What you need to know
- The RedMagic 11 Air aims to fix the classic gaming phone problem by combining a thinner body with flagship power.
- The RedCore R4 and CUBE engine push some games to 144fps, boost visuals, sharpen haptics, and sync RGB lighting with gameplay.
- A 24,000 RPM fan and upgraded vapor chamber help prevent throttling, even in long sessions with demanding titles.
- The 7,000mAh battery, 80W fast charging, and Charge Separation tech focus on both endurance and long-term battery health.
The gaming phone market has always struggled to balance top performance and battery life with a comfortable size. Most brands have had to compromise on cooling, battery, or thickness. RedMagic’s new 11 Air, which launched in China last week, aims to change that and is now launching worldwide.
RedMagic calls this the slimmest phone in its Air series and has made major internal upgrades to avoid past compromises. The phone features Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, with up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage.
With the new Snapdragon 8 Elite, the 11 Air offers faster load times, smoother frame rates, and better efficiency than the previous RedMagic 10 Air’s Gen 3 chip. RedMagic also uses its custom RedCore R4 gaming chip and CUBE scheduling engine for extra performance. This lets some games run at up to 144fps instead of 60fps, improves visuals, makes haptics more responsive, and syncs RGB lighting with game audio.
Thermal management is another area where the 11 Air tries to flex. Even though it’s slimmer, it has a 24,000 RPM active cooling fan, the first in the Air series, and a new 4D Ice-Steps vapor chamber that reportedly improves heat diffusion by 40%. The aim is to keep performance steady during long gaming sessions without the phone overheating.
Battery life is also improved. The 11 Air has a 7,000mAh battery, larger than the 10 Air’s, and supports 80W fast charging. More interesting is Charge Separation, which routes power directly to the motherboard during gaming, which helps protect the battery. Combined with PowerCube AI energy management, this is designed to keep the battery healthy and maintain steady frame rates.
On the front, you get a 6.8-inch display with a 2688×1216 resolution and a 144Hz refresh rate, edging out the older 120Hz panel. Audio comes from dual stereo speakers, haptics from an upgraded X-axis motor, and durability gets a small boost with IP54 protection. RedMagic’s signature 520Hz shoulder triggers return, along with vertical gaming support for portrait-mode titles.
This time, the software uses more AI features. Game Space now includes Tactical Coach for some shooters and MOBAs, voice commands, AI messaging help, and multi-screen collaboration. There is also better integration with Google Gemini for translation and productivity tools.
Camera hardware is respectable but clearly not the headline: a 50MP main shooter with OIS, an 8MP ultra-wide, and a 16MP selfie camera. For connectivity, you get 5G, Wi-Fi 6, NFC, and an IR blaster. The phone runs on RedMagic OS 11.0.
The pricing is competitive. The 12GB/256GB model starts at $529 in North America, and the 16GB/512GB version costs $629. Global sales start on February 11, with early-bird promotions available earlier in the month. The phone will be sold in major markets across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and more.
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Android Central’s Take
From my experience with gaming phones, active cooling is often removed to save space, so I have to give RedMagic credit for including a 24,000 RPM fan in such a slim design. For users, this means you can play demanding games like Genshin Impact or PUBG Mobile for over twenty minutes without the phone slowing down to prevent overheating.
Still, I’m a little unsure about the “Air” name. It’s thinner than the Pro, but with a 7,000mAh battery and a physical fan, it’s still a heavy device that you’ll notice in your pocket. For Nubia, RedMagic’s parent company, this seems like a bold attempt to take over the mid-tier gaming market before others can catch up with the Snapdragon 8 Elite’s thermal needs.
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