Tablets
REDMAGIC Nova: Review of the best gaming tablet to date
Detailed review of the REDMAGIC Nova, the gaming tablet with Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Leading Edition and exceptional performance.
REDMAGIC, the subsidiary of Nubia Technology, has made it clear that it wants to be the best brand of portable devices focused on video games, and on September 5th, when it presented the REDMAGIC Nova tablet for gaming, it made it clear that it also wants to take over this category by offering one of the most powerful tablets on the market.
After several months of use, we have finally reached a verdict on this tablet powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Leading Edition mobile platform, the only one on the market to date.
REDMAGIC Nova technical specifications
Configurations
- This tablet is available in three configurations in some regions: 12GB+256GB, 16GB+512GB and 24GB+1TB in two colors.
- Its CPU is the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Leading Edition with a CPU frequency of up to 3.4GHz and a GPU frequency of 1GHz.
- The RAM is LPDDR5X and UFS 4.0.
- The cooling system is PAD Cooling System ICE 2.0, a state-of-the-art 9-layer heat dissipation technology capable of reducing core temperature by 77°F. As in its smartphones, it also integrates a 20,000 RPM internal fan, a 3D heat pipe and a 3D internal circulating air duct. Its design includes 29,400 mm2 of under-display heat dissipation alloy, 9,268 mm2 of superconducting copper foil, 89,114 mm2 of integrated aircraft aluminum body and thermally conductive gel.
- The 10.9-inch display with 16:10 aspect ratio has a resolution of 2880 x 1800 with a maximum refresh rate of 144 Hz, a brightness of 550 nits, an instantaneous touch sampling rate of up to 840 Hz and a touch sampling rate of 240 Hz: 840 Hz and a touch response rate of 240 Hz. It also has eye protection with SGS certification.
- Its 10100 mAh battery is higher on average than most 12-inch tablets and features a 120W fast charge that allows it to be charged to 50% in just 15 minutes. A full charge from 0 to 100% takes an average of 45 minutes.
- It has two cameras: a front camera: 20MP and a rear camera: 50MP.
- Audio: It has DTS-X Ultra surround sound that takes advantage of its 4 symmetrical speakers.
- Connectivity: WIFI 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax and Bluetooth 5.4.
- NFC and fingerprint unlocking
- Dual motors 0815 for 4D vibration
- 3 microphones
- Operating System: REDMAGIC OS 9.5
- Interface: USB C 3.1 Gen2
- Dimensions and weight: 28 x 18.9 x 4.80 cm / 11″ x 7.4″ x 1.89″ x 7.3mm thick with a weight of 530g
Cameras
The pictures you can take with the REDMAGIC Nova are average without being spectacular.
In low light conditions, it does a good job, although we see some lack of color in them.
The selfie camera has the same good balance, but it has some problems focusing.
Of the camera functions we find the full size photos, documents, panoramic, normal photography, video up to 4K at 60 FPS, time lapse with the ability to customize from 3 to 300 minutes with a recording speed of 15x to 300x and slow motion up to 120 FPS.
Camera score: 8
Display
Its 10.9-inch IPS LCD with 312 ppi, although not officially confirmed that it is HDR applications such as YouTube, HBO Max and Amazon Prime Video allowed us to watch videos with this quality at the maximum resolution of 2140p.
It also integrates a customization section where we can choose the color mode between colorful, standard and soft, as well as the temperature in 3 levels, cozy, normal or cool. On the other hand, we can customize the font size, the display size, as well as the refresh rate of the screen, which we can leave in automatic mode at 60, 90, 120 or 144 Hz and let us know which one we are using in the status bar.
Display score: 9
Performance
The REDMAGIC Nova is very powerful and the combination of its heat dissipation system as well as the small fan allows you to push your processor to the limit.
The configuration we used is the one that integrates 12 GB of Ram and 256 GB of internal storage. Multitasking did not pose a major problem, so much so that we used it to render videos in Premiere Rush on a couple of occasions. When running the test we always run of playing Fortnite with the highest settings doing a live stream of Twitch, it maintained an average above 90 FPS.
Apps like Alexa, Furbo, Google Assistant, Philips Hue, Hue Sync, Ring, and syncing with headphones like the WH-1000XM5s didn’t cause any major issues. Interaction with LG Smart TVs with WebOs and laser projectors such as the Hisense L9G also worked without any problems.
It is important to mention that during the test we had no problems with crashes or unexpected shutdowns.
Performance score: 10
Audio
Your DTS-X Ultra speakers have a software feature that allows you to customize the type of output between
- Headphones
- EAR BUDS
- Car audio
- External speakers
- Or the intelligent selection managed by the AI
The interesting thing about this section is that you can even search by brand and model. It also has an equalizer that allows you to select presets Rock, Classic, Pop, Movies, Game or simply disable it.
As for the sound quality, we can say that it is one of the best in the category as it maintains a good balance and the maximum volume well makes you brake any small speaker, allowing you to set up without problem a small studio.
Something that is missing in this section is the 3.5 mm jack.
Audio score: 9.5
Battery
With dual cells, its 10100mAh with fast charge compatible with 80W with intensive use gives more than a day. Like the Redmagic 9Pro, it automatically activates the heat sink when plugged in to prevent overheating. It is important to note that it does not have wireless charging.
Like the brand’s smartphones, it adds battery optimization software with managers that help identify which applications or hardware are draining the battery, so they can be manually changed to reduce consumption.
Battery score: 9
Peripherals
This tablet comes with an 80W fast charger and 1 USB Type-C cable, although it is important to highlight the good amount of complements available from the brand dedicated only to this tablet, such as
- A protective case
- The Rednagic Nova Sylus with wireless charger
- A screen protector
- And the Redmagic Nova Magnetic Keyboard
Peripherals score: 9
Desgin
This tablet transpires all the gamer feel, it is important to highlight that it is heavy, but this is justified by its dissipation system that keeps the temperature of the processor at bay when it is demanded. The transparent part that lets you see the fan, the CPU itself, the camera and some of the cooling components give it a unique look, not to mention the custom RGB lights that are really something to show off.
The only thing missing is the button for direct access to the Game Room, something that we already consider part of the brand’s DNA and that is never missing on smartphones.
Design score: 9.5
Operating system
This device runs REDMAGIC OS 9.5 on top of Android 14 and has add-ons like those found on smartphones, namely the Personal Assistant that reacts to certain actions. What stands out the most is the Gravity X Platform 2.0, its dedicated software for gaming, for the levels of customization, shortcuts, customization of network settings, as well as the integration of services such as Xbox, Steam, PlayStation and even Epic Games.
It also gives continuity to the fact that you can connect a keyboard and mouse for use in projection mode.
Operating system score: 10
Conclusion
The REDMAGIC Nova is so far the best tablet for games of this 2025, although as in the smartphones of the brand, it makes sacrifices in sections such as the camera that affect it a little but that in the overall balance do not penalize it, since this gadget is perfect just for what it is, video games and multimedia content consumption. The care that has been put into the design, the operating system and the peripherals shows the great effort that its creators have put into it.
Best
- Dissipation system
- Performance
- Speakers
- Dedicated software
- Battery
Worst
- Missing 2.5mm jack
- No wireless charging
Final score: 9.3
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