Nubia RedMagic 5S is here with a Snapdragon 865 chipset, 144Hz display

It isn't a huge upgrade over the RedMagic 5G launched earlier this year.

What you need to know

• ZTE's Nubia sub-brand has launched a new flagship gaming smartphone.
• The new Nubia RedMagic 5S is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 865 chipset and has a 6.65-inch 144Hz AMOLED display.
• It is slated to go on sale in China from August 1 for a starting price of 3,799 yuan ($542).

In March this year, ZTE's Nubia sub-brand launched the RedMagic 5G, the world's first phone to come equipped with a 144Hz display. Nubia today launched a "new" gaming flagship with a few minor upgrades to take on the ASUS ROG Phone 3 and the Lenovo Legion Phone Duel.

The new Nubia RedMagic 5S sports a 6.65-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with a fast 144Hz refresh rate and a 240Hz touch sampling rate. Under the hood is a Snapdragon 865 chipset, which has been paired with up to 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB UFS 3.1 storage. While Nubia has strangely decided not to use the newer Snapdragon 865+ chipset, the gaming phone does come with an upgraded ICE 4.0 cooling system.

In the camera department, the RedMagic 5S has a triple-camera setup at the rear with a 64MP Sony IMX686 primary sensor. The main sensor is joined by an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens and a 2MP macro lens. Keeping the lights on is a 4,500mAh battery with 55W fast charging. The phone also features shoulder trigger buttons with a 320Hz touch response rate for a superior gaming experience, dual-mode 5G support, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

The Nubia RedMagic 5S will be going on sale in China from August 1 in three variants. While the base 8GB/128GB version is priced at 3,799 yuan ($542), the 16GB/256GB version will cost 4,999 yuan ($714). The phone is slated to make its global debut in September.

Nubia RedMagic 5G

From $579 at Nubia

The RedMagic 5G is not just one of the most affordable Snapdragon 865-powered phones on sale in the U.S. but also among the more impressive gaming phones currently available. It features an impressive 144Hz AMOLED display, built-in shoulder trigger buttons, and a large 4500mAh battery with 55W fast charging.