Nubia Red Magic 5G Launched as World's First Smartphone With 144Hz Refresh Rate Display

Days after Black Shark announced two new gaming smartphones, Nubia has jumped into the 5G gaming smartphone race by launching the Red Magic 5G. As the name suggests, it supports 5G connectivity and it is the company’s first device to do so. The company has definitely made an effort in terms of changing the design as the Red Magic series was starting to feel a bit dull.

The new Red Magic 5G will come with an internal active fan to keep the internals cool, just like the Red Magic 3 series. It is also the first phone to offer a display with 144Hz refresh rate. It clearly has a very unique identity thanks to the design language opted by the company. Yes, there are LEDs at the back and two exhaust vents for the internal fan to function efficiently. There is also a special edition of the handset which sort of offers a transparent back, like the Xiaomi Explorer edition phones, although it is not clear if the back is transparent or if the company is making use of a vinyl.

It is powered by the Snapdragon 865 processor and is offered in 8GB, 12GB and 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM with 128GB or 256GB of UFS 3.0 storage. The display measures 6.65-inches offering a full HD+ resolution. The company is making use of an AMOLED panel with a 19.5:9 aspect ratio, 144Hz high refresh rate, 240Hz touch sampling rate and an in-display fingerprint sensor.

For the ones who care about a camera on their gaming phones, the Rad Magic 5G comes with a 64-megapixel Sony IMX686 main camera, an 8-megapixel wide-angle camera and a 2-megapixel macro camera. At the front there is an 8-megapixel to take selfies.

The handset also comes with a 4,500 mAh battery, with support for 55W fast charging as well as support for Qualcomm Quick Charge 4.0 and Power Delivery 3.0. Other notable features include Wi-Fi 6, 3.5mm audio jack, dual-frequency GPS and some pogo pins on the side to attach accessories. The handset will run on Red Magic OS based on Android 10, loaded with various game optimisation apps.

The Red Magic 5G is currently selling in China for CNY 3799 (Rs 38,000 approx) for the 8GB + 128GB variant, CNY 4099 (Rs 41,000 approx) for the 12GB + 128GB variant, CNY 4399 (Rs 44,000 approx) for the 12GB + 256GB and CNY 4999 (Rs 50,000 approx) for the 16GB + 256GB variant. The Transparent Edition will be offered at CNY 4599 (Rs 46,000 approx) for the 12GB + 256GB model and CNY 5199 (Rs 52,000 approx) for the 16GB + 256GB model.