RedMagic is trying to push the boundaries of mobile gaming once more, with the company announcing their new Red Core 1 co-processor for smartphones.
A sub-brand of Nubia Technology, RedMagic announced the Red Core 1 would first ship in their upcoming RedMagic 7 smartphones. Pitched as a “independent gaming chip” designed to boost performance, it’ll be paired with Qualcomm’s high-end Snapdragon 8 Gen 1.
Unlike the Snapdragon system-on-a-chip, however, the Red Core 1 is designed to handle mobile gaming functions that aren’t directly related to graphics or higher frame rates. The chip will take responsibility for processing audio, RGB lighting and haptic feedbacks, leaving the Snapdragon SOC to handle mobile games, applications and other tasks.
Along with an underdisplay camera, and a 6.8-inch AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate, the Red Core 1 is also designed to improve input latency, according to GSM Arena. You can also wirelessly mirror the Red Magic 7’s screen at 120Hz, and there’s support for 1080p/120Hz gameplay recording. Fast charging won’t be a problem either—the RedMagic 7 and RedMagic 7 Pro will both ship with a massive 165W USB-C charger, enough to charge not just your phone in 15 minutes, but your gaming laptop as well. (Laptop charging speeds, understandably, will vary depending on the model.)
These small changes may seem insignificant. But given the limited resources and lack of cooling available in a smartphone, any saved performance is helpful—especially given how demanding some mobile ports, like PUBG or Genshin Impact, can be.