REDMAGIC 11 AIR Review: Gaming Phone with Active Cooling & 144Hz Display

In April 2025, REDMAGIC opened a new product line — AIR — and launched its first model, the REDMAGIC 10 AIR. Less than a year later, the AIR series has already iterated, welcoming the REDMAGIC 11 AIR gaming smartphone, featuring an upgrade to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Extreme Edition processor, active cooling, RGB lighting, and a transparent back design.

Today, smartphone homogenization has become an increasingly prominent issue. REDMAGIC product general manager Jiang Chao even complained on Weibo about the industry’s design trend — “iPhone 17 Pro, copying 17 AIR.” The reasons behind this are diverse. First, smartphone structures have become increasingly simple: a large screen on the front and multiple cameras on the back, leaving limited room for differentiation. Second, taking shortcuts is often more effective than hard work, as many consumers are willing to settle for phones that resemble iPhones.

As an outlier in the smartphone market, REDMAGIC has never accepted this reality, striving for differentiation with every device. The REDMAGIC 11 AIR features a 6.85-inch BOE display on the front, using Q10 material. At 1.5K resolution, it supports a 144Hz refresh rate, with a peak brightness of up to 1800 nits. It also supports global 960Hz and instantaneous 2000Hz ultra-high touch sampling rates, along with 2592Hz high-frequency PWM dimming and DC dimming. The display has received SGS low blue light certification and national AMOLED eye-protection certification, making it suitable for both gaming and eye comfort.

More importantly, the REDMAGIC 11 AIR uses a hole-free “Wukong” full-screen design. Although a 16MP front camera is hidden beneath the top of the display, it remains virtually invisible even at close range, achieving near-perfect concealment. The bezels measure only 1.25mm, delivering a screen-to-body ratio of 95.1%, providing an extremely immersive visual experience.

In addition to its unique full-screen front, the back design of the REDMAGIC 11 AIR is equally eye-catching. It is available in Quantum Black, Stardust White, and Aurora Silver. The Quantum Black version we tested adopts a transparent back cover and incorporates design elements inspired by F1 race tracks, vinyl record textures, and Mondrian-style geometric graphics. Combined with RGB-lit logo and cooling fan, its visual identity is unmistakable.

The REDMAGIC 11 AIR also features an aluminum alloy middle frame. Despite housing a massive 7000mAh battery and supporting 120W Magic Flash fast charging, the device is only 7.85mm thick. Dual touch shoulder triggers and a red competition key are placed on the sides. The shoulder triggers support a 520Hz sampling rate and anti-sweat design, allowing index fingers to naturally rest on them in landscape gaming. These “physical add-ons” enable advanced FPS actions such as simultaneous shooting and aiming, slide-jump sniping, and quick peeking. In MOBA games, they enable fast equipment switching. Users can also customize the triggers according to their preferences to improve operational efficiency.

As a gaming phone, performance is critical. The REDMAGIC 11 AIR is equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Extreme Edition processor and 9600Mbps high-frequency memory (tested unit: 16GB + 512GB). It also integrates the self-developed RedCore R4 gaming chipset and uses the flagship CUBE Game Engine, enabling millisecond-level performance scheduling based on AI frame-rate awareness.

To stabilize this powerful hardware combination, the REDMAGIC 11 AIR adopts the ICEWIND 4.0 active cooling fan, making it the first AIR-series model with active cooling. The fan can operate steadily at 24,000 RPM and uses differential blade design to enhance cooling efficiency. An aviation-aluminum air-cooling bracket places the fan parallel to the chipset to further improve airflow efficiency. Additionally, an ultra-thick stepped VC vapor chamber with dual-sided bulge design and high-density capillary reflux system improves internal heat transfer efficiency.

The REDMAGIC 11 AIR has also passed performance certifications from five top-tier esports competitions, including QQ Speed Mobile S League, League of Legends Mobile Super League, CrossFire Mobile Pro League, Arena Breakout Pioneer Cup, and Call of Duty Mobile (China) Masters, providing professional-level performance endorsement.

Next, we conducted a series of performance and thermal tests. In AnTuTu, the phone achieved a total score of 3,362,975, with CPU and GPU scores of 994,455 and 1,125,962 respectively. In Geekbench 6, the single-core score reached 2,979, while the multi-core score was 9,694.

For 3DMark testing, we used Wild Life Extreme and Steel Nomad Light. The REDMAGIC 11 AIR scored 6,815 in Wild Life Extreme with an average frame rate of 40.81 FPS. In Steel Nomad Light ray-tracing test, it scored 2,551 with an average of 18.90 FPS.

In mobile gaming tests, we selected Genshin Impact and Honor of Kings. Genshin Impact was tested for 30 minutes at maximum graphics and 60FPS mode, with Performance Dog recording results. The average frame rate was 60.9 FPS, with a 1% low of 50.7 FPS and average power consumption of 3356.9mW. Frame drops occurred in complex scenes but were not severe.

Honor of Kings natively supports 144Hz on the REDMAGIC 11 AIR. Other supported titles include League of Legends Mobile, CrossFire Mobile, Arena Breakout, Naruto, QQ Speed Mobile, Peacekeeper Elite, and KartRider. Future titles such as Delta Force, Call of Duty Mobile, Teamfight Tactics, and Valorant Mobile will also support 144Hz. In a 9-minute match with max settings and high refresh mode, the phone achieved an average of 145 FPS, a 1% low of 135.2 FPS, and average power consumption of 3301.9mW, with an almost perfectly straight FPS curve.

For extreme stress testing, we ran 3DMark Wild Life Stress Test while measuring surface temperature using an infrared thermometer (ambient temperature ~23°C). Across 20 loops, the best score was 25,177, the lowest was 20,217, and stability reached 80.3%.

Near the end of the stress test, front, back, and exhaust vent temperatures all exceeded 65°C, demonstrating that the fan was actively working.

However, this is an extreme scenario and does not represent real gaming conditions. During the 30-minute Genshin Impact test, the highest surface temperatures on both sides were around 43°C, which is quite good and far below stress-test levels.

As REDMAGIC’s first smartphone of 2026, the REDMAGIC 11 AIR runs the latest ad-free REDMAGIC OS 11. To expand gaming possibilities, the system includes a built-in PC emulator. Users can long-press the red competition key to enter Game Space and access the emulator.

The PC emulator solves architectural translation between Android and PC and addresses 3D API compatibility. Users can currently play classic AAA titles such as Assassin’s Creed Rogue, Tomb Raider (2013), and Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2012), with support for external controllers, keyboard and mouse, and display mirroring.

For AI features, the REDMAGIC 11 AIR supports AI Circle Search, AI object recognition, and AI Tactical Coach. Summoning “Mora” enables real-world recognition and contextual dialogue.

Although it is a gaming phone, camera hardware is not neglected. The front features a 16MP under-display camera. The rear includes a 50MP OIS main camera and an 8MP ultra-wide camera, with equivalent focal lengths of 24mm and 14mm. The main camera supports up to 8K 30fps video recording. Below are sample photos from the three cameras.

The REDMAGIC 11 AIR is a gaming phone that refuses to follow conventions. In an era of design homogenization, its Wukong full screen, transparent back, and RGB lighting create a distinctive appearance. Internally, the Snapdragon 8 Extreme Edition, 9600Mbps memory, RedCore R4 chipset, and ICEWIND 4.0 active cooling deliver outstanding gaming performance in its price range, further enhanced by customizable shoulder triggers. It is both a smartphone and a handheld gaming console.