ZTE nubia Red Magic 6R vs. OnePlus 9 Pro: A Deep Dive for Gamers and Power Users
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For dedicated mobile gamers prioritizing sustained performance and value, the ZTE nubia Red Magic 6R is the clear winner. However, the OnePlus 9 Pro excels for users who demand a superior camera system, faster charging, and a more refined software experience, justifying its higher price point.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | ZTE nubia Red Magic 6R | 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, 3, 5, 7, 8, 4, 12, 17, 20, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41 - China | 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 | 1, 28, 41, 78 SA/NSA - China | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 78 SA/NSA - EU |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE-A, 5G | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / CDMA2000 / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
| CDMA2000 1x | 1, 3, 28, 41, 78, 79 SA/NSA - CN | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2021, May 27 | 2021, March 23 |
| Status | Available. Released 2021, June 02 | Available. Released 2021, March 30 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 3), aluminum frame, glass back | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 163 x 75.3 x 7.8 mm (6.42 x 2.96 x 0.31 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 | 186 g (6.56 oz) | 197 g (6.95 oz) |
| Pressure sensitive zones (400Hz touch-sensing) | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~395 ppi density) | 1440 x 3216 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~525 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.67 inches, 107.4 cm2 (~87.5% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.7 inches, 108.4 cm2 (~90.3% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | AMOLED, 1B colors, 144Hz, 770 nits (peak) | LTPO Fluid2 AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1300 nits (peak) |
| - | Always-on display | |
| 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 14, OxygenOS 14 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 128GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | UFS 3.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Dual-LED flash, HDR, panorama | Laser AF, color spectrum sensor, Hasselblad Color Calibration, dual-LED flash, HDR, panorama |
| Quad | 64 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.73", 0.8µm, PDAF 8 MP, f/2.0, 120˚, 13mm (ultrawide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm 5 MP, f/2.4, (macro) 2 MP, f/2.4, (depth) | 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, (wide) | 16 MP, f/2.4, (wide), 1/3.06", 1.0µm |
| 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 | 16 MP, (wide) | 16 MP, f/2.4, (wide), 1/3.06", 1.0µm |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | - | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 32-bit/384kHz audio | 24-bit/192kHz audio | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, aptX, LE | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD |
| NFC | Yes (market/region dependent) | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, BDS | 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, PD3.0, QC4 (China) 30W wired, PD3.0, QC4 (International) | 65W wired, PD, 100% in 29 min 50W wireless, 100% in 43 min 5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4200 mAh, non-removable | Li-Po 4500 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, Mercury Silver, Light Blue | Morning Mist, Forest Green, Stellar Black |
| Models | NX666J | LE2121, LE2125, LE2123, LE2120, LE2127 |
| Price | About 500 EUR | € 246.17 / $ 264.95 / £ 287.00 |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 76h | Endurance rating 86h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | - |
| Loudspeaker | -27.9 LUFS (Good) | -24.1 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 708156 (v8) | 823354 (v9) GeekBench: 3486 (v5.1) GFXBench: 59fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | - |
ZTE nubia Red Magic 6R
- Aggressive gaming-focused design
- Potentially better sustained performance due to cooling
- More affordable price point
- Inferior camera system
- Slower charging speeds
- Lower battery endurance rating
OnePlus 9 Pro
- Superior camera quality (Hasselblad partnership)
- Significantly faster charging (wired and wireless)
- Brighter and more color-accurate display
- Higher price
- Potential for thermal throttling under sustained load
- Less focused on pure gaming performance
Display Comparison
Both devices utilize the Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) chipset, but their displays diverge significantly. The OnePlus 9 Pro boasts a measured peak brightness of 859 nits, offering superior visibility in direct sunlight. While the Red Magic 6R’s contrast ratio is listed as 'Infinite (nominal)', it lacks the OnePlus 9 Pro’s color calibration and potentially LTPO technology (not specified in the data, but standard for this class). This means the OnePlus 9 Pro likely offers a more accurate and potentially smoother visual experience, especially during scrolling and video playback.
Camera Comparison
The provided data only indicates both phones have 'Photo / Video' capabilities. The OnePlus 9 Pro, leveraging Hasselblad’s color science, is expected to deliver significantly superior image quality, particularly in dynamic range and color accuracy. The Red Magic 6R, prioritizing cost savings, likely features a more basic camera setup. Without sensor size or aperture information for either device, it’s safe to assume the OnePlus 9 Pro’s camera system is a substantial upgrade, offering features like OIS and advanced computational photography.
Performance
Both phones are powered by the Snapdragon 888, featuring the same Octa-core CPU configuration (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1, 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78, 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55). However, the Red Magic 6R is designed with gaming in mind, likely incorporating a more aggressive cooling solution (not specified in the data, but a key feature of the Red Magic line) to mitigate thermal throttling during extended gaming sessions. While both will deliver excellent performance, the Red Magic 6R is engineered to *sustain* that performance for longer. RAM configurations are not specified, but faster LPDDR5 RAM would benefit both devices.
Battery Life
The OnePlus 9 Pro claims an endurance rating of 86 hours, while the Red Magic 6R achieves 76 hours. This suggests the OnePlus 9 Pro offers better overall battery life despite the Red Magic 6R’s gaming focus. However, charging speeds are where the OnePlus 9 Pro truly shines. Its 65W wired charging (0-100% in 29 minutes) and 50W wireless charging (0-100% in 43 minutes) are significantly faster than the Red Magic 6R’s 55W (China) / 30W (International) wired charging. The OnePlus 9 Pro also adds 5W reverse wireless charging, a convenience feature absent on the Red Magic 6R.
Buying Guide
Buy the ZTE nubia Red Magic 6R if you need uncompromising gaming performance, long play sessions without throttling, and a more affordable price. You'll sacrifice camera quality and some software polish. Buy the OnePlus 9 Pro if you prefer a versatile camera system, incredibly fast charging (wired and wireless), a brighter and more color-accurate display, and a smoother, more feature-rich software experience, even if it means paying a premium.