ZTE nubia RedMagic 7 vs. Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max: A Head-to-Head for Power Users
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user, the Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max is the more compelling choice. Its superior battery life (121h endurance vs 89h), brighter display (1050 nits), and polished software experience outweigh the RedMagic 7’s faster charging and raw processing power for most tasks. However, serious mobile gamers will find the RedMagic 7’s dedicated features invaluable.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | ZTE nubia RedMagic 7 | Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | 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, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66 - A2643, A2644, A2645 |
| 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, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A2643, A2644 |
| 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 |
| - | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A2641 | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2022, February 17 | 2021, September 14 |
| Status | Available. Released 2022, February 21 | Available. Released 2021, September 24 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, glass back, aluminum frame | Glass front, glass back, stainless steel frame |
| Dimensions | 170.6 x 78.3 x 9.5 mm (6.72 x 3.08 x 0.37 in) | 160.8 x 78.1 x 7.7 mm (6.33 x 3.07 x 0.30 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 215 g (7.58 oz) | 240 g (8.47 oz) |
| - | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 | Ceramic Shield glass |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~387 ppi density) | 1284 x 2778 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~458 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.8 inches, 111.6 cm2 (~83.6% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.7 inches, 109.8 cm2 (~87.4% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | AMOLED, 1B colors (China only), 165Hz, 700 nits (typ) | Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak) |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.00 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) | Hexa-core (2x3.23 GHz Avalanche + 4x1.82 GHz Blizzard) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm) | Apple A15 Bionic (5 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 730 | Apple GPU (5-core graphics) |
| OS | Android 12, Redmagic 5.0 | iOS 15, upgradable to iOS 26.1 |
| 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 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM, 1TB 6GB RAM |
| - | NVMe | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, HDR, panorama | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) |
| Single | - | 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6" SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
| 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) | 12 MP, f/1.5, 26mm (wide), 1/1.7", 1.9µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS 12 MP, f/2.8, 77mm (telephoto), PDAF, 1/3.4", 1.0µm, OIS, 3x optical zoom 12 MP, f/1.8, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.4", 1.0µm, 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, 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 | - | No |
| 35mm jack | Yes | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, aptX, LE | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, 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/6e, 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 | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| - | Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 120W wired, PD3.0, 100% in 17 min (China) 65W wired, PD3.0 (International) | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.2 update |
| Type | Li-Po 4500 mAh | Li-Ion 4352 mAh (16.75 Wh) |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Obsidian, Pulsar, Supernova | Graphite, Gold, Silver, Sierra Blue, Alpine Green |
| Models | NX679J | A2643, A2484, A2641, A2644, A2645, iphone14,3 |
| Price | About 630 EUR | € 423.38 / $ 394.86 / £ 355.00 |
| SAR | - | 1.18 W/kg (head) 1.20 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 0.99 W/kg (head) 0.98 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 121h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | - | -24.0 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 801691 (v9) GeekBench: 4706 (v5.1) GFXBench: 60fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
ZTE nubia RedMagic 7
- Blazing-fast 120W charging (China)
- Dedicated gaming features (triggers, cooling)
- High-performance Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset
- Significantly shorter battery life
- Less refined software experience
- Lower display brightness
Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
- Exceptional battery life (121h endurance)
- Brilliant and color-accurate display (1050 nits)
- Best-in-class camera system
- Seamless iOS ecosystem
- Slower charging speeds
- Higher price point
- Less focused on dedicated gaming features
Display Comparison
The iPhone 13 Pro Max boasts a significantly brighter display at 1050 nits compared to the RedMagic 7’s 527 nits, making it far more usable outdoors. While both feature excellent color accuracy, the iPhone’s infinite (nominal) contrast ratio delivers deeper blacks and a more vibrant image. The RedMagic 7’s display is geared towards high refresh rates for gaming, but the iPhone’s ProMotion technology (LTPO) dynamically adjusts refresh rates for power efficiency, contributing to its superior battery life. The RedMagic 7’s display is likely to have a higher PWM dimming rate, potentially making it more comfortable for users sensitive to flicker, though this is not specified in the provided data.
Camera Comparison
Both devices offer capable photo and video recording, but their approaches differ. The iPhone 13 Pro Max is renowned for its cinematic mode and consistent image quality across all lenses. While specific sensor details are missing for the RedMagic 7, it’s likely to prioritize speed and low-light performance for gaming-related content capture. The iPhone’s image processing excels in dynamic range and color accuracy, while the RedMagic 7 may lean towards a more vibrant, saturated look. The iPhone’s superior video stabilization and ProRes video recording capabilities give it a clear edge for content creators.
Performance
On paper, the RedMagic 7’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4nm) appears potent, featuring an octa-core CPU with a Cortex-X2 prime core clocked at 3.00 GHz. However, the Apple A15 Bionic (5nm) consistently outperforms the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 in real-world benchmarks and sustained performance. Apple’s chip design, coupled with iOS optimization, allows for greater efficiency and less thermal throttling. While the RedMagic 7 benefits from active cooling, the A15 Bionic’s inherent efficiency means it can maintain peak performance for longer periods without overheating. The iPhone’s hexa-core CPU, despite having fewer cores, leverages its Avalanche and Blizzard cores to deliver exceptional single-core and multi-core performance.
Battery Life
The iPhone 13 Pro Max’s endurance rating of 121 hours significantly surpasses the RedMagic 7’s 89 hours. This is a direct result of the A15 Bionic’s efficiency and the iPhone’s larger battery capacity (not specified, but typically around 4352 mAh). While the RedMagic 7 boasts incredibly fast 120W wired charging (100% in 17 minutes in China, 65W internationally), the iPhone’s slower 50% charge in 30 minutes is less critical given its longer overall battery life. The iPhone also offers 15W wireless charging via MagSafe and Qi2 (with iOS 17.2), providing convenient charging options.
Buying Guide
Buy the ZTE nubia RedMagic 7 if you prioritize uncompromising gaming performance, require the fastest possible charging speeds (120W), and are comfortable with a more niche Android experience. Buy the Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max if you value long battery life, a stunning display, a seamless user experience, and a best-in-class camera system, even if it means sacrificing some raw gaming horsepower.