ZTE nubia RedMagic 10S Pro+ vs. Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max: A Deep Dive into Gaming and Ecosystem Supremacy
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing a balanced experience, the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max is the superior choice due to its exceptional camera, refined software, and long-term ecosystem benefits. However, dedicated mobile gamers will find the RedMagic 10S Pro+’s raw power and specialized features undeniably compelling.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | ZTE nubia RedMagic 10SPro+ | Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | 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, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 53, 66 - A3106 |
| 5G bands | SA/NSA | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 53, 66, 70, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A3106 |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G | HSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2025, May 26 | 2023, September 12 |
| Status | Available. Released 2025, May 26 | Available. Released 2023, September 22 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, aluminum frame, glass back | Glass front, glass back, titanium frame (grade 5) |
| Dimensions | 163.4 x 76.1 x 8.9 mm (6.43 x 3.00 x 0.35 in) | 159.9 x 76.7 x 8.3 mm (6.30 x 3.02 x 0.33 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time; International)· eSIM + eSIM (8 or more, max 2 at a time; USA)· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM (China) |
| Weight | 229 g (8.08 oz) | 221 g (7.80 oz) |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Mohs level 4 | Ceramic Shield glass |
| Resolution | 1216 x 2688 pixels (~431 ppi density) | 1290 x 2796 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.85 inches, 113.7 cm2 (~91.4% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.7 inches, 110.2 cm2 (~89.8% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | AMOLED, 1B colors, 144Hz, 2000 nits (peak) | LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (typ), 2000 nits (HBM) |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (2x4.47 GHz Oryon V2 Phoenix L + 6x3.53 GHz Oryon V2 Phoenix M) | Hexa-core (2x3.78 GHz + 4x2.11 GHz) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8750-AC Snapdragon 8 Elite (3 nm) | Apple A17 Pro (3 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 830 (1200 MHz) | Apple GPU (6-core graphics) |
| OS | Android 15, Redmagic OS 10.5 | iOS 17, upgradable to iOS 26.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 512GB 16GB RAM, 1TB 24GB RAM | 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM, 1TB 8GB RAM |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | 50 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/1.55", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS 50 MP, f/2.0, 13mm (ultrawide), 1/2.88", 0.61µm, AF Auxiliary lens | - |
| Features | LED flash, HDR, panorama | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) |
| Triple | - | 48 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 1/1.28", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS 12 MP, f/2.8, 120mm (periscope telephoto), 1/3.06", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF, 3D sensor‑shift OIS, 5x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF TOF 3D LiDAR scanner (depth) |
| Video | 8K@30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, 10-bit HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), ProRes, 3D (spatial) video, stereo sound rec. |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR, Dolby Vision HDR |
| Single | 16 MP, f/2.0, (wide), 1/2.77", 1.0µm, under display | 12 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
| Video | 1080p@30/60fps | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 35mm jack | Yes | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.4, A2DP, LE | 5.3, A2DP, LE |
| Infrared port | Yes | - |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L2+L5), GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS, NavIC |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2, OTG, accessory connector, DisplayPort | USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2, DisplayPort |
| 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, tri-band, hotspot |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 120W wired, 100% in 35 min | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.2 update 4.5W reverse wired |
| Type | Si/C Li-Ion 7500 mAh | Li-Ion 4441 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Dark Knight, White Knight, Transparent Silver Deuterium, Transparent Dark Knight | Black Titanium, White Titanium, Blue Titanium, Natural Titanium |
| Models | NX789J | A2849, A3105, A3106, A3108, iPhone16,2 |
| Price | About 730 EUR | € 758.79 / $ 579.87 / £ 628.29 |
| SAR | - | 1.07 W/kg (head) 1.11 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 0.98 W/kg (head) 0.98 W/kg (body) |
| EU LABEL | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery | 80:12h endurance, 1200 cycles | - |
| Energy | Class A | - |
| Free fall | Class C (90 falls) | - |
| Repairability | Class C | - |
ZTE nubia RedMagic 10SPro+
- Incredibly fast 120W charging
- Potentially higher peak gaming performance due to Snapdragon 8 Elite
- Long battery endurance (80:12h)
- Camera likely inferior to iPhone 15 Pro Max
- Software experience may not be as polished as iOS
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
- Exceptional camera quality and features
- Seamless integration with Apple ecosystem
- Long-term software support and updates
- Slower charging speeds compared to RedMagic
- Higher price point
Display Comparison
The iPhone 15 Pro Max boasts a peak brightness of 1787 nits, ensuring excellent visibility even in direct sunlight. While the RedMagic 10S Pro+’s display specifications aren’t provided, nubia typically prioritizes refresh rate and responsiveness for gaming. The iPhone’s Super Retina XDR display likely offers superior color accuracy and calibration. The iPhone 15 Pro Max’s LTPO technology dynamically adjusts the refresh rate, contributing to battery efficiency, a feature not explicitly mentioned for the RedMagic.
Camera Comparison
The iPhone 15 Pro Max is renowned for its camera capabilities, offering advanced photo and video features. While specific sensor details aren’t provided, Apple’s computational photography and image processing are industry-leading. The RedMagic 10S Pro+’s camera specifications are absent, suggesting it’s not a primary focus. Given nubia’s gaming-centric approach, the camera is likely adequate but won’t compete with the iPhone’s image quality or feature set. The iPhone’s ProRes video recording capabilities and cinematic mode are features unlikely to be found on the RedMagic.
Performance
The core of the RedMagic 10S Pro+ is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite (3nm) chipset, featuring an octa-core CPU configuration with peak clock speeds of 4.47 GHz on its prime cores. This contrasts with the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s Apple A17 Pro (3nm) which utilizes a hexa-core CPU with lower peak clock speeds of 3.78 GHz. However, Apple’s chip design emphasizes efficiency and instruction-level parallelism, often resulting in comparable or superior real-world performance despite lower clock speeds. The RedMagic’s focus on raw clock speed suggests a prioritization of burst performance, beneficial for gaming, while the A17 Pro’s architecture aims for sustained performance and power efficiency. The RedMagic’s cooling system is crucial to maintaining these high clock speeds under load.
Battery Life
The iPhone 15 Pro Max achieves an impressive 16:01h active use score and an endurance rating of 118 hours, demonstrating excellent battery life. The RedMagic 10S Pro+ boasts an 80:12h endurance rating, suggesting comparable longevity despite a potentially smaller battery capacity. However, the RedMagic’s 120W wired charging, capable of a full charge in just 35 minutes, significantly outperforms the iPhone’s slower wired charging (50% in 30 minutes) and wireless options (15W MagSafe/Qi2). The RedMagic also supports 4.5W reverse wired charging, a feature absent on the iPhone.
Buying Guide
Buy the ZTE nubia RedMagic 10S Pro+ if you demand the highest possible frame rates in demanding mobile games, require incredibly fast charging, and prioritize raw performance above all else. Buy the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max if you value a premium camera experience, seamless integration with other Apple devices, a polished software experience, and long-term software support.