- Analysis by KJ David
A step-up model to ZTE's gamer-friendly Nubia Red Magic, the ZTE Nubia Red Magic Mars was among the fastest smartphones around the time of this pros-and-cons review, running on the combination of a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 octa-core processor clocked at 2.8GHz 
and a monstrous 10GB dual-channel LPDDR4X RAM -- 8GB and 6GB versions also also offered.
Related: The Best 8GB RAM phones 2025 or 2026
Those premium-caliber (as of this technical Phonerated write-up) specs aside, some of this upmarket gaming smartphone's features are not exactly otherworldly. For instance, it does not come with a memory card slot 
for storage expansion, leaving users with only its native memory count of 256GB/128GB/64GB (depending on the variant) to work with. Also, its 3800mAh raw battery power sounds modest compared to the 4500mAh power caps offered by a few lower-specked phablets.
Another slight blemish on the Red Magic Mars's high-end list of pros and cons is the 1080p-only resolution of its 6-inch TFT facade, if only because some of the best phablets and gaming phones around bluster with QHD/QHD+ (1440p) screens.
Its other gaming features include a programmable RGB strip on its rear, which complements its overall finish -- Camouflage and Flame Red are a couple of its choices. The Red Magic Mars is also compatible with what ZTE calls an e-sport handle that's essentially a snap-on accessory for expanding users controls for heavy mobile games.
As for its photography pros and cons, this Red Magic edition does away with a multi-lens camera setup, but still hits the 2018 upscale yardstick with its 16-megapixel AI-powered primary camera , which is infused with the NeoVision 8.0 imaging software. Selfie-wise, its 8-megapixel f/2.0-aperture main camera is by no means a standout, although selfies aren't really a priority among performance-driven gaming Androids.
All said, the Red Magic Mars's high-octane hardware components and gaming features make it a fitting choice for hardcore mobile gamers.
On-paper Review rating: 
According to our research, it doesn't feature any memory expansion slot.
It's frustrating that we were not able to find information about its weight.
- Suggested reading: Photo gallery of the latest slim phones
The speed of its Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (10nm) microprocessor (2.8GHz) with 8 cores is among the fastest in the current market.
- More on this: List of the latest octa-core smartphones
We're dealing with a hefty display here, making it a phablet: 6 inches and a resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels means about 14.39 square inches and an image quality of at least 403 dots per inch (DPI)!
A 16-megapixel camera offers many more pixels than most phones.
The selfie camera resolution seems just about average.
** This phone is also known as: ZTE Red Magic Mars, ZTE Nubia Red Devil Mars
*** These cons and pros are identified automatically based on our proprietary algorithm and the specs we found for this item. Should you see an error, please let us know.
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