ZTE nubia Red Magic 8 Pro vs. Xiaomi 13 Pro: A Deep Dive into Gaming and Flagship Performance
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For dedicated mobile gamers, the ZTE nubia Red Magic 8 Pro is the clear winner, offering superior cooling and a gaming-centric design. However, the Xiaomi 13 Pro excels in camera quality, faster charging, and a more refined software experience, making it the better choice for general users.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | ZTE nubia Red Magic 8 Pro | Xiaomi 13 Pro |
| 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, 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, 42, 48, 66 - International |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 41, 66, 77, 78 SA/NSA | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 71, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA - International |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE-A, 5G | HSPA, LTE, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / CDMA2000 / LTE / 5G |
| CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | 1, 3, 5, 8, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA - China | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2022, December 26 | 2022, December 11 |
| Status | Available. Released 2022, December 28 | Available. Released 2022, December 14 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), ceramic back or silicone polymer back, aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 164 x 76.4 x 8.9 mm (6.46 x 3.01 x 0.35 in) | 162.9 x 74.6 x 8.4 mm or 8.7 mm |
| SIM | Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 228 g (8.04 oz) | 210 g or 229 g (7.41 oz) |
| Pressure sensitive zones (520Hz 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 | 1116 x 2480 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~400 ppi density) | 1440 x 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~522 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.8 inches, 111.6 cm2 (~89.1% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.73 inches, 108.9 cm2 (~89.6% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | AMOLED, 1B colors (China only), 120Hz, 1300 nits (peak) | LTPO AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1900 nits (peak) |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.2 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510) | Octa-core (1x3.2 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8550-AB Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) | Qualcomm SM8550-AB Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 740 | Adreno 740 |
| OS | Android 13, Redmagic OS 6 | Android 13, upgradable to Android 14, HyperOS |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM |
| UFS 4.0 | UFS 3.1 - 128GB UFS 4.0 - 256/512GB | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, HDR, panorama | Laser AF, color spectrum sensor, Leica lens, Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panorama |
| Single | 16 MP, f/2.0, (wide), 1.12µm, under display | - |
| Triple | 50 MP, f/1.9, 25mm (wide), 1/1.57", 1.0µm, PDAF 8 MP, f/2.2, 120˚, 13mm (ultrawide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm 2 MP, f/2.4, (macro) | 50.3 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1.0"-type, 1.6µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 50 MP, f/2.0, 75mm (telephoto), PDAF (10cm - ∞), 3.2x optical zoom 50 MP, f/2.2, 14mm, 115˚ (ultrawide), AF |
| Video | 8K@30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps | 8K@24fps (HDR), 4K@24/30/60fps (HDR10+, 10-bit Dolby Vision HDR, 10-bit LOG), 1080p@30/120/240/960fps, 1080p@1920fps, gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR, panorama |
| Single | 16 MP, f/2.0, (wide), 1.12µm, under display | 32 MP, f/2.0, 22mm (wide), 1/3.14", 0.7µm |
| Video | 1080p@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 | 24-bit/192kHz audio | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.3, A2DP, LE | 5.3, A2DP, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive |
| Infrared port | - | Yes |
| NFC | Yes (market/region dependent) | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (G1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC (L5) |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2 (China), 3.1 (International), OTG, accessory connector, DisplayPort | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7, tri-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, optical), accelerometer, proximity, gyro, compass, barometer |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 80W wired, PD3.0, 100% in 35 min (advertised) - China 65W wired, PD3.0, 100% in 43 min (advertised) - International | 120W wired, PD3.0, QC4, 100% in 19 min 50W wireless, 100% in 36 min 10W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 6000 mAh, non-removable | Li-Po 4820 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, Transparent | Ceramic White, Ceramic Black, Ceramic Flora Green, Mountain Blue |
| Models | NX729J | 2210132G, 2210132C |
| Price | $ 659.00 | About 750 EUR |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 131h | Endurance rating 115h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -24.1 LUFS (Very good) | -25.6 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 1288866 (v9) GeekBench: 5211 (v5.1) GFXBench: 97fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 1281666 (v9) GeekBench: 5087 (v5.1), 5323 (v6) GFXBench: 64fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
ZTE nubia Red Magic 8 Pro
- Superior cooling for sustained gaming
- Potentially higher refresh rate display
- Longer battery endurance (131h)
- Slower charging speeds
- Likely less refined camera system
- Gaming-focused design may not appeal to all
Xiaomi 13 Pro
- Incredibly fast 120W wired charging
- Versatile and high-quality camera system
- Wireless and reverse wireless charging
- Shorter battery endurance (115h)
- May experience more thermal throttling during prolonged gaming
- Higher price point (likely)
Display Comparison
Both devices feature displays with an infinite (nominal) contrast ratio, suggesting excellent black levels. However, the Xiaomi 13 Pro boasts a measured peak brightness of 1253 nits, significantly exceeding what's likely available on the Red Magic 8 Pro, making it more visible outdoors. While both likely utilize LTPO technology for adaptive refresh rates, the Red Magic 8 Pro’s focus on gaming suggests a potentially higher maximum refresh rate, though this isn’t specified in the provided data. The Red Magic 8 Pro’s under-display camera implementation, while not detailed here, is a key differentiator for an uninterrupted viewing experience.
Camera Comparison
The provided data only indicates both phones have 'Photo / Video' capabilities. Given Xiaomi’s history, the 13 Pro likely features a more sophisticated camera system with larger sensors and advanced image processing. The absence of sensor size details for the Red Magic 8 Pro suggests it may prioritize gaming features over camera prowess. The Xiaomi 13 Pro is expected to excel in low-light photography and video stabilization, while the Red Magic 8 Pro’s camera is likely adequate but not a primary selling point. Ignoring the likely presence of low-resolution macro lenses on both devices, the main sensor and processing pipeline will be the deciding factor.
Performance
Both phones are powered by the Qualcomm SM8550-AB Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) chipset, utilizing the same Octa-core CPU configuration. This means raw processing power will be comparable. The key difference lies in thermal management. The Red Magic 8 Pro is built for sustained performance under load, likely incorporating a more aggressive cooling solution (fan, vapor chamber) than the Xiaomi 13 Pro. This will minimize thermal throttling during extended gaming sessions. While both use LPDDR5x RAM, the Red Magic 8 Pro’s focus on gaming may prioritize faster RAM speeds or configurations.
Battery Life
The Red Magic 8 Pro has an endurance rating of 131 hours, while the Xiaomi 13 Pro has a rating of 115 hours. However, the Xiaomi 13 Pro’s 120W wired charging (100% in 19 minutes) is significantly faster than the Red Magic 8 Pro’s 80W (China) or 65W (International) charging (35/43 minutes respectively). The Xiaomi 13 Pro also offers 50W wireless charging and 10W reverse wireless charging, features absent on the Red Magic 8 Pro. While the Red Magic 8 Pro may have slightly longer overall battery life, the Xiaomi 13 Pro’s charging speed provides a more convenient user experience, especially for power users.
Buying Guide
Buy the ZTE nubia Red Magic 8 Pro if you prioritize sustained gaming performance, need the longest possible gaming sessions, and appreciate features like shoulder triggers. Buy the Xiaomi 13 Pro if you value a versatile camera system, incredibly fast charging speeds (including wireless), and a more mainstream, polished user experience with broader software support.