Red Magic 6R launches as ‘slimmer and lighter’ gaming phone

It was in late April that leaks suggested a smaller and lighter gaming phone was coming from Nubia. And that turns out to be true, as the Red Magic 6R has been announced in China.

The 6R will sit alongside the existing (and full-size) Red Magic 6, positioned to offer a less chunky device to those who want gaming goodness but without the bulk.

The 6R is 7.8mm thick – which is pretty standard for most flagship phones – but that’s a lot less than the standard 6’s 9.7mm thickness.

However, the 6R doesn’t cut back on power, as Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 chipset is on board, paired with 8GB or 12GB RAM (which is LPDDR5 for top speeds).

Being a smaller device, the 6R has partly achieved this by cutting back on battery capacity – it’s 4200mAh, not the massive 5,050mAh of the standard 6 model – but, to counter battery drain, it’s taken a step down in the screen department.

The Red Magic 6R features a 6.67-inch AMOLED panel, making it a mite smaller than the 6’s 6.81-inch offering, while limiting refresh to 144Hz maximum (not 165Hz).

There’s also a new colour, as you can see in the picture up top, which is a frosted white (no official name provided at this stage). It’s a plastic back, too, which should help keep the heat and the price point down.

Speaking of which, the Red Magic 6R is entirely affordable, with its China ￥2,999 launch price – equating to just £335/$475 (that’s direct conversion, not realistic territory pricing). How about that for a slimmer, lighter and more affordable gaming option?