RedMagic 11S Pro: One-minute review<\/p>\n Taken in isolation, the RedMagic 11S Pro is a hugely compelling phone offering class-leading performance and unique custom gaming features for a less-than-flagship price.<\/p>\n No other brand is offering this kind of niche package for performance-focused mobile gamers… except for RedMagic itself barely six months ago. As good a deal as the RedMagic 11S Pro appears to be, one simply can\u2019t ignore the fact that, to all intents and purposes, it’s identical to the RedMagic 11 Pro<\/a>, yet costs $100 \/ \u00a380 more.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It\u2019s undoubtedly one of the fastest phones on the market, with a \u2018Leading Version\u2019 of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset and a shrewd liquid-plus-active cooling system that enables a level of sustained high performance that no other brand can match.<\/p>\n Latest Videos From Battery life, too, is mighty, courtesy of a huge 7,500mAh cell, while charging is suitably rapid at 80W. I\u2019m also glad that speedy wireless charging remains part of the package.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Future)<\/p>\n RedMagic isn\u2019t new to this game, and more or less the same glaring issues remain from the very first model, albeit in less egregious fashion. The 11S Pro is still an unwieldy beast, RedMagic’s software continues to be difficult to love, and the camera system continues to fall well short of even a decent mid-range phone.<\/p>\n That\u2019s the bargain you typically strike when buying a gaming phone (see the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro<\/a>), so it would be churlish to drive the point home too hard. Just know that you\u2019re buying a very particular gaming tool here, not an accomplished all-rounder.<\/p>\n All this for a price that only skirts flagship territory. Ultimately, though, the 11S Pro doesn’t represent the same value proposition as previous phones in the family.<\/p>\n RedMagic claims that its phone \u201cintroduces major upgrades across performance, cooling, display, battery, and AI gaming\u201d, but that could only really be argued in comparison to the previous year’s RedMagic 10S Pro<\/a>. We\u2019ve seen this movie already, and it was significantly cheaper to gain entry the first time around.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re after the very best gaming phone on the market, then the RedMagic 11S Pro is out there in a field of one. But in a trend that\u2019s about as 2026 as it gets, the phone doesn\u2019t quite do enough to distinguish itself from its immediate predecessor.<\/p>\n RedMagic 11S Pro review: Price and availabilityReleased on June 10, 2026Priced from $849 \/ \u00a3709Significant price bump over predecessorNot available in Australia<\/p>\n The RedMagic 11S Pro goes on sale from June 10, 2026, and the bad news is that it\u2019s significantly more expensive than its predecessor.<\/p>\n Prices start from $849 \/ \u00a3709 for the model with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. That figure increases to $949 \/ \u00a3799 for 16\/512GB, and there’s no 24\/1TB option this time around. The RedMagic 11S Pro isn’t available in Australia.<\/p>\n By way of a comparison, back in November, the equivalent variants of the RedMagic 11 Pro<\/a> launched for $749 \/ \u00a3629 and $849 \/ \u00a3799, respectively. That\u2019s a $100 \/ \u00a380 price bump in just six months for (as we\u2019ll go on to discuss) essentially the same phone.<\/p>\n If we\u2019re making a generational comparison, the 11S Pro is $150 \/ \u00a3130 more expensive than the RedMagic 10S Pro<\/a>. It seems niche gaming phone manufacturers are no more immune to global component pricing pressures than Samsung<\/a> or Xiaomi.<\/p>\n RedMagic 11S Pro review: SpecsSwipe to scroll horizontallyRedMagic 11 Pro specs Header Cell – Column 0 Header Cell – Column 1 <\/p>\n Dimensions:<\/p>\n 163.82 x 76.54 x 8.9mm<\/p>\n Weight:<\/p>\n 230g<\/p>\n Display:<\/p>\n 6.85-inch Full HD+ (1216 x 2688) up to 144Hz BOE AMOLED<\/p>\n Chipset:<\/p>\n Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Leading Version<\/p>\n RAM:<\/p>\n 12GB \/ 16GB (LPDDR5X Ultra)<\/p>\n Storage:<\/p>\n 256GB \/ 512GB (UFS 4.1 Pro)<\/p>\n OS:<\/p>\n Android 16 with RedMagic OS 11.5<\/p>\n Primary camera:<\/p>\n 50MP Samsung OV50E40 1\/1.55-inch sensor w\/ OIS<\/p>\n Ultra-wide camera:<\/p>\n 50MP Samsung OV50D40 1\/2.88-inch sensor<\/p>\n Macro camera:<\/p>\n 2MP<\/p>\n Front Camera:<\/p>\n 16MP under-display<\/p>\n Battery:<\/p>\n 7,500mAh<\/p>\n Charging:<\/p>\n 80W wired, 80W wireless<\/p>\n Colors:<\/p>\n Nightfreeze, Subzero<\/p>\n RedMagic 11S Pro review: Design<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Future)Same liquid cooling design as 11 ProIPX8 certifiedDedicated gaming mode switch and capacitive shoulder buttons<\/p>\n If I were to be particularly flattering to RedMagic here, I\u2019d liken the brand\u2019s design approach to that of Porsche.<\/p>\n The silhouette might not be as distinctive or appealing as that of a premium German supercar \u2014 we\u2019re basically looking at a big, featureless slab of glass and metal here \u2014 but the point is that it has remained broadly consistent across multiple generations.<\/p>\n There have been refinements, most notably with a camera array that is now completely flat. That unique flourish is just about the only thing that\u2019s subtle about the phone, however.<\/p>\n It\u2019s particularly thick and heavy (measuring and weighing 8.9mm and 230g, respectively), and its right-hand edge is chock full of physical controls. Alongside the power and volume keys, there\u2019s a red slider switch for entering the phone\u2019s custom gaming UI.<\/p>\n These are flanked by a pair of capacitive ‘shoulder’ buttons, which can be mapped to controls on a game-by-game basis \u2014 a massive bonus for competitive shooters, in particular.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Future)<\/p>\n Meanwhile, on both the right and left edges, there are exhaust vents to allow the physical 24,000rpm cooling fan to do its thing. They also mean that the phone is only IPX8 rated \u2014 in other words, it\u2019s waterproof, but far from dust-proof.<\/p>\n Literally all of this was true of the RedMagic 11 Pro, which reflects the fact that the RedMagic 11S Pro is basically the same phone, give or take a few minor tweaks. Its dimensions are identical right down to the fraction of a millimeter, and there\u2019s the same faux-transparent effect and liquid cooling ring motif on the rear.<\/p>\n The latter is undoubtedly the most eye-catching design element of any RedMagic phone to date, as little white globules of fluid circulate like some kind of miniature lava lamp. The effect is hypnotic.<\/p>\n Stereo speakers make a return on the 11S Pro, but they continue to underwhelm. It\u2019s not that the sound quality is bad, but there isn\u2019t the low-end heft you might expect of such a hefty media-focused device.<\/p>\n RedMagic 11S Pro review: Display<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Future)6.85-inch OLED display144Hz refresh rate2,000 nits peak brightness<\/p>\n RedMagic has kept broadly the same display in operation dating back to the RedMagic 10 Pro<\/a> in late 2024 \u2014 that is, a 6.85-inch OLED<\/a> with a 1216 x 2688 (aka 1.5K) resolution.<\/p>\n The refresh rate continues to top out at 144Hz, which is higher than the 120Hz average, if shy of the very highest on the market. Motorola\u2019s flagship phones tend to hit 165Hz, for example.<\/p>\n With that said, the list of games that can boost past 120Hz remains relatively short. What matters is that this is a fine canvas for gaming content, aided by that expansive size and a complete lack of obstructions.<\/p>\n RedMagic\u2019s signature under-display front camera might make for terrible selfies (more on that later), but it also means that you won\u2019t find an annoying lens obstructing the action. That applies just as much to videos as it does to gaming content.<\/p>\n The one feature that sets the RedMagic 11S Pro\u2019s display ahead of that of the RedMagic 11 Pro\u2019s is Magic Touch 4.0, which purportedly boosts touch accuracy by 10%. I can\u2019t honestly say that I noticed the difference, but I guess every little helps if you\u2019re a competitive gamer with reflexes undimmed by time and alcohol.<\/p>\n RedMagic 11S Pro review: cameras<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Future)Mediocre 50MP main camera with OISSimilarly uninspiring 50MP ultra-widePointless 2MP macro in place of telephotoTerrible 16MP in-display selfie camera<\/p>\n Discussing the camera system in a gaming phone reminds me a little of discussing the camera system in a tablet. It\u2019s kind of a pointless endeavor, because taking pictures is obviously not the priority here.<\/p>\n Of course, tablets can get away with taking bad pictures because everyone tends to have a smartphone with them. The RedMagic 11S Pro is that smartphone.<\/p>\n There\u2019s been no change-up since the RedMagic 11 Pro\u2019s camera, nor indeed since the model(s) before that. You get the same 50MP OmniVision OV50E main sensor with OIS and a 7P lens; the same 50MP OV50D ultra-wide; and the same superfluous 2MP macro camera in place of a dedicated telephoto.<\/p>\n The latter omission is somewhat galling, given that you can pick up a CMF Phone 2 Pro<\/a> with a dedicated zoom provision for less than $300 \/ \u00a3300.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Future)<\/p>\n With that said, we can only work with what we have, and the RedMagic 11S Pro takes predictably so-so snaps. Mind you, that’s become slightly less easy to excuse given the $100 \/ \u00a380 price increase, which brings the phone within range of the Google Pixel 10<\/a>.<\/p>\n The main camera is by far the best of the bunch and is capable of producing moderately sharp images. RedMagic\u2019s image processing is on the heavy-handed side, with unnaturally prominent colors during the day and excessive brightening at night, but it\u2019s capable of producing clear results that you won\u2019t mind sharing on social media.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll find that the phone is forced to crop in on that main sensor for zoomed shots. They look fine at 2x, but rather ropey at anything longer, with 5x and 10x being the signposted provisions.<\/p>\n That 50MP ultra-wide camera is competent at best, overcompensating for its smaller sensor size and inferior optics with heavy-handed processing and punched-up colors. The main criticism I have is that these shots don\u2019t really get close to the tone of the main sensor.<\/p>\n As ever on a RedMagic phone, the selfies here are some of the worst around. It all comes down to that 16MP under-display camera that I mentioned before. What\u2019s great for gaming is terrible for image quality, as significantly less light is able to get to the sensor.<\/p>\n One premium tool the RedMagic 11S Pro does have at its disposal is its high-end processor, which is put to use in supporting 8K<\/a>\/30fps or 4K<\/a>\/60fps video capture.<\/p>\n RedMagic 11S Pro review: camera samples<\/p>\n Image 1 of 17<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Future)Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Leading Version12GB or 16GB, or 24GB of LPDDR5X Ultra RAMLiquid and active cooling<\/p>\n RedMagic insists that the 11S Pro employs a superior \u2018Leading Version\u2019 of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. Its CPU is clocked to 4.74Hz rather than 4.6Hz for the RedMagic 11 Pro.<\/p>\n More speed is always a good thing, particularly within a gaming phone context, but we\u2019re talking about a negligible difference here. You simply won\u2019t be able to tell the difference in practical gaming terms, with both phones capable of running Destiny Rising and The Division Resurgence at smooth frame rates with greater graphical detail.<\/p>\n I even struggled to pick up on a difference in benchmark tests, with similar scores between the two phones in Geekbench 6.<\/p>\n One potentially significant difference was in the Wild Life Extreme Stress Test, which measures GPU performance across an extended 20-minute period. The 11S Pro scored higher than its predecessor, which could be a hint that the upgraded AquaCore Cooling System is doing its job.<\/p>\n Image 1 of 3<\/p>\n Of course, it\u2019s just as likely that this was a non-hardware-related variation, as can often happen with these GPU tests, or that the difference simply came down to updated drivers.<\/p>\n I should also note that UL Solutions, the company behind the 3DMark benchmark app, delisted the RedMagic 11 Pro back in April because of the way that the phone bypassed safety limits to get favorable results. That doesn\u2019t mean that the RedMagic 11S Pro\u2019s performance should be doubted, but it does ram home the point that such benchmark test results should be taken with a pinch of salt.<\/p>\n There\u2019s been a slight change in the type of RAM used, with RedMagic switching from LPDDR5T in the 11 Pro to LPDDR5X Ultra. Both are high-performance advances on the kind of LPDDR5X RAM most flagship phones use.<\/p>\n All of which is a roundabout way of saying that the RedMagic 11S Pro performs as well as or better than any other phone on the market, especially over sustained periods, but that it doesn\u2019t move much beyond its predecessor, if at all.<\/p>\n Which, ultimately, brings me back to the central question at the heart of this review: what\u2019s the point of the S-series these days, especially at its new higher price?<\/p>\n RedMagic 11S Pro review: software<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Future)Cluttered but fluid UIGame Space gaming UI 5 years of OS and security updates (in Europe)<\/p>\n It would be foolish to expect a major UI overhaul in this minor, half-generational, not-quite-upgrade. The RedMagic 11S Pro might run on the latest RedMagic OS 11.5 layered on top of Android 16, but it\u2019s got the same busy UI as its predecessor.<\/p>\n Menus and icons remain functional rather than stylish, and a long way short of Google<\/a>\u2019s stock Android UI.<\/p>\n You also have to put up with way too many unrequested third-party apps, including (on my test model at least) Facebook, Booking.com, TikTok, AliExpress, Instagram, and several poor-quality games.<\/p>\n As we\u2019ve come to expect, there\u2019s a rudimentary smattering of AI tools, including AI note summaries, recording transcriptions, and AI-generated wallpapers. You\u2019ll want to rely on the preinstalled Google Gemini app for the genuinely useful stuff.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Future)<\/p>\n The latest UI isn’t without its improvements, though. You no longer get an obnoxious screen-hogging widget on the Home Screen dedicated to turning the cooling fan on and off (something that happens automatically anyway).<\/p>\n RedMagic has done away with its awful Google Feed replacement to the left of the main Home Screen, too, which is a relief.<\/p>\n Instances of glitches, poor translation, and errant Chinese text have seemingly been reduced, if not completely eliminated, and everything moves fluidly and reliably enough.<\/p>\n RedMagic\u2019s Game Space UI remains in place. Flick that big red switch, and you\u2019ll be taken to a landscape interface that lets you launch games, manage performance levels, tweak screen sensitivity, and initiate plug-ins on a game-by-game basis.<\/p>\n Elsewhere, you’ll get five years of promised software support (both OS and security) in Europe. That\u2019s short of the best efforts from Google and Samsung, but probably longer than most will be running the phone for, so I have no complaints.<\/p>\n RedMagic 11S Pro review: Battery life<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Future)7,500mAh battery offers two days of usage80W wired charging80W wireless charging<\/p>\n If you\u2019re talking about a smartphone that\u2019s designed to run flat out for extended periods of time, then you\u2019d better believe that battery size matters. Reassuringly, the RedMagic 11S Pro packs a chunky 7,500mAh cell, just like its predecessor.<\/p>\n Stay away from the games, and you\u2019ll be able to sail through two full days of use on a single charge.<\/p>\n That\u2019s not what we\u2019re here for, of course, but even if you stir the odd intensive Destiny Rising mission into your daily routine, you\u2019ll still get to bedtime without needing to recharge.<\/p>\n The charging provision also remains unchanged from the RedMagic 11 Pro. Once again, it\u2019s more than enough. You\u2019re looking at 80W wired charging, which can get you to 70% in 30 minutes, and on to a full charge in less than an hour. Given the sheer size of that cell, it\u2019s not bad at all.<\/p>\n There\u2019s also 80W wireless charging support, which is a relatively recent (and most welcome) addition to the RedMagic family.<\/p>\n You still won\u2019t find the second landscape-oriented USB-C port that I feel would benefit any self-respecting gaming phone, but it\u2019s a relatively minor omission.<\/p>\n Should you buy the RedMagic 11S Pro?Swipe to scroll horizontallyRedMagic 11 Pro scorecard<\/p>\n Attributes<\/p>\n Notes<\/p>\n Rating<\/p>\n Design<\/p>\n It ain\u2019t subtle, and you might resent lugging it around, but you at least have to respect the perfectly flat shape and cool liquid cooling system.<\/p>\n 3 \/ 5<\/p>\n Display<\/p>\n This is a large, sharp, dependably smooth display that benefits from the lack of a selfie notch.<\/p>\n 4 \/ 5<\/p>\n Performance<\/p>\n With an enhanced Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, liquid cooling, and plenty of rapid RAM, this is about as fast as phones get.<\/p>\n 5 \/ 5<\/p>\n Camera<\/p>\n The RedMagic 11S Pro takes merely adequate images, which might not feel like enough given the price bump.<\/p>\n 3 \/ 5<\/p>\n Battery<\/p>\n A huge 7,500mAh battery will get you through two days of regular use, while 80W wired and regular wireless charging will get you back up to speed.<\/p>\n 5 \/ 5<\/p>\n Software<\/p>\n RedMagic OS isn\u2019t the most appealing UI, but it\u2019s fluid enough, packs a custom gaming interface, and is perhaps slightly less cluttered than before.<\/p>\n 3 \/ 5<\/p>\n Value<\/p>\n It remains great value for the sheer level of performance you\u2019re getting for the money, but the price tag has gone up with little in the way of meaningful improvement.<\/p>\n 4 \/ 5<\/p>\n Buy it if…Don’t buy it if…RedMagic 11S Pro review: also consider<\/p>\n RedMagic has the gaming phone business to itself, and supplies the two biggest alternatives to the 11S Pro.<\/p>\n How I tested the RedMagic 11S ProReview test period = 1 weekTesting included = Everyday usage, including web browsing, social media, photography, gaming, streaming video, music playbackTools used = Geekbench 6, 3DMark, native Android stats, bundled Nubia 80W power adapter<\/p>\n First reviewed: May 2026<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.techradar.com\/media\/img\/techradar_logo_v2.svg\"){kind=logo}
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(Image credit: Future)RedMagic 11S Pro review: performance<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/A2pMG4h5AGU2jW9XqYSgLZ.jpg\")
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