The newly-announced ROG Phone II by Asus is already defined as the best gaming phone so far. The presence of the best Qualcomm’s chipset out there and its incredibly advanced gaming-centric features left no doubts. But when it comes to mobile devices, it is not all about specifications and neither about performances. There is also value for money, just to make an example. That is the reason why we think it is worth comparing the so-called “best gaming phone ever” with the other recent gaming phones from its concurrence. And in case you do not know, the latest gaming smartphones with a gaming-centric design released before the ROG Phone II are Xiaomi Black Shark 2 and Nubia Red Magic 3. Here we will show you the differences between these handsets as well as their strong and weak points.
Asus ROG Phone 2 vs Xiaomi Black Shark 2 vs Nubia Red Magic 3
| Nubia Red Magic 3 | Asus ROG Phone II | Xiaomi Black Shark 2 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT | N/D | 171 x 77.6 x 9.5 mm, 240 grams | 163.6 x 75 x 8.8 mm, 205 grams |
| DISPLAY | 6.65 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), 330 ppi, Super AMOLED | 6.59 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD), 391 ppi, AMOLED | 6.39 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), 403 ppi, AMOLED |
| PROCESSOR | Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, octa-core 2.8 GHz | Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, octa-core 2.96 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 | 12 GB RAM, 256 GB – 12 GB RAM, 512 GB | 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 9 Pie, ROG UI | 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/ad, 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 48 + 13 MP f/1.8 and f/2.4 24 MP f/2.2 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 | 6000 mAh, Fast Charging 30W 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 | Dual SIM slot, Air Triggers, reverse charging, support to external accessories | Dual SIM slot |
Design
All these phones come with a very original and gaming-centric design, so which one you should choose is up to your tastes. I prefer the Asus ROG Phone II due to its better materials (rear glass and aluminum frame) and its Air Triggers that means essentially pressure-sensitive rear keys with haptic feedback. Nubia Red Magic 3 offers rear physical keys as well and with its RGB strip, it even shows very attractive design. But both Red Magic 3 and Xiaomi Black Shark have a full metal unibody design instead of glass + metal body.
Display
The 120 Hz refresh ratio, the incredibly high color accuracy with 108 percent DCI-P3 coverage and HDR10 standard, as well as 240 Hz touch sensing technology, would make me choose the Asus ROG Phone II again when it comes to the display. There is no challenge: it has a superior panel under every point of view. And the phone is even equipped with stereo speakers and four microphones so that you can have the best gaming experience even in multiplayer sessions. Xiaomi Black Shark 2 and Nubia Red Magic 3 have a similar color accuracy but they differ when it comes to refresh ratio: while Xiaomi Black Shark 2 has a 60 Hz refresh ratio and 240 Hz touch sensing, Red Magic 3 has a standard touch sensing but 90 Hz refresh ratio. In my opinion, a higher refresh rate is more important than higher-touch sensing, so I prefer the Red Magic 3.
Specs & Software
While both Xiaomi Black Shark 2 and Nubia Red Magic 3 are powered by the Snapdragon 855 chipset, Asus ROG Phone 2 boasts the Snapdragon 855 Plus: an overclocked variant with better GPU performance. The Snapdragon 855+ promises a 15 percent increase for GPU speed and it has a higher 2.96 GHz compared to 2.84 GHz of the vanilla Snapdragon 855. Further, Asus ROG Phone 2 has 512 GB of internal storage in its higher-end version, while the most expensive configuration of the Xiaomi Black Shark 2 and the Nubia Red Magic 3 have a 256 GB storage. With the Asus ROG Phone 2 you can even switch between a stock Android user interface and the customized, gaming-centric ROG UI. So it wins even when it comes to the software.
Camera
Despite according to the specs on the paper, it is very close to Xiaomi Black Shark 2, we believe that Asus ROG Phone 2 will be the winner even when it comes to the rear department. Thanks to the laser autofocus system, focusing should be better. And the secondary ultrawide sensor will be more useful than the telephoto lens with 2x optical zoom found on the Xiaomi Black Shark 2. Nubia Red Magic 3 has just a single camera and it is all but a camera phone. Even the selfie camera seems better on the Asus ROG Phone 2 with its high 24 MP resolution.
Battery
Coming to the battery, it is again a victory for the Asus ROG Phone 2 which is the last-gen flagship with the biggest battery out there: 6000 mAh. This battery guarantees 7 hours of PUBG non-stop playing and it even supports reverse charging.
Price
- Read More: Razer Phone 2 gaming phone is official with Snapdragon 845, Chroma lighting and wireless charging
Asus ROG Phone 2 vs Xiaomi Black Shark 2 vs Nubia Red Magic 3: 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
CONS
- Single rear camera
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
PROs
- Affordable price
- Good cameras
- Stereo speakers
- Big battery with fast charging
CONS
- Nothing particular
Asus ROG Phone II
PROs
- Best display
- Biggest battery
- Air Triggers
- Reverse charging
- Best performance
CONS
- Expensive
