Nubia just released its 2019 gaming phone with ground-breaking features: the Red Magic 3. Now that gaming phones are a well-established reality and we can play awesome titles such as PUBG and Fortnite on a phone, it makes a lot more sense having a gaming-centric device and even comparing it with each other device from the same segment. Here, you can find a comparison between the most recent gaming smartphones from different companies: Nubia Red Magic 3, Razer Phone 2 and Xiaomi Black Shark 2. They come with totally different aesthetics, but all of them have stunning performances: which is the best one and which one is currently worth buying? Let’s see it together.

 

Nubia Red Magic 3 vs Xiaomi Black Shark 2 vs Razer Phone 2

Nubia Red Magic 3 Razer Phone 2 Huawei Mate 20 X
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT N/D 158.5 x 79 x 8.5 mm 163.6 x 75 x 8.8 mm, 205 grams
DISPLAY 6.65 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), 330 ppi, Super AMOLED 5.72 inches, 1440 x 2560p (Quad HD), 513 ppi, IGZO IPS LCD 6.39 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), 403 ppi, AMOLED
PROCESSOR Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, octa-core 2.8 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, octa-core 2.8 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, octa-core 2.8 GHz
MEMORY  6 GB RAM, 64 GB – 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 128 GB – 12 GB RAM, 256 GB 8 GB RAM, 64 GB – micro SD dedicated slot 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 256 GB – 12 GB RAM, 256 GB
SOFTWARE Android 9 Pie, Nubia Red Magic OS Android 8.1 Oreo Android 9 Pie
CONNECTIVITY Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS
CAMERA 48 MP f/1.8
16 MP front camera		 Dual 12 + 12 MP f/1.8 and f/2.6
8 MP f/2.0 front camera		 Dual 48 + 12 MP f/1.8 and f/2.2
20 MP f/2.0 front camera
BATTERY 5000 mAh, Fast Charging 27W 4000 mAh, Fast Charging with Quick Charge 4+ 4000 mAh, Fast Charging 27W
ADDITIONAL FEATURES RGB strip, additional rear and side keys, pins for accessories, cooling fan, Dual SIM slot IP67 certification, RGB illuminated logo Dual SIM slot

Design

The design is a very subjective matter when it comes to gaming phones. There are people who prefer aggressive and original aesthetics such as Nubia Red Magic 3 and Xiaomi Black Shark 2 with their LED strips, while others want a more standard and elegant design such as Razer Phone 2. If we exclude the subjective elements, there are three things making the difference here: build quality, keys, and options to connect accessories. On the Nubia Red Magic 3, you get more physical keys you can use in-game, as well as rear pins to connect additional accessories. On the other hand, Xiaomi Black Shark 2 has a pressure sensitive display which lets you map the buttons to the sides of the screen. Razer Phone 2 does not offer these features, but it is water resistant and it has an oleophobic coating for the display. Nubia Red Magic 3 seems a bit more comfortable for gamers.

 

Display

The most stunning display for gamers is the one found on the Razer Phone 2, despite it is not an AMOLED panel. Indeed, it comes with the highest refresh rate (120 Hz) that is very useful in-game, as well as the highest resolution (QHD) for a higher level of detail, wide color gamut and higher brightness.

 

Specs & Software

Razer Phone 2 loses this comparison because it has a less impressive chipset: we are talking about the old-gen Snapdragon 845, while Nubia Red Magic 3 and Xiaomi Black Shark 2 are equipped with the new Snapdragon 855 chipset. In order to establish which one performs better between Xiaomi Black Shark 2 and Nubia Red Magic 3, we will have to see how the air cooling of the Nubia Magic 3 behaves, but we have higher expectations for the Red Magic.

 

Camera

Despite coming with flagship-class performances, these devices are not exactly the best camera phones, but they are still good at taking photos. Nubia Red Magic 3 has just a single camera, but it is very interesting due to its 48 MP resolution and the capability to record 8K videos and 1920 fps slow motion videos. On the other hand, Razer Phone 2 comes with OIS and 2x optical zoom, better features for photos. Even Xiaomi Black Shark 2 is pretty nice with its 48 MP main sensor supported by a 12 MP telephoto lens for 2x optical zoom.

 

Battery

With its huge 5000 mAh battery, the Nubia Red Magic 3 should be able to beat the competition in a lot of scenarios. We say should because we do not know how much energy the rotating fan working at 14K rpm will consume. So, just like the cameras, we have to test the battery life of the Nubia Red Magic 3 in order to give a definitive opinion.

 

Price

The price is the weakest point of the Razer Phone 2 as it was launched with a price tag of €850/$950. Xiaomi Black Shark 2 and Nubia Red Magic 3 debuted in China for just €450/$500 and €385/$430 respectively. At the end of the day, if we base on the specs on the paper, due to its big battery, its physical keys, the rear pins, and the 90 Hz refresh rate, Nubia Red Magic 3 looks like the device with the highest value for money.

 

Nubia Red Magic 3 vs Xiaomi Black Shark 2 vs Razer Phone 2: PROs and CONS

Nubia Red Magic 3

PROs

  • Great hardware + cooling system
  • Rear and side physical keys
  • Pins for accessories
  • Bigger battery with fast charging
  • 90 Hz display
  • Affordable
  • Stereo speakers

CONS

  • Single camera

 

Xiaomi Black Shark 2

PROs

  • Affordable price
  • Good cameras
  • Stereo speakers
  • Big battery with fast charging

CONS

  • Nothing particular

 

Razer Phone 2

PROs

  • Best display
  • Great hardware and cooling system
  • DAC dongle and stereo speakers
  • Big battery, fast charging, and wireless charging
  • Water resistant

CONS

  • Bezels

 

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