ZTE nubia Red Magic 5S vs. Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max: A Clash of Priorities
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing a seamless ecosystem, strong camera performance, and long-term software support, the iPhone 11 Pro Max remains a compelling choice. However, gamers and power users will find the Red Magic 5S’s Snapdragon 865 and 55W charging a more attractive proposition, offering superior raw performance for demanding tasks.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | ZTE nubia Red Magic 5S | Apple iPhone 11 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) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66 - A2218 |
| 5G bands | 41, 78, 79 SA/NSA | - |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE-A, 5G 7.5 Gbps DL | HSPA, LTE 1.6 Gbps DL, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE |
| CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 29, 30, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66, 71 - A2161, A2220 | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2020, July 28 | 2019, September 10 |
| Status | Available. Released 2020, August 01 | Available. Released 2019, September 20 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass), glass back (Gorilla Glass), aluminum frame | Glass front (Corning-made glass), glass back (Corning-made glass), stainless steel frame |
| Dimensions | 168.6 x 78 x 9.8 mm (6.64 x 3.07 x 0.39 in) | 158 x 77.8 x 8.1 mm (6.22 x 3.06 x 0.32 in) |
| SIM | Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM (China) |
| Weight | 220 g (7.76 oz) | 226 g (7.97 oz) |
| Pressure sensitive zones (300Hz touch-sensing) Built-in cooling fan | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 4m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass | Scratch-resistant glass |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~388 ppi density) | 1242 x 2688 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~458 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.65 inches, 108.6 cm2 (~82.5% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.5 inches, 102.9 cm2 (~83.7% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | AMOLED, 144Hz | Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 800 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak) |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-A77 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) | Hexa-core (2x2.65 GHz Lightning + 4x1.8 GHz Thunder) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G (7 nm+) | Apple A13 Bionic (7 nm+) |
| GPU | Adreno 650 | Apple GPU (4-core graphics) |
| OS | Android 10, Redmagic 3.0 | iOS 13, upgradable to iOS 26.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 16GB RAM | 64GB 4GB RAM, 256GB 4GB RAM, 512GB 4GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | NVMe | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, HDR, panorama | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) |
| Single | - | 13 MP, f/2.2, PDAF |
| Triple | 64 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.72", 0.8µm, PDAF 8 MP, f/2.0, 120˚, 13mm (ultrawide), 1.12µm 2 MP, (macro) | 12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.0, 52mm (telephoto), 1/3.4", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 2x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.4, 120˚, 13mm (ultrawide), 1/3.6" |
| Video | 8K@30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, HDR, stereo sound rec. |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 8 MP, f/2.0, (wide), 1.12µm | 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 | 5.1, A2DP, aptX, LE | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.0, OTG, accessory connector | Lightning, USB 2.0 |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| - | Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 55W wired, 56% in 15 min, 100% in 40 min (advertised) | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min Wireless (Qi) |
| Type | Li-Po 4500 mAh, non-removable | Li-Ion 3969 mAh, non-removable (15.04 Wh) |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Silver, Pulse | Matte Space Gray, Matte Silver, Matte Gold, Matte Midnight Green |
| Models | - | A2218, A2161, A2220, iPhone12,5 |
| Price | About 540 EUR | $ 233.00 / C$ 369.75 / £ 226.95 / € 249.00 |
| SAR | - | 1.16 W/kg (head) 1.17 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 0.95 W/kg (head) 0.99 W/kg (body) |
| Pricing | ||
|---|---|---|
| 256GB 4GB RAM | - | $ 874.46 |
| 512GB 4GB RAM | - | $ 1,004.31 |
| 64GB 4GB RAM | - | $ 435.00 |
| RENEWED | - | $ 485.00 |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Audio quality | - | Noise -94.3dB / Crosstalk -81.5dB |
| Battery life | Endurance rating 83h | Endurance rating 102h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -22.6 LUFS (Excellent) | -25.6 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 557056 (v8) GeekBench: 13400 (v4.4), 3386 (v5.1) GFXBench: 46fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 459713 (v7), 536883 (v8) GeekBench: 13870 (v4.4), 3503 (v5.1) GFXBench: 57fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
ZTE nubia Red Magic 5S
- Significantly faster charging (55W)
- Superior gaming performance due to Snapdragon 865 and cooling
- Potentially lower price point
- Shorter battery life
- Less refined software experience
- Camera likely inferior to iPhone
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
- Excellent battery life (102h endurance)
- Superior camera system
- Seamless ecosystem integration
- Slower charging
- Less powerful for sustained gaming
- Higher price (depending on storage configuration)
Display Comparison
Both devices feature displays with an 'Infinite' contrast ratio (nominal), suggesting excellent black levels. However, the iPhone 11 Pro Max boasts a measured peak brightness of 820 nits, a significant advantage for outdoor visibility. While the Red Magic 5S’s display specs are less detailed, its focus is on a high refresh rate (not specified in the data, but a key feature of the model) for smoother gaming. The iPhone’s color accuracy is likely superior, benefiting from Apple’s calibration, while the Red Magic 5S prioritizes responsiveness over color fidelity.
Camera Comparison
Both phones offer photo and video capabilities, but their approaches differ. The iPhone 11 Pro Max is renowned for its computational photography and consistent image quality across all lenses. While specific sensor details are missing for the Red Magic 5S, it’s likely to prioritize speed and low-light performance over color accuracy and dynamic range. The iPhone’s video recording capabilities are also generally considered superior, with excellent stabilization and dynamic range. The Red Magic 5S camera is likely a secondary consideration, geared towards casual use rather than professional photography.
Performance
The core difference lies in the chipsets. The Red Magic 5S utilizes the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 5G (7nm+), featuring an octa-core CPU with a prime Cortex-A77 core clocked at 2.84 GHz. The iPhone 11 Pro Max, conversely, employs Apple’s A13 Bionic (7nm+), a hexa-core chip with a unique architecture. While core count differs, the A13 Bionic’s tightly integrated hardware and software optimization often translate to superior real-world performance in many tasks. However, the Snapdragon 865 excels in sustained performance due to its larger thermal headroom, crucial for extended gaming sessions. The Red Magic 5S’s cooling system is a key differentiator, mitigating throttling that can plague other Snapdragon 865 devices.
Battery Life
The iPhone 11 Pro Max demonstrates a clear advantage in endurance, achieving a rating of 102 hours. The Red Magic 5S, with a rating of 83 hours, falls short. However, the Red Magic 5S compensates with its incredibly fast 55W wired charging, capable of reaching 56% in just 15 minutes and 100% in 40 minutes. The iPhone 11 Pro Max’s charging is slower, reaching 50% in 30 minutes with PD2.0 and also supports Qi wireless charging. This means the Red Magic 5S can quickly top up its battery, mitigating the lower overall endurance.
Buying Guide
Buy the ZTE nubia Red Magic 5S if you need uncompromising gaming performance, rapid charging, and don't mind a less polished software experience. You'll benefit from the Snapdragon 865's power and the phone's aggressive cooling. Buy the Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max if you prefer a refined user experience, a best-in-class camera system, and seamless integration with other Apple devices. The A13 Bionic provides excellent performance for everyday tasks and the long battery life is a significant advantage.