ZTE nubia Red Magic 7 vs. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra: A Deep Dive into Gaming and Flagship Features
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For dedicated mobile gamers, the ZTE nubia Red Magic 7 is the clear winner, offering superior cooling and a blistering 120W charging speed. However, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G excels as a more balanced flagship, providing a better camera experience, longer battery endurance, and a more refined software experience for the average user.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | ZTE nubia Red Magic 7 | Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM 1 & SIM 2 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 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, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - International |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 41, 77, 78 SA/NSA | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International |
| 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 / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2022, February 17 | 2022, February 09 |
| Status | Available. Released 2022, February 21 | Available. Released 2022, February 25 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, glass back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus+), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus+), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 170.6 x 78.3 x 9.5 mm (6.72 x 3.08 x 0.37 in) | 163.3 x 77.9 x 8.9 mm (6.43 x 3.07 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 | 215 g (7.58 oz) | 228 g / 229 g (mmWave) (8.04 oz) |
| Pressure sensitive zones (500Hz touch-sensing) Built-in cooling fan Aviation aluminum middle frame | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Armor aluminum frame with tougher drop and scratch resistance (advertised) Stylus, 2.8ms latency (Bluetooth integration, accelerometer, gyro) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+ |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~387 ppi density) | 1440 x 3088 pixels, 19.3:9 ratio (~500 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.8 inches, 111.6 cm2 (~83.6% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.8 inches, 114.7 cm2 (~90.2% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | AMOLED, 1B colors (China only), 165Hz, 700 nits (typ) | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1750 nits (peak) |
| - | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.00 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) | Octa-core (1x2.8 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.8 GHz Cortex-A510) - EuropeOcta-core (1x3.00 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) - ROW |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm) | Exynos 2200 (4 nm) - EuropeQualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm) - ROW |
| GPU | Adreno 730 | Xclipse 920 - EuropeAdreno 730 - ROW |
| OS | Android 12, Redmagic 5.0 | Android 12, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 128GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 16GB RAM, 256GB 18GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | UFS 3.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, HDR, panorama | Laser AF, LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Quad | - | 108 MP, f/1.8, 23mm (wide), 1/1.33", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS 10 MP, f/2.4, 70mm (telephoto), 1/3.52", 1.12µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 10 MP, f/4.9, 230mm (periscope telephoto), 1/3.52", 1.12µm, PDAF, OIS, 10x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, Super Steady video |
| 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, f/2.4, (macro) | - |
| 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 | 8 MP, f/2.0, (wide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm | 40 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.82", 0.7µm, PDAF |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | No |
| 35mm jack | - | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | 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 | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | No | No |
| 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/6e, 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 | 120W wired, PD3.0, 100% in 17 min (China) 65W wired, PD3.0 (International) | 45W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4500 mAh, non-removable | Li-Ion 5000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Obsidian, Pulsar, Supernova | Phantom Black, White, Burgundy, Green, Graphite, Red, Sky Blue, Bora Purple |
| Models | NX679J | SM-S908B, SM-S908B/DS, SM-S908U, SM-S908U1, SM-S908W, SM-S908N, SM-S9080, SM-S908E, SM-S908E/DS |
| Price | About 630 EUR | € 397.07 / $ 269.98 / £ 304.99 / ₹ 63,899 |
| SAR | - | 1.18 W/kg (head) 0.98 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 1.05 W/kg (head) 1.58 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 89h | Endurance rating 108h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -22.7 LUFS (Excellent) | -27.3 LUFS (Good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 1056488 (v9) GeekBench: 3855(v5.1) GFXBench: 77fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 968359 (v9) GeekBench: 3657 (v5.1) GFXBench: 37fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
ZTE nubia Red Magic 7
- Blazing-fast 120W charging (China)
- Superior cooling system for sustained gaming
- High refresh rate display optimized for gaming
- Inferior camera performance
- Shorter battery life compared to S22 Ultra
- Less refined software experience
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G
- Versatile and high-quality camera system
- Brighter and more color-accurate display
- Longer battery life and wireless charging
- Slower charging speed
- Potential for thermal throttling (Exynos variant)
- Higher price point
Display Comparison
Both devices feature 'Infinite' contrast ratio displays, but their strengths diverge. The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra boasts a measured peak brightness of 1266 nits, significantly outshining the Red Magic 7, making it more usable in direct sunlight. While both likely utilize AMOLED technology, the S22 Ultra’s panel is expected to have a more sophisticated color calibration and potentially LTPO technology for variable refresh rates, improving efficiency. The Red Magic 7 prioritizes a high refresh rate for gaming, but lacks the S22 Ultra’s brightness and color accuracy.
Camera Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is the clear winner in the camera department. While both phones offer 'Photo/Video' capabilities, the S22 Ultra’s sensor size, lens apertures, and image processing algorithms are significantly more advanced. The Red Magic 7’s camera is likely adequate for casual use, but it won’t compete with the S22 Ultra’s detail, dynamic range, and low-light performance. The S22 Ultra’s multi-camera system offers versatility with various focal lengths, while the Red Magic 7 likely focuses on a simpler setup.
Performance
Both phones utilize the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4nm) in some regions, but the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra also comes with the Exynos 2200 (4nm) in Europe. While the CPU core configuration is largely similar (1x Cortex-X2, 3x Cortex-A710, 4x Cortex-A510), the Red Magic 7’s dedicated cooling system is a crucial differentiator. This allows it to sustain peak performance for longer periods without thermal throttling. The S22 Ultra, particularly the Exynos variant, is more prone to throttling under sustained load. The Red Magic 7’s focus on gaming also likely means optimized RAM management for faster app switching and game loading.
Battery Life
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G has an endurance rating of 108 hours, exceeding the Red Magic 7’s 89-hour rating. However, this doesn’t tell the whole story. The Red Magic 7 compensates with an astonishing 120W wired charging (in China, 65W internationally), achieving a full charge in just 17 minutes. The S22 Ultra’s 45W charging is considerably slower. This means while the S22 Ultra lasts longer on a single charge, the Red Magic 7 can quickly top up when needed, making it less reliant on finding a charger.
Buying Guide
Buy the ZTE nubia Red Magic 7 if you prioritize sustained gaming performance, rapid charging, and a dedicated gaming aesthetic. You'll benefit from its active cooling system and high refresh rate display. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G if you value a versatile camera system, a brighter and more color-accurate display, longer overall battery life, and the S Pen functionality for productivity and creative tasks.