REDMAGIC 11 Air Review: A Slim Gaming Phone with Flagship Performance

REDMAGIC has been improving its gaming smartphone lineup by offering devices that combine high-end hardware with easier-to-carry designs. The new REDMAGIC 11 Air follows the same approach as the previous 10 Air (Review) model, offering a thinner, lighter body while maintaining the performance expected of a gaming-focused smartphone.

Compared to the REDMAGIC 11 Pro (Review), the REDMAGIC 11 Air takes a different direction. It removes some of the advanced features to reduce size and weight, including the liquid cooling system and a few connectivity options. However, it still includes active cooling, gaming shoulder triggers, and a large battery, making it suitable for long gaming sessions.

The Smartphone is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor and comes with a 144Hz OLED display that offers smooth visuals for games and media. The under-display front camera keeps the screen free from cutouts, while the 7,000mAh battery provides enough capacity for gaming, streaming, and everyday tasks. The glass design also gives the phone a more traditional flagship look.

The REDMAGIC 11 Air is positioned as a device for both gamers and regular users who need strong performance in a slimmer package. While it gives up features like wireless charging, a headphone jack, and faster USB connectivity, it still offers powerful hardware and gaming-focused controls.

In this hands-on review, we will check the design, display, performance, cameras, battery life, and overall user experience of the REDMAGIC 11 Air.

Specifications

Unboxing

The REDMAGIC 11 Air comes with all the basic accessories needed for daily use. Inside the retail box, you get the smartphone, a transparent TPU protective case, a USB-A to USB-C cable for charging and data transfer, a SIM eject tool, a quick start guide, and the warranty information. The included clear case provides basic protection from the first day and lets you use the phone without waiting for a third-party case.

REDMAGIC also includes the 80W fast charger in the box, which is becoming less common in the smartphone market. This means you can use the phone’s maximum wired charging speed without buying a separate adapter. The charger and cable are matched for the device, so everything required for fast charging is available right out of the box.

Design

The REDMAGIC 11 Air follows the company’s familiar gaming design while keeping the overall appearance cleaner than previous models. The transparent rear panel gives a partial view of the internally inspired layout, combined with printed circuit patterns and decorative screws that match the gaming theme. The phone measures 163.82 × 76.54 × 7.85 mm and weighs 207 grams.

Even with a large 7,000mAh battery, the device feels balanced in hand and remains comfortable during long gaming sessions or everyday use. The frame is made from aluminum alloy, while the rear is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5. REDMAGIC has also added an IP54 rating, protecting against dust and light water splashes.

The REDMAGIC 11 Air is available in Black Phantom and White Prism colour options. Our review unit is the Black Phantom version. The darker finish works well with the transparent rear panel and gives the phone a clean gaming appearance without relying on bright colours or large graphics.

The rear panel combines several textures that separate different sections of the design. Fine engraved lines run through the center, while the REDMAGIC branding is placed vertically near the lower half. The transparent styling is decorative rather than fully transparent, but it gives the phone a unique identity compared to conventional smartphones.

The camera layout is simple and well-organized. Instead of using a large rectangular camera island, REDMAGIC places each lens individually on the rear panel. The phone features a dual-camera system consisting of a 24mm equivalent wide camera and a 14mm equivalent ultra-wide camera. Below the camera lenses are the circular RGB cooling fan window and the LED flash, keeping the upper section clean without making the camera module overly large.

The front is occupied by a 6.8-inch OLED display protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 7i. It has a 2688 × 1216 resolution, supports a 144Hz refresh rate, and offers a touch sampling rate of up to 2500Hz for gaming. The bezels remain equally thin on all four sides, allowing the display to cover almost the entire front of the device.

REDMAGIC continues to use an under-display front camera, allowing the screen to remain uninterrupted without a punch-hole or notch. During normal use, the camera stays well hidden and is difficult to notice unless viewed closely. The display also offers good outdoor visibility under sunlight, while the Always-On Display provides quick access to notifications, time, and battery information.

The flat aluminum frame gives the phone a secure grip. On the right side, REDMAGIC places the power button, volume controls, two capacitive shoulder triggers, and the cooling air inlet. The shoulder triggers can be customized inside Game Space and provide extra controls for supported games without occupying space on the display.

The left side houses REDMAGIC’s signature Magic Key, finished in red for quick identification. By default, it opens Game Space, but users can assign different shortcuts through the settings menu. During our testing, we configured it as a silent mode switch, and it worked even from the lock screen with different vibration feedback for each profile.

The top edge includes a secondary microphone, while the bottom houses the USB Type-C port, primary speaker, microphone, and dual Nano-SIM tray. The flat edges make the phone comfortable to hold in landscape mode, which is the preferred orientation for gaming.

The RGB lighting remains one of the defining features of the REDMAGIC series. The illuminated REDMAGIC logo and the RGB fan can both be customized for incoming calls, notifications, charging status, or gaming effects. Users can also disable the lighting completely if they prefer a simpler appearance.

The lighting system includes Static, Breathing, Flashing, and Flow modes. Up to three colours can be selected, and different lighting effects can be assigned to notifications, calls, or gaming sessions. Brightness and activation settings are also adjustable, giving users complete control over how the RGB lighting behaves.

Screen, Under-Display Camera & Fingerprint

The REDMAGIC 11 Air features a 6.85-inch OLED display with a resolution of 2688 × 1216 pixels and a 20:9 aspect ratio. The panel supports a 144Hz refresh rate, making animations, scrolling, and supported games look smooth. Touch response is equally fast, with an average 960Hz touch sampling rate that increases to 2500Hz instantaneous touch sampling when required by compatible games.

The OLED panel covers 100% of the DCI-P3 colour gamut and is factory calibrated with a claimed △E < 1, resulting in accurate colour reproduction. REDMAGIC rates the display at 1800 nits peak brightness, which helps improve visibility outdoors under bright sunlight. Black levels are excellent, as expected from an OLED panel, while colours remain natural across different content, including games, videos, and photos.

The display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass GG7i  and occupies 95.1% of the front surface, thanks to the company’s under-display camera technology. With no notch or punch-hole, games and videos use the entire screen without interruption. The symmetrical bezels also give the front of the phone a balanced appearance.

For eye comfort, REDMAGIC combines 2592Hz high-frequency PWM dimming with DC dimming. PWM dimming is active at lower brightness levels to reduce visible flicker, while DC-like dimming is used under brighter conditions. Users can also switch between Standard, Soft, and Vivid colour modes or manually adjust the colour temperature. Other display features include Dark Mode, Night Light, Reading Mode, and a customizable Always-On Display.

The under-display front camera is hidden beneath the OLED panel and remains difficult to notice during normal use. Since there is no camera cutout, the display remains fully visible while gaming, watching videos, or reading documents. The hidden camera contributes to a cleaner front design while still providing a front-facing camera for selfies and video calls.

Security is handled by an optical in-display fingerprint sensor together with Face Unlock. During our testing, the fingerprint reader unlocked the phone quickly and recognized registered fingerprints consistently. Face Unlock also worked well in normal lighting conditions and provides an alternative method for unlocking the device when needed.

The REDMAGIC 11 Air is equipped with dual stereo speakers, delivering clear vocals, balanced sound, and improved bass compared to previous REDMAGIC models. Speaker output remains loud enough for gaming, videos, and music without noticeable distortion at higher volume levels. The phone also includes an X-axis linear vibration motor that delivers precise haptic feedback during gaming, typing, and system navigation. The combination of the high-refresh-rate display, stereo speakers, and responsive haptics works well for both gaming and everyday multimedia use.

Performance & Benchmarks

The REDMAGIC 11 Air is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, built around the custom Oryon CPU running at frequencies of up to 4.32GHz. Graphics processing is handled by the Adreno 830 GPU, while REDMAGIC’s Red Core 4 gaming chip manages gaming-related features such as touch response, vibration, RGB lighting, and audio processing. The phone is available with 12GB or 16GB LPDDR5X Ultra RAM and 256GB or 512GB UFS 4.1 storage. Our review unit features 16GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage.

REDMAGIC pairs the flagship chipset with its latest ICE Cooling System. The cooling hardware includes an under-screen graphene copper foil, an extra-thick vapor chamber, graphene composite material, thermal conductive gel, an aerospace-grade aluminum air-cooling bracket, and a 24,000RPM turbo fan. During our testing, the cooling system kept performance stable throughout long benchmark runs and extended gaming sessions. The active cooling fan also helped reduce thermal throttling under continuous CPU and GPU workloads.

In AnTuTu Benchmark V11, the REDMAGIC 11 Air scored 3,214,126 points. The CPU recorded 934,491 points, while the Adreno 830 GPU achieved 1,134,818 points. Memory performance reached 458,481 points, and the UX score came in at 686,336 points. During the benchmark, device temperature increased by 8.9°C, while battery consumption dropped by only 6%, indicating good efficiency under a heavy synthetic workload.

The phone also performed well in the AITuTu Benchmark, where it recorded 1,939,249 points. Individual AI tests, including Super Resolution, Style Transfer, and Image Classification, completed quickly, showing that the Snapdragon 8 Elite has sufficient processing power for on-device AI workloads used in photography, image processing, and system-level features.

Moving to Geekbench 6, the REDMAGIC 11 Air achieved a single-core score of 2,964 and a multi-core score of 9,377. These results translated into quick application launches, responsive multitasking, and stable performance under demanding workloads. In the Geekbench GPU OpenCL test, the Adreno 830 returned a score of 19,340, confirming its capability in graphics-intensive games and GPU-accelerated applications.

Storage performance was equally fast. Using UFS 4.1 storage, the device achieved a storage benchmark score of 193,739. Sequential read speeds reached 4,357.5MB/s, while sequential write speeds measured 3,878.0MB/s. Random read and write performance also remained strong, helping reduce game loading times, speed up file transfers, and improve application installation.

Gaming continues to be one of the REDMAGIC 11 Air’s strongest areas. The phone includes 520Hz capacitive shoulder trigger buttons, which can be mapped to in-game controls through Game Space. During testing, the triggers responded consistently and worked well in FPS and racing games, allowing additional controls without covering the display.

We tested PUBG Mobile using both 90FPS and 120FPS modes. Gameplay remained smooth throughout extended matches, with stable frame rates and no noticeable performance drops. The cooling system maintained comfortable operating temperatures, allowing the Snapdragon 8 Elite to sustain its performance during longer gaming sessions.

We also tested several demanding games, including Genshin Impact, Delta Force, Destiny Rising, Diablo Immortal, Red Dead Redemption, and other popular Android titles. The REDMAGIC 11 Air handled these games at high graphics settings with stable performance and short loading times. Combined with the 144Hz OLED display, fast touch response, and active cooling system, the hardware is well-suited for both competitive and graphically demanding games.

REDMAGIC also provides 144Hz gaming support for selected titles. In addition to games that natively support higher refresh rates, the phone can use frame interpolation and resolution upscaling to reach 144Hz at 2K resolution in compatible games, including Genshin Impact, PUBG Mobile, Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile, Fortnite, Honkai: Star Rail, Wuthering Waves, League of Legends: Wild Rift, and GODDESS OF VICTORY: NIKKE.

During our testing, native high refresh rate modes provided the best overall gaming experience. Frame interpolation can increase perceived smoothness in supported games, but it also introduces additional input latency and visible artifacts during fast movement. For competitive games, native frame rates remain the better choice, while frame interpolation is more suitable for slower-paced titles where responsiveness is less critical.

REDMAGIC OS 11 (Android 16)

The REDMAGIC 11 Air runs REDMAGIC OS 11 based on Android 16. Users familiar with recent REDMAGIC devices will notice that the interface remains largely unchanged, keeping the same layout and navigation found on the REDMAGIC 11 Pro. The software focuses on gaming while maintaining a clean Android interface for everyday use. During our testing, app launches were quick, multitasking remained responsive, and system animations stayed smooth throughout daily use.

REDMAGIC has expanded its software support policy for some markets. Users in the European Union and the United Kingdom are expected to receive five years of software support, including security updates and Android version upgrades. Other regions are currently scheduled to receive three years of software support. At the time of writing, REDMAGIC has not confirmed how many major Android version updates will be included during that period.

Visually, REDMAGIC OS 11 remains familiar. The interface continues to use a clean layout without making major changes to the overall design. Google services remain fully available, including Google Gemini, while REDMAGIC’s virtual assistant Mora is also included for gaming-related functions and voice interactions.

The software provides several built-in customization options. Users can change themes, wallpapers, icons, fonts, accent colors, and Always-On Display styles directly from the settings menu. Colour temperature, Dark Mode, and display preferences can also be adjusted without installing third-party applications, allowing users to personalize the interface according to their preferences.

One area where REDMAGIC continues to perform well is software cleanliness. The phone ships with only a small number of pre-installed applications outside of Google’s standard services. Most built-in apps focus on gaming, device management, or system utilities, leaving more available storage for user applications and reducing unnecessary background activity after setup.’

Game Space

Gaming features are managed through Game Space, which opens by default using the dedicated Magic Key on the side of the phone.

Users can also assign the Magic Key to other shortcuts, including the flashlight, silent mode, camera, or other system functions. Within Game Space, each installed game can be configured separately with its own CPU and GPU performance mode, refresh rate, touch sensitivity, shoulder trigger settings, notification controls, and cooling options.

While gaming, the built-in Game Space overlay provides live hardware information without closing the game. Users can monitor frame rate, CPU and GPU frequencies, memory usage, battery level, fan speed, and device temperature in real time. Performance profiles and cooling settings can also be adjusted directly from the overlay while gameplay continues.

The Gravity-X feature allows the REDMAGIC 11 Air to connect with larger displays and external devices. Games can be streamed wirelessly to supported screens, while USB DisplayPort Alt Mode allows direct video output through compatible USB-C hubs using HDMI or DisplayPort. External controllers, keyboards, and mice are also supported and can be mapped inside the system for games that benefit from physical controls.

REDMAGIC OS 11 also includes several gaming utilities such as Crosshair Overlay, Auxiliary Line, and AI Trigger. These tools provide additional aiming assistance, screen overlays, or programmable actions in supported games. Each feature can be enabled or disabled individually through Game Space depending on the user’s preference.

For users who prefer gaming on a computer monitor, REDMAGIC Studio is available for Windows. The application supports screen casting over USB or Wi-Fi with refresh rates of up to 120Hz. Keyboard and mouse mapping can be configured for different games, and screen casting works across the entire operating system rather than being limited to games. During our testing, the connection remained stable, and the input response was consistent when using a USB connection.

REDMAGIC has also announced several AI-powered gaming features that will arrive through future software updates. These include an AI gaming coach capable of providing gameplay suggestions, voice command mapping for selected in-game actions, and win-rate prediction in supported games such as PUBG Mobile, Free Fire, and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. At the time of testing, these features were not yet available on our review device.

Camera Performance

The REDMAGIC 11 Air features a dual rear camera setup consisting of a 50MP OmniVision OV50E primary sensor and an 8MP OV08F ultra-wide camera. The main camera uses a 7P lens with an f/1.89 aperture, autofocus, Optical Image Stabilization (OIS), and 1.0μm pixels. The ultra-wide camera features a 5P lens, 112° field of view, f/2.2 aperture, fixed focus, and 1.12μm pixels. REDMAGIC also applies an APL anti-glare coating to reduce reflections when shooting in bright conditions.

The 50MP primary camera captures detailed images with good sharpness and balanced exposure during daylight. Colours are slightly more saturated than natural, while image processing applies visible sharpening in some scenes. Dynamic range is good, autofocus responds quickly, and OIS helps reduce blur during handheld photography. The camera produces consistent results for landscapes, portraits, and everyday photography.

Under indoor lighting and at night, the primary camera continues to deliver usable images. Optical image stabilization helps maintain image clarity at slower shutter speeds, while Night Mode improves shadow detail and overall brightness. Some smoothing becomes visible in darker areas, but image noise remains reasonably controlled under most lighting conditions.

The 8MP ultra-wide camera provides a 112-degree field of view for landscape and group photography. Compared to the primary camera, images contain less detail, colours appear slightly cooler, and noise becomes more noticeable in lower lighting. In daylight, image quality remains sufficient for casual photography and social media sharing.

Unlike many flagship smartphones, the REDMAGIC 11 Air does not include a dedicated telephoto camera. Zoom photography relies on digital cropping from the main sensor. Images remain usable at lower zoom levels, but fine details gradually decrease as magnification increases.

On the front, the REDMAGIC 11 Air uses a 16MP OmniVision OV16EQ sensor with an f/2.0 aperture and 1.12μm pixels. The selfie camera is positioned beneath the OLED display using Under-Display Camera (UDC) technology, allowing the phone to maintain a full-screen design without a punch-hole or notch.

In good lighting, the front camera captures acceptable selfies for social media and video calls. Facial details are softer than those produced by conventional front-facing cameras, and software processing applies visible skin smoothing. Image quality decreases more noticeably in low-light environments because of the under-display camera design.

The rear camera supports video recording at up to 8K (4320p) at 30fps, while 4K at 60fps offers smoother motion and is the better choice for everyday recording. Autofocus responds quickly during video capture, colours remain consistent, and optical image stabilization helps reduce camera shake while recording handheld footage.

The 16MP front camera supports video recording at 1080p up to 30fps. Video quality is sufficient for video calls, online meetings, and social media content, although the softer image produced by the under-display camera remains visible. While photography is not the primary focus of the REDMAGIC 11 Air, the main camera delivers good image quality for everyday use, with the ultra-wide and front cameras serving as useful secondary options.

The REDMAGIC 11 Air also includes a wide range of shooting modes grouped under the Camera Family section of the camera application. Alongside the standard Photo and Video modes, users have access to Star Trails, Moon, Light Painting, Slow Motion, Macro, Multi-Camera, Time-Lapse, and Pro Mode. These modes offer additional options for different photography scenarios, whether capturing long-exposure night shots, close-up subjects, or recording from multiple cameras simultaneously. The camera app keeps these features well organized, making them easy to access without adding unnecessary complexity to the interface.

Battery & Charging

The REDMAGIC 11 Air is equipped with a 7,000mAh battery, an increase of 1,000mAh over the previous generation. Despite the larger battery, the phone maintains a relatively slim 7.85mm profile, which is uncommon for a gaming smartphone in this category. The additional battery capacity provides longer usage without significantly affecting the overall size or handling of the device.

In daily use, battery life was consistently good throughout our testing. With a combination of web browsing, messaging, social media, video streaming, photography, and occasional gaming, the phone regularly lasted around two days on a single charge. Users with lighter workloads should be able to extend battery life further, with up to three days being achievable depending on screen-on time, brightness, and network usage.

Gaming naturally consumes more power than everyday tasks. During our one-hour Red Dead Redemption gaming session, the battery level dropped by approximately 15%. Based on these results, the REDMAGIC 11 Air is capable of delivering approximately 6 to 7 hours of continuous gaming, although actual battery life will vary depending on the game, graphics settings, refresh rate, display brightness, and cooling fan usage.

To measure battery endurance under a continuous workload, we also ran the PCMark Work 3.0 Battery Life benchmark. The REDMAGIC 11 Air completed the test in 8 hours and 36 minutes. While the REDMAGIC 11 Pro recorded a longer runtime, it also uses a larger 7,500mAh battery, making the result from the REDMAGIC 11 Air competitive considering its thinner design and smaller battery capacity.

Charging is handled by the included 80W wired fast charger, allowing users to access the phone’s maximum charging speed immediately after unboxing. During our charging test, the battery reached 35% in 15 minutes and 64% after 30 minutes. Charging from 0% to 100% required approximately 1 hour and 8 minutes. For a battery of this capacity, charging times remain practical for everyday use, especially when topping up the battery before leaving home or between gaming sessions.

Overall, the REDMAGIC 11 Air offers a good balance between battery capacity and charging speed. The 7,000mAh battery provides enough endurance for extended gaming sessions while also supporting multiple days of normal daily use. Combined with the included 80W fast charger, users can spend less time connected to the charger and more time using the phone.

Conclusion