ZTE nubia Red Magic 6R vs. Sony Xperia 1 III: A Deep Dive into Gaming and Cinematic Experiences
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing all-around performance and a refined multimedia experience, the Sony Xperia 1 III emerges as the stronger choice. Its superior battery endurance and more versatile camera system outweigh the Red Magic 6R’s gaming-centric features. However, dedicated mobile gamers will find the Red Magic 6R’s aggressive cooling and potentially lower price more appealing.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | ZTE nubia Red Magic 6R | Sony Xperia 1 III |
| 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) / 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, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 66 - Europe |
| 5G bands | 1, 28, 41, 78 SA/NSA - China | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - Europe |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE-A, 5G | HSPA, LTE, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / CDMA2000 / LTE / 5G | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
| CDMA2000 1x | SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA (specific) | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2021, May 27 | 2021, April 14 |
| Status | Available. Released 2021, June 02 | Available. Released 2021, August 25 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 3), aluminum frame, glass back | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass 6), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 163 x 75.3 x 7.8 mm (6.42 x 2.96 x 0.31 in) | 165 x 71 x 8.2 mm (6.50 x 2.80 x 0.32 in) |
| SIM | Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 186 g (6.56 oz) | 186 g / 187.1 g (mmWave) (6.56 oz) |
| Pressure sensitive zones (400Hz touch-sensing) | IP65/IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~395 ppi density) | 1644 x 3840 pixels, 21:9 ratio (~643 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.67 inches, 107.4 cm2 (~87.5% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.5 inches, 98.6 cm2 (~84.2% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | AMOLED, 1B colors, 144Hz, 770 nits (peak) | OLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR BT.2020 |
| - | Runs at 1096 x 2560 pixels except for select use cases | |
| 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 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) |
| Internal | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 128GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM | 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | UFS 3.X | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Dual-LED flash, HDR, panorama | Zeiss optics, Zeiss T* lens coating, color spectrum sensor, LED flash, panorama, HDR, eye tracking |
| 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) | - |
| Single | 16 MP, (wide) | 8 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1/4", 1.12µm |
| Triple | - | 12 MP, f/1.7, 24mm (wide), 1/1.7", 1.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.3, 70mm (telephoto), f/2.8, 105mm (telephoto), 1/2.9", dual pixel PDAF, 3x/4.4x optical zoom, OIS 12 MP, f/2.2, 124˚, 16mm (ultrawide), 1/2.6", dual pixel PDAF 0.3 MP, TOF 3D, (depth) |
| Video | 8K@30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps | 4K@24/25/30/60/120fps HDR, 1080p@30/60/120fps; 5-axis gyro-EIS, OIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 16 MP, (wide) | 8 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 1080p@30fps, 5-axis gyro-EIS |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | Yes |
| 35mm jack | - | Yes |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 32-bit/384kHz audio | 24-bit/192kHz audio Dynamic vibration system | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, aptX, LE | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive |
| NFC | Yes (market/region dependent) | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, BDS | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.0, OTG, accessory connector | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG, video output |
| 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 (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer, compass |
| - | Native Sony Alpha camera support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 55W wired, PD3.0, QC4 (China) 30W wired, PD3.0, QC4 (International) | 30W wired, PD, 50% in 30 min Wireless Reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4200 mAh, non-removable | Li-Po 4500 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, Mercury Silver, Light Blue | Frosted Black, Frosted Gray, Frosted Purple |
| Models | NX666J | XQBC62/V, XQBC52V.UKCX, SO-51B, SOG03, A101SO, XQ-BC62, XQ-BC72, XQ-BC52, XQ-BC01, XQ-BC11, XQ-BC21, XQ-BC72 |
| Price | About 500 EUR | € 505.26 / $ 903.43 |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 76h | Endurance rating 82h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -27.9 LUFS (Good) | -26.5 LUFS (Good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 708156 (v8) | 823354 (v9) GeekBench: 3486 (v5.1) GFXBench: 59fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 607423 (v8) GeekBench: 3515 (v5.1) GFXBench: 54fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
ZTE nubia Red Magic 6R
- Faster wired charging (China variant)
- Aggressive cooling system for sustained gaming
- Potentially lower price point
- Lower battery endurance rating
- Camera likely less versatile than Xperia 1 III
- Software experience may be less refined
Sony Xperia 1 III
- Superior battery endurance
- More versatile and higher-quality camera system
- Wireless and reverse wireless charging
- Slower wired charging
- May experience thermal throttling under sustained load
- Higher price point
Display Comparison
Both the ZTE nubia Red Magic 6R and Sony Xperia 1 III feature displays with an infinite (nominal) contrast ratio, suggesting excellent black levels. However, the Xperia 1 III boasts a measured peak brightness of 620 nits, significantly exceeding what’s likely available on the Red Magic 6R, making it more usable in direct sunlight. While both utilize the Snapdragon 888, the Xperia 1 III’s display is geared towards color accuracy and cinematic viewing, while the Red Magic 6R likely prioritizes refresh rate for gaming. The absence of refresh rate data for the Red Magic 6R is a key omission, but it’s a critical spec for its target audience.
Camera Comparison
Both phones list 'Photo / Video' capabilities, but the Xperia 1 III is positioned as a professional-grade camera phone. While specific sensor details are missing for both, Sony’s history suggests a larger sensor and more sophisticated image processing in the Xperia 1 III. The Red Magic 6R’s camera is likely a secondary consideration, focusing on adequate performance rather than pushing photographic boundaries. The absence of details regarding OIS or lens apertures makes a direct comparison difficult, but the Xperia 1 III is expected to offer superior image quality, particularly in low-light conditions and for video recording.
Performance
Both devices are powered by the Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) chipset, featuring the same CPU configuration: an octa-core setup with 1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1, 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78, and 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55 cores. Performance will be largely similar in CPU-bound tasks. The Red Magic 6R’s advantage lies in its dedicated cooling system, designed to prevent thermal throttling during extended gaming sessions. The Xperia 1 III, while capable, may experience more performance degradation under sustained load. RAM configurations are not specified, but the Red Magic 6R likely prioritizes faster RAM speeds (LPDDR5x) to further enhance gaming performance.
Battery Life
The Sony Xperia 1 III exhibits a slight edge in battery endurance with a rating of 82 hours, compared to the Red Magic 6R’s 76 hours. This suggests more efficient power management or a larger battery capacity in the Xperia 1 III. Charging speeds differ significantly: the Red Magic 6R supports 55W wired charging (China) or 30W (International) with PD3.0 and QC4, while the Xperia 1 III offers 30W wired charging with PD, plus wireless and reverse wireless charging. The Red Magic 6R’s faster charging (in China) allows for quicker top-ups, but the Xperia 1 III’s wireless charging adds convenience.
Buying Guide
Buy the ZTE nubia Red Magic 6R if you need a dedicated gaming phone with sustained performance under heavy load, and prioritize raw power over camera versatility or a polished software experience. Buy the Sony Xperia 1 III if you prefer a premium, all-around flagship with a focus on photography, videography, and a high-quality display for content consumption, and value a more refined user experience.