Update 3 (10/17/19 @ 4:45 AM ET): The Nubia Red Magic 3S has been launched in India for a price of ₹35,999 ($505). The first sale is scheduled for October 21, 2019, on Flipkart.

Update 2 (10/9/19 @ 12:05 PM ET): The Red Magic 3S is going on sale globally next week with a starting price of $479/€479.

Update 1 (9/25/19 @ 9:50 PM ET): The Red Magic 3S is launching globally on October 16th with a new Cyber Shade color.

The Red Magic 3 by Nubia was an interesting gaming smartphone that launched earlier this year. It had top of the line specifications (Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 and 90Hz OLED display) with unique, albeit gimmicky features (8K video recording), all at a great price. In my view, it ended up being more of a portable gaming device than an actual smartphone. This isn't a bad thing, though, and Nubia seems to be doubling down on this strategy. That's why Nubia announced the Red Magic 3S, an upgraded version of the Red Magic 3.

The specifications remain mostly unchanged from the standard Red Magic 3. The only major, and I say that in the lightest way possible, change is in the SoC. It was "upgraded" from the Snapdragon 855 to the Snapdragon 855 Plus. Other than that change and the faster UFS 3.0 storage chip, the 3S is basically the same as the 3. If you want to know a little bit more about the device and the experience of owning a gaming phone, check out my full review of the standard Red Magic 3.

The Red Magic 3S will be available in China starting on September 9th for ¥2999 (8G+128GB) and ¥3799 (12G+256GB). The global release is scheduled for October, but we don't have any information on the specific SKUs or their prices yet. The device will be available from the Red Magic website, redmagic.gg, very soon.

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Update 1: Launching October 16th

The Red Magic 3S launched in China on September 9th, but now it's finally launching globally. It will be available in the US, Canada, EU, UK, Australia, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, Taiwan, and Macao. The phone will be available in Eclipse Black, Mecha Silver, and new Cyber Shade in 8GB/128GB or 12GB/256GB options. Pricing was not shared at this time, but it will be available for purchase at redmagic.gg.

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Update 2: Pricing

We finally have pricing details for the global launch of the Red Magic 3S. The phone will go on sale on October 16th at redmagic.gg starting at $479/€479. Starting today, you can earn "Early Bird Rewards" by buying the "3S Reward Card" for $100, which is a gift card that can be put towards your Red Magic 3S purchase. The first 100 buyers will get rewards such as the Pro Handle Gamepad, 30% off accessories, and more. Red Magic says earlier buyers will get better rewards.

Full pricing info:

Eclipse Black & Mecha Silver, 8GB + 128GB:

• EUR: €479
• USD: $479
• GBP: £419

Cyber Shade, 12GB + 256GB:

• EUR: €599
• USD: $599
• GBP: £529

Countries and Regions

• North America: USA, Canada
• Europe: EU, UK
• Rest of the World: Australia, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, Taiwan, Macao

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Update 3: Nubia Red Magic 3S launched in India for ₹35,999 ($505)

The Nubia Red Magic 3S has been launched in India, for a slightly higher price than the international pricing. The bump is expected though as the phone is unlikely to have been assembled within the country to take advantage of lesser duties. The phone is priced at ₹35,999 ($505) for the 8GB + 128GB variant, available in the Mecha Silver color; while the 12GB + 256GB variant will be available in the Cyber Shade color for ₹47,999 ($673). The device will go on sale on October 21 via Flipkart.