RedMagic 8S Professional overview: Pure energy

Early within the 12 months, the RedMagic 8 Pro impressed me with its excessive efficiency, nice battery life and sharp new design. Now, its successor has arrived – however with the same design and the identical processor at its core, it had me questioning why it existed within the first place.

The 8 Professional was the quickest gaming telephone on the planet when it launched, however within the time since, it has fallen away from the highest spot. With a particular overclocked model of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and a revamped cooling answer, the 8S Professional is trying to reclaim that prime spot.

I’ve spent a couple of weeks testing the RedMagic 8S Professional, and all of its many software program options. This is what I discovered.

Design

• Dimensions: 163.98 x 76.35 x 9.47 mm
• Weight: 228g
• End choices: Midnight (black), Platinum (silver), Aurora (clear black)

The RedMagic 8S Professional retains the squared-off design with sharp corners that was launched with the final technology. The dimensions, form and weight are just about similar, as are the areas of the buttons, ports and vents. What’s new, although, is the end and color choices.

I’ve the Midnight mannequin in for testing, and it has a extremely distinctive texture on the rear panel. RedMagic calls it a 3D nano-etched design, and it jogs my memory of a vinyl report. Round rings emanate from the telephone’s fan and reflections shimmer alongside the grooves when the sunshine hits it.

By gaming telephone requirements, it is a pretty delicate look, however if you open a recreation, the sunshine present begins. When the fan springs into motion it illuminates with crimson, blue, inexperienced and yellow LEDs and it may be seen via a clear ring on the again panel. I used to be stunned by this, as when it is turned off it simply seems to be like an etched design. It is a actually cool impact.

The remainder of the lighting is similar to what we noticed on the RedMagic 8 Professional, there’s illuminated textual content beneath every of the shoulder triggers and a RedMagic brand within the centre. The performance seems to stay unchanged, too, you may both have these LEDs consistently illuminated, pulsing together with the music or displaying a pre-set flashing or respiratory sample. When the triggers are energetic, the corresponding facet will illuminate in crimson or blue with a set off press, although so far as we are able to inform, you may’t change the color for the set off presses.

After all, in the event you do not like the sunshine present you may disable it fully, together with the fan LEDs. Personally, I fairly just like the lighting, and suppose it is fairly helpful to have the LEDs illuminate when there’s an unread notification to be seen.

The Platinum colourway is basically the identical because the Midnight model that I am testing, solely it is available in a lighter silver color. There’s additionally an Aurora model, which is RedMagic’s signature black and clear design, and that is arguably the flashiest of the bunch. It does lose out on the cool nano-etched radial sample, although.

The brand new end in all fairness grippy, so courageous customers is likely to be assured in utilizing it with no case. I used to be afraid of scratching it, because it seems like it might be vulnerable to marking, so I used the included clear acrylic case all through my testing. Sadly, the case itself is extraordinarily vulnerable to scuffs and scratches, and actually detracts from the slick look of the telephone. I hope that RedMagic releases a nicer-looking case for this system, as third-party choices for RedMagic telephones are few and much between.

Show and audio system

• 6.8-inch AMOLED, 2480×1116 decision, 20:9 facet ratio
• 120Hz refresh charge, 960Hz contact sampling charge
• Twin audio system with DTS:X Extremely, 3.5mm headphone jack

Relating to the show, nothing a lot appears to have modified in comparison with the RedMagic 8 Professional. That is not a nasty factor, although, it was already some of the spectacular shows round, and it continues to impress on this new mannequin.

It has an extremely shiny output of 1300 nits, a dense 400 PPI decision and a clean 120Hz refresh rate. It is correct, overlaying 100 per cent of the DCI-P3 large gamut and it advantages from DC dimming to scale back flickering and eye pressure.

It is a sizable show at 6.8-inches, and simply as I stated with the final telephone, I really feel just like the squared-off corners and slim bezels make the display seem even bigger. There’s additionally no notch or digicam cutout, because of the under-display selfie digicam, and this makes it one of many best possible telephones for content material consumption.

The audio system add to the expertise, too, and are among the many finest that I’ve examined. So far as I can inform, they’re the identical as those on the final mannequin, however that simply means you get wonderful readability, a large sound stage and a superb quantity of bass response. Plus, there is a headphone jack, so in the event you’d desire to make use of some high quality IEMs or a gaming headset, you are able to do so with ease.

Efficiency and software program

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 gen 2 (3.36GHz CPU, 719MHz GPU)
• 12GB / 16GB LPDDR5X, 256GB / 512GB UFS 4.0 storage
• 6000 mAh dual-cell battery, 65W GaN fast-charging
• ICE 12.0 cooling system

The efficiency is the place issues begin to get attention-grabbing. As I discussed within the intro, this telephone additionally runs on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, nevertheless, this mannequin has a wholesome overclock that ought to put it a step forward of the competitors.

RedMagic says this model of the 8 Gen 2 runs 2.5 per cent quicker on the CPU and 5.7 per cent quicker on the GPU. It is also paired with the model’s personal Purple Core 2 chip. This secondary chip handles all the additional gaming performance corresponding to audio EQ, fan management, haptic suggestions and RGB lighting results. The thought is that the SoC can give attention to pure efficiency, whereas the Purple Core 2 does the auxiliary duties.

That is not the one factor that ought to enhance efficiency, although, the thermal administration answer has additionally seen a redesign. There is a new plus-size vapour chamber cooling plate in addition to a layer of graphene to attract warmth away from the display and reduce battery temperatures throughout charging. The best way the fan behaves has been adjusted, too. The fan pace now ramps up and down relying on the efficiency load, whereas beforehand it was both on or off.

When you discover that the usual profiles aren’t slicing it, you may enhance efficiency additional by getting into Diablo Mode. And when doing so a warning will pop up that claims “energy consumption and warmth technology of the cellular system are drastically elevated” on this mode. Nonetheless, it is good to have, even when it isn’t one thing that you will be utilizing on a regular basis.

I ran the 3D Mark Wildlife Excessive benchmark and bought a rating of 3827 in customary settings, and with Diablo Mode activated, that rating elevated to 3847. The RedMagic 8 Professional, comparatively, has a median rating of 3698, so that is fairly the uplift in efficiency. It additionally places it in joint first place on the leaderboard, above the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate, which scores a median of 3745.

In additional sensible phrases, this telephone can run any Android recreation that I’ve come throughout at most settings with the very best body charge choices chosen. It stays cool underneath stress, too, and it took a stable hour of enjoying Genshin Affect earlier than the body started to warmth up. Even then, it remained comfy to carry.

As at all times, there are infinite gaming choices to tweak and configure with RedMagic’s software program, together with the highly-responsive and customisable contact triggers on the body of the telephone. Extra options have been added because the final technology, too.

Considered one of my favorite new options is the 4D atmospheric vibration, which makes use of the telephone’s highly effective haptic motors so as to add rumble suggestions to sure video games. I attempted it with PUBG Cellular and it’s totally satisfying to have some haptic suggestions if you hearth or get hit. It is truly a little bit shocking that video games do not do that by default, as a result of it positively provides to the expertise. The one disadvantage is that the vibration appears to be linked to the audio output of the sport, so the telephone vibrates together with the menu music, in addition to in-game dialogue.

The RedMagic 8S Professional runs RedMagic OS 8.0, which relies on Android 13. It is a related feel and look to earlier RedMagic skins, which implies that it does not stray too removed from inventory Android, and there is minimal bloatware to be discovered. A lot of the pre-installed purposes are used for the gaming options, and my mannequin solely had the Reserving.com app put in additional. The inventory residence display widgets have disappeared on this mannequin, and I am a fan of this transfer, it seems to be a lot cleaner straight out of the field – although you may add most of them again in the event you discover them useful.

As you’d count on from a telephone this highly effective, day-to-day actions are extraordinarily quick and fluid. I am very used to flagship Android telephones, however this mannequin feels even snappier than normal. There have been, nevertheless, a couple of bugs that I skilled with the pre-release software program. Firstly, the usual clock widget was inexplicably lower off on the highest. Not an enormous deal, I simply swapped it out for a distinct clock, but it surely’s not a terrific look when it comes that method as customary.

The second bug was way more annoying. The telephone would not let me view my pictures full-screen, and each time I attempted to do it, the app would crash. Surprisingly, this occurred with each the native digicam app and Google Photos, however Recordsdata by Google would let me view them. I am certain this can get patched quickly sufficient, however within the meantime, it has been extremely irritating.

On the plus facet, the general software program expertise has been way more secure than it was with the pre-release RedMagic 8 Professional, so issues are transferring in the appropriate route.

Cameras

• Triple rear system:
  • Most important: 50-megapixel, f/1.88(Samsung GN5)
  • Vast (13mm): 8MP, f/2.2
  • Macro: 2MP, f2.4
• Selfie digicam: 16MP 2nd gen under-display-camera

The cameras are similar to the earlier telephone, so there’s not a lot to discover right here. The principle digicam is the spotlight, it is the tried and true Samsung GN5 sensor, and it is able to good outcomes, particularly within the daylight. Nonetheless, RedMagic’s picture processing is a step behind the extra mainstream producers, so the HDR impact and color processing aren’t fairly as pleasing.

Nonetheless, for informal customers, the primary digicam might be ok. It handles low gentle higher than I anticipated, however you will should be cautious of movement blur. And as at all times, you will want to recollect to show the watermark off, which remains to be frustratingly enabled by default.

The ultra-wide and macro are nonetheless fairly horrible, and finest prevented in most eventualities. The identical goes for the under-display selfie digicam. It is a cool little bit of tech, but it surely’s simply too comfortable, and the aggressive sharpening impact that is utilized to compensate makes for some very unflattering selfies.

Verdict

All in all, the RedMagic 8S Professional is a really related telephone to the RedMagic 8 Professional. The earlier mannequin debuted as one of many quickest gaming telephones in the marketplace, and its successor is doing the identical factor. To summarise what’s modified – the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 comes with an overclock, the cooling answer has been improved, there is a new OS with additional gaming options and the styling has been up to date.

I really like the brand new look, particularly the delicate clear fan window on an in any other case opaque rear panel. The gaming efficiency is spectacular to see in benchmarks, however I would not say it’s totally noticeable in follow. The system is way much less buggy this time round, although. I had one main hiccup, however I am assured this shall be patched quickly sufficient.

I would not suggest this as an improve for RedMagic 8 Professional homeowners, it is just too related. However for anybody else, it is a small enchancment on what was already probably the greatest gaming telephones. When you’re searching for pure efficiency, look no additional.