ZTE nubia RedMagic 7S vs. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra: A Deep Dive into Gaming and Flagship Features
| Phones Images | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
🏆 Quick Verdict
For dedicated mobile gamers, the ZTE nubia RedMagic 7S is the clear winner. Its Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, aggressive cooling, and 120W charging deliver an unmatched gaming experience. However, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra excels as a more balanced flagship, offering a superior camera, brighter display, and broader feature set for everyday use.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | ZTE nubia RedMagic 7S | Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G |
| 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, 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, 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 |
| - | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2022, July 11 | 2022, February 09 |
| Status | Available. Released 2022, July 15 | 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 | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · 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) |
| - | 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 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 (1x3.19 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.75 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 SM8475 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 5.5 | 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, 512GB 16GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM |
| - | 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 |
| 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) | - |
| 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 | - | No |
| 35mm jack | Yes | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| - | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive | 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 | 45W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4500 mAh | Li-Ion 5000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, Gray | Phantom Black, White, Burgundy, Green, Graphite, Red, Sky Blue, Bora Purple |
| Models | - | SM-S908B, SM-S908B/DS, SM-S908U, SM-S908U1, SM-S908W, SM-S908N, SM-S9080, SM-S908E, SM-S908E/DS |
| Price | About 590 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 108h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | - | -27.3 LUFS (Good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 968359 (v9) GeekBench: 3657 (v5.1) GFXBench: 37fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
ZTE nubia RedMagic 7S
- Blazing-fast 120W charging
- Superior gaming performance with Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1
- Active cooling system for sustained performance
- Camera likely inferior to S22 Ultra
- Software support may be limited compared to Samsung
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G
- Versatile and high-quality camera system
- Bright and color-accurate display
- S Pen functionality and broader feature set
- Slower charging speed (45W)
- Potential for thermal throttling with Exynos variant
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra boasts a brighter display, peaking at 1266 nits measured, offering superior visibility in direct sunlight. While the RedMagic 7S display specs aren't provided, it's likely lower in peak brightness. The S22 Ultra’s infinite contrast ratio (nominal) contributes to deeper blacks and a more immersive viewing experience. The S22 Ultra’s panel likely utilizes LTPO technology for variable refresh rates, improving battery efficiency, a feature not confirmed for the RedMagic 7S. The S22 Ultra’s larger screen size also provides a more expansive canvas for media consumption and gaming, though the RedMagic 7S may prioritize a higher refresh rate for smoother motion.
Camera Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is the clear winner in camera capabilities. While both phones are listed as having 'Photo / Video' capabilities, the S22 Ultra’s camera system is renowned for its versatility and image quality. Details on the RedMagic 7S’s camera are absent, suggesting it’s not a primary focus. The S22 Ultra likely features a larger main sensor, advanced image processing algorithms, and superior zoom capabilities. The 2MP macro camera on the S22 Ultra is likely a marketing feature with limited practical benefit, but the overall system is far more capable than anything expected on the RedMagic 7S.
Performance
Both devices utilize the Cortex-X2 core for peak performance, but the RedMagic 7S’s Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (4nm) has a slight clock speed advantage (3.19 GHz vs 2.8/3.0 GHz on the S22 Ultra’s Exynos 2200 or Snapdragon 8 Gen 1). The 4nm process node of the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 offers improved thermal efficiency compared to the 4nm Exynos 2200 and Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, potentially leading to less throttling during extended gaming sessions. The RedMagic 7S’s active cooling system (not detailed in the specs, but a key feature) further enhances sustained performance. The S22 Ultra’s performance will vary depending on the region, with the Exynos variant potentially exhibiting more thermal throttling than the Snapdragon variant. The RedMagic 7S is likely to have faster RAM (LPDDR5x) optimized for gaming.
Battery Life
Both devices have an endurance rating of 108h, suggesting similar overall battery life despite differing approaches. The S22 Ultra’s battery capacity is not specified, but its endurance rating suggests efficient power management. The RedMagic 7S’s 120W wired charging is a game-changer, achieving a full charge in just 17 minutes, significantly faster than the S22 Ultra’s 45W charging. The S22 Ultra offers 15W wireless charging and 4.5W reverse wireless charging, features absent on the RedMagic 7S. The RedMagic 7S’s faster charging mitigates any potential disadvantage from a potentially smaller battery capacity.
Buying Guide
Buy the ZTE nubia RedMagic 7S if you prioritize sustained gaming performance, rapid charging, and a dedicated gaming experience with features like shoulder triggers. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G if you value a versatile camera system, a brighter and more color-accurate display, S Pen functionality, and a more polished software experience with longer software support.