16GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM |
| UFS 3.0 | UFS 3.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, HDR, panorama | Laser AF, LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Quad | - | 108 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 1/1.33", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS 10 MP, f/2.4, 72mm (telephoto), 1/3.24", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 10 MP, f/4.9, 240mm (periscope telephoto), 1/3.24", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS, 10x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm (ultrawide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, Super Steady video |
| Single | 48 MP, f/1.7, 26mm (wide), 1/2.0", 0.8µm, PDAF | - |
| Video | 8K@15fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1920fps | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 16 MP, f/2.0, 26mm (wide), 1/3.06", 1.0µm | 40 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.7µm, PDAF |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | No |
| 35mm jack | - | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 32-bit/384kHz audio | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, aptX, LE | 5.2, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | No | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | No | FM radio (Snapdragon model only; market/operator dependent) |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG, accessory connector | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| - | Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support) Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 18W wired, QC4 | 25W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 5000 mAh, non-removable | Li-Ion 5000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, Red, Camouflage, Red/Blue | Phantom Black, Phantom Silver, Phantom Titanium, Phantom Navy, Phantom Brown, Navy |
| Models | NX629J | SM-G998B, SM-G998B/DS, SM-G998U, SM-G998U1, SM-G998W, SM-G998N, SM-G9980 |
| Price | About 500 EUR | $ 240.01 / C$ 353.20 / £ 202.99 / € 264.99 |
| SAR | - | 0.77 W/kg (head) 1.02 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 0.71 W/kg (head) 1.58 W/kg (body) |
| Pricing | ||
|---|---|---|
| 128GB 12GB RAM | - | $ 384.99 |
| 256GB 12GB RAM | - | $ 998.00 |
| 512GB 12GB RAM | - | $ 1,179.99 |
| RENEWED | - | $ 459.00 |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Audio quality | Noise -96.0dB / Crosstalk -92.4dB | - |
| Battery life | Endurance rating 112h | Endurance rating 114h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | Voice 66dB / Noise 73dB / Ring 86dB | -25.5 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 387726 (v7) GeekBench: 11345 (v4.4) GFXBench: 37fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 657150 (v8) GeekBench: 3518 (v5.1) GFXBench: 33fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
ZTE nubia Red Magic 3
- Significantly lower price point
- Dedicated gaming features (cooling, potentially triggers)
- Good sustained gaming performance for its price
- Outdated chipset (Snapdragon 855)
- Inferior display technology
- Less versatile camera system
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
- Superior display quality and brightness
- More powerful and efficient chipset (Exynos 2100/Snapdragon 888)
- Exceptional camera system with advanced features
- Faster and more versatile charging options
- Significantly higher price
- Can be prone to throttling under extreme sustained load (though less so than older flagships)
- Larger and heavier than the Red Magic 3
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G boasts a significantly more advanced display, reaching a measured peak brightness of 1023 nits compared to the Red Magic 3’s unspecified brightness. The S21 Ultra’s panel also benefits from an 'Infinite' contrast ratio, indicating superior black levels and dynamic range. While the Red Magic 3 likely offers a high refresh rate for smoother gaming, it lacks the S21 Ultra’s adaptive refresh rate technology, potentially impacting battery life. The S21 Ultra’s superior panel technology delivers a more vibrant and immersive viewing experience for all content, not just games.
Camera Comparison
Both phones offer photo and video capabilities, but the S21 Ultra 5G is in a different league. While specific sensor details for the Red Magic 3 are unavailable, it’s safe to assume it lacks the S21 Ultra’s advanced features like a large main sensor, sophisticated image processing algorithms, and 100x Space Zoom. The S21 Ultra’s camera system excels in low-light photography and offers greater versatility with its multiple lenses and shooting modes. The Red Magic 3’s camera is likely adequate for casual snapshots, but it won’t compete with the S21 Ultra’s image quality or feature set.
Performance
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G, equipped with either the Exynos 2100 (International) or Snapdragon 888 5G (USA/China) built on a 5nm process, demonstrably outperforms the Red Magic 3’s Snapdragon 855 (7nm). The S21 Ultra’s Cortex-X1 prime core and newer CPU architecture provide a substantial performance uplift in both single-core and multi-core tasks. While the Red Magic 3’s cooling system is geared towards sustained gaming performance, the S21 Ultra’s more efficient chipset and advanced thermal management minimize throttling during prolonged use. The S21 Ultra also benefits from faster RAM (likely LPDDR5 vs the Red Magic 3’s likely LPDDR4X), further enhancing responsiveness.
Battery Life
Both devices achieve a similar endurance rating of around 112-114 hours, suggesting comparable real-world battery life despite the Red Magic 3’s unspecified battery capacity. However, the S21 Ultra 5G offers significantly faster charging at 25W with PD3.0, along with 15W wireless charging and 4.5W reverse wireless charging – features absent on the Red Magic 3’s 18W QC4 wired charging. The S21 Ultra’s charging versatility provides greater convenience and flexibility for users.
Buying Guide
Buy the ZTE nubia Red Magic 3 if you need a dedicated gaming phone on a tight budget, prioritizing sustained performance over camera quality and display refinement. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G if you prefer a premium, all-around flagship experience with a class-leading display, versatile camera system, and broader feature set, and are willing to pay a premium for it.