RedMagic is once again pushing the envelope in performance with its gaming phones, offering one of the best gaming experiences you can get. The software still needs to improve, however.
For the past couple of years, I’ve reviewed almost every phone that RedMagic puts out. The gaming-focused brand born from nubia has consistently pushed for the highest level of performance, using the latest hardware backed by unique features like a cooling fan to keep things even cooler. The RedMagic 6 series is the latest effort from the company, and it packs some significant performance improvements thanks to the latest Qualcomm silicon and more RAM. It’s the first time RedMagic launches two different phones at the same time – the RedMagic 6 and the 6 Pro – but the only differences are the storage and RAM configurations and the addition of an aluminum backplate on the Pro model for even better cooling. It’s also the first time in a while that RedMagic has increased the amount of RAM in all the configurations, bumping up from 8GB to 12GB in the base RedMagic 6, while the Pro model has 16GB of RAM, up from the 12GB you’d get with a top-tier RedMagic 5S. Pricing has also increased slightly, with the phone now starting at $599 for the base model, or $699 for the 6 Pro. RedMagic sent me the base model, and it’s also the Chinese variant, so my unit isn’t exactly the same you’ll get when you buy the phone. For example, the Chinese variant doesn’t support NFC, but the international release does. The design of the RedMagic 6 is strongly rooted in what we’ve seen from previous RedMagic phones, albeit with some tweaks. It’s still a metal and glass sandwich like before, though it feels more dense and sturdier than previous RedMagic phones. I’d say this might have the best build quality out of all the phones I’ve reviewed from RedMagic, which is certainly nice to see. A large portion of the back is covered by this angular shape, which is glass on this model, but that’s where you’ll find the aluminum backplate on the RedMagic 6 Pro. It’s very much in line with RedMagic’s design lineage. There are some changes, though, like the camera setup now being fully contained in a single rectangular protrusion, and the LED flash now having a triangular shape that makes it fit much better with the rest of the design. After RGB lighting was removed in the RedMagic 5S, it’s now back with the RedMagic 6. This time, it’s not in the RedMagic name, but it’s actually in two zones – the small stripes on each side of the branding. They still support a handful of colors, which we’ll get into later. It’s worth noting here that the Tencent Games logo is only on the Chinese version of this phone. Also, the red RedMagic logo near the bottom can still light up just like before. A major improvement in the design of the RedMagic 6 is around the edges. The left edge of the phone no longer has a pin connector, which was used to attach accessories like the RedMagic Adapter, but on this model, all the accessories connect to the USB Type-C port. Because of that extra space, RedMagic moved the volume rocker to the left side of the phone, away from the power button. The left side also has the usual gaming mode toggle and air intake vent for the phone’s internal fan. Over on the right side, the power button is now much further up, and it’s so much easier to access than on previous models. That’s been one of my consistent complaints with RedMagic phones, but now that the volume rocker is on the left, all the buttons are easily accessible without having to constantly adjust my hand. Of course, there’s also an air expel vent for the fan and the touch-sensitive triggers for gaming, which have been upgraded with a 400Hz touch sampling rate. RedMagic has been uncompromising with the 3.5mm headphone jack, and you can still find it on the top edge, along with a microphone. Meanwhile, the bottom edge has a USB Type-C for charging and connecting accessories like the RedMagic Adapter and the Ice Dock, an external fan for those that need even more cooling. The SIM card tray is also here, along with a bottom-firing speaker. The RedMagic 6 is the first RedMagic phone since 2019 that has increased the size of the display, which is now 6.8 inches diagonally instead of 6.65 inches. That change mostly comes from an increase in height, since the screen now has a 20:9 aspect ratio instead of 19.5:9, for a resolution of 2400×1080. The phone itself is also slightly taller, but the top and bottom bezels still seem to have shrunken a bit, which is a welcome change. What I’ve personally appreciated the most on the RedMagic 6’s display is that the colors looks great, at all levels of brightness. After I complained in a few of my reviews about it, RedMagic seems to finally have fixed all the issues with color shifting at low brightness levels, and I haven’t had any problems with it. As for sound, it’s a very standard RedMagic experience, and that’s a good thing. There’s a stereo set of speakers, one firing down and one firing directly at the user, and they get very loud, but they can also get super quiet. They have a pretty wide range of volume, so you can always find a comfortable listening level. I also want to point out that the haptic engine on the RedMagic 6 is far better than anything RedMagic has used in its previous phones.
