Nubia’s gaming phone lineup continues to grow. The Red Magic 6R launched in the company’s native China today, offering a host of premium specs within a thin and lightweight body.

The latter is one of the key differences between it and the flagship Red Magic 6 and 6 Pro, which launched globally in April. Those devices are unashamedly big and bulky, but the same can’t be said of the Red Magic 6R. It comes in at 7.8mm thick and weighs 186g – that"s similar to many regular smartphones.

Image: Nubia

The 6R also ditches the typical gamer aesthetic for a more minimalist design. Gone are the thick bezels and wacky rear design; instead, you’ll find clean lines and rounded corners. However, you will have to trade the glass back for a plastic one.

That sleek design doesn’t mean it compromises on performance, though. The Red Magic 6R uses the flagship Snapdragon 888 chipset you’ll find in the 6 and 6 Pro, a chip which comes with inbuilt 5G support. The cheapest model combines this with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, although this can be configured up to 12GB/256GB.

These specs are almost certain to deliver top-of-the-line performance, with Nubia specifically advertising its suitability for gaming and everyday use. They work in tandem with the 6.67, FHD+ AMOLED display, which can hit a maximum refresh rate of 144Hz. That’s identical to 2020’s Red Magic 5G and 5S, and it’s unlikely you’ll notice a difference compared to the 165Hz 6 and 6 Pro.

All that gaming is likely to drain the battery quickly, so it remains to be seen whether the 6R’s 4200mAh cell is up to the task. It supports 30W fast charging using the adapter in the box, but there’s no wireless charging.

With Nubia trying to appeal to everyday consumers as well as gaming fanatics, cameras become more important. The Red Magic 6R has a quadruple rear setup, with 64Mp main, 8Mp ultrawide, 5Mp macro and 2Mp depth sensors. A 20Mp selfie camera is housed within a punch-hole cutout. Cameras on previous Red Magic phones have been fairly average, so it’ll be interesting to see if Nubia has included any upgrades.

Image: Nubia

However, the more pressing issue is price. The Red Magic 6R will start at CNY 2,999 when it launches in China in June. Global launch information is expected around the same time, although it’s unlikely to be the £333/US$470 direct conversions suggest. For context, the Red Magic 6 started at CNY 3,799, which ended up being £509/US$599.

Despite having more mainstream appeal than the regular 6 and 6 Pro, the Red Magic 6R will likely be a contender for our best gaming phone chart.