40 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 65REVIEWAlthough there is a solid improvement compared
to the Red Magic Mars, the camera offering of the Red
Magic 3 is still lacking compared to flagships in 2019. It
sports a single 48Mp sensor on the rear, offering f/1.7
alongside a single LED flash and HDR support.
The performance in low-lit environments is
surprisingly decent, although it does struggle with
areas of extreme light and dark, often blowing out or
going too far in the other direction.
Things do improve when taking photos outdoors,
producing relatively detailed images, but it lacks the
capabilities of modern smartphones – there’s no 2x
optical zoom or wide-angle camera on offer, limiting
your photography options. There is admittedly a
Portrait mode, but without a second camera to detect
depth, the results are often hit-and-miss.
It does offer a suite of video recording modes,
ranging from 720p at 30fps to 4K at 60fps and even
an experimental 8K at 15fps, although we think
the latter is no more than a gimmick. The only real
disappointment is that there’s no electronic or optical
image stabilization on offer, so videos can come out
shaky no matter the resolution you decide to shoot in.
On the front, you’ll find a single 16Mp camera
with HDR support and 1080p video recording. It’s
good enough for the occasional Snapchat selfie or
Instagram post, but it won’t be winning any awards
for best front-facing camera anytime soon.Software
The Red Magic 3 runs Android 9.0 Pie, although
with Nubia’s custom OS on-top. After spending40 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 65
REVIEW
Although there is a solid improvement compared
to the Red Magic Mars, the camera offering of the Red
Magic 3 is still lacking compared to flagships in 2019. It
sports a single 48Mp sensor on the rear, offering f/1.7
alongside a single LED flash and HDR support.
The performance in low-lit environments is
surprisingly decent, although it does struggle with
areas of extreme light and dark, often blowing out or
going too far in the other direction.
Things do improve when taking photos outdoors,
producing relatively detailed images, but it lacks the
capabilities of modern smartphones – there’s no 2x
optical zoom or wide-angle camera on offer, limiting
your photography options. There is admittedly a
Portrait mode, but without a second camera to detect
depth, the results are often hit-and-miss.
It does offer a suite of video recording modes,
ranging from 720p at 30fps to 4K at 60fps and even
an experimental 8K at 15fps, although we think
the latter is no more than a gimmick. The only real
disappointment is that there’s no electronic or optical
image stabilization on offer, so videos can come out
shaky no matter the resolution you decide to shoot in.
On the front, you’ll find a single 16Mp camera
with HDR support and 1080p video recording. It’s
good enough for the occasional Snapchat selfie or
Instagram post, but it won’t be winning any awards
for best front-facing camera anytime soon.Software
The Red Magic 3 runs Android 9.0 Pie, although
with Nubia’s custom OS on-top. After spending