ZTE nubia Red Magic 6s vs Apple iPhone 12: A Detailed Showdown
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The Red Magic 6s wins for raw gaming power and aggressive cooling, offering a smoother experience for demanding titles. However, the iPhone 12 boasts a superior ecosystem, better software support, and a more refined overall user experience, making it the better choice for most users.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | ZTE nubia Red Magic 6s | Apple iPhone 12 |
| 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 | LTE | 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 - A2172 |
| 5G bands | SA/NSA | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79, 260, 261 Sub6/mmWave - A2172 |
| 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 | - | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2021, September 06 | 2020, October 13 |
| Status | Available. Released 2021, September 27 | Available. Released 2020, October 23 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, glass back, aluminum frame | Glass front, glass back, aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 169.9 x 77.2 x 9.5 mm (6.69 x 3.04 x 0.37 in) | 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4 mm (5.78 x 2.81 x 0.29 in) |
| SIM | Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM (China) |
| Weight | 215 g (7.58 oz) | 164 g (5.78 oz) |
| Pressure sensitive zones (450Hz touch-sensing) Sliding trigger on the back Built-in cooling fan RGB Light | - | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass | Ceramic Shield glass |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~387 ppi density) | 1170 x 2532 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.8 inches, 111.6 cm2 (~85.1% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.1 inches, 90.2 cm2 (~86.0% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | AMOLED, 165Hz, 700 nits (typ) | Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 625 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak) |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.0 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 4.5 | iOS 14.1, upgradable to iOS 26.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 16GB RAM | 64GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 4GB RAM, 256GB 4GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | - | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | - | 12 MP, f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.4, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.6" |
| 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) | - |
| Video | 8K@30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 30fps), 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, heart rate | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 30W wired, PD3.0, QC5 | 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 | Li-Ion 2815 mAh (10.78 Wh) |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Eclipse Black, Transparent | Black, White, Red, Green, Blue, Purple |
| Models | - | A2403, A2172, A2402, A2404, iPhone13,2 |
| Price | About 500 EUR | $ 190.00 / C$ 307.99 / £ 190.00 / € 219.00 / ₹ 54,900 |
| SAR EU | - | 0.99 W/kg (head) 0.99 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 84h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | - | -24.4 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 568674 (v8) GeekBench: 4067 (v5.1) GFXBench: 58fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
ZTE nubia Red Magic 6s
- Exceptional gaming performance
- High 165Hz refresh rate display
- Aggressive cooling system
- Fast charging (30W)
- Camera not as good as iPhone 12
- Android software updates may be less frequent
- Design less premium than iPhone 12
Apple iPhone 12
- Excellent camera quality
- Seamless iOS ecosystem
- Long-term software support
- MagSafe wireless charging
- Premium build quality
- Charging speed slower than Red Magic 6s
- Gaming performance slightly behind Red Magic 6s
- Less customizable than Android
Display Comparison
The Red Magic 6s features a 6.67-inch AMOLED display with a 165Hz refresh rate, ideal for fast-paced gaming. The iPhone 12 has a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display, known for its color accuracy and brightness. While both offer excellent visuals, the Red Magic 6s' higher refresh rate provides a smoother gaming experience.
Camera Comparison
The iPhone 12 consistently delivers excellent photo and video quality thanks to Apple's image processing. The Red Magic 6s offers a capable camera system, but it doesn't match the iPhone 12's overall quality and consistency. The iPhone 12 excels in video recording.
Performance
Both phones pack powerful chipsets. The Red Magic 6s utilizes the Snapdragon 888+, a formidable Android processor. The iPhone 12 is powered by the A14 Bionic, renowned for its efficiency and performance. While benchmarks might show slight differences, real-world performance is excellent on both, though the Red Magic 6s has a slight edge in sustained gaming performance due to its cooling.
Battery Life
The iPhone 12 boasts an impressive endurance rating of 84 hours, suggesting exceptional battery life. The Red Magic 6s, while having a large battery, may drain faster under heavy gaming loads. The iPhone 12 also supports MagSafe wireless charging, adding convenience.
Buying Guide
Buy the ZTE nubia Red Magic 6s if you're a serious mobile gamer prioritizing performance and a high refresh rate display. Buy the Apple iPhone 12 if you value a seamless user experience, long-term software updates, and integration within the Apple ecosystem.