ZTE nubia Red Magic 6 Pro vs. Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max: A Clash of Philosophies
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing a seamless ecosystem, strong camera performance, and long-term software support, the iPhone 12 Pro Max remains a compelling choice. However, the Red Magic 6 Pro decisively wins for dedicated mobile gamers, offering superior performance, faster charging (120W vs 20W), and gaming-centric features at a potentially lower price point.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | ZTE nubia Red Magic 6 Pro | Apple iPhone 12 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, 28, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66, 71 - A2342 |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 28, 38, 41, 78 SA/NSA | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79, 260, 261 Sub6/mmWave - A2342 |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE-A, 5G | HSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78, 79 Sub6 - A2410, A2411, A2412 | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2021, March 04 | 2020, October 13 |
| Status | Available. Released 2021, March 11 | Available. Released 2020, November 13 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, glass back, aluminum frame | Glass front, glass back, stainless steel frame |
| Dimensions | 169.9 x 77.2 x 9.7 mm (6.69 x 3.04 x 0.38 in) | 160.8 x 78.1 x 7.4 mm (6.33 x 3.07 x 0.29 in) |
| SIM | Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM (China) |
| Weight | 220 g (7.76 oz) | 228 g (8.04 oz) |
| Pressure sensitive zones (400Hz touch-sensing) 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 | Ceramic Shield glass |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~387 ppi density) | 1284 x 2778 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~458 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.8 inches, 111.6 cm2 (~85.1% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.7 inches, 109.8 cm2 (~87.4% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | AMOLED, 1B colors, 165Hz, 630 nits (typ) | Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 800 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak) |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) | Hexa-core (2x3.1 GHz Firestorm + 4x1.8 GHz Icestorm) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) | Apple A14 Bionic (5 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 660 | Apple GPU (4-core graphics) |
| OS | Android 11, Redmagic 4.0 | iOS 14.1, upgradable to iOS 26.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 16GB RAM, 512GB 18GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | NVMe | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, HDR, panorama | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) |
| Single | 8 MP, f/2.0, (wide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm | - |
| Triple | 64 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.97", 0.7µm, PDAF 8 MP, f/2.0, 120˚, 13mm (ultrawide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm 2 MP, (macro) | 12 MP, f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1/1.9", 1.7µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS 12 MP, f/2.2, 65mm (telephoto), 1/3.4", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 2.5x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.4, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.4", 1.0µm TOF 3D LiDAR scanner (depth) |
| Video | 8K@30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, 10‑bit HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), stereo sound rec. |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 8 MP, f/2.0, (wide), 1/4.0", 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 | 120W wired, PD3.0, QC5, 50% in 5 min (China) 66W wired, PD3.0, QC5 (International) | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.4 update |
| Type | Li-Po 5050 mAh, non-removable - International modelLi-Po 4500 mAh, non-removable - China model | Li-Ion 3687 mAh (14.13 Wh) |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Eclipse Black, Moon Silver | Silver, Graphite, Gold, Pacific Blue |
| Models | NX669J-P | A2411, A2342, A2410, A2412, iPhone13,4 |
| Price | About 960 EUR | $ 328.00 / C$ 549.75 / £ 270.67 / € 339.00 |
| SAR EU | - | 0.99 W/kg (head) 0.99 W/kg (body) |
| Pricing | ||
|---|---|---|
| 128GB 6GB RAM | - | $ 599.99 |
| 256GB 6GB RAM | - | $ 728.45 |
| 512GB 6GB RAM | - | $ 886.67 |
| RENEWED | - | $ 627.00 |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 95h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | - | -23.8 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 638584 (v8) GeekBench: 4240 (v5.1) GFXBench: 55fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
ZTE nubia Red Magic 6 Pro
- Blazing-fast 120W charging
- Superior gaming performance with Snapdragon 888
- Active cooling system prevents throttling
- Potentially lower price point
- Less refined software experience
- Camera likely inferior to iPhone
- Ecosystem limitations
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
- Exceptional camera quality
- Seamless Apple ecosystem integration
- Long-term software support
- Premium build quality and design
- Slower charging speeds
- Less powerful for demanding games
- Higher price point
Display Comparison
The iPhone 12 Pro Max boasts a measured peak brightness of 822 nits, providing excellent visibility outdoors. While the Red Magic 6 Pro’s display specs aren’t provided, nubia typically prioritizes high refresh rates for gaming. The iPhone’s infinite (nominal) contrast ratio delivers deep blacks and vibrant colors. The Red Magic 6 Pro likely utilizes a higher PWM dimming rate, potentially making it a better choice for users sensitive to screen flicker, a detail Apple doesn’t explicitly specify. The iPhone’s display is known for its color accuracy, crucial for content creation, while the Red Magic 6 Pro likely tunes its display for a more saturated, gaming-focused aesthetic.
Camera Comparison
The iPhone 12 Pro Max is renowned for its camera system, offering exceptional photo and video quality. While specific sensor details aren’t provided, Apple’s computational photography and image processing are industry-leading. The Red Magic 6 Pro’s camera specs are not detailed, but gaming phones often prioritize front-facing cameras for streaming. The iPhone’s OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) ensures sharp images and stable videos, a feature likely present on the Red Magic 6 Pro, but potentially less refined. The iPhone’s video recording capabilities are a significant advantage, offering ProRes video recording (later models) and cinematic mode.
Performance
The core difference lies in the chipsets. The Red Magic 6 Pro’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (5nm) is a powerhouse designed for sustained performance, featuring an octa-core configuration with a Cortex-X1 prime core clocked at 2.84 GHz. The iPhone 12 Pro Max counters with the Apple A14 Bionic (5nm), a hexa-core chip with a unique architecture. While the A14’s Firestorm cores reach 3.1 GHz, Apple’s chip design excels in single-core performance and efficiency. The Red Magic 6 Pro benefits from active cooling, mitigating thermal throttling during extended gaming sessions, a feature absent on the iPhone. The iPhone’s 6GB of RAM is matched by the Red Magic 6 Pro, but the Red Magic’s focus on gaming suggests optimized memory management for demanding titles.
Battery Life
Both phones achieve an endurance rating of 95 hours, indicating comparable overall battery life. However, the charging experience is drastically different. The Red Magic 6 Pro’s 120W wired charging (China) or 66W (International) can replenish the battery from 0-50% in just 5 minutes (China) – a game-changer for gamers. The iPhone 12 Pro Max’s 20W wired charging takes 30 minutes to reach 50%. The iPhone offers 15W wireless charging via MagSafe and Qi2 (with iOS 17.4), while the Red Magic 6 Pro’s wireless charging capabilities are not specified. The Red Magic’s faster charging mitigates concerns about battery drain during intensive gaming.
Buying Guide
Buy the ZTE nubia Red Magic 6 Pro if you need uncompromising gaming performance, rapid charging speeds, and are comfortable with a less polished software experience. Buy the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max if you prefer a refined user experience, a best-in-class camera system, and seamless integration with other Apple devices, even if it means sacrificing some raw gaming power.