A new smartphone just made its debut in the gaming smartphones segment: Vivo iQOO Pro. It is not an expensive device like the recent Asus ROG Phone 2, but it will offer a top-end hardware department at an affordable price. It will be the main competitor of two recent Chinese gaming phones released by Xiaomi and Nubia: the Black Shark 2 Pro and the Red Magic 3. Does the Vivo iQOO Pro offer a higher value for money or better specifications compared to its two opponents? These are the main questions we will try to answer through this specs comparison in order to suggest you the best purchase you can actually do if you are searching for an affordable gaming handset.
Vivo iQOO Pro vs Xiaomi Black Shark 2 Pro vs Nubia Red Magic 3
| Xiaomi Black Shark 2 Pro | Vivo iQOO Pro | Nubia Red Magic 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT | 163.6 x 75 x 8.8 mm, 205 grams | 158.8 x 75.7 x 9.3 mm, 215 grams | 171.7 x 78.5 x 9.7 mm, 215 grams |
| DISPLAY | 6.39 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), 403 ppi, AMOLED | 6.41 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), 402 ppi, Super AMOLED | 6.65 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), 388 ppi, AMOLED |
| PROCESSOR | Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus, octa-core 2.96 GHz | Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+, octa-core 2.96 GHz | Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, octa-core 2.84 GHz |
| MEMORY | 8 GB RAM, 128 GB – 12 GB RAM, 128 GB – 12 GB RAM, 256 GB | 8 GB RAM, 128 GB – 12 GB RAM, 128 GB | 6 GB RAM, 64 GB – 8 GB RAM, 128 GB – 12 GB RAM, 256 GB |
| SOFTWARE | Android 9 Pie | Android 9 Pie, Funtouch OS | Android 9 Pie, Nubia Red Magic OS |
| 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 | Dual 48 + 12 MP f/1.8 and f/2.2 20 MP f/2.0 front camera |
Triple 48 + 13 + 2 MP f/1.8, f/2.2 and f/2.4 12 MP f/2.0 front camera |
48 MP f/1.7 16 MP f/2.0 front camera |
| BATTERY | 4000 mAh, Fast Charging 27W | 4500 mAh, Fast Charging 44W | 5000 mAh, Fast Charging 18W |
| ADDITIONAL FEATURES | Dual SIM slot | Dual SIM slot | Dual SIM slot |
Design
Despite it is clearly a gaming-focused phone, Vivo iQOO Pro is the only smartphone from this trio to feature a traditional design. So it is as elegant as other phones and it does not have an aggressive gaming-centric design which someone might not like. It even comes with a very high screen-to-body ratio thanks to very narrow bezels around the display and a waterdrop notch, unlike its two rivals. But if you prefer a gaming-centric design with RGB lights and additional keys to enhance the gaming experience, then go either for the Xiaomi Black Shark 2 Pro or the Nubia Red Magic 3 depending on your personal tastes. I prefer the Black Shark 2 Pro because it is thinner and lighter.
Display
Here, you basically have to choose between a higher refresh ratio and a bigger diagonal, or a more compact display with better touch sensing. The device which offers a higher refresh ratio (90 Hz) and a wider display is the Nubia Red Magic 3, and that is what I would choose. The one with 240 Hz touch sensing is the Xiaomi Black Shark 2 Pro, but it has a smaller display and a standard refresh rate. I define the refresh ratio as a more important element than a higher touch sensing, so my choice would be the Red Magic 3. Both Red Magic 3 and Xiaomi Black Shark 2 Pro offer 100 percent DCI-P3 coverage, while Vivo iQOO Pro has a standard AMOLED display with non-amazing color reproduction and a standard refresh ratio, so it loses the comparison.
Specs & Software
While Nubia Red Magic 3 is equipped with a standard Snapdragon 855 chipset, both Vivo iQOO Pro and Xiaomi Black Shark 2 Pro are powered by the new Snapdragon 855+: an upgrade version of the SD855 offering a higher clock frequency and a graphic performance improvement up to 15 percent. I think Xiaomi Black Shark 2 Pro will offer higher performance in long session due to its advanced cooling system. Further, in its most expensive configuration, it has more internal storage than Vivo iQOO Pro (up to 256 GB against 128 GB). Xiaomi Black Shark 2 Pro even comes with very optimized software experience.
Camera
None of these handsets is a real camera phone: all of them have midrange-class cameras. In these cases, I prefer the most versatile device, so the one which offers the highest amount of features. My choice would be the Vivo iQOO Pro due to its triple camera including an ultrawide sensor and a pretty nice 48 MP shooter. But Xiaomi Black Shark 2 Pro is all but a bad camera phone, especially with its great telephoto lens enabling 2x optical zoom, as well as a decent selfie camera.
Battery
Nubia Red Magic 3 has a huge 5000 mAh battery, while Xiaomi Black Shark 2 Pro and Vivo iQOO Pro come with just 4000 and 4500 mAh, respectively. But the Nubia Red Magic 3 has a real cooling fan to manage (as well as a bigger display), so it is not said that it will always last more than Vivo iQOO Pro.
Price
€410/$460 for the Vivo iQOO Pro, €450/$505 for the Xiaomi Black Shark 2 Pro and €500/$560 for the Nubia Red Magic 3. Overall, we think the most demanding gamers should go for the Xiaomi Black Shark 2 Pro, but if you are a casual gamer, then Vivo iQOO Pro may be a better option.
Xiaomi Black Shark 2 Pro vs Vivo iQOO Pro vs Nubia Red Magic 3: PROs and CONS
Nubia Red Magic 3
PROs
- Huge battery
- Air cooling with a real fan
- Wide display
- High refresh ratio
CONS
- Single camera
Xiaomi Black Shark 2 Pro
PROs
- High performance
- High touch responsiveness
- Affordable price
- Pretty nice cameras
CONS
- Nothing particular
Vivo iQOO Pro
PROs
- Elegant design
- Very fast charging
- Huge battery
- Nice cameras
- High performance
CONS
- Worse display
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