When I first heard about the new REDMAGIC Nova gaming tablet, I honestly didn’t know what to expect. I’ve already reviewed the REDMAGIC 9S Pro gaming phone, which I was pleasantly surprised by (except for the front camera, something I made very clear), so when it came to the tablet, I was hoping the one feature I dreaded most would be adjusted – and it was!
So we’re off to a strong start! Here’s my REDMAGIC Nova gaming tablet review, after spending countless hours playing some of my favourite games. Does it live up to the hype? You’re about to find out.
It has a neat design fit for gamers
The first thing you notice about the Nova gaming tablet is that it looks distinct. The design is pretty minimal, except for the strip at the back that has the cooling system and camera. It looks beautiful, and even has some RGB lighting!
When you think of a gaming tablet, you probably picture something bulky – but that’s not the case here. I love how slim and lightweight it is, considering the power that’s under the hood.
Let’s talk specs
Now that I mentioned how powerful it is, let me briefly mention its specifications so you understand why I’m praising it to this extent.
- Processor: Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Leading Version
- Memory: UFS4.0+LPDDR5X
- Screen Size: 10.9 inches
- Screen Resolution: 1800*2880
- Screen Refresh Rate: 144 Hz
- Battery: 10,100 mAh battery with 80W fast charger
- Cooling System: Nine layers of heat dissipation. It features a metal build with under-screen heat dissipation alloy, superconducting graphene, copper foil thermal gel motherboard, copper foil 3D internal circulation air duct, high-speed centrifugal fan, 3D heat pipe, and an integrated aviation aluminium body.
- Hardware: Full-featured USBC-C port, fingerprint unlocking, NFC TAG
- Software: Features REDMAGIC OS 9.0 (Android T)/ game space/X gravity platform/cross-screen interconnection specially customized for tablets
- Camera & Audio: Front Camera 20MP, Rear Camera 50MP, DTS-X ultra immersive audio, Dual X-axis linear motor, 4 speakers
- Material: All-metal transparent design with RGB lighting effects
As you can see, it has an integrated cooling system and a powerful processor, so no matter what games I tried (and I tried some extremely demanding games), the back never once felt hot to the touch. I believe it’s a much-needed feature for a gaming tablet, especially since attaching a fan could prove quite difficult (thinking about my ROG Phone 6D Ultimate now, with its itty-bitty-tiny-attachable-cooler).
Enough battery life to outlast a blackout
Yep, I’ve been in a blackout for about 24 hours, and the tablet was still gaming strong. The most I’ve had the battery last was about 5 days – shocker- with the mention that I didn’t have a lot of time to play during these 5 days, aside from about 2-4 hours each time (doing my dailies). It is reliable, and I am still a little bit shocked at this.
The fast charging most certainly comes in handy too!
Great performance in games
Through my testing, the REDMAGIC Nova gaming tablet exceeded my expectations. As you probably know by now, I play a lot of Cookie Run Kingdom – a lot. Well, for those who are not aware, the game is quite demanding on the processor. Every single device I played it on, laptop included, led to some lagging, the device heating up, and eventually crashing. Every problem you can think of, it happened.
Once I installed and played it consistently here, however, I never once felt my hands burning, it didn’t lag, and nor did it randomly crash. That goes to show how effective the cooling system works, as well as all the other features, tying them neatly together into an outstanding piece of tech that I believe every mobile gamer should invest in.
I’m well aware that is not something to be said lightly, but in all honesty, it just is that good.
But wait, there are no cons?
Well, I was as surprised as you. I can’t really fault this product. It’s baffling since I can find something off with pretty much anything when I want to, but when it comes to the REDMAGIC Nova gaming tablet it delivers on everything. Keep in mind it is a tablet for gaming, so you cannot put a SIM card in and use it as a phone.
I mean, personally, I don’t care about that aspect. I actually like it, since it is a tablet for gaming I don’t want any distractions – for that, I have my phone. I did notice the front camera has been drastically improved (compared to the REDMAGIC 9S Pro), and that is all I could’ve asked for.
The cameras are great (all of them, including the selfie one), it is quick, responsive and have a lot of storage space, so for me, it’s everything I could hope for and a little more.
Oh, and if you weren’t sure about it, I have about 10 games that I play daily, so you can imagine I’ve been using it pretty much non-stop.
If you are interested in getting your hands on it, you can purchase it on the official REDMAGIC website, starting at €499.