RedMagic 8S Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro Max: A Clash of Gaming and Ecosystem Titans
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing a polished experience, superior camera capabilities, and long-term software support, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is the better choice. However, gamers and power users demanding maximum performance and rapid charging will find the RedMagic 8S Pro a compelling alternative.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | ZTE nubia RedMagic 8S Pro | 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 | 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, 53, 66 - A3106 |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 41, 66, 77, 78 SA/NSA - International | 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 | 2023, June 05 | 2023, September 12 |
| Status | Available. Released 2023, July 11 | Available. Released 2023, September 22 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back, aluminum frame | Glass front, glass back, titanium frame (grade 5) |
| Dimensions | 164 x 76.4 x 9.5 mm (6.46 x 3.01 x 0.37 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 | 228 g (8.04 oz) | 221 g (7.80 oz) |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 | Ceramic Shield glass |
| Resolution | 1116 x 2480 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~400 ppi density) | 1290 x 2796 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.8 inches, 111.6 cm2 (~89.1% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.7 inches, 110.2 cm2 (~89.8% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | AMOLED, 1B colors (China only), 120Hz, 1300 nits (peak) | LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (typ), 2000 nits (HBM) |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.36 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510) | Hexa-core (2x3.78 GHz + 4x2.11 GHz) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) | Apple A17 Pro (3 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 740 (719 MHz) | Apple GPU (6-core graphics) |
| OS | Android 13, Redmagic OS 8 | iOS 17, upgradable to iOS 26.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM | 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM, 1TB 8GB RAM |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, HDR, panorama | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) |
| 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 (macro) | 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), 1.12µm, 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 | 5.3, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless | 5.3, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes (market/region dependent) | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS, NavIC |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2 (China), 3.1 (Global), 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 | 80W wired, PD3.0, 100% in 35 min (China) 65W wired, PD3.0, 100% in 40 min (International) | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.2 update 4.5W reverse wired |
| Type | Li-Po 6000 mAh | Li-Ion 4441 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Midnight, Platinum, Aurora | Black Titanium, White Titanium, Blue Titanium, Natural Titanium |
| Models | - | A2849, A3105, A3106, A3108, iPhone16,2 |
| Price | About 650 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) |
ZTE nubia RedMagic 8S Pro
- Significantly faster wired charging (65W/80W)
- Active cooling system for sustained gaming performance
- Higher refresh rate display for smoother gameplay
- Inferior camera system compared to the iPhone
- Less refined software experience
- Lower peak display brightness
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
- Superior camera quality and video recording capabilities
- Seamless integration with the Apple ecosystem
- Brighter and more color-accurate display
- Slower wired charging speed
- Higher price point
- Less focused on gaming-specific features
Display Comparison
The iPhone 15 Pro Max boasts a significantly brighter display, reaching 1787 nits measured, compared to the RedMagic 8S Pro’s 784 nits. This translates to superior visibility in direct sunlight for the iPhone. While both likely utilize LTPO technology for variable refresh rates, Apple’s ProMotion technology is known for its smoothness and efficiency. The RedMagic’s focus is on a high refresh rate for gaming, but the iPhone’s color accuracy and peak brightness provide a more versatile viewing experience. The iPhone's display is also likely to have a higher PWM dimming frequency, potentially reducing eye strain for sensitive users.
Camera Comparison
Both phones offer photo and video capabilities, but their approaches differ drastically. Apple consistently delivers excellent image processing, prioritizing natural colors and dynamic range. The iPhone 15 Pro Max likely features a larger main sensor and advanced computational photography features. The RedMagic 8S Pro, while capable, prioritizes gaming features over camera innovation. Details regarding the RedMagic’s sensor size and aperture are missing, suggesting it’s not a primary selling point. The iPhone’s video recording capabilities are also significantly more advanced, with ProRes support and cinematic mode.
Performance
The core difference lies in the chipsets. The iPhone 15 Pro Max’s Apple A17 Pro, fabricated on a 3nm process, offers a performance advantage over the RedMagic 8S Pro’s 4nm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. While the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is a powerhouse with its Octa-core configuration (1x3.36 GHz Cortex-X3, etc.), Apple’s custom silicon excels in both single-core and multi-core tasks. The A17 Pro’s hexa-core design (2x3.78 GHz + 4x2.11 GHz) is optimized for efficiency and sustained performance. The RedMagic benefits from active cooling, mitigating thermal throttling during extended gaming sessions, but the A17 Pro’s efficiency reduces the need for aggressive cooling in the first place. Both devices utilize LPDDR5x RAM, but the iPhone’s memory bandwidth is likely higher due to Apple’s tighter hardware-software integration.
Battery Life
The iPhone 15 Pro Max demonstrates superior battery endurance with an active use score of 16:01h and an endurance rating of 118h, compared to the RedMagic 8S Pro’s 132h endurance rating (which is a less comprehensive metric). Despite the RedMagic having a larger battery capacity (not specified in the data), the iPhone’s more efficient chipset and software optimization result in longer real-world usage. The RedMagic compensates with significantly faster charging – 80W wired (China) or 65W (International) achieving 100% in 35-40 minutes, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max tops out at 50% in 30 minutes with wired PD2.0. The iPhone also offers 15W wireless charging (MagSafe/Qi2) and 4.5W reverse wired charging.
Buying Guide
Buy the ZTE nubia RedMagic 8S Pro if you need a dedicated gaming phone with exceptional cooling, blazing-fast charging, and a high refresh rate display, even if it means sacrificing camera quality and ecosystem integration. Buy the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max if you prefer a seamless user experience, a class-leading camera system, and the convenience of the Apple ecosystem, accepting a slower charging speed and a higher price point.