Pros & Cons
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- Outstanding performance
- Long battery life
- Gorgeous screen
- Dedicated gaming features
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- Average cameras
- Limited software support
RedMagic 11 Pro Specs
| Battery Life (As Tested) | 17 hours, 10 minutes |
| Camera Resolution (Rear; Front-Facing) | 50MP, 50MP, 2MP; 16MP |
| CPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 |
| Dimensions | 6.45 by 3.01 by 0.35 inches |
| Operating System | Android 16 |
| Screen Resolution | 2,688 by 1,216 pixels |
| Screen Size | 6.85 |
The RedMagic 11 Pro (starting at $749) is the world’s first mass-produced, liquid-cooled gaming phone. You can actually see the coolant move beneath the rear panel, which is pretty cool. It's no gimmick, either: The 11 Pro runs the most demanding games without sacrificing performance, all while staying cool to the touch. Its boxy look, average cameras, and gaming-first features make this a device for a decidedly niche audience, but if you're looking for the fastest Android gaming experience, this is the phone for you. For everyone else, the Google Pixel 10 Pro ($999) is our Editors' Choice in price range—it's loaded with AI, has much better cameras, and it can still throw down when it's time to play games.
Design: Unapologetically Boxy, Thick, and Flat
The RedMagic 11 Pro measures 6.45 by 3.01 by 0.35 inches (HWD) and weighs 8.11 ounces, which is a smidge larger and heavier than its predecessor, the RedMagic 10 Pro (6.43 by 3.0 by 0.35 inches, 8.08 ounces). The Pixel 10 Pro is comparatively compact and lightweight, measuring 6.02 by 2.83 by 0.34 inches and weighing 7.30 ounces.
(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)Its heft makes the 11 Pro feel sturdy. It features an aluminum alloy mid-frame with Corning Gorilla Glass 7i on the front and Gorilla Glass 5 on the back, just like the RedMagic 10 Pro. Because the 11 Pro is so thick, the camera module is flush with the rear panel.
(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)The phone has an IPX8 rating, which means it is not rated against dust ingress, but can withstand submersion in water. RedMagic says dust won't affect the 11 Pro's performance.
(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)Two capacitive shoulder triggers are located at the ends of the right side, which also features a vent, a volume rocker, a power button, and the textured RedMagic Magic Key. RedMagic dropped the circular power button of the 10 Pro for a rectangular one on the 11 Pro. I prefer the circular button since it is easier to identify by feel alone.
You'll spot another vent on the left side, while a 3.5mm headphone jack sits on the top edge. A SIM card tray, USB-C port, and down-firing speaker are on the bottom edge. For biometrics, the 11 Pro uses an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor located under the screen. I found it reliable and quick during testing.
(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)RGB lights are located in several areas: the shoulder triggers, the left rear panel, around the fan, and in the RedMagic logo. You can customize the lights' behavior or turn them off.
The RedMagic 11 Pro is available in three colors: Cryo (black/gray), Nightfreeze (clear back with a black panel), and Subzero (clear back with a silver panel). I received a Nightfreeze model for testing. The clear back exposes the liquid-cooling system in action, a feature I haven’t seen on any other phone.
Display: A Big, Gorgeous Canvas
(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)The phone has a large, sharp 6.85-inch screen with a resolution of 2,688 by 1,216 pixels and a maximum refresh rate of 144Hz. Spec for spec, this is the same display as the 10 Pro, except the 11 Pro reaches 1,800 nits of brightness, while the 10 Pro is brighter at 2,000 nits. For comparison, the Pixel 10 Pro has a smaller 6.3-inch screen with a variable refresh rate up to 120Hz and a peak outdoor brightness of 3,300 nits.
The 11 Pro's display has a 3,000Hz "Instant Touch" sampling rate, which means the screen responds lightning-fast to your presses. Indoors or out, the 11 Pro is easily visible. Most impressively, the front-facing camera is barely detectable under the screen.
Performance: Simply Outstanding
(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)The 11 Pro runs on Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and is available in several configurations:
- 12GB RAM and 256GB of storage (available in Cryo only, $749)
- 16GB RAM and 512GB of storage (available in Nightfreeze or Subzero, $849)
- 24GB RAM and 1TB of storage (available in Nightfreeze or Subzero, $999)
I tested a 16GB/512GB Nightfreeze model, and it was incredibly fast thanks to its cooling features, which work as advertised. RedMagic says its AquaCore Cooling System passed "tens of thousands of drop tests" and is leak-proof. The liquid is non-conductive to prevent short circuits. The phone’s fan rotates at up to 24,000rpm, and is dust and waterproof.
For context, I compared the 11 Pro to the RedMagic 10 Pro (Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite) and the Google Pixel 10 Pro (Google Tensor G5).
On Geekbench 6, which measures pure CPU performance, the 11 Pro scored 3,718 on the single-core test and 11,262 on the multi-core test. This represents a marked improvement over the 10 Pro (3,029 and 9,361) and significantly surpasses the Pixel 10 Pro (2,355 and 6,461).
The PCMark Work 3.0 test measures a phone's ability to handle everyday tasks. The 11 Pro reached a blistering 28,878—a big jump from the 10 Pro's 24,778 score. The Pixel 10 trailed both at 16,027.
To test graphics performance, I use the GFXBench Aztec Ruins High Tier test. The RedMagic 11 Pro generated 100 frames per second (fps) compared with the 10 Pro's 60fps and the Pixel 10 Pro’s 76fps.
(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)I played the notoriously resource-heavy game Genshin Impact to get a feel of real-life gaming performance. At the highest graphics settings and at 60fps, the 11 Pro rendered the game beautifully, with smooth motion and detailed backgrounds. The phone didn't heat up at all during a 20-minute gaming session.
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Battery Life: Impressive Longevity
The 11 Pro's 7,500mAh battery supports 80W wired charging, fast wireless charging, and wireless charging for other devices. RedMagic claims the 11 Pro can charge wirelessly at up to 80W, but a compatible charger is required for this feature, and the charging rate may slow if the phone overheats.
In our battery rundown test, where the device streams a 1,080p video with the screen at full brightness, the 11 Pro lasts an impressive 17 hours and 10 minutes. For comparison, the 10 Pro's 7,050mAh battery lasts 14 hours and 25 minutes, while the Pixel 10 Pro (4,870mAh) lasts 12 hours and 40 minutes.
The 11 Pro also supports bypass charging, allowing you to use your device while charging without compromising the battery’s health.
Connectivity: Strong and Consistent
(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)For connectivity, the RedMagic supports 5G (sub-6GHz and C-band, but no mmWave), Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, and Wi-Fi 6E.
When connected to T-Mobile's 5G network in New York City, the 11 Pro achieved a maximum download speed of 212Mbps and a maximum upload speed of 27.4Mbps. For comparison, a Google Pixel 9a tested in the same spot and network achieved better results, with 238Mbps down and 53.7Mbps up.
Meanwhile, when connected to a Wi-Fi 6 network, the RedMagic 11 Pro achieved a peak of 436Mbps down and 21.4Mbps up, while the Google Pixel 9a reached 404Mbps down and 22.5Mbps up. At the limit of my Wi-Fi network, both devices performed similarly. The 11 Pro managed downloads of 393Mbps and uploads of 22.1Mbps, while the Pixel 9a topped out at 370Mbps down and 20.9Mbps up.
Audio: Loud Enough for a Small Room
Call quality is good. In a test recording, my voice sounds slightly muffled, though it is still understandable. The 11 Pro does a fair job of removing background audio, but my voice is a little harder to understand. For media playback, the 11 Pro produces stereo sound from its earpiece and down-firing speakers. The lowest bass notes of our test song, The Knife's "Silent Shout," are barely audible with the speaker within an inch of my ear.
Playing Metallica's "Enter Sandman," the 11 Pro reaches 91.5dB, which is enough to fill a small room. I found the speakerphone reached 74.3dB during test calls. I find volumes around 70dB easy to hear, so the 11 Pro surpasses that threshold.
Cameras: Not Bad, But Not Class-Leading Either
(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)The RedMagic 11 Pro features a 50MP main camera with optical image stabilization (OIS), a 50MP ultra-wide camera, and a 2.0MP macro camera on its back.
Overall, the phone brightens colors in photos when compared with what your eyes see, and I observed some exposure issues (like the sky missing some blue). These and other issues are easy to spot when you look closely. For example, distant objects can appear painted, with muddy definition. Images are pleasant, but they fall short of what competing phones deliver.
The 2.0MP macro camera captures small details well, although images are relatively grainy considering their low resolution. I would have preferred a telephoto camera here.
The phone's 16MP front-facing camera produces pictures with slightly washed-out color, but good details.
Rear video capture tops out at 4K60, while the front-facing video capture maxes out at 1,080p30. Video quality mirrors stills, with brighter videos from the main camera and slightly washed-out videos from the selfie camera.
Software: Gaming-First Customizations
The phone runs Android 16 with RedMagic OS 11.0, the company's proprietary software layer. The 11 Pro will receive up to three years of OS and security updates. Meanwhile, Google and Samsung back their flagship phones with seven years of support, which is something to consider when making a purchase.
(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)The 11 Pro automatically adds your games to the phone's Game Lobby app, which serves as its gaming hub. You can invoke the app by sliding the Magic Key. In the Lobby, you can choose game-specific settings, such as performance mode, and discover plug-ins in its Super Base section. While playing games, a swipe from a short edge brings up an overlay that duplicates many features from the Game Lobby, including CPU stats, notes, and shortcuts to other apps. The phone can also use AI to learn gameplay, such as automatically picking up items, though I didn’t experience that in testing.
(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)The capacitive shoulder triggers measure inputs at 520Hz, and in testing, they respond super quickly. The RedMagic 11 Pro doesn't have any lag whatsoever.
(Credit: RedMagic)Otherwise, this is Android with a boxier look. The phone's other AI features are limited to creating wallpapers, using Google Translate and Live Translator, and transcribing voice recordings. The phone also ships with Google Gemini, which can be called up with a swipe from the bottom left or right of the screen. A long press of the home bar indicator brings up Circle to Search.
Mora, RedMagic’s virtual mascot, which takes the form of either a young woman or a cat, is on board, too. It can reside on your home screen and/or lock screen and respond to movements and other actions. It's gimmicky, but cute.