It’s rare that a phone still manages to surprise me these days, but the RedMagic 11 Pro did exactly that. I knew this was different the moment I pulled the Subzero edition from the box. It has a window into the phone’s liquid cooling system, pulsing blue RGB lights, soft metallic edges and just a sense of restrained power before I even power it on.
I’ve been using this device daily for the past month. What I found was a phone that runs fast… and cold. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and AquaCore liquid cooling system make it the most powerful and stable phone I’ve ever used, not just for gaming but for anything I threw at it.
Design and build
The phone looks straight out of a sci-fi movie. I love watching the flowing liquid inside the AquaCore cooling system. I’m a big fan of liquid cooling in PCs, so seeing this in a phone is mind-blowing for me.
RedMagic has finally fixed the boxy discomfort that plagued the 10 Pro series. The 11 Pro feels refined, with subtle curves along the edges and smooth Corning Glass back. My hands never hurt holding it. It’s a hefty 230 grams, but that solidness only helps it scream premium.
The rear remains completely flat with no camera bump at all, true to the brand’s design philosophy. And the RGB lighting is tastefully handled — soft pulses rather than a carnival show. Plus, the small side lights make the shoulder triggers easier to find in the dark.
Display and sound
The phone sports a 6.85-inch AMOLED panel with up to 144Hz refresh and 1,800 nits peak brightness. Every frame of Call of Duty Mobile looks fluid and vivid. I loved how YouTube videos pop on this device. It’s a gorgeous display.
Stereo speakers sit at the top and bottom, and they sound fantastic, until your hands cover them when gaming in landscape mode. Earphones are an easy fix, and thankfully, RedMagic still includes a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Performance
All of that is nice, but here’s the real reason I loved this phone: raw power. The Snapdragon chip is absurd. It’s the fastest, smoothest phone I’ve ever tested. Paired with the RedCore R4 chip and that novel liquid cooling system, you’ve got a beast in your hand.
The 11 Pro didn’t stutter, lag or crash a single time in the month I used it. I played demanding titles at max settings, plugged in with charge separation active, and the chassis stayed cool to the touch. The vapour chamber and liquid system actually work. It’s not a gimmick.
Everything is super snappy on this phone. This phone doesn’t just stay fast, it stays cool. There’s no thermal throttling or burning palms or battery anxiety.
Battery
Last year I tested the RedMagic 10 Pro and was blown away by the battery life. It was my favourite thing about the phone. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same thing with the 11 Pro this year. It’s not bad. It’s as good as a Samsung S25 or an iPhone 16. I could get a good day and a half of use out of it, but eventually it would need charging. I guess I was spoiled by the 10 Pro.
Software experience
The shine fades a little when it comes to the stock RedMagic software. RedMagic OS 11 comes pre-loaded with bloatware and little polish. I’m used to Chinese-market ROMs by now, so it’s no big deal for me, but if it’s your first, you’ll want to spend some time deleting all the bloatware.
The system launcher is barebones, and there’s not much that’s different from previous versions. I slapped on Smart Launcher 6 and went on with my day, but I wish RedMagic would invest in a clean, distinctive Android skin. The hardware deserves it.
Flip the red switch on the side to make things more interesting. This launches Game Mode and reveals a full gaming dashboard. You can control the fan, record gameplay, adjust shoulder triggers, and even enable a bunch of AI tweaks like “Scout Mode,” which uses AI to zoom in on distant targets in shooting games.
Then there’s Mora. The built-in Waifu assistant is more gimmick than helpful, but RedMagic claims she can listen in to multiplayer chats and offer suggestions. I don’t use her, but she’s part of the brand’s quirky identity, so all the power to Mora.
Cameras
Let’s be honest: you’re not buying this phone for the cameras. The 50-megapixel main and the 50-megapixel ultrawide do a solid job, but they don’t blow me away. Shots for social media or casual snaps look fine, but they don’t match a Pixel 10 or iPhone 17 Pro for dynamic range and clarity.
The under-display 16-megapixel front shooter is clever but underwhelming. RedMagic says they use AI to help enhance selfies, but I found them darker and softer than I like. The real star of the front panel is the 3D ultrasonic fingerprint sensor. It’s blazing fast and accurate. I enjoyed 100 per cent accuracy in the month I used it. Never once did it misread my fingerprint, and I stopped worrying about it.
Worth $999?
This phone is worth every nickel. By every metric, the RedMagic 11 Pro is a triumph of phone engineering. It’s futuristic, fast and feels like holding a piece of electronic art. Sure, the camera system is mid-tier and the software is still unfinished, but those flaws don’t matter once you feel that liquid-cooled chassis humming along at 144 frames per second.
This is the first gaming phone I didn’t want to put down. I even shelved my iPhone for a month because the RedMagic 11 Pro simply became my daily driver. It’s the phone I reached for every time.
