Gaming smartphones are taking the whole industry by storm. Razer spearheaded the movement when they introduced their first-ever smartphone. It was then followed by other brands with the same idea in mind.
One of the fastest OEMs to follow suit is ZTE with their Nubia Red Magic smartphone. Just by the name itself, we can already tell that it’s slated for the growing population of mobile gamers out there.
This handset has the right hardware to lure in their prospected users. Plus, it has a really aggressive gamer-ish design that probably make a lot of gamers drool.
But just a few months after, the ZTE Nubia Red Magic is facing another challenger with the ASUS ROG Phone. And just like the former, this thing has the right hardware and design that’s really inviting for every gamer out there.
This isn’t really surprising considering that it has ASUS’ Republic of Gamers DNA inside it. But the question is, between these two gaming devices, which smartphone will reign supreme? Check out our ASUS ROG Phone versus ZTE Nubia Red Magic specifications and features comparison to figure that out.
| ASUS ROG Phone | ZTE Nubia Red Magic | |
|---|---|---|
| Operating System | Android 8.1 Oreo ROG Gaming UI | Android 8.1 Oreo nubia Red Magic OS |
| SIM | Single SIM | Dual SIM Dual standby |
| Display | 6-inch FHD+ AMOLED 2160 x 1080 resolution ~402ppi 18:9 aspect ratio 90Hz refresh rate 1ms response time 108.6% DCI-P3 color gamut HDR Corning Gorilla Glass | 6-inch FHD+ IPS display 2160 x 1080 resolution 18:9 aspect ratio ~402ppi Dinorex T2X-1 |
| Processor | 2.96GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 octa-core Vapor Chamber Cooling | 2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 octa-core |
| GPU | Adreno 630 | Adreno 530 |
| RAM | 8GB | 6GB/8GB |
| Storage | 64GB /128GB UFS 2.1 non-expandable | 64GB/128GB non-expandable |
| Front Camera | 8-megapixel | 8-megapixel f/2.0 |
| Rear Camera | 12-megapixel + 8-megapixel (120-degree wide-angle) Phase detection autofocus LED flash | 24-megapixel PDAF f/1.7 LED flash |
| Security | Fingerprint scanner | Fingerprint scanner |
| Audio | Stereo front speaker DTS Headphone:X 7.1 virtual surround | Single loudspeaker DTS HD |
| Connectivity | 4G LTE WIFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ad, 2×2 MIMO WiGig 802.11 ad wireless display support Bluetooth 5.0 GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS< BeiDou NFC Custom USB port on the side (supports USB 3.1, DisplayPort 1.4, 15w fast charging) | HSPA+ 4G LTE WiFi 802.11 ac, WiFi hotspot Bluetooth 5.0 Dual-band NFC GPS, A-GPS USB Type-C |
| Others | 2x Ultrasonic AirTriggers RGB Logo Compatible with ASUS mobile gaming accessories | RGB LED strip Dedicated game mode button |
| Dimensions | 158.8 x 76.2 x 8.6mm | 158.1 x 74.9 x 9.5mm |
| Weight | 200g | 185g |
| Colors | Black | Red Black |
| Battery | 4,000mAh battery non-removable ASUS HyperCharge | 3,800mAh non-removable |
| Price | TBA | 6GB/64GB: CNY2,499 (~Php20,700) 8GB/128GB: CNY2,999 (~Php24,900) |
Right on the surface, the ASUS ROG Phone and ZTE Nubia Red Magic share a lot of similarities. If you look quickly on the table above, the two have almost the same specs all around, which isn’t really surprising since they both belong in the same category. However, if you digest it carefully, you will see that the ASUS ROG Phone is actually more appealing.
For starters, the ROG Phone has a more edgy design. The Nubia Red Magic doesn’t look bad, but ASUS really went all out when they were drawing this smartphone. You can really tell that it is an ROG product right from the tiny bits up to the illuminating ROG logo.
The two shares the same screen size and resolution, but ASUS stepped up a bit by using an AMOLED screen on the ROG Phone. It also has 108.6% DCI-P3 coverage, 90Hz refresh rate, and HDR which improves the gaming experience.
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The Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor on the ASUS ROG Phone is also overclocked, and it comes with a better performing Adreno 630 graphics. It also comes with a dual camera setup on the back, and a relatively bigger 4,000mAh battery than the 3,800mAh capacity found on the ZTE Nubia Red Magic.
Other than the usual things, ASUS also added other interesting features on the ROG Phone. For one, it has built-in Ultrasonic AirTriggers — a feature that you’d need separate accessories for to work on other devices.
Speaking of which, the ASUS ROG Phone comes with proprietary accessories dedicated to gaming. For one, there’s the controller dock that has a secondary screen, an attachable cooling fun, and more.
But in the end, it’s still hard to recommend the ASUS ROG Phone. As you can see, the company hasn’t revealed the official price of the device yet — which is one of the biggest factors in this kind of comparison.
As of writing, the ZTE Nubia Red Magic retails in China for a starting price of CNY2,499 (~USD390). When directly converted to Philippine peso, it costs around Php20,700. But if ever it gets officially released here, we expect it to be in the range of Php22,000 to Php25,000.
We’re pretty sure that the ASUS ROG Phone will cost more than that. Anyway, we still hope that ASUS will keep the price reasonable.