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Motorola's Edge Plus Puts a 60MP Selfie Camera Up Front for Sharper Video Calls
Motorola's Edge Plus Puts a 60MP Selfie Camera Up Front for Sharper Video Calls
Motorola has announced its new high-end phone for 2022: the $1,000 Motorola Edge Plus. It has a 6.7-inch screen along with sharper selfie and ultrawide cameras than most phones, including the iPhone 13 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. But Motorola makes compromises in other areas, particularly in the camera's lack of a telephoto lens.
The Edge Plus, which first launched in China as the Edge X30, will be available unlocked through retailers like Amazon, Motorola's website and Best Buy. Motorola hasn't shared specific US launch timing yet, but it did say the phone will also be available through Verizon, Boost Mobile and Republic Wireless in the coming months. The unlocked version will be available at a $100 discount at launch.
Motorola designed some of the Edge Plus' features around trends that emerged during the pandemic, said Ruben Castano, Motorola's head of customer experience, in an interview with CNET. Those trends include more time being spent watching TV, playing games and video chatting on phones. As such, the Edge Plus has a 6.7-inch OLED screen that can boost its refresh rate up to 144Hz and features a 60-megapixel front camera.
"The phone has become the center, almost a hub of entertainment for consumers," said Castano. "So that is the one thing that I think that pandemic did dramatically change in terms of consumer behaviors."
There are also two 50-megapixel cameras on the back along with a 2-megapixel depth camera for taking better portrait photos. The device runs on Qualcomm's newest mobile processor, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1.
Some of the Edge Plus' characteristics, particularly the sharp selfie camera and high display refresh rate, could help Motorola stand out against Samsung, which dominates the Android smartphone market. A refresh rate of 144Hz isn't new to smartphones -- not even for Motorola -- but it isn't exactly common either.
The Motorola Edge Plus has two 50-megapixel cameras and a 2-megapixel depth camera.
Motorola
The Asus ROG Phone 5, which is designed for gaming, has a 144Hz refresh rate. But a 120Hz refresh rate is more typical for mainstream phones like Samsung's Galaxy S22 lineup. The 60-megapixel front camera is also somewhat rare; Samsung's top-of-the-line Galaxy S22 Ultra has a lower resolution 40-megapixel selfie camera by comparison.
Motorola is also leaning on the Edge Plus' 50-megapixel ultrawide camera to distinguish it from the pack. Popular phones like the iPhone 13 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra each have 12-megapixel ultra-wide cameras, potentially giving Motorola the chance to stand out.
However, it's doing so at a cost. Unlike many phones in Edge Plus' price range, Motorola's new phone doesn't have a dedicated telephoto camera lens. The company says other camera improvements it's made regarding pixel size, sensor size and aperture will enable a good enough digital zoom.
On paper, the Edge Plus' 50-megapixel main sensor also sounds like a step down from the older Edge Plus' 108-megapixel camera. But again, Motorola says it's improved the camera's pixel size and focus on this year's model.
The Motorola Edge Plus uses a digital zoom instead of a dedicated telephoto camera lens.
Motorola
The Motorola Edge Plus also has a 4,800-mAh battery and supports 30-watt fast charging. That's slightly faster than the Galaxy S22's 25-watt fast charging yet not as speedy as the Galaxy S22 Plus' and Galaxy S22 Ultra's 45-watt charging. But Motorola's phone does include an important perk: it comes with a 30-watt charger in the box. Apple and Samsung, meanwhile, don't even include chargers with their phones, let alone fast chargers.
Motorola says the Edge Plus will also receive at least two major Android operating system upgrades and three years of security updates. Samsung, on the other hand, just announced that its Galaxy S22 devices and other recent phones will support four generations of Android upgrades.
Motorola's parent company Lenovo is the third-largest smartphone-maker in the US, capturing 12% of the US market as of late 2021, according to Counterpoint Research. Lenovo doesn't even place in the top five when it comes to global shipments, Counterpoint Research also reports.
But Motorola's approach with the Edge Plus seemingly falls in line with the general direction smartphones are heading. In his story about the future of mobile devices, my colleague Patrick Holland reported that we'll continue seeing more niche phones with targeted appeal. Foldable phones and devices tailored for playing video games, like the Asus Rog Phone 5, fall under that umbrella. With its focus on specific tasks like video chatting and playing games, it sounds like the Motorola Edge Plus does, too.
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Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G review: Samsung's premier phone is pretty badass
Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G review: Samsung's premier phone is pretty badass
The Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G, unveiled alongside Samsung's Galaxy S21 and S21 Plus phones, proves that sometimes you have to do something twice to get it right. While just as bold as last year's Galaxy S20 Ultra, the S21 Ultra is a refined second take on the concept. There's still the 100x Space Zoom, but it's easier to use. There is still the "big for the sake of being big" design, but it looks more appealing. And there's still a high price, but at $1,200 (£1,149, AU$1,849) it costs $200 less than the S20 Ultra in the US.
If you want the absolute best specs and features, the S21 Ultra is undoubtedly appealing. The phone will also attract camera nerds, thanks to the improvements. The addition of S-Pen support -- it's the first Galaxy S phone to support the stylus -- will likely catch the eye of Galaxy Note users looking for a different option.
Like
Gorgeous phantom black finish
Two telephoto cameras
The screen is spectacular
S-Pen support
Don't Like
It's heavy
Lacks a microSD card slot
$1,200 is still expensive
Last year's Ultra model seemed like it came out of nowhere. It was a phone all about excess that, by sheer fate, was launched at the beginning of a global pandemic and recession. Its bold, behemoth take on the Galaxy S line was undercut by its $1,400 (£1,199, AU$1,999) price and issues with its nearly domino-size camera system.
Overall, the S21 Ultra is a major update both in terms of hardware and software over the S20 Ultra. And when you factor in a lower price, it all kind of makes sense. And that's why the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra earned a CNET's Editors' Choice Award. The whole Galaxy S21 lineup is available to purchase -- here's how you can buy one.
Read more: Samsung Galaxy S21 vs. S21 Plus vs. S21 Ultra
The Galaxy S21 Ultra has the best black finish
I wouldn't call the S21 Ultra's design radically different, but my review unit has the best black finish I've ever seen on a phone. It's the stuff that goth dreams are made of. The color is called phantom black, and seeing it in person makes you understand why Samsung made a nearly three-minute video explaining the blackest black finish. The S21 Ultra also comes in phantom silver and there are limited-edition phantom finishes in titanium, brown and navy, which can only be found on Samsung's website.
The camera bump is large and melts into the sides of the phone, which are glossy black. And while the regular S21 and S21 Plus looks snazzy in their two-tone colors, the all-black S21 Ultra is cool, elegant and badass all at the same time.
Read more: Galaxy S21 drop test: It broke on the first drop
The S21 Ultra is heavier than last year's S20 Ultra and the iPhone 12 Pro Max. It's the second heaviest phone I have tested in the past year, just behind the Asus ROG Phone 3.
The display is brighter and adds S-Pen support
Around the front is one of the most impressive displays I've seen. It has a Wide Quad HD resolution and a variable refresh rate between 10 and 120Hz, which is determined by what's on the screen. And just to be clear, it can be set to 120Hz without the hit to resolution that the S20 Ultra had. The 6.8-inch display is bright and the contrast is gorgeous. Covering the front and back is Corning's Gorilla Glass Victus.
Support for the S-Pen means you can draw, write, edit photos and sign documents on the S21 Ultra.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Under the screen is a larger ultrasonic fingerprint reader which feels peppy. I had a hard time telling if it was faster than the one on the S20 Ultra. The display also has S-Pen support.
The Galaxy Note phones line always tempted me, but I didn't think I'd use the S-Pen enough to justify getting one. I like the iPad Pro-Apple Pencil approach Samsung took with the S21 Ultra. Without an S-Pen, you can still enjoy using the S21 Ultra. But if you're S-Pen curious, you can buy a new S-Pen or find an old one and it will work. There's a lot you can do like draw, take notes and sign documents. I love editing photos and making adjustments with the S-Pen.
There are a few S-Pen considerations. The S21 Ultra doesn't come with an S-Pen and doesn't support Bluetooth or gesture functionality. For example, the S21 Ultra can't send you a notification if you leave your S-Pen behind. Also, the Ultra doesn't have a built-in slot to store an S-Pen. Samsung does sell cases for the phone that include S-Pen storage.
The S21 Ultra has two telephoto cameras
The S21 Ultra's camera system received several significant updates. There are four rear cameras: one wide, one ultrawide and two telephoto cameras. The time-of-flight sensor on the S20 Ultra is gone; in its place is a laser autofocus module.
The 108-megapixel sensor on the main camera is new and has better autofocus for both photos and videos. There's even a new focus enhancer tool that pops onscreen to help the phone focus faster. The tool looks like it might be switching to a wider view to do so.
Read more: S21 Ultra vs. iPhone 12 Pro Max vs. Pixel 5: Which phone has the best night mode?
There are four rear cameras: wide, ultrawide and two telephotos.
Patrick Holland/CNET
The dual-telephoto cameras add a number of benefits. One has 3x magnification and the other 10x. This means when you zoom in, there are two places in your zoom range where the image isn't cropped and where you'll capture the best image quality. Another benefit is stability. The two cameras are paired to help make zooming in, even at 100x, easier and more steady.
At 30x or higher, a zoom guide appears to help you find the specific spot that you're zoomed in at. You can lock it so the cameras don't move, which turns the guide yellow. This works quite well. Obviously you have to be careful not to move the phone around too much, but it's less finicky and frustrating than the S20 Ultra.
Photos from the S21 Ultra are excellent, with good detail and a wide dynamic range. There is a 108-megapixel mode, but I found that the 12-megapixel photos that come from pixel binning look consistently great.
Below are several photos I took with the S21 Ultra.
The main camera was set to 12 megapixels, which uses pixel binning to combine nine pixels into one.
Patrick Holland/CNET
One benefit of pixel binning is that it can bring out the details in a photo. Notice the different textures and details.
Patrick Holland/CNET
I used the single-take mode in the camera app to capture photos and videos of this cute dog. Here's one of the pictures my S21 Ultra chose.
Patrick Holland/CNET
There's so much for the S21 Ultra to capture correctly here: the barren tree branches, the water and the white fluffy clouds in the blue sky.
Patrick Holland/CNET
Here are three different photos I took from the exact same spot using the wide 1x camera (left), the 3x telephoto camera (middle) and the 10x telephoto camera (right).
Patrick Holland/CNET
In low light, the S21 Ultra's night mode is outstanding. Flaring on the lens is minimized and photos look bright without a bunch of image noise or noise-reduction smearing. Below are a few night mode photos I took:
This might be my favorite night mode photo of the bunch.
Patrick Holland/CNET
Here's another night mode capture. I like how the S21 Ultra brought out the colors in the sculpture.
Patrick Holland/CNET
Night mode on any of the S21 Ultra's cameras. I took this shot with the ultrawide.
Patrick Holland/CNET
For selfies there's the same 40-megapixel camera that the S20 Ultra had. You now have an option to change the color tone to either bright or natural which is excellent.
Here is a selfie I took with the natural setting.
Patrick Holland/CNET
Samsung added the ability to take raw 12-bit color photos. There's a new video feature called Director's View, which gives you a thumbnail preview of the video feeds coming from all of the cameras on the phones. As you record, you can switch between them. Within Director's View, there's a vlogger setup that gives you a side-by-side video view or a stacked one if you're shooting vertically. This means you can record yourself with the selfie camera and show what you're seeing or reacting to with any of the rear cameras.
On paper, Director's View seemed like something I might try once and not really use. But after some time using it, some people will definitely be into the feature. A downside to Director's View is that the final video is saved in HD instead of 4K or 8K. I'd love to see a similar thumbnail preview interface of all the rear cameras when recording a regular 4K video.
I'm excited to pit the S21 Ultra and its cameras against the iPhone 12 Pro Max and Google Pixel 5. Each phone takes a different approach to photography and will appeal to different people.
S21 Ultra has a Snapdragon 888 chip and 12 or 16GB of RAM
Powering the S21 Ultra is the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chip, along with 12GB of RAM, or 16GB in the most expensive model -- which also has 512GB of storage (see the chart below for prices). In my benchmark tests, the S21 Ultra scored better than last year's S20 Ultra. And in use, it handled everything I threw at it, even playing Xbox Game Pass Ultimate games on it.
You can use the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate app to play Xbox games on your S21 Ultra.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Supplying juice to the phone is a 5,000-mAh battery. I've easily been averaging a day and a half on a single charge. Battery tests on the S21 Ultra for continuous video playback on Airplane mode clocked an average of 22 hours and 57 minutes with the refresh rate set to Auto 120Hz. That's actually an hour less than the S20 Ultra lasted in the same test. Though keep in mind, in real world use my colleague Jessica Dolcourt found the S20 Ultra's battery drained like it was being bitten by a "thirsty vampire."
Below are the results of my benchmark tests for the S21 Ultra.
3DMark Slingshot Unlimited
Note:
Longer bars indicate better performance
Geekbench v.5.0 single-core
Note:
Longer bars indicate better performance
Geekbench v.5.0 multicore
Note:
Longer bars indicate better performance
Android 11 and 5G support
The Galaxy S21 Ultra runs Android 11 with Samsung's OneUI 3.1 top layer. And I like it a lot. I can now default to Google Pay or Google Discover News feed instead of Samsung's versions. The look for everything from settings to pop-up windows is clean and contemporary. And with a phone this big, OneUI helps make it easier to use one-handed.
Last, the Galaxy S21 Ultra has 5G and supports both sub-6 and mmWave flavors of 5G. You shouldn't get the Ultra for its 5G. But as 5G networks get better, so will your 5G speeds and connection. And then we'll really have something to talk about.
Motorola's Edge Plus Puts a 60MP Selfie Camera Up Front for Sharper Video Calls
Motorola's Edge Plus Puts a 60MP Selfie Camera Up Front for Sharper Video Calls
Motorola has announced its new high-end phone for 2022: the $1,000 Motorola Edge Plus. It has a 6.7-inch screen along with sharper selfie and ultrawide cameras than most phones, including the iPhone 13 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. But Motorola makes compromises in other areas, particularly in the camera's lack of a telephoto lens.
The Edge Plus, which first launched in China as the Edge X30, will be available unlocked through retailers like Amazon, Motorola's website and Best Buy. Motorola hasn't shared specific US launch timing yet, but it did say the phone will also be available through Verizon, Boost Mobile and Republic Wireless in the coming months. The unlocked version will be available at a $100 discount at launch.
Motorola designed some of the Edge Plus' features around trends that emerged during the pandemic, said Ruben Castano, Motorola's head of customer experience, in an interview with CNET. Those trends include more time being spent watching TV, playing games and video chatting on phones. As such, the Edge Plus has a 6.7-inch OLED screen that can boost its refresh rate up to 144Hz and features a 60-megapixel front camera.
"The phone has become the center, almost a hub of entertainment for consumers," said Castano. "So that is the one thing that I think that pandemic did dramatically change in terms of consumer behaviors."
There are also two 50-megapixel cameras on the back along with a 2-megapixel depth camera for taking better portrait photos. The device runs on Qualcomm's newest mobile processor, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1.
Some of the Edge Plus' characteristics, particularly the sharp selfie camera and high display refresh rate, could help Motorola stand out against Samsung, which dominates the Android smartphone market. A refresh rate of 144Hz isn't new to smartphones -- not even for Motorola -- but it isn't exactly common either.
The Motorola Edge Plus has two 50-megapixel cameras and a 2-megapixel depth camera.
Motorola
The Asus ROG Phone 5, which is designed for gaming, has a 144Hz refresh rate. But a 120Hz refresh rate is more typical for mainstream phones like Samsung's Galaxy S22 lineup. The 60-megapixel front camera is also somewhat rare; Samsung's top-of-the-line Galaxy S22 Ultra has a lower resolution 40-megapixel selfie camera by comparison.
Motorola is also leaning on the Edge Plus' 50-megapixel ultrawide camera to distinguish it from the pack. Popular phones like the iPhone 13 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra each have 12-megapixel ultra-wide cameras, potentially giving Motorola the chance to stand out.
However, it's doing so at a cost. Unlike many phones in Edge Plus' price range, Motorola's new phone doesn't have a dedicated telephoto camera lens. The company says other camera improvements it's made regarding pixel size, sensor size and aperture will enable a good enough digital zoom.
On paper, the Edge Plus' 50-megapixel main sensor also sounds like a step down from the older Edge Plus' 108-megapixel camera. But again, Motorola says it's improved the camera's pixel size and focus on this year's model.
The Motorola Edge Plus uses a digital zoom instead of a dedicated telephoto camera lens.
Motorola
The Motorola Edge Plus also has a 4,800-mAh battery and supports 30-watt fast charging. That's slightly faster than the Galaxy S22's 25-watt fast charging yet not as speedy as the Galaxy S22 Plus' and Galaxy S22 Ultra's 45-watt charging. But Motorola's phone does include an important perk: it comes with a 30-watt charger in the box. Apple and Samsung, meanwhile, don't even include chargers with their phones, let alone fast chargers.
Motorola says the Edge Plus will also receive at least two major Android operating system upgrades and three years of security updates. Samsung, on the other hand, just announced that its Galaxy S22 devices and other recent phones will support four generations of Android upgrades.
Motorola's parent company Lenovo is the third-largest smartphone-maker in the US, capturing 12% of the US market as of late 2021, according to Counterpoint Research. Lenovo doesn't even place in the top five when it comes to global shipments, Counterpoint Research also reports.
But Motorola's approach with the Edge Plus seemingly falls in line with the general direction smartphones are heading. In his story about the future of mobile devices, my colleague Patrick Holland reported that we'll continue seeing more niche phones with targeted appeal. Foldable phones and devices tailored for playing video games, like the Asus Rog Phone 5, fall under that umbrella. With its focus on specific tasks like video chatting and playing games, it sounds like the Motorola Edge Plus does, too.
Gaming phones like the Nubia RedMagic 7 aren't trying to compete with Samsung Galaxy devices or Google Pixel phones. They instead crank up the Android gaming experience with specs that sound like they belong in a PC. The RedMagic 7 allows you to max out games for excellent responsiveness and performance.
Features like the 6.8-inch 165Hz refresh rate AMOLED screen, 12GB of RAM and 65-watt charging speeds also have a benefit beyond just being big numbers. They give us a glimpse at features that will likely make their way over to more mainstream phones in coming years.
For the price -- $629 (£529, which is roughly AU$940) -- all of these features might sound like a steal, but there are plenty of reasons why this phone isn't for most people, stemming primarily from tweaks to Android 12 that prioritize gaming performance over user experience. The RedMagic also has a shorter software update cycle than other phones at this price. And while a cooling fan is a common feature on many gaming phones, the RedMagic 7 includes an internal one, which is vital to keep the phone from overheating during intensive gameplay.
The RedMagic 7's $629 starting price includes 128GB of storage and 12GB of memory -- the latter already being a ridiculous amount for a phone. The review unit I tested is $799 and has 256GB of storage and an absurd 18GB of RAM. For perspective, the $800 Galaxy S22 has 8GB of RAM.
The RedMagic 7 comes with a 65-watt GaN charger.
Mike Sorrentino/CNET
A little bit Android, a little bit Switch
At first glance, the RedMagic 7 seems like any other Android 12 phone. You unlock it with an in-screen fingerprint sensor and are greeted with a skinned version of Android 12 that includes themed widgets like a switch for the internal cooling fan and a toggle for quickly cranking the display's refresh rate from 60Hz up to 165Hz.
However, this RedMagic OS customization makes a number of annoying default choices that aren't great for casual users. Luckily, they can be switched off pretty easily. Apps are organized into multiple home screens like on iOS. To find the app drawer, you have to turn it on in settings. Once you set it up, you can keep most apps there and organize the ones you want onto the home screens.
The default internet browser is NextWord, which is easy to switch to Chrome or Firefox. And I hope you figure this out faster than I did, but the phone puts a RedMagic watermark on all your photos. After another frustrating trip to Settings I was able to turn that off as well.
You may find yourself visiting the Settings menu a lot to change some of the defaults in the RedMagic 7.
Mike Sorrentino/CNET
OS annoyances aside, this phone is clearly aimed at gamers. A red physical switch on the top-left of the phone's transparent body boots it into a game launcher. The aptly named Game Space looks more like the menus you find on the Nintendo Switch and automatically adds games from your app library.
Gaming mode makes several tweaks to the phone's settings: It disables notifications, turns on the fan and adds menus for quick access to display refresh rates and processor performance. I set it up to show the frames per second as I played which helped determine which games supported higher refresh rates.
On the right side of the phone there's a fan exhaust and touch-sensitive areas that emulate shoulder buttons on a game controller. You can set up the "buttons" to tap specific areas of the screen during gameplay -- for instance I coupled them to the shoot button in Apex Legends Mobile and on the Use and Report buttons in Among Us.
Mortal Kombat Mobile supports the 165Hz refresh rate allowed by the RedMagic 7's screen.
Mike Sorrentino/CNET
Gaming runs fast and sometimes hot
Along with the 165Hz display refresh rate, the RedMagic 7 touts a "720Hz Multi-Finger Touch Sampling Rate" -- their words. This refers to how responsive screen taps are while playing games. In lieu of having physical buttons, having a cranked-up touch rate for the screen makes a lot of sense. I found it particularly helpful for games streamed from the Google Stadia cloud service.
Cloud gaming in general is notorious for lag under even the fastest of internet connections, but with the RedMagic's 720Hz touch rate screen I was almost able to create combos in Mortal Kombat 11. It also made it possible to play Marvel's Avengers using the touchscreen over the Stadia cloud. These games are made for a physical controller, so while it's not an ideal or competitive way to play, it works fine for a quick game over good Wi-Fi.
The Game Space launcher on the RedMagic 7, which puts Android games into a more console-like menu.
Mike Sorrentino/CNET
What was more interesting were the handful of games that supported the 165Hz screen refresh rate. Mortal Kombat Mobile (separate from Mortal Kombat 11) cranks all the way up to 165Hz, making all the punches and battles look super smooth. On the other hand, Rayman Adventures, which supports 165Hz, runs at double or triple speed. I had to turn the screen refresh rate down to 60Hz to run at a normal speed.
Most games however ran at 60 frames per second regardless of what I set. While Apex Legends Mobile appeared to top out at 60fps, the game did let me max all of its settings out. Performance remained super smooth throughout a 20-minute match, but I definitely noticed the phone was physically hot to touch. The RedMagic comes with a case that makes the heat from gaming substantially more tolerable.
The RedMagic 7 can charge from 0% to 100% in roughly 30 minutes.
Mike Sorrentino/CNET
Fast charging that I want to see in more phones
The 65-watt GaN charger that's included with the phone is a serious perk. The dual 4,500-mAh double-cell battery can recharge from 0% to 98% in just over 30 minutes. This is a phone you definitely won't need to charge overnight. Interestingly enough when charging, an onscreen graphic shows the percentage, and the cooling fan turns on to dissipate any heat.
Battery life was great: I consistently got through an entire day, even when I kept the screen at 165Hz. Even on days where I played games for an hour or so, I had 20% to 30% left by the evening.
Another neat trick is you can power the phone straight from the power adapter, skipping the battery. This should help the battery ultimately last longer, since when available the phone won't need to draw power directly from it at all times. And during gaming, this will reduce the amount of heat the phone gives off.
I hope other phones adopt these power-charging features. A 30-minute charging time means the phone can fully charge up while you shower and get dressed in the morning.
Citi Field in New York. The RedMagic 7 applies a watermark by default that can be turned off in the settings menu.
Mike Sorrentino/CNET
Photography and software support take a back seat
The phone has a 64-megapixel main camera, an 8-megapixel ultrawide camera and 2-megapixel depth sensor. The RedMagic can handle most daytime photography situations, but it isn't going to win any awards for its photos.
Crowds inside of Citi Field, taken on the RedMagic 7.
Mike Sorrentino/CNET
In terms of image quality, photos I took at a New York Mets game were on par with lower priced phones like the Moto G Stylus 5G. Photos taken outdoors in sunlight generally looked good, while lower light situations were more difficult.
RedMagic 7's Night mode photo at New York's Citi Field.
Mike Sorrentino/CNET
The phone's Night mode helps bring out a few more additional details, focusing on subjects like the signs at the Mets' stadium, but it's not quite as detailed as other phones in this price range. If you want a phone that takes great photos, I recommend looking at the $599 Pixel 6 or the $700 Galaxy S21 FE.
The RedMagic 7 has an 8-megapixel front-facing camera.
Mike Sorrentino/CNET
The 8-megapixel front-facing camera is disappointing, even for livestreaming. Selfie photos are just OK. The front-facing camera isn't something I'd use to broadcast on Twitch. With gaming and livestreaming so interconnected, it'd be nice if the RedMagic 7 could function as a starter device towards that.
Software support on the RedMagic 7 isn't great. RedMagic says that its products tend to get one major update with a "maintenance period" that lasts between one and a half to two years.
Geekbench v.5.0 single-core
Asus ROG Phone 5 Ultimate
Note:
Longer bars indicate better performance
Geekbench v.5.0 multicore
Asus ROG Phone 5 Ultimate
Note:
Longer bars indicate better performance
Serious Android gamers only
The RedMagic 7 isn't for most people, nor is it intended to be. If you are a competitive gamer who really wants an absolutely screaming refresh rate, and doesn't mind a built-in cooling fan, then this phone is certainly an option for you. Just understand the software update tradeoffs and all the defaults you'll probably want to change out of the box.
But most other people should look elsewhere for a daily driver phone. Families considering the RedMagic as an alternative to a Switch would be better off buying a Nintendo Switch and a cheaper phone.
Nubia RedMagic 7 vs. Nubia RedMagic 6 vs. Samsung Galaxy S22 vs. Google Pixel 6
5G sub 6 (some carrier models also have 5G mmWave) support, Wi-Fi 6E, 30W fast charging, Magic Eraser, Motion mode, Real Tone, Face Unblur, Cinematic Pan, 5 years OS and security updates, IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, Gorilla Glass Victus (front), Gorilla Glass 6 (back)
