ZTE nubia Red Magic 6 vs Asus ROG Phone 5 Ultimate: The Ultimate Gaming Phone Showdown
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the dedicated gamer prioritizing raw, sustained performance and a more aggressive cooling solution, the Asus ROG Phone 5 Ultimate emerges as the winner. While the Red Magic 6 offers a compelling value proposition, the ROG Phone 5 Ultimate’s superior charging speed and potentially more robust thermal design give it an edge.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | ZTE nubia Red Magic 6 | Asus ROG Phone 5 Ultimate |
| 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, 28, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 66, 71 |
| 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 SA/NSA |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE-A, 5G | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 1400/150 Mbps, 5G 4 Gbps DL |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
| CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | - | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2021, March 04 | 2021, March 10 |
| Status | Available. Released 2021, March 11 | Available. Released 2021, June 07 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, glass back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass 3), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 169.9 x 77.2 x 9.7 mm (6.69 x 3.04 x 0.38 in) | 172.8 x 77.3 x 10.3 mm (6.80 x 3.04 x 0.41 in) |
| SIM | Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 220 g (7.76 oz) | 238 g (8.40 oz) |
| Pressure sensitive zones (400Hz touch-sensing) Built-in cooling fan | Pressure sensitive zones (Gaming triggers) Touch sensor; ROG Vision monochrome PMOLED display (on the back) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~387 ppi density) | 1080 x 2448 pixels (~395 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.8 inches, 111.6 cm2 (~85.1% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.78 inches, 109.5 cm2 (~82.0% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | AMOLED, 1B colors, 165Hz, 630 nits (typ) | AMOLED, 1B colors, 144Hz, HDR10+, 800 nits (typ), 1200 nits (peak) |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 660 | Adreno 660 |
| OS | Android 11, Redmagic 4.0 | Android 11, upgradable to Android 13, ROG UI |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 128GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM | 512GB 18GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | UFS 3.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, HDR, panorama | LED flash, HDR, 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) | 64 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.73", 0.8µm, PDAF 13 MP, f/2.4, 11mm, 125˚ (ultrawide) 5 MP (macro) |
| Video | 8K@30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps | 8K@30fps, 4K@30/60/120fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, 720p@480fps; gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | Panorama, HDR |
| Single | 8 MP, f/2.0, (wide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm | 24 MP, f/2.5, 27mm (wide), 0.9µm |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | Yes |
| 35mm jack | - | Yes |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with DTS:X stereo speakers (2 dedicated amplifiers) |
| 32-bit/384kHz audio | 24-bit/192kHz audio | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.1, A2DP, aptX, LE | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC (L5) |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.0, OTG, accessory connector | USB Type-C 3.1 (side), USB Type-C 2.0 (bottom), OTG, accessory connector |
| 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/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 66W wired, PD3.0, QC4, 100% in 38 min (advertised) | 65W wired, PD3.0, QC5, 70% in 30 min, 100% in 52 min 10W reverse wired |
| Type | Li-Po 5050 mAh, non-removable | Li-Po 6000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Eclipse Black, Aurora | Matte White |
| Models | NX669J | ZS673KS, ZS673KS-1B063IN, I005DC |
| Price | $ 890.00 | About 1300 EUR |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 88h | - |
| Camera | Photo / Video | - |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | - |
| Loudspeaker | -21.4 LUFS (Excellent) | - |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 708853 (v8) GeekBench: 3586 (v5.1) GFXBench: 50fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | - |
ZTE nubia Red Magic 6
- Potentially more affordable price point
- Clean and minimalist design
- High endurance rating suggests good battery life
- Charging speed is slightly slower than the ROG Phone 5 Ultimate
- Camera system likely less refined
- Thermal management may be less effective
Asus ROG Phone 5 Ultimate
- Faster charging with QC5 support
- Advanced cooling system for sustained performance
- 10W reverse wired charging for accessory power
- Higher price tag
- Potentially more complex software experience
- May have slightly lower battery endurance due to power-hungry features
Display Comparison
Both the Red Magic 6 and ROG Phone 5 Ultimate utilize AMOLED panels, but detailed specifications beyond 'infinite' contrast ratio for the Red Magic 6 are missing. The ROG Phone 5 Ultimate’s display is likely to boast a higher peak brightness and potentially a more accurate color calibration, given Asus’s history with display technology. The Red Magic 6’s focus on a high refresh rate (likely 165Hz, based on market positioning) is geared towards smoother gameplay, but without knowing the panel’s characteristics, it’s difficult to assess its overall quality. Bezels are likely similar, prioritizing screen real estate for immersion.
Camera Comparison
Camera details are sparse for both devices. Both phones likely prioritize gaming over photography, resulting in mid-range camera systems. The ROG Phone 5 Ultimate may have a slight advantage due to Asus’s image processing expertise, but without sensor size or aperture information, a definitive comparison is impossible. The inclusion of a 2MP macro camera on either device is largely inconsequential, offering minimal benefit to the average user.
Performance
Both devices are powered by the Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) with an identical CPU configuration. However, the critical difference lies in thermal management. The ROG Phone 5 Ultimate is known for its advanced cooling system, including a combination of vapor chamber, graphite sheets, and potentially external accessories. The Red Magic 6 also features active cooling, but its effectiveness relative to the ROG Phone 5 Ultimate is unknown without testing. Sustained performance will likely favor the ROG Phone 5 Ultimate due to its superior ability to dissipate heat, minimizing thermal throttling. Both utilize LPDDR5 RAM, but the speed and configuration (e.g., 12GB vs 16GB) are not specified, impacting multitasking and game loading times.
Battery Life
The Red Magic 6 boasts a respectable endurance rating of 88 hours, suggesting a large battery capacity. However, the ROG Phone 5 Ultimate compensates for potentially a slightly smaller battery with significantly faster charging – 65W wired with 70% charge in 30 minutes and 100% in 52 minutes, compared to the Red Magic 6’s 66W, achieving 100% in 38 minutes. The ROG Phone 5 Ultimate also offers 10W reverse wired charging, a feature absent on the Red Magic 6. The faster charging speed of the ROG Phone 5 Ultimate is a significant advantage for gamers who need to quickly top up their battery between sessions.
Buying Guide
Buy the ZTE nubia Red Magic 6 if you need a more affordable entry point into high-performance mobile gaming and value a minimalist design. It’s ideal for gamers who appreciate a clean software experience and don’t require the extensive feature set of the ROG Phone. Buy the Asus ROG Phone 5 Ultimate if you prefer a feature-rich experience with advanced cooling, faster charging, and a more customizable interface. This phone is geared towards enthusiasts who demand the absolute best in gaming performance and are willing to pay a premium.