Nubia Redmagic 9S Pro Review: Gaming Smartphone Levels Up

Price When Reviewed

$649

Best Prices Today: Nubia Redmagic 9S Pro

Is Nubia’s flagship 2024 gaming phone up to the task? I used the Redmagic 9S Pro as my main smartphone to find out.

Design & Build

• Big and heavy device
• No waterproofing (due to the fans)
• Futuristic design with RGB lights

If you’ve used last year’s Redmagic 9 Pro, the design and appointments on its successor are going to feel very familiar. In keeping with that, this gaming-focussed handset is a bulky and heavy device, mainly to accommodate the large 6.8-inch display and various elements that make up the ICE 13.5 cooling system inside.

In fact, the dimensions are identical to the previous model, with the handset measuring 164 x 76.4 x 8.9mm and weighing in at a hefty 229g. It’s only marginally different to the Redmagic 8S Pro and Redmagic 8 Pro too, so the company is definitely consistent with its design language. 

The flanks are a little busier than you’d find on a normal smartphone, as the 9S Pro needs to make space for some of its signature features.

Along the right edge you’ll find two 520Hz trigger buttons (they don’t actually push in, so they’re more touch-sensitive trigger surfaces), an air outlet for the fan, the red slider switch that opens the built-in dedicated gaming software, plus the circular power button and volume up/down rocker. You’ll also find one of the three microphones Nubia includes on the Redmagic 9S Pro.

Things are more sedate on the left side (as the device is designed for this to be pointing downwards when held in a landscape orientation), with only a solitary fan outlet disturbing the brushed aluminium frame. The shorter edges contain a fair bit of tech too, with the upper one being home to a 3.5mm headphone jack, speaker, and microphone, while the lower one has a USB-C charging port, speaker, microphone, and the SIM card slot. 

As we’ve come to expect from this series, the 9S Pro looks cool and wouldn’t be out of place in an industrial sci-fi setting. The metal back has various etched panels and an RGB lighting strip that colours the fan and illuminates the ‘9S’ branding. The camera module even has a smooth glass plate, so there’s no bump when you put it down on a table. 

It’s a damn good looking phone that feels solid and built like a tank

Yes, the weight is an issue (particularly for my arthritic hands) and the sharp edges don’t exactly let it sink comfortably into the hands, but it’s a damn good looking phone that feels solid and built like a tank.

If you’re worried about dropping it, there is a hard plastic case included in the box, although it only covers the top and bottom edges, not the sides, so that it doesn’t block the fan outlets. You can pick up more rugged cases online though, as I did for my Redmagic 9 Pro.

The fans are great for cooling the device, but not for keeping it free of liquids, so there’s no official water resistance rating for the 9S Pro, just like previous incarnations. 

You do get a new colour scheme this time around though, with the Snowfall (silver), Sleet (black), and Cyclone (transparent black with gold) liveries from the 9 Pro joined by a new Frost (white) option. It should be noted that the different colours also denote different RAM and storage specs, so be sure to check that before picking out the model you think looks the best.

Screen & Speakers 

• 6.8-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate
• Snapdragon Sound & DTS X Ultra Sound
• 3.5mm headphone jack

Nubia seems to have gone with the same panel as on the Redmagic 9 Pro here, which means you get a very nice 6.8-inch Q9+ FHD+ AMOLED display running at a resolution of 2480 x 1116.

The refresh rate is 120Hz, so you get nice, smooth scrolling and flicker-free gaming performance. 

Colours are bright and well saturated, all of which is helped by the lack of a front camera punch-hole or notch, as once again Nubia has gone for an under-screen lens (more on this later) and fingerprint sensor.

This ensures you get an uninterrupted panel that’s excellent for watching video or, of course, playing games. In fact, the 9S Pro has a screen-to-body ratio of 93.7%, which is one of the best around, all protected by Gorilla Glass 5.

Brightness isn’t an issue either, with the 9S Pro boasting a 1600 nits peak brightness. As with the previous model, I measured around 1300 nits in my own test, which was already enough to make everything readable in bright sunshine. 

Gamers will want to know that any onscreen controls will be responsive, so the 2000Hz instant touch sampling rate and 960Hz multi-finger sampling rate will put any worries about delays to bed. It’s a snappy performer in terms of responsiveness, screen brightness and colours – just like before.

You get an uninterrupted panel that’s excellent for watching video or, of course, playing games

One irritation was that the fingerprint sensor did seem a bit picky about recognising my thumb. If you’re using this feature, I suggest making multiple entries of the same digit, as this can often improve performance with these kinds of sensors. 

There’s not much new in the sound department, either. You still get twin speakers (one at either end of the device) which can kick out some decent volume, even if things get a little thin at higher levels.

A 3.5mm headphone jack is there for the best audio performance, as you get no noticeable latency and there’s also support for Snapdragon Sound and DTS X: Ultra sound. If you prefer wireless, then the Bluetooth 5.3 antenna delivers a solid connection. 

Specs & Performance

• 3.4GHz Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Leading Version 
• Dedicated Red Core 2 Pro Gaming Chip
• Strong gaming performance

Powering the 9S Pro is a 3.4GHz Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, which is an enhanced version of the same processor used in the Pro 9. As that was a bit of a gaming powerhouse, it’s not surprising that the 9S Pro continues this tradition. 

While the focus of this series of phones is gaming, that doesn’t mean they’re a one-trick pony. The 9S Pro utilises the power at its disposal to deliver a slick and smooth day-to-day experience, with apps opening and running fluidly. 

When you do load up games, such as the perennial testing favourites Genshin Impact, Asphalt 9: Legends, and a range of other graphically demanding titles, the 9S Pro handles everything with ease, thanks to the inclusion of the 1Ghz Red Core 2 Pro gaming chip. Busy gaming environments don’t result in slow-downs, and the large display makes it easy to see and control what’s going on.

Busy gaming environments don’t result in slow-downs, and the large display makes it easy to see and control what’s going on

The touch-sensitive triggers respond well in-game, and everything is kept to a reasonable temperature thanks to the 13.5 ICE cooling system. This year, Nubia has added frost cooling gel to the already multi-faceted ICE, and it seems to do the job as I didn’t experience any overheating issues in my time with the device. It also remains comfortable to hold, even in the heat of frantic battles or races. 

The performance is boosted by the choice of either 12GB or 16GB of LPDDRX RAM, plus 256GB or 512GB of UFS 4.0 storage. The allocation is dependent on the livery you choose, with Sleet or Frost models equipped with 12GB/256GB loadouts, while Snowfall or Cyclone grant you 16GB/512GB. 

Redmagic 9s Pro benchmarks

Cameras

• 50Mp Wide and 50Mp Ultra-Wide cameras
• 16Mp under-display selfie camera
• Protective glass cover eliminates camera bump

The cameras on this range of phones have been steadily improving over the past few generations. They still don’t match the best camera phones, but most of those are now costing a lot more money than the 9S Pro. 

Although there are three circular elements on the rear of the phone, the lowest one is in fact the fan, replete with LED lights that show you when it’s engaged. Above that sits the dual-camera system, consisting of a 50Mp 24mm wide and 50Mp 13mm ultra-wide (Nubia doesn’t list the f/stop numbers). 

On a sunny day, both perform well, with a nice balance of exposure and colour. They differ in that the ultra-wide lens can be a little paler in its palette, but details seem roughly the same. Busy scenes can lead to some over-sharpening by the software, but for general snaps, the 9S Pro can deliver some very nice images.

The lack of a telephoto lens means there’s no optical zoom, but you can go up 10x digitally. However, I’d never really advise this as you’re just cropping in on an image, if you have a steady hand and the subject is stationary, then it’s possible to get usable photos. 

Switching between the wide and ultra-wide definitely opens up more of the surrounding scene, which makes the difference if you’re in a tight space and can’t get further away from your subject.

Portrait shots do a decent job of isolating the object or person, so long as the edges are defined. Wayward hair and busy backgrounds can confuse the software somewhat, resulting in blurry parts that should be in focus. 

Low-light performance is better than you might expect for a gaming phone. There can be issues with colour balance, as the software tries to ‘correct’ the temperature, but it often washes out the image. If you get it right though, there’s some respectable low-light images to be found in the 9S Pro.

Focussing is strong too, and I found I didn’t miss many shots due to inaccurate targeting. There is a Night mode, but I found a steady hand (or tripod if you want really good shots) and the normal Photo mode was more natural. You also get loads of novelty photo modes to play with too, some of which are actually quite fun. 

For general snaps, the 9S Pro can deliver some very nice images

On the front of the 9S Pro is the under-display 16Mp selfie camera. While is might be marginally better than the previous offering, I recommend that if you want a phone that can take great selfies, look elsewhere. Plus, the ‘Beauty’ mode is truly awful to behold. 

You can capture 4K/60fps on the main rear camera, which also comes with OIS to keep things stable. Footage is good, dealing well with exposure and focus. Audio is also fine, so you could definitely double up the gaming with some social media videos of your own (just not on the selfie camera). 

Here’s some sample images that I captured on the 9S Pro:

Battery Life & Charging

• 6,500mAh dual-cell battery
• 80W fast charging
• No wireless charging

Packed with a 6,500mAh dual-cell battery, the 9S Pro can last for ages. Normal, everyday use will usually see you through two days without a struggle.

While the gaming optimisation delivers between four and five hours of action before needing to be refuelled once more. In our PC Mark battery test, the 9S Pro scored 10 hours and 50 minutes, which is nearly 30 minutes more than the 9 Pro. I put this down to the improved efficiency of the processor, as the battery seems to be the same one as on the older model. 

The 9S Pro can last for ages. Normal, everyday use will usually see you through two days without a struggle

Recharge times are improved, with the included 80W charger getting the 9S Pro from 0% to 54% after a quick 15…