Unlike RedMagic’s Facebook admins, this phone is HIGH-RES!
RedMagic, one of the only two companies keeping gaming phones alive. Lenovo quit and Blackshark failed, even its progenitor, the Razer Phone gave up after the 2nd generation due to falling sales. So now, it’s a duopoly, and with handheld consoles taking over the meta, we believe companies aren’t really that invested in gaming phones anymore. Many flagship phones can do their jobs just as well. Soon enough, gaming phone days are numbered.
Normally, ZTE’s phones, including RedMagic, are pretty hard to find officially. Previously, you can find the phone through select partners like XUNDD. However, the company just sent us a press release and ZTE made a comeback here. This means that there is a high likely chance that the RedMagic phones will be offered in more retailers nationwide! That’s great, because that means more competition and more access to this underrated gaming phone series. This also means ASUS can’t monopolize the gaming phone market. The RedMagic series is often much more affordable than its rival, and that same goes for the RedMagic 9 Pro. That’s right! ZTE’s popular gaming phones are now officially available! This means warranties and signal bands are covered and intended for the Philippine market!
The phone, first announced during Mobile World Congress 2024 (MWC 2024), made its headlines globally but less here. As a gaming phone, it comes with the usual specs you would see for this type. Starting with its display, it’s a high-res (unlike its Facebook admins) 6.8″ QuadHD+ (2480x1116px) 120Hz OLED screen with a hidden selfie camera, a type of technology they pioneered and never gave up doing so. The display was supplied by BOE instead of Samsung so that means those weird and unexpected green lines won’t be seen on this phone, we hope.
Obviously, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset is inside. The phone boasts its ICE 13 Cooling System, a water-cooling method designed by ZTE now featuring a stronger 22,000RPM fan and customizable RGB Lighting! The phone comes with 12 or 16GB RAM with either 256 or 512GB ROM but knowing how big games get nowadays on a phone, you would most likely get the 512GB ROM option, knowing the RedMagic 9 Pro lacks any sort of expandable storage and headphone jack.
It charges rather rapidly. It has a 6500mAh battery divided into two cells. This is a double-edged sword as for one, you get a higher battery capacity without sacrificing so much inside a cramped space. Meanwhile its main disadvantage is that the battery degradation will be uneven because each battery now deteriorates individually instead of together. This phone has a rapid 80W fast charging. According to ZTE, the phone can charge a flat battery to full in just 35 minutes. Not the best thing to brag about considering OnePlus charges at the same timeframe, with the same 80W charging rate.
The phone’s shoulder triggers, being a gaming phone and all, now comes with customizable lights, like that rainbow keyboard that adds +5000 performance points to your PC. Also, these pads are remarkably fast and nimble, with 520Hz touch response rate.
The screen has a clean cutout-free look. That’s because, like most of ZTE’s flagships, the cameras are now situated underneath it. Although its design suggests a triple-camera setup, there are really only two that are functional, and there’s also a small dot underneath the flash that seems to house either a 3D LiDAR camera or a macro, but we’re guessing it’s more of the latter. Anyway, the three cameras, including the selfie, are two 50MP Samsung ISOCELL GN5 used as a primary and ultrawide and a 16MP under-display selfie camera.
Of course, as always, an under-display fingerprint sensor, 5G services, Bluetooth 5.4, Wi-Fi 7, and NFC are all available. Not just that, there’s an accessory connector and RedMagic’s famous Game Space is also here, alongside Energy Cube which allows you to customize how the phone’s CPU and GPU would perform in user-selected games. However, it’s not equivalent to clocking. That requires extra technical knowledge.
Mora, RedMagic’s own waifuable character, is also here. Gamers do not necessarily go outside and touch grass, and many of them probably can’t get a girlfriend so the company is here to provide you with one (now you can’t really socialize). It’s located in an app called Game Lobby, and in Game Lobby, you can find Mora Center, where she lives.
PRICING:
There are three colors here, two of them appear to be black and the other is Snowfall Silver. Sleet Black is the metallic phone that is not transparent, meanwhile Cyclone Black is the transparent phone. You can get it via the SM North EDSA Concept Store, authorized kiosks nationwide, and in Shopee. If you live close to Manila, the phone is also available via XUNDD. Below are its prices:
- 12/256: PHP 46,999 (Sleet Black)
- 16/512: PHP 56,999 (Cyclone Black and Snowfall Silver)
Curious about XUNDD’s offering? Check out this article!