Asus ROG Phone II Vs Xiaomi Black Shark 2 Vs Nubia Red Magic 3

Asus unveiled the second-generation gaming smartphone - ROG Phone II back in July. Now, at the ongoing IFA 2019 trade show, the company has announced the global launch of the device. Along with this, a special edition model has also been announced. Besides this, the company took the wraps off the ROG Phone II Ultimate Edition with 1TB storage and Cat.20 capabilities.

Given that it is the next-generation gaming smartphone, here we have come up with a comparison between the latest gaming smartphones. Well, take a look at the spec comparison between Asus ROG Phone II, Xiaomi Black Shark 2 and Nubia Red Magic 3 from below.

Price In India

Asus ROG Phone II is yet to be launched in India, but we can expect it to be priced above Rs. 70,000 as it will be relatively more expensive than its predecessor. While we wait for an official confirmation regarding the same, the other two models are available in the country. Nubia Red Magic 3 is available in two variants - 8GB RAM + 128GB ROM and 12GB RAM + 256GB ROM priced at Rs. 35,999 and Rs. 46,999 respectively.

On the other hand, the Black Shark 2 is available in India in two variants - one with 6GB RAM + 128GB ROM and the other with 12GB RAM + 256GB ROM priced at Rs. 39,999 and Rs. 49,999 respectively. Notably, these two models are available via the online retailer Flipkart.

Design

All these gaming smartphones come unique, gaming-centric design. The Asus ROG Phone II features a glass rear and aluminum frame and there are Air Triggers that are pressure-sensitive rear keys with haptic feedback. On the other hand, the Nubia Red Magic 3 offers rear physical keys and features an RGB strip for an attractive look. The Red Magic 3 and Xiaomi Black Shark 2 feature a full metal unibody design. The Xiaomi smartphone comes with an upgraded X-shape unique antenna design, an RGB logo at the back, and hidden press sensitive controls.

Display

ROG Phone II comes flaunts a 6.59-inch 10-bit HDR AMOLED display with FHD+ resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. The Black Shark 2 is fitted with a 6.39-inch AMOLED display with a similar resolution with 60Hz refresh rate while the Red Magic 3 bestows a larger 6.65-inch Super AMOLED display with 90Hz refresh rate. All these panels have FHD+ resolution but the Asus offering is appealing as it has a faster refresh rate. All these smartphones have 240Hz touch sensing while the refresh rates vary.

Hardware And Storage

Asus ROG Phone II is the first smartphone to be unveiled with the advanced Snapdragon 855 Plus chipset. It is teamed up with 12GB RAM and 256GB/512GB storage space in the standard variant and 1TB storage space in the special edition model. In comparison, the Nubia Red Magic 3 and Black Shark 2 feature the Snapdragon 855 SoC along with up to 12GB RAM and up to 256GB storage space. With the Snapdragon 855 Plus, the Asus offering is much advanced as it comes with Cat.20 capabilities among other improvements. The Snapdragon 855 Plus chipset is touted to provide 15% increased GPU speed resulting in better performance.

When it comes to software, all these gaming smartphones run Android 9 Pie topped with their respective custom UI. However, the ROG Phone II wins this segment as it lets users switch between the customized gaming-centric ROG UI and stock Android as per requirements.

Camera

Except for the Nubia gaming smartphones, the other two models have dual cameras at the rear. The Asus ROG Phone II comes with a 48MP primary camera sensor and a 13MP secondary ultra-wide-angle lens. The selfie camera is a 24MP sensor. In comparison, the Black Shark 2 features dual rear cameras - a 48MP primary sensor and a 12MP secondary sensor. The selfie camera on the Black Shark 2 is a 20MP unit. Finally, the Nubia Red Magic 3 features a 48MP primary camera sensor and a 16MP selfie camera.

Other Features

Xiaomi Black Shark 2 comes with Ludicrous Mode for an exceptional gaming experience, liquid cooling 3.0, which is a global liquid cooling system using liquid-cooled plate + liquid-cooled tube to effectively cover all the heat-generating components and reduce the CPU's core temperature by up to 14° C.

Asus ROG Phone II features a 3D vapor chamber to efficiently transfer heat away from the SoC and while gaming and there are vents at the rear. The Nubia Red Magic 3 is touted to be the first smartphone with an active cooling system to dramatically improving thermal performance. Instead of passive cooling, the Red Magic 3 uses both state-of-the-art liquid cooling technology and internal turbo fan to ensure 500% heat transfer. This thermal design improves comfort and boosts performance for smooth gaming.

Battery

The Asus ROG Phone 2 is fueled by a massive 6000mAh battery with 30W fast charging support, Quick Charge 4+ and reverse charging support. On the other hand, the Xiaomi Black Shark 2 is powered by a 4000mAh battery and the Nubia Red Magic 3 gets the power from a 5000mAh battery.

Verdict

Analyzing these aspects and talking about the winner, the Asus ROG Phone II features the best display, biggest battery, reverse charging support, and superior processor among the trio. However, it is relatively more expensive. On the other hand, the Xiaomi gaming smartphone is affordable and features common traits as other gaming smartphones. And, the Nubia Red Magic 3 is the most affordable offering among the trio and features great hardware and an efficient cooling system.