RedMagic 9S Pro+ vs Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro: Which Gaming Beast Should You Buy?
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the hardcore gamer prioritizing raw speed and the fastest charging available, the ZTE nubia RedMagic 9S Pro+ is the clear winner. Its 165W charging is unmatched. However, the Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro offers a more refined, all-around experience with superior battery life and a brighter display, making it ideal for users who value longevity and multimedia consumption alongside gaming.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | ZTE nubia RedMagic 9S Pro+ | Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro |
| 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) / 1800 / 1900 / 2100 - International |
| 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, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 48, 66 - International |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 41, 65, 77, 78 SA/NSA | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 18, 20, 25, 26, 28, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G | HSPA, LTE (Up to 7CA), 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2024, July 03 | 2024, January 08 |
| Status | Available. Released 2024, July 09 | Available. Released 2024, January 18 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame, glass back | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 164 x 76.4 x 8.9 mm (6.46 x 3.01 x 0.35 in) | 163.8 x 76.8 x 8.9 mm (6.45 x 3.02 x 0.35 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 229 g (8.08 oz) | 225 g (7.94 oz) |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 |
| Resolution | 1116 x 2480 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~400 ppi density) | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~388 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.8 inches, 111.6 cm2 (~89.1% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.78 inches, 111.0 cm2 (~88.2% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, 1600 nits (peak) | LTPO AMOLED, 1B colors, 165Hz, HDR10, 1600 nits (HBM), 2500 nits (peak) |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.4 GHz Cortex-X4 & 3x3.2 GHz Cortex-A720 & 2x3.0 GHz Cortex-A720 & 2x2.3 GHz Cortex-A520) | Octa-core (1x3.3 GHz Cortex-X4 & 3x3.2 GHz Cortex-A720 & 2x3.0 GHz Cortex-A720 & 2x2.3 GHz Cortex-A520) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8650-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4 nm) | Qualcomm SM8650-AB Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 750 (1 GHz) | Adreno 750 |
| OS | Android 14, Redmagic OS 9.5 | Android 14, up to 2 major Android upgrades |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 512GB 16GB RAM, 1TB 24GB RAM | 512GB 16GB RAM, 1TB 24GB RAM |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, HDR, panorama | LED flash, HDR, 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 | 50 MP, f/1.9, 24mm (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, PDAF, gimbal OIS 32 MP, f/2.4, (telephoto), 1/3.2", 0.7µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 13 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide) |
| Video | 8K@30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, 720p@480fps; gyro-EIS, HDR10+ |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | Panorama, HDR |
| Single | 16 MP, f/2.0, (wide), 1/2.8", 1.12µm, under display | 32 MP, f/2.5, 22mm (wide), 1/3.2", 0.7µm |
| Video | 1080p@30/60fps | 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 35mm jack | Yes | Yes |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE | 5.4, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless |
| Infrared port | Yes | - |
| NFC | Yes (market/region dependent) | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS (L1+L5), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC (L5), GLONASS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2, OTG, accessory connector, DisplayPort | USB Type-C (side), DisplayPort 1.4; USB Type-C (bottom), 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/7, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 165W wired, PD3.0, 100% in 16 min | 65W wired, PD3.0, PPS, QC5, 100% in 39 min - International 30W wired, PD3.0, PPS - India 15W wireless (Qi) 10W reverse wired |
| Type | Li-Ion 5500 mAh | 5500 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Design Sleet (Black Version), Snowfall (Silver Version), Cyclone (Transparent Black Version), Frost (White Version) | Phantom Black |
| Models | - | AI2401, AI2401_A, AI2401_D |
| Price | About 740 EUR | $ 1,157.98 / £ 1,693.75 / € 632.66 |
ZTE nubia RedMagic 9S Pro+
- Blazing-fast 165W charging
- Potentially superior sustained performance due to aggressive cooling
- Slightly higher CPU clock speed
- Battery life likely shorter than ROG Phone 8 Pro
- Camera details unknown, potentially less refined
Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro
- Exceptional battery life (14:43h active use)
- Brighter and more color-accurate display (1765 nits)
- Wireless and reverse wired charging
- Slower charging speed (65W/30W)
- Potentially more thermal throttling under sustained load
Display Comparison
The Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro boasts a significantly brighter display, reaching a measured 1765 nits, ensuring excellent visibility even in direct sunlight. While the RedMagic 9S Pro+ display specs are not provided, the ROG Phone’s brightness advantage is substantial. Both likely utilize high refresh rate panels, but the ROG Phone’s superior brightness and color accuracy make it the better choice for multimedia consumption. The ROG Phone’s display is also likely to have a more sophisticated LTPO implementation for variable refresh rate, improving efficiency.
Camera Comparison
Camera details for the RedMagic 9S Pro+ are absent, making a direct comparison difficult. The Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro offers a photo/video experience, but ROG Phones historically prioritize gaming features over camera prowess. Without specific sensor details for the RedMagic, it’s difficult to assess its camera capabilities. However, given the RedMagic’s focus on gaming, it’s likely the ROG Phone 8 Pro offers a more refined and versatile camera system. We can assume both phones will have multiple lenses, but the ROG Phone’s image processing is likely more mature.
Performance
Both devices are equipped with the Qualcomm SM8650-AC/AB Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4 nm) chipset, featuring an octa-core CPU configuration with a Cortex-X4 prime core. The RedMagic 9S Pro+ edges out the ROG Phone 8 Pro with a slightly higher clocked Cortex-X4 core (3.4 GHz vs 3.3 GHz), potentially offering a marginal performance boost in CPU-intensive tasks. However, the real differentiator lies in thermal management. The RedMagic series is known for its aggressive cooling solutions, likely allowing it to sustain peak performance for longer durations. The ROG Phone 8 Pro also features robust cooling, but the RedMagic’s system is typically more extreme. Both utilize LPDDR5x RAM, ensuring ample memory bandwidth.
Battery Life
The Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro shines in battery endurance, achieving an impressive 14:43h of active use. The RedMagic 9S Pro+ compensates for a potentially smaller battery with its groundbreaking 165W wired charging, capable of fully charging the device in just 16 minutes. In contrast, the ROG Phone 8 Pro takes 39 minutes (International) to reach 100% with its 65W charger, or even longer in India with its 30W charger. The ROG Phone 8 Pro also supports 15W wireless charging and 10W reverse wired charging, features absent on the RedMagic 9S Pro+.
Buying Guide
Buy the ZTE nubia RedMagic 9S Pro+ if you absolutely need the fastest charging speeds, a truly uncompromised gaming experience with aggressive cooling, and are willing to trade some battery life for peak performance. Buy the Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro if you prefer a more balanced device with exceptional battery endurance (14:43h active use), a brighter and more color-accurate display (1765 nits), and a more polished software experience.