ZTE nubia Red Magic 6R vs. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G: A Deep Dive
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing a well-rounded experience with a superior camera and longer battery life, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G is the better choice. However, gamers seeking maximum sustained performance and faster charging will find the Red Magic 6R a compelling option.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | ZTE nubia Red Magic 6R | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G |
| 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, 3, 5, 7, 8, 4, 12, 17, 20, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41 - China | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 48, 66, 71 - SM-G998U1 |
| 5G bands | 1, 28, 41, 78 SA/NSA - China | 2, 5, 25, 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - SM-G998U1 |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE-A, 5G | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G (5+ Gbps DL) |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / CDMA2000 / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| CDMA2000 1x | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - SM-G998B | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2021, May 27 | 2021, January 14 |
| Status | Available. Released 2021, June 02 | Available. Released 2021, January 29 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 3), aluminum frame, glass back | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 163 x 75.3 x 7.8 mm (6.42 x 2.96 x 0.31 in) | 165.1 x 75.6 x 8.9 mm (6.5 x 2.98 x 0.35 in) |
| SIM | Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) |
| Weight | 186 g (6.56 oz) | 227 g (Sub6), 229 g (mmWave) (8.01 oz) |
| Pressure sensitive zones (400Hz touch-sensing) | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Stylus support | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~395 ppi density) | 1440 x 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~515 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.67 inches, 107.4 cm2 (~87.5% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.8 inches, 112.1 cm2 (~89.8% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | AMOLED, 1B colors, 144Hz, 770 nits (peak) | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1500 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 (1x2.9 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.80 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x2.2 GHz Cortex-A55) - InternationalOcta-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) - USA/China |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) | Exynos 2100 (5 nm) - InternationalQualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) - USA/China |
| GPU | Adreno 660 | Mali-G78 MP14 - InternationalAdreno 660 - USA/China |
| OS | Android 11, Redmagic 4.0 | Android 11, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 6.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 128GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 128GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 16GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | UFS 3.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Dual-LED flash, HDR, panorama | Laser AF, LED flash, auto-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) | 108 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 1/1.33", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS 10 MP, f/2.4, 72mm (telephoto), 1/3.24", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 10 MP, f/4.9, 240mm (periscope telephoto), 1/3.24", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS, 10x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm (ultrawide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, Super Steady video |
| Single | 16 MP, (wide) | - |
| Video | 8K@30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 16 MP, (wide) | 40 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.7µm, PDAF |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | - | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 32-bit/384kHz audio | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, aptX, LE | 5.2, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes (market/region dependent) | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, BDS | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | No | FM radio (Snapdragon model only; market/operator dependent) |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.0, OTG, accessory connector | USB Type-C 3.2, 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/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| - | Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support) Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 55W wired, PD3.0, QC4 (China) 30W wired, PD3.0, QC4 (International) | 25W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4200 mAh, non-removable | Li-Ion 5000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, Mercury Silver, Light Blue | Phantom Black, Phantom Silver, Phantom Titanium, Phantom Navy, Phantom Brown, Navy |
| Models | NX666J | SM-G998B, SM-G998B/DS, SM-G998U, SM-G998U1, SM-G998W, SM-G998N, SM-G9980 |
| Price | About 500 EUR | $ 240.01 / C$ 353.20 / £ 202.99 / € 264.99 |
| SAR | - | 0.77 W/kg (head) 1.02 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 0.71 W/kg (head) 1.58 W/kg (body) |
| Pricing | ||
|---|---|---|
| 128GB 12GB RAM | - | $ 384.99 |
| 256GB 12GB RAM | - | $ 998.00 |
| 512GB 12GB RAM | - | $ 1,179.99 |
| RENEWED | - | $ 459.00 |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 76h | Endurance rating 114h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -27.9 LUFS (Good) | -25.5 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 708156 (v8) | 823354 (v9) GeekBench: 3486 (v5.1) GFXBench: 59fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 657150 (v8) GeekBench: 3518 (v5.1) GFXBench: 33fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
ZTE nubia Red Magic 6R
- Significantly faster charging (up to 55W)
- Dedicated gaming features and cooling
- Potentially more aggressive performance tuning for gaming
- Lower battery endurance
- Likely less versatile camera system
- Less refined overall user experience
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
- Superior battery life (114h endurance)
- Excellent camera system with versatile features
- Brighter and more color-accurate display
- Slower charging speed (25W)
- Exynos variant may exhibit more thermal throttling
- Higher price point
Display Comparison
Both devices feature an 'Infinite' contrast ratio, suggesting deep blacks. However, the S21 Ultra boasts a measured peak brightness of 1023 nits, significantly exceeding what's expected from the Red Magic 6R, making it far more usable in direct sunlight. While both are excellent, the S21 Ultra’s superior brightness and likely more refined color calibration (based on Samsung’s display expertise) provide a better viewing experience for general content consumption. The Red Magic 6R likely prioritizes refresh rate over peak brightness, catering to the demands of fast-paced gaming.
Camera Comparison
The context data only states 'Photo / Video' for both, lacking specifics. However, Samsung’s S21 Ultra is renowned for its versatile camera system, including multiple lenses and advanced image processing. The Red Magic 6R, geared towards gaming, likely features a more basic camera setup. Given the S21 Ultra’s history, it likely includes features like 8K video recording and advanced zoom capabilities absent on the Red Magic 6R. The S21 Ultra’s larger sensor size (expected, based on Samsung’s flagship history) will also contribute to better low-light performance.
Performance
Both phones utilize the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G chipset in some regions (USA/China for the S21 Ultra). However, the international S21 Ultra uses the Exynos 2100. While both are 5nm chips, the Snapdragon 888 generally exhibits slightly better sustained performance and thermal efficiency. The Red Magic 6R’s dedicated cooling system further enhances its ability to maintain peak performance during extended gaming. The S21 Ultra’s CPU clocks are marginally higher (2.9 GHz vs 2.84 GHz on the Red Magic 6R’s primary core), but this difference is unlikely to be noticeable in real-world usage. The Red Magic 6R’s focus on gaming likely means more aggressive CPU/GPU clock profiles.
Battery Life
The S21 Ultra boasts an endurance rating of 114 hours, significantly outperforming the Red Magic 6R’s 76 hours. This suggests a larger battery capacity and/or more efficient power management in the S21 Ultra. However, the Red Magic 6R compensates with significantly faster charging – 55W wired (China) or 30W (International) versus the S21 Ultra’s 25W. This means the Red Magic 6R can replenish its battery much quicker, even if it doesn’t last as long on a single charge. The S21 Ultra also offers 15W wireless charging and 4.5W reverse wireless charging, features absent on the Red Magic 6R.
Buying Guide
Buy the ZTE nubia Red Magic 6R if you prioritize uninterrupted gaming sessions, require the fastest possible charging speeds, and are willing to compromise on camera versatility. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G if you value a top-tier camera system, a brighter and more color-accurate display, and all-day battery life with wireless charging convenience.