ZTE nubia Red Magic 5S vs OnePlus 9 Pro: A Detailed Showdown
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The OnePlus 9 Pro offers a more well-rounded experience with its superior display, faster charging, and versatile camera. However, the Red Magic 5S remains the champion for dedicated gamers, providing unmatched cooling and a gaming-focused feature set. It depends on your priorities!
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | ZTE nubia Red Magic 5S | OnePlus 9 Pro |
| 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 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1800 / 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, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - EU |
| 5G bands | 41, 78, 79 SA/NSA | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 78 SA/NSA - EU |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE-A, 5G 7.5 Gbps DL | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
| CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | 1, 3, 28, 41, 78, 79 SA/NSA - CN | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2020, July 28 | 2021, March 23 |
| Status | Available. Released 2020, August 01 | Available. Released 2021, March 30 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass), glass back (Gorilla Glass), aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 168.6 x 78 x 9.8 mm (6.64 x 3.07 x 0.39 in) | 163.2 x 73.6 x 8.7 mm (6.43 x 2.90 x 0.34 in) |
| SIM | Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 220 g (7.76 oz) | 197 g (6.95 oz) |
| Pressure sensitive zones (300Hz touch-sensing) Built-in cooling fan | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~388 ppi density) | 1440 x 3216 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~525 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.65 inches, 108.6 cm2 (~82.5% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.7 inches, 108.4 cm2 (~90.3% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | AMOLED, 144Hz | LTPO Fluid2 AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1300 nits (peak) |
| - | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-A77 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55 |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G (7 nm+) | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 650 | Adreno 660 |
| OS | Android 10, Redmagic 3.0 | Android 11, upgradable to Android 14, OxygenOS 14 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 16GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | UFS 3.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, HDR, panorama | Laser AF, color spectrum sensor, Hasselblad Color Calibration, dual-LED flash, HDR, panorama |
| Quad | - | 48 MP, f/1.8, 23mm (wide), 1/1.43", 1.12µm, multi-directional PDAF, OIS 8 MP, f/2.4, 77mm (telephoto), 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3.3x optical zoom 50 MP, f/2.2, 14mm (ultrawide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, AF 2 MP, f/2.4, (monochrome) |
| Single | - | 16 MP, f/2.4, (wide), 1/3.06", 1.0µm |
| 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) | - |
| Video | 8K@30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps | 8K@30fps, 4K@30/60/120fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, Auto HDR, gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 8 MP, f/2.0, (wide), 1.12µm | 16 MP, f/2.4, (wide), 1/3.06", 1.0µm |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | No |
| 35mm jack | - | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 32-bit/384kHz audio | 24-bit/192kHz audio | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.1, A2DP, aptX, LE | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (G1), BDS (B1), GALILEO (E1+E5a) |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.0, OTG, accessory connector | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG |
| 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, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 55W wired, 56% in 15 min, 100% in 40 min (advertised) | 65W wired, PD, 100% in 29 min 50W wireless, 100% in 43 min 5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4500 mAh, non-removable | Li-Po 4500 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Silver, Pulse | Morning Mist, Forest Green, Stellar Black |
| Models | - | LE2121, LE2125, LE2123, LE2120, LE2127 |
| Price | About 540 EUR | € 246.17 / $ 264.95 / £ 287.00 |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 83h | Endurance rating 86h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | - |
| Loudspeaker | -22.6 LUFS (Excellent) | -24.1 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 557056 (v8) GeekBench: 13400 (v4.4), 3386 (v5.1) GFXBench: 46fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | - |
ZTE nubia Red Magic 5S
- Exceptional cooling system
- High refresh rate display (likely 144Hz)
- Gaming-focused features
- Long battery life
- Less versatile camera
- Slower charging
- Less premium design
- Marketing 'infinite' contrast ratio
OnePlus 9 Pro
- Superior display quality (brightness, color accuracy)
- Faster charging (wired & wireless)
- Versatile camera system (Hasselblad tuned)
- Premium design and build quality
- Can throttle under sustained load (though improved with software updates)
- Gaming performance slightly behind Red Magic 5S in extreme scenarios
- Higher price point
Display Comparison
The OnePlus 9 Pro boasts a measured peak brightness of 859 nits, significantly brighter than the Red Magic 5S's display. While the Red Magic 5S offers a high refresh rate (likely 144Hz), the OnePlus 9 Pro's display is generally considered superior in terms of color accuracy, brightness, and overall visual quality. The Red Magic 5S's 'infinite' contrast ratio is a marketing term and doesn't provide concrete data.
Camera Comparison
The OnePlus 9 Pro's camera system is significantly more versatile, featuring a Hasselblad-tuned main sensor and a suite of lenses for various shooting scenarios. The Red Magic 5S's camera is adequate but not a primary focus, prioritizing gaming performance over photography capabilities. Expect better image quality, dynamic range, and overall camera features on the OnePlus 9 Pro.
Performance
Both phones are powered by flagship Snapdragon processors – the Red Magic 5S uses the Snapdragon 865, while the OnePlus 9 Pro features the Snapdragon 888. The 888 offers a slight performance edge, particularly in GPU-intensive tasks, thanks to its improved architecture and 5nm process. However, the Red Magic 5S's cooling system helps maintain sustained performance during extended gaming sessions.
Battery Life
Both phones offer impressive battery life, with endurance ratings of 83h and 86h respectively. The OnePlus 9 Pro's 65W wired charging is considerably faster than the Red Magic 5S's 55W charging, and it also supports 50W wireless charging and reverse wireless charging – features absent on the Red Magic 5S.
Buying Guide
The ZTE nubia Red Magic 5S is ideal for hardcore mobile gamers who prioritize performance, cooling, and a high refresh rate display above all else. The OnePlus 9 Pro is a better choice for users seeking a flagship phone with a great camera, fast charging, and a more premium design for everyday use.