RedMagic 9S Pro+ vs. iPhone 15 Pro Max: A Clash of Gaming and Ecosystem Titans
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user, the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max is the more well-rounded choice, offering a superior camera, a refined software experience, and long-term software support. However, serious mobile gamers will find the RedMagic 9S Pro+'s raw power, active cooling, and 165W charging to be unmatched.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | ZTE nubia RedMagic 9S Pro+ | Apple iPhone 15 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, 42, 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, 6, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 41, 65, 77, 78 SA/NSA | 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 | 2024, July 03 | 2023, September 12 |
| Status | Available. Released 2024, July 09 | Available. Released 2023, September 22 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame, glass back | Glass front, glass back, titanium frame (grade 5) |
| Dimensions | 164 x 76.4 x 8.9 mm (6.46 x 3.01 x 0.35 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 | 229 g (8.08 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, 120Hz, 1600 nits (peak) | LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (typ), 2000 nits (HBM) |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.4 GHz Cortex-X4 & 3x3.2 GHz Cortex-A720 & 2x3.0 GHz Cortex-A720 & 2x2.3 GHz Cortex-A520) | Hexa-core (2x3.78 GHz + 4x2.11 GHz) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8650-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4 nm) | Apple A17 Pro (3 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 750 (1 GHz) | Apple GPU (6-core graphics) |
| OS | Android 14, Redmagic OS 9.5 | iOS 17, upgradable to iOS 26.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 512GB 16GB RAM, 1TB 24GB 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, (wide), 1/1.57", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS 50 MP, f/2.2, (ultrawide), 1/2.76", 0.64µm Auxiliary lens | 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), 1/2.8", 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 | 5.2, A2DP, LE | 5.3, A2DP, LE |
| Infrared port | Yes | - |
| 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 Gen 2, 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 | 165W wired, PD3.0, 100% in 16 min | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.2 update 4.5W reverse wired |
| Type | Li-Ion 5500 mAh | Li-Ion 4441 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Design Sleet (Black Version), Snowfall (Silver Version), Cyclone (Transparent Black Version), Frost (White Version) | Black Titanium, White Titanium, Blue Titanium, Natural Titanium |
| Models | - | A2849, A3105, A3106, A3108, iPhone16,2 |
| Price | About 740 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 9S Pro+
- Blazing-fast 165W charging
- Superior gaming performance with active cooling
- Potentially higher peak CPU clock speeds
- Likely inferior camera quality
- Less refined software experience
- Shorter software support lifespan
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
- Exceptional camera system
- Seamless iOS ecosystem integration
- Long-term software support
- Slower charging speeds
- Less focused on raw gaming performance
- Higher price point
Display Comparison
The iPhone 15 Pro Max boasts a peak brightness of 1787 nits, ensuring excellent visibility even in direct sunlight. While the RedMagic 9S Pro+’s display specifications aren’t provided, nubia typically focuses on high refresh rates for gaming. The iPhone’s Super Retina XDR display likely offers superior color accuracy and calibration. The iPhone 15 Pro Max’s LTPO technology dynamically adjusts the refresh rate, contributing to battery efficiency, a feature not explicitly mentioned for the RedMagic. The iPhone’s smaller bezels contribute to a more immersive viewing experience.
Camera Comparison
The iPhone 15 Pro Max is expected to deliver superior image and video quality, leveraging Apple’s computational photography expertise. While the RedMagic 9S Pro+’s camera specifications are not provided, it’s unlikely to match the iPhone’s capabilities. The iPhone’s advanced image processing pipeline, combined with features like ProRes video recording, provides professional-grade results. The iPhone’s sensor-shift optical image stabilization (OIS) ensures sharp images and stable videos, even in challenging conditions. The RedMagic likely focuses on adequate camera performance for social media sharing rather than professional-level photography.
Performance
The core of the performance difference lies in the chipsets: Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4nm) in the RedMagic 9S Pro+ versus Apple’s A17 Pro (3nm) in the iPhone 15 Pro Max. The A17 Pro’s 3nm process gives it a significant efficiency advantage, potentially leading to sustained performance under load. The RedMagic’s octa-core CPU, with its Cortex-X4 prime core clocked at 3.4 GHz, is geared towards peak performance, while the iPhone’s hexa-core CPU prioritizes a balance of performance and efficiency. The RedMagic’s active cooling system is a crucial differentiator, aiming to mitigate thermal throttling during extended gaming sessions, something the iPhone relies on passive cooling to manage. The RedMagic likely utilizes LPDDR5x RAM, but the iPhone’s memory bandwidth is a closely guarded secret, often exceeding industry standards.
Battery Life
The iPhone 15 Pro Max achieves an impressive 16:01h active use score, demonstrating excellent battery life. The RedMagic 9S Pro+ compensates for a potentially smaller battery with its incredibly fast 165W wired charging, achieving a full charge in just 16 minutes. The iPhone’s charging is comparatively slow, taking 30 minutes to reach 50% with wired PD2.0. The iPhone also supports 15W wireless charging via MagSafe and Qi2 (requiring iOS 17.2), and 4.5W reverse wired charging, features absent in the RedMagic. The RedMagic prioritizes quick top-ups, while the iPhone focuses on maximizing overall endurance.
Buying Guide
Buy the ZTE nubia RedMagic 9S Pro+ if you demand the highest possible frame rates in demanding mobile games, prioritize rapid charging, and value raw performance above all else. Buy the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max if you prioritize camera quality, a seamless user experience within the Apple ecosystem, long-term software updates, and a more balanced feature set.