The next step of gaming smartphones

Over the past few years, Nubia has established RedMagic as a gaming smartphone brand worth considering. It acts as a classic flagship killer, with high-end specs at a price closer to the mid-range competition than premium smartphones, more so when the premium phones are gaming smartphones. And it does it all with a special focus on the needs of the players. With the arrival of the RedMagic 10 Pro, is Nubia still on top?

RedMagic 10 Pro and Nubia’s Product Cycle

One thing that the RedMagic product line is known for is the frequent refresh of the handsets. Not only do you get the annual update to the number line, but you also get a semi-annual refresh with an ‘S’ release. This ensures that the latest RedMagic gaming rig will be very close to the top of the heap when playing Top Trumps specs.

For those looking to be as competitive as possible when gaming, a new RedMagic phone is guaranteed to deliver top-notch hardware. But this competitive price comes at a cost… the number of software and security updates that Nubia will provide. For me, this is the weakest point of the RedMagic 10 Pro package – it comes with only one Android update (taking the handset to Android 16 but no further), two years of UI improvements and three years of security updates.

That’s a short window, making it difficult to recommend the RedMagic10 Pro without giving a warning about its longevity. Is this outweighed by the high performance and gaming focused hardware?

Hardware RedMagic 10 Pro

At the heart of the RedMagic 10 Pro is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite, a top-of-the-range chip. It’s a popular chip and will be seen in many of the 2025 handsets, but probably not with the extra hardware that RedMagic has bundled in to get the highest performance possible.

Up to 24 GB of RAM and 1 TB of storage are available. These use the fast LPDDR5X and UFS 4.1 Pro protocols to move data quickly.

Keeping the 8 Elite as cool as possible is key to maximizing performance. Nubia uses liquid metal cooling to remove heat from the chip as quickly as possible. It’s a technique and material used in gaming laptops, but it’s a first for smartphones.

If that’s not enough, don’t forget that the RedMagic 10 Pro has a fan that circulates cooling air through the system. This means the 10 Pro lacks waterproofing, but it’s a clear design decision to focus on gaming capability rather than everyday use.

That doesn’t mean the Redmagic 10 Pro can’t be used as an everyday phone. It’s a full Android implementation, the Google Play Store is present, and the extra power needed for high-end gaming means the average social media or office app has plenty of room to run.

RedMagic 10 Pro Battery

The battery is also an area where the 10 Pro stands out. Carrying a massive 7050mAh capacity built around Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 5 technology, it can accept up to 100W wired charging, which is packed into the retail package.

Games use a significant amount of energy. While Nubia quotes 18 hours of video playback, this drops to the Genshin Impact’s quoted 6.5 hours. However, this is enough battery to get through two solid days of smartphone work or several gaming sessions during the day without worrying about charging.

RedMagic 10 Pro Camera

The design of the RedMagic 10 Pro can be summed up in a single world… flat. While there are rear cameras, there is no camera bump or island at the back. The entire phone feels carved from a single block. This helps balance the 10 Pro in your hand and creates a comfortable experience when gaming for longer sessions.

The rear camera can almost be rated as “adequate”, but it’s nothing to write home about. This is where most corners have been cut to allow Nubia to invest elsewhere in RedMagic hardware, and it’s the logical place to do so. Those who want a great camera will know which smartphones to consider and look elsewhere, and those who are here for gaming will be happy to be able to take the occasional shot.

RedMagic Space Gaming Software 10 Pro

However, the Pro 10 isn’t completely smooth. On the long end, you still have the power and volume buttons, the speaker and the SIM card slot. You also have air vents on the 10 Pro’s shoulders when playing in landscape mode. These can be programmed to repeat button presses or taps in any app through the GameSpace software.

GameSpace is RedMagic’s custom game launcher and is activated either by selecting the app in the usual way from Android or by rotating the red switch on the long edge of the device. If you’re only gaming on the 10 Pro, I can’t think of why you wouldn’t always leave this on.

RedMagic 10 Pro display

More than any other smartphone genre, the gaming smartphone needs to be versatile on display. It needs resolution, a fast refresh and a high touch sampling rate. All of these directly affect how enjoyable mobile gaming can be.

With 1.25mm thin bezels, the 10 Pro feels almost “all-screen”, helped by the weak selfie camera that’s an “under-screen” rather than a notch. It’s a 6.85-inch screen running at 1.5K (2688×1216 pixels), so plenty of detail can be displayed. The display’s 144Hz refresh rate allows the latest titles to run at the highest practical current speed, while making calls with ease if needed. The sampling rate to pick up your touch inputs is dialed up to 2500 Hz

All this gives a smooth gaming experience on the screen, both visually and as a controller. Shoulder triggers play a big role in the gaming experience as well. When they’re supported directly, that’s great, but when they’re not, programming them yourself (by dragging a crosshair over the screen to indicate where you want the button ‘tap’ to be reflected on the screen) lets you customize games to your style.

RedMagic 10 Pro Final Thoughts

The Nubia RedMagic 10 Pro doesn’t change the formula of previous RedMagic gaming phones; that is, make sure you have the specified system-on-chip running inside the car with enough memory and space to make good use of it, make sure the latest active and passive cooling technology is present, and put the lion’s share of invoice materials on the screen.

Six months after the RedMagic 9S Pro, the RedMagic 10 Pro is a small step forward, but that’s the case with every RedMagic. Get the latest phone, good for a few years of gaming, and move on.

That’s why the biggest weakness for me is not the camera but the software. A major version of Android is one of the weakest offerings so far. Three years of security updates are welcome, but these choices make RedMagic feel a touch disposable.

The whole package hits the mark today with long battery life, a best-in-class display and gaming features in hardware and software to match the experience. And with prices starting at $649, there’s plenty of power and performance at a very competitive price.

Disclaimer: Nubia is supplied a RedMagic 10 Pro for review purposes.