ZTE nubia RedMagic 8S 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 RedMagic 8S Pro is the clear winner, offering superior cooling and gaming-centric features. However, the Xiaomi 13 Pro excels in camera quality, display brightness, and charging speed, making it the better choice for users prioritizing all-around flagship functionality.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | ZTE nubia RedMagic 8S Pro | Xiaomi 13 Pro |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | 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 - International | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 71, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA - International |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G | HSPA, LTE, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / CDMA2000 / LTE / 5G |
| - | 1, 3, 5, 8, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA - China | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2023, June 05 | 2022, December 11 |
| Status | Available. Released 2023, July 11 | 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 9.5 mm (6.46 x 3.01 x 0.37 in) | 162.9 x 74.6 x 8.4 mm or 8.7 mm |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 228 g (8.04 oz) | 210 g or 229 g (7.41 oz) |
| - | 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 (1x3.36 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-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) | Qualcomm SM8550-AB Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 740 (719 MHz) | Adreno 740 |
| OS | Android 13, Redmagic OS 8 | Android 13, upgradable to Android 14, HyperOS |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM |
| - | 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 |
| 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) | 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 | - | No |
| 35mm jack | Yes | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| - | 24-bit/192kHz audio | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.3, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless | 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 (Global), 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 (China) 65W wired, PD3.0, 100% in 40 min (International) | 120W wired, PD3.0, QC4, 100% in 19 min 50W wireless, 100% in 36 min 10W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 6000 mAh | Li-Po 4820 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Midnight, Platinum, Aurora | Ceramic White, Ceramic Black, Ceramic Flora Green, Mountain Blue |
| Models | - | 2210132G, 2210132C |
| Price | About 650 EUR | About 750 EUR |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 115h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | - | -25.6 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 1281666 (v9) GeekBench: 5087 (v5.1), 5323 (v6) GFXBench: 64fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
ZTE nubia RedMagic 8S Pro
- Superior cooling system for sustained gaming performance
- Slightly higher CPU clock speed
- Longer battery endurance
- Lower display brightness
- Potentially less refined camera system
Xiaomi 13 Pro
- Significantly brighter display
- Faster wired and wireless charging
- Likely superior camera system
- Slightly lower CPU clock speed
- Shorter battery endurance
Display Comparison
The Xiaomi 13 Pro boasts a significantly brighter display, reaching 1253 nits compared to the RedMagic 8S Pro’s 784 nits. This translates to better visibility outdoors. While both utilize OLED technology, the Xiaomi 13 Pro’s infinite contrast ratio suggests deeper blacks and more vibrant colors. The RedMagic 8S Pro, however, is likely to have a higher refresh rate, a key advantage for gaming smoothness, though this isn't explicitly stated in the provided data. The Xiaomi 13 Pro’s superior brightness makes it the better choice for everyday use in bright environments.
Camera Comparison
Both phones feature capable camera systems, but the provided data only indicates 'Photo / Video' capabilities. Given Xiaomi’s history, the 13 Pro likely features a more sophisticated camera setup, potentially including a larger main sensor and advanced image processing algorithms. The RedMagic 8S Pro, while capable, likely prioritizes camera functionality less than Xiaomi, focusing instead on gaming features. Without specific sensor details, it’s reasonable to assume the Xiaomi 13 Pro offers a more versatile and higher-quality camera experience.
Performance
Both devices are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4nm), but with slightly different part numbers (SM8550-AC vs SM8550-AB). While the core architecture is identical – Octa-core with 1x Cortex-X3, 2x Cortex-A715, 2x Cortex-A710, and 3x Cortex-A510 – the RedMagic 8S Pro’s variant is clocked slightly higher at 3.36 GHz versus 3.2 GHz on the Xiaomi 13 Pro. This difference, combined with the RedMagic’s advanced cooling system, suggests sustained higher performance during demanding tasks like gaming. The Xiaomi 13 Pro benefits from potentially more optimized software and a wider range of RAM configurations, but the RedMagic’s thermal management is a significant advantage.
Battery Life
The RedMagic 8S Pro has an endurance rating of 132 hours, while the Xiaomi 13 Pro scores 115 hours. However, the Xiaomi 13 Pro significantly outperforms the RedMagic 8S Pro in charging speed, offering 120W wired charging (100% in 19 minutes) and 50W wireless charging. The RedMagic 8S Pro offers 80W (China) or 65W (International) wired charging, taking 35 or 40 minutes respectively. The Xiaomi 13 Pro’s faster charging mitigates its slightly lower endurance rating, providing quicker top-ups throughout the day. The RedMagic’s longer endurance is beneficial for extended gaming sessions away from a power source.
Buying Guide
Buy the ZTE nubia RedMagic 8S Pro if you demand the longest possible gaming sessions without throttling, prioritize a high refresh rate display for competitive gaming, and appreciate features like shoulder triggers. Buy the Xiaomi 13 Pro if you value a versatile camera system, a brighter and more color-accurate display for media consumption, and the convenience of incredibly fast wired and wireless charging.