ZTE RedMagic 8S Pro+ vs. Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max: A Deep Dive into Gaming and Ecosystems
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user, the Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max is the more well-rounded choice due to its superior camera, polished software experience, and long-term software support. However, serious mobile gamers will find the RedMagic 8S Pro+’s raw power and dedicated gaming features undeniably compelling.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | ZTE nubia RedMagic 8S Pro+ | Apple iPhone 14 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, 66 - A2894, A2896 |
| 5G bands | SA/NSA | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 70, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A2894, A2896 |
| 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, 26, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 70, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A2895 | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2023, June 05 | 2022, September 07 |
| Status | Available. Released 2023, July 11 | Available. Released 2022, September 16 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back, aluminum frame | Glass front, glass back, stainless steel frame |
| Dimensions | 164 x 76.4 x 8.9 mm (6.46 x 3.01 x 0.35 in) | 160.7 x 77.6 x 7.9 mm (6.33 x 3.06 x 0.31 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 | 230 g (8.11 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 | 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 (~88.3% 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) |
| - | Always-On display | |
| 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 (2x3.46 GHz Everest + 4x2.02 GHz Sawtooth) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) | Apple A16 Bionic (4 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 740 (719 MHz) | Apple GPU (5-core graphics) |
| OS | Android 13, Redmagic OS 8 | iOS 16, upgradable to iOS 26.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 256GB 16GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM, 1TB 16GB RAM, 1TB 24GB 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/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", PDAF, OIS (unconfirmed) SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
| 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, 77mm (telephoto), 1/3.5", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x 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, stereo sound rec. |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | 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 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | - | No |
| 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 |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2 (China), 3.1 (International), OTG, accessory connector, DisplayPort | Lightning, USB 2.0 |
| 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/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 Emergency SOS via satellite (SMS sending/receiving) | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 165W wired, PD3.0, 100% in 14 min | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.2 update |
| Type | Li-Po 5000 mAh | Li-Ion 4323 mAh (16.68 Wh) |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Midnight, Platinum, Aurora | Space Black, Silver, Gold, Deep Purple |
| Models | - | A2894, A2651, A2893, A2895, A2896, iphone15,3 |
| Price | About 700 EUR | € 530.79 / $ 489.81 / £ 446.75 |
| SAR | - | 1.15 W/kg (head) 1.07 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 | - | -24.3 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 955884 (v9) GeekBench: 5423 (v5.1) GFXBench: 54fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
ZTE nubia RedMagic 8S Pro+
- Blazing-fast 165W charging
- Superior gaming performance with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
- Likely advanced cooling system for sustained performance
- Potentially less refined software experience
- Camera likely not as capable as the iPhone
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
- Exceptional camera system with advanced image processing
- Seamless ecosystem integration with other Apple devices
- Polished and intuitive user experience
- Significantly slower charging speed
- Less focused on raw gaming performance
Display Comparison
The iPhone 14 Pro Max boasts a 6.7-inch display capable of reaching a measured peak brightness of 1760 nits, ensuring excellent visibility even in direct sunlight. While the RedMagic 8S Pro+’s display specifications aren’t provided, its focus on gaming suggests a high refresh rate panel. The iPhone’s infinite (nominal) contrast ratio, typical of OLED displays, delivers deep blacks and vibrant colors. The iPhone’s ProMotion technology (LTPO) dynamically adjusts the refresh rate up to 120Hz, balancing smoothness with power efficiency, a feature likely present on the RedMagic as well given its gaming focus. Bezels are minimal on the iPhone, contributing to an immersive viewing experience.
Camera Comparison
The iPhone 14 Pro Max is a photography powerhouse, featuring a sophisticated camera system with advanced image processing. While specific sensor details aren’t provided, Apple’s computational photography excels in dynamic range and detail. The RedMagic 8S Pro+’s camera capabilities are less emphasized, suggesting a more standard offering. The iPhone’s video recording capabilities are industry-leading, with ProRes support for professional workflows. The RedMagic likely prioritizes speed and responsiveness over ultimate image quality. Ignoring the typical 2MP macro lens found on many Android phones, the focus should be on the main and ultrawide sensors and their respective apertures.
Performance
The core difference lies in the silicon. The RedMagic 8S Pro+ utilizes the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4nm), an octa-core processor designed for peak performance. The iPhone 14 Pro Max is powered by Apple’s A16 Bionic (4nm), a hexa-core chip renowned for its efficiency and single-core performance. While the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 has more cores, Apple’s chip design and software optimization often translate to superior real-world performance in many tasks. The RedMagic’s likely inclusion of LPDDR5x RAM further enhances its gaming capabilities. However, the A16 Bionic’s Neural Engine provides significant advantages in machine learning tasks, impacting features like image processing and Siri. Thermal management is critical; the RedMagic’s gaming focus suggests an advanced cooling system to mitigate throttling under sustained load.
Battery Life
Both devices achieve an impressive endurance rating of 121 hours, indicating comparable battery life under similar usage scenarios. However, their charging approaches differ drastically. The RedMagic 8S Pro+ supports a staggering 165W wired charging, capable of fully charging the battery in just 14 minutes. The iPhone 14 Pro Max, limited to PD2.0, takes 30 minutes to reach 50% and lacks the RedMagic’s speed. The iPhone offers 15W wireless charging via MagSafe and Qi2 (with iOS 17.2), providing convenience but sacrificing speed. The RedMagic’s faster charging is a significant advantage for users who frequently need to top up their battery quickly.
Buying Guide
Buy the ZTE nubia RedMagic 8S Pro+ if you demand the highest possible mobile gaming performance, prioritize rapid charging, and appreciate a customizable Android experience. Buy the Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max if you value a refined user experience, a best-in-class camera system, seamless integration with other Apple devices, and long-term software updates.