We put the Nubia RedMagic 8 Pro through our rigorous DXOMARK Battery test suite to measure its performance in autonomy, charging and efficiency. In these test results, we will break down how it fared in a variety of tests and several common use cases.
Overview
Key specifications:
- Battery capacity: 6000 mAh
- 65W charger (included)
- 6.8-inch, 1116 x 2480, 120 Hz, OLED display
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm)
- Tested ROM / RAM combination: 256 GB + 12 GB
Scoring
Sub-scores and attributes included in the calculations of the global score.
Nubia RedMagic 8 Pro
Key performances
These key points are derived from the lab measurements during testing and do not figure into the overall score. The lab measurements, however, are used for the overall score.
Pros
- Excellent autonomy when streaming video and when idle with screen on
- Excellent autonomy recovered after a quick 5-minute charge with 7 hours and 12 minutes
- Very good autonomy when using the navigation (GPS)
- Fast wired charging at 46 minutes and 50 seconds to a fully charged battery
Cons
- More than 3.5% of power lost per night
- High residual power drain of the charger when the smartphone was unplugged
- High discharge current during idle phase with screen off
The Nubia RedMagic 8 Pro’s excellent global battery score places the device among the Top 10 in our database and in the top spot for its segment. The device outperformed its predecessor, the Nubia RedMagic 7 Pro, because of better autonomy and efficiency, thanks mainly to a larger battery.
The Nubia RedMagic 8 Pro’s autonomy lasted 2.5 days in our tests when used moderately. It had an especially good performance when in idle with screen on, which provided excellent autonomy in most test cases, particularly when gaming or streaming videos. On-the-go autonomy was also very good when using the camera or the navigation, two use cases that usually demand a lot of power.
Equipped with a 65W charger, the device’s charging experience was excellent. Charging the battery from empty to full took less than 47 minutes, and a quick 5-minute charge provided more than 7 hours of autonomy. The 65W charger’s use of a new charging protocol that slows down the time to fully replenish the 6000 mAh battery should help preserve the life and performance of the device’s battery.
Adapter efficiency was the best we ever measured, and the overall charge efficiency was also outstanding. However, the residual power drain of the charger was a bit high and above the average of our database. Finally, the discharge currents were low when streaming video or idling with screen on, meaning that the device was optimized for these test cases. In contrast, the discharge currents were a bit high when the phone was idle with the screen off, which is the main state of devices most of the day.
Compared with devices from the Premium segment ($600-$799), the Nubia RedMagic 8 Pro ranked in the first place of our database, achieving the best autonomy score for this segment. The charging experience was also excellent, but the efficiency score was only average compared with device from the same price range.
Test Summary
About DXOMARK Battery tests: For scoring and analysis in our smartphone battery reviews, DXOMARK engineers perform a variety of objective tests over a week-long period both indoors and outdoors. (See our introductory and how we test articles for more details about our smartphone Battery protocol.)
The following section gathers key elements of our exhaustive tests and analyses performed in DXOMARK laboratories. Detailed performance evaluations under the form of reports are available upon request. Do not hesitate to contact us.
Battery | Charger | Wireless | Display | Processor | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nubia Redmagic 8Pro | 6000mAh | 65W (not included) |
- | OLED 1116 x 2480 |
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 |
Nubia RedMagic 7 Pro | 5000mAh | 65W (not included) |
- | AMOLED 1080 x 2400 |
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 |
Xiaomi 13 | 4500mAh | 67W (included) |
50W | AMOLED 1080 x 2400 |
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 |
Samsung Galaxy S23 | 3900mAh | 25W (not included) |
15W | AMOLED 1080 x 2340 |
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 |
Asus ROG Phone 6 | 6000mAh | 65W (not included) |
- | AMOLED 1080 x 2448 |
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 |
Autonomy
Nubia RedMagic 8 Pro
195
Autonomy score is composed of three performance sub-scores: Home / Office, On the go, and Calibrated use cases. Each sub-score comprises the results of a comprehensive range of tests for measuring autonomy in all kinds of real-life scenarios.
Battery Life (moderate)
Battery Life (moderate)
Home/Office
Nubia RedMagic 8 Pro
221
A robot housed in a Faraday cage performs a set of touch-based user actions during what we call our “typical usage scenario” (TUS) — making calls, video streaming, etc. — 4 hours of active use over the course of a 16-hour period, plus 8 hours of “sleep.” The robot repeats this set of actions every day until the device runs out of power.
On the go
Nubia RedMagic 8 Pro
195
Using a smartphone on the go takes a toll on autonomy because of extra “hidden” demands, such as the continuous signaling associated with cellphone network selection, for example. DXOMARK Battery experts take the phone outdoors and perform a precisely defined set of activities while following the same three-hour travel itinerary (walking, taking the bus, the subway…) for each device
Calibrated
Nubia RedMagic 8 Pro
198
For this series of tests, the smartphone returns to the Faraday cage and our robots repeatedly perform actions linked to one specific use case (such as gaming, video streaming, etc.) at a time. Starting from an 80% charge, all devices are tested until they have expended at least 5% of their battery power.
Charging
Nubia RedMagic 8 Pro
218
Charging is fully part of the overall battery experience. In some situations where autonomy is at a minimum, knowing how fast you can charge becomes a concern. The DXOMARK Battery charging score is composed of two sub-scores, (1) Full charge and (2) Quick boost.
Full charge
Nubia RedMagic 8 Pro
224
Full charge tests assess the reliability of the battery power gauge; measure how long and how much power the battery takes to charge from zero to 80% capacity, from 80 to 100% as shown by the UI, and until an actual full charge.
Charging Time 0-80%
Charging Time 0-80%
Quick boost
Nubia RedMagic 8 Pro
212
With the phone at different charge levels (20%, 40%, 60%, 80%), Quick boost tests measure the amount of charge the battery receives after being plugged in for 5 minutes. The chart here compares the average autonomy gain from a quick 5-minute charge.
Efficiency
Nubia RedMagic 8 Pro
154
The DXOMARK power efficiency score consists of two sub-scores, Charge up and Discharge rate, both of which combine data obtained during robot-based typical usage scenario, calibrated tests and charging evaluation, taking into consideration the device’s battery capacity. DXOMARK calculate the annual power consumption of the product, shown on below graph, which is representative of the overall efficiency during a charge and when in use.
Charge up
Nubia RedMagic 8 Pro
205
The charge up sub-score is a combination of four factors: the overall efficiency of a full charge, related to how much energy you need to fill up the battery compared to the energy that the battery can provide; the efficiency of the travel adapter when it comes to transferring power from an outlet to your phone; the residual consumption when your phone is fully charged and still plugged into the charger; and the residual consumption of the charger itself, when the smartphone is disconnected from it. The chart here below shows the overall efficiency of a full charge in %.
Discharge
Nubia RedMagic 8 Pro
194
The discharge subscore rates the speed of a battery’s discharge during a test, which is independent of the battery’s capacity. It is the ratio of a battery’s capacity divided by its autonomy. A small-capacity battery could have the same autonomy as a large-capacity battery, indicating that the device is well-optimized, with a low discharge rate.
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