a powerhouse Android gaming tablet

Within the smartphone world, RedMagic is synonymous with top-tier cell gaming. It’s liable for one in all this 12 months’s finest gaming telephones, the RedMagic 9S Professional, and now it’s increasing into the pill enviornment with the RedMagic Nova. Nonetheless, it faces some stiff competitors, with Apple, Samsung, Honor, and extra all releasing new tablets in latest months.

Whereas it would appear like another pill from the skin, dig just a little deeper, and it’s clear why RedMagic isn’t shying away from taking over the massive names. It’s a efficiency beast, using probably the greatest Android processors to supply a gaming expertise that few can match on the $500 worth level whereas nonetheless providing a lot of the multitasking and video streaming options you need from an iPad equal. Nonetheless, the query stays: how does the Nova immediately examine to the picks on our checklist of the perfect gaming tablets? Let’s discover out.

Worth and availability

The RedMagic Nova gaming pill is now obtainable from the official RedMagic website. You may select from both the 256GB+12GB or 512GB+16GB configurations, beginning at $499 and $649, respectively. Whichever you go for, you must have greater than sufficient area to retailer a group of your favourite cell video games. By way of colorways, it’s obtainable in simply Midnight, which is someplace between gray and black.

Specs

Listed below are the RedMagic Nova’s specs:

Options and software program

The RedMagic Nova runs on the model’s personal RedMagicOS Android 14 pores and skin, which is a wonderfully effective little bit of software program. It’s not as simplified and useable as Apple’s iPad iOS, nevertheless it’s additionally not as clunky as a few of the different Android skins on the market. Its theming could be very gamer-centric, however you’ll be able to customise that within the settings if you need it to really feel much less such as you’re utilizing a 14-year-old boy’s pill.

By way of bloatware apps, there aren’t hundreds, however you continue to should do a little bit of upkeep when you’ve arrange the pill (and no matter you do, don’t conform to obtain all of the knock-off cell video games while you first load it up). It’s not anyplace as egregious as a few of the examples of bloatware I’ve come throughout on telephones just like the Xiaomi 14T and Nubia Flip 5G, although, so I can hardly complain.

Transferring on to gaming-specific software program, there’s RedMagic’s Sport Area, which I’m already used to having spent a little bit of time with the RedMagic 9S Professional. With a sport open, all it’s important to do is pull the Sport Area overlay out from the left of the show, and also you’re good to go. From right here, you’ll be able to file gameplay, flip off notifications, or boot up goal help, all with out taking your self away from the motion. There are many different Sport Area options, however the checklist is just too lengthy for this text.

Sport Area is a good device, however I nonetheless assume there might be a couple of enhancements. For a begin, I’d reasonably find out about my body charges than GPU or CPU efficiency, and the software program places these particulars entrance and heart. It’s additionally a bit advanced, and I can see avid gamers who aren’t too bothered in regards to the particulars simply avoiding it altogether reasonably than danger the confusion of determining what all of the totally different buttons and settings do. I’m not saying it’s a foul factor to have a lot freedom to configure, nevertheless it won’t be user-friendly sufficient for some.

Design and audio

Purely when it comes to design, there’s not a lot that helps the Nova stand out when taking a look at its show. It’s under no circumstances ugly, nevertheless it’s comparatively plain and serves as a reminder that manufacturers like RedMagic and Asus are forsaking these types of edgy designs you may affiliate with gaming tablets and telephones. There aren’t any splashes of crimson throughout the bezels, stick-on flames, or situations of the phrase ‘gamer’ in graffiti anyplace on the entrance of the factor. I just like the simplicity, nevertheless it could be a bit tame for some.

You’ll find a barely attention-grabbing design characteristic on the rear, although. The pill has a clear part alongside the highest of the again cowl that appears like a window into the pill’s internal workings and cooling system. I say seems to be like as a result of there’s some trickery afoot, and also you’re not really taking a look at what you assume you might be. Nonetheless, it’s good to see a model strive new issues with the pretty inflexible limitations of pill design, even if you happen to hardly ever see it.

Whereas I’m eager on the Nova’s understated design, I want RedMagic had added the identical Sport Area button to the pad that you’ll find on the 9S Professional cellular phone. There’s one thing about flicking that change and going into the Sport Area overlay that will get you within the zone, nevertheless it’s not the identical right here. I’d additionally fairly like a 3.5mm jack, as I nonetheless personal a pair of dependable wired headphones for gaming, however I’ve had to make use of my lower-quality Bluetooth earbuds whereas testing.

As regards to audio, the Nova has a fairly respectable set of audio system, they usually’re loud sufficient that you simply don’t have to connect with a Bluetooth speaker if you happen to’re trying to hearken to music or stream a movie. The sound high quality isn’t wonderful, with some noticeable muddiness within the low-end in comparison with my 2021 iPad Mini, however contemplating the value level, you’ll be able to’t have every thing, and I’d reasonably discover the audio just a little flat than the visuals.

Show

The RedMagic Nova may need probably the greatest LCDs I’ve seen on a pill, even when it’s nonetheless a bit disappointing that it’s not OLED. I’ve received a Nintendo Change OLED, a Steam Deck OLED, and my day-to-day cellphone is an Honor Magic6 Professional, with, you guessed it, an OLED show. All of those units have made me a little bit of a display snob, however the Nova nonetheless impresses; there’s just a bit much less depth of coloration than you may get from a pill with an OLED.

The Nova’s 144Hz refresh charges aren’t simply greater than something we’ve seen from Apple’s iPad sequence but in addition beat out my Steam Deck, Change, and Honor cellphone. Because of this whereas the on-screen colours won’t be fairly as vivid as these OLED units, the in-game motion is as clean as clean will get, and I solely needed to play half an hour of Zenless Zone Zero to see this for myself. The soar from 120Hz to 144Hz isn’t massively noticeable, however if you happen to put the 2 facet by facet, you’ll be able to see that the upper refresh fee is a bit nicer on the attention.

Nonetheless, the Nova’s show isn’t excellent. Its bezels are just a little chunkier than I’d like. They’re not imposing, however I’ve seen equally priced tablets with extra display retail property, and that’s a fairly necessary issue when it’s a gaming-specific machine like this. I would like as a lot display as attainable, particularly if I play one thing with tiny in-game textual content. Nonetheless, this isn’t an issue unique to this pill, and the bezels are simply as huge on Apple’s newly introduced iPad Mini.

It’s additionally value declaring that with a peak brightness of 550 nits, you may wrestle utilizing the Nova in direct daylight, although I haven’t been in a position to put this to the check as I’m within the UK and it’s autumn, so it’s always gloomy. Oh nicely, all of the extra motive to spend extra time gaming indoors. Poor me.

Efficiency

On condition that the RedMagic Nova is a gaming-specific pill, you’d hope this factor packs sufficient horsepower to make cell gaming a delight. Excellent news; it does. That’s not a lot of a shock contemplating it’s packing the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Main Model chipset, a juiced-up model of the processor powering 2024’s finest gaming telephones, together with the RedMagic 9S Professional.

When it’s time to check tablets and telephones, I usually use video games like Honkai Star Rail and Zenless Zone Zero to see whether or not I can push a tool to its limits, as each are fairly performance-intensive, particularly if you happen to dial as much as 60fps gameplay. The Nova takes these video games in its stride, even in busy sequences with a number of characters on-screen. I doubt there’s a cell sport on the market it may possibly’t deal with, and whereas I’ve not tried it myself, I’m certain it’s greater than probably a monster with regards to emulation, too.

Not solely is the Nova a efficiency beast, nevertheless it additionally makes use of some fairly subtle cooling tech to make sure issues by no means get too scorching to deal with. I’m not going to delve into the difficult particulars an excessive amount of right here, however the mixture of a robust inner fan and revolutionary cooling tube means your palms by no means get toasty whereas gaming. Higher nonetheless, that fan by no means will get as loud as my Steam Deck OLED, which sometimes sounds prefer it’s readying for takeoff reasonably than attempting to maintain up with the calls for of Baldur’s Gate 3.

Battery

The RedMagic Nova’s 10,100mAh battery is a combined bag, as whilst you can tinker with the settings to make gaming all day with out charging a risk, it drains battery faster in standby mode than another Android pill I’ve used. It’s 2024, and I’m not used to turning issues off as soon as I’ve completed with them for the day, so I’d usually decide up the Nova the next morning with much less battery than I anticipated. Nonetheless, I’d reasonably that than lose upwards of 30% battery in an hour whereas gaming, which isn’t an issue with the Nova.

By way of charging time, the RedMagic pill juices from flat again as much as 100% in just below an hour, offered you’re utilizing the charger from the field. You may’t argue with these speeds, and it’s a lot faster than many Android pill and iPad equivalents, even Apple’s 2024 flagship iPad Professional. If, like me, you all the time neglect to place your machine on cost till simply as you’re on the point of go away the home, a 25% enhance from quarter-hour of charging is greater than optimum.

RedMagic Nova cameras

The RedMagic Nova’s cameras are okay, and that’s about as excited as I can get about them. The 20MP selfie digital camera is stable sufficient for video calling, however if you happen to’re a giant selfie-taker, I’d advocate utilizing your cellphone as a substitute. Selfies I’ve taken lack just a little definition, and whilst you may spend time modifying them, that isn’t actually what that is for.

On the again, the Nova has a 50MP lens, however don’t let that megapixel depend idiot you into considering this is similar type of digital camera high quality you’d get on an Android flagship cellphone. Once more, it’s not an terrible digital camera, and you may seize some respectable photographs if the lighting is good, nevertheless it’s nonetheless lower than the usual as one thing you’d get on a mid-range or flagship smartphone.

Do you have to purchase the RedMagic Nova gaming pill?

For those who’re in search of a pill for the categorical objective of gaming, I’d advocate the RedMagic Nova above all else. On simply the gaming expertise alone, you’d assume this factor is way more costly than its $500 price ticket, beating out dearer tablets and smartphones within the efficiency division. Add to that the dearth of issues round thermals, and there’s little higher for a little bit of Honkai Star Rail, PUBG Cellular, or Diablo Immortal. Choose your poison; the Nova can deal with it.

Nonetheless, if you happen to’re in search of a pill that doubles as a creativity station or selfie machine, there are higher choices. The identical goes for anybody in search of a pill only for a little bit of streaming. In that regard, it’s a bit like shopping for a supercar that you simply’re solely ever going to make use of for choosing up groceries. Simply seize an inexpensive second-hand iPad and be finished with it.

Alternate options

If we haven’t offered you on the RedMagic Nova, take a look at our ideas for options beneath.

iPad Air M2

Apple is the pill market chief for a motive, and whereas the Nova could be the perfect for gaming, the most recent iPad Air takes the cake in nearly each different division. Its iPadOS software program is extra user-friendly, and its Apple Pencil compatibility makes it a greater choice for anybody who needs to stability gaming with some creativity. The caveat is that it’s a bit dearer, however there’s nonetheless loads of worth for cash. In order for you the complete lowdown, take a look at our iPad Air overview.

OnePlus Pad 2

For those who’re in search of extra of an all-rounder pill, the OnePlus Pad 2 is one other implausible choice. Your alternative is right here easy: if you need one thing for gaming, go for the Nova, however if you happen to wish to get inventive, go for the OnePlus Pad 2. Each are nearly precisely the identical worth and have related LCD screens and Snapdragon chipsets, so it would in the end come all the way down to model allegiances.