ZTE nubia Red Magic 7 vs. Xiaomi 12S Ultra: A Deep Dive for Power Users
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing camera quality and a more balanced experience, the Xiaomi 12S Ultra emerges as the winner. Its Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 offers improved efficiency and its camera system is demonstrably superior. However, dedicated mobile gamers will find the Red Magic 7’s aggressive cooling and 120W charging more compelling.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | ZTE nubia Red Magic 7 | Xiaomi 12S Ultra |
| 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 800 / 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, 17, 18, 19, 26, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42 |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 41, 77, 78 SA/NSA | 1, 3, 5, 8, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE-A, 5G | HSPA, LTE, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2022, February 17 | 2022, July 04 |
| Status | Available. Released 2022, February 21 | Available. Released 2022, July 09 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, glass back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), eco leather back, aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 170.6 x 78.3 x 9.5 mm (6.72 x 3.08 x 0.37 in) | 163.2 x 75 x 9.1 mm (6.43 x 2.95 x 0.36 in) |
| SIM | Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 215 g (7.58 oz) | 225 g (7.94 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) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~387 ppi density) | 1440 x 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~522 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.8 inches, 111.6 cm2 (~83.6% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.73 inches, 108.9 cm2 (~89.0% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | AMOLED, 1B colors (China only), 165Hz, 700 nits (typ) | LTPO2 AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 1000 nits (HBM), 1500 nits (peak) |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.00 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) | Octa-core (1x3.19 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.75 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm) | Qualcomm SM8475 Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (4 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 730 | Adreno 730 |
| OS | Android 12, Redmagic 5.0 | Android 12, MIUI 13 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 128GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 16GB RAM, 256GB 18GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM | 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | UFS 3.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, HDR, panorama | Laser AF, color spectrum sensor, Leica lenses, Dual-LED flash, HDR, panorama |
| Single | 8 MP, f/2.0, (wide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm | 32 MP, f/2.4, 25mm (wide), 0.7µm |
| 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) | 50 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1.0"-type, 1.6µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 48 MP, f/4.1, 120mm (periscope telephoto), 1/2.0", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom 48 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 128˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.0", 0.8µm, dual pixel PDAF TOF 3D, (depth) |
| Video | 8K@30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, 720p@3840fps, gyro-EIS, Dolby Vision HDR 10-bit rec. (4K, 1080p) |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR, panorama |
| Single | 8 MP, f/2.0, (wide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm | 32 MP, f/2.4, 25mm (wide), 0.7µm |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | No |
| 35mm jack | - | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 32-bit/384kHz audio | 24-bit/192kHz audio Tuned by Harman Kardon | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, aptX, LE | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive |
| Infrared port | - | Yes |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC (L5) |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.0, OTG, accessory connector | USB Type-C 2.0, 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, DLNA |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, compass, barometer |
| - | Virtual proximity sensing | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 120W wired, PD3.0, 100% in 17 min (China) 65W wired, PD3.0 (International) | 67W wired, PD3.0, QC4, 100% in 41 min 50W wireless, 100% in 52 min 10W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4500 mAh, non-removable | Li-Po 4860 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Obsidian, Pulsar, Supernova | Black, Dark Green |
| Models | NX679J | 2203121C |
| Price | About 630 EUR | $ 288.00 |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 89h | Endurance rating 93h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -22.7 LUFS (Excellent) | -25.6 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 1056488 (v9) GeekBench: 3855(v5.1) GFXBench: 77fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 1039412 (v9) GeekBench: 4300 (v5.1) GFXBench: 51fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
ZTE nubia Red Magic 7
- Blazing-fast 120W (China) charging
- Aggressive cooling system for sustained gaming
- Dedicated gaming features (triggers, fan)
- Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 is less efficient than 8+ Gen 1
- Camera likely inferior to the 12S Ultra
- Software may be less refined
Xiaomi 12S Ultra
- Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 offers better efficiency and performance
- Exceptional camera system
- Bright and vibrant display
- Slower charging speeds (67W wired)
- No wireless charging
- Less focused on gaming-specific features
Display Comparison
Both devices feature displays with an 'Infinite' contrast ratio, suggesting deep blacks. However, the Xiaomi 12S Ultra boasts a measured peak brightness of 1065 nits, significantly exceeding what’s likely available on the Red Magic 7, making it more usable in direct sunlight. While both are likely high refresh rate panels, the Red Magic 7’s focus on gaming suggests a potentially higher PWM dimming rate, which could benefit users sensitive to flicker. The 12S Ultra’s brightness advantage is a clear win for outdoor visibility.
Camera Comparison
Both phones are listed as having Photo/Video capabilities, but the Xiaomi 12S Ultra is expected to excel in this area, given Xiaomi’s history with flagship camera systems. While specific sensor details are missing, the 12S Ultra likely features a larger main sensor and more sophisticated image processing algorithms. The Red Magic 7, geared towards gaming, likely prioritizes camera functionality less, resulting in a less competitive imaging experience. The 12S Ultra’s camera system is a major selling point, while the Red Magic 7’s is likely adequate but not exceptional.
Performance
The Xiaomi 12S Ultra’s Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (4nm) represents a significant architectural improvement over the Red Magic 7’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4nm). The ‘+’ variant features higher clock speeds (3.19 GHz vs 3.00 GHz on the X2 core, and 2.75 GHz vs 2.50 GHz on the A710 cores) and, crucially, a more efficient manufacturing process. This translates to better thermal management and sustained performance under load, reducing the likelihood of throttling during prolonged gaming. While both utilize LPDDR5 RAM, the 8+ Gen 1’s efficiency gains are the key differentiator.
Battery Life
Both phones achieve similar endurance ratings (89h for Red Magic 7, 93h for 12S Ultra), suggesting comparable real-world battery life despite the Red Magic 7’s faster 120W (China) / 65W (International) charging. The 12S Ultra offers 67W wired, 50W wireless, and 10W reverse wireless charging, providing greater versatility. The Red Magic 7’s 120W charging (in China) is significantly faster, reaching 100% in just 17 minutes, a boon for gamers needing quick top-ups. However, the international version’s 65W charging is slower. The 12S Ultra’s wireless charging is a feature absent on the Red Magic 7.
Buying Guide
Buy the ZTE nubia Red Magic 7 if you need a phone specifically engineered for extended gaming sessions, prioritizing sustained performance and rapid charging over all else. Buy the Xiaomi 12S Ultra if you prefer a versatile flagship with a world-class camera system, excellent display brightness, and a more refined software experience, even if it means slightly less raw gaming horsepower.