RedMagic 10 Pro: The RedMagic 10 Pro is a powerful gaming phone that packs a lot of high-end features for its $649 (55,330.44) price tag. It includes a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Elite chipset, a large 6.85-inch screen with a 144Hz refresh rate, a 7,050mAh battery, and 100W fast charging. While playing games like Dead Cells, it delivered smooth performance at 90fps, while Mortal Kombat Mobile achieved a full frame rate of up to 144fps. The screen’s 960Hz touch sampling rate adds speed and accuracy to gaming, improving game control. Even older games like GTA San Andreas run smoothly, but a controller is needed for a better experience.
Excellent battery and charging technology
The RedMagic 10 Pro has a large 7,050mAh battery, which gives enough power for a long gaming session. It also comes with 100W fast charging, which proves to be very helpful considering the large battery size. Phones with such features are rarely seen in the US market, which makes this device special in itself. To keep the phone from heating up during long gaming sessions, it also has a liquid metal cooling system and internal cooling fan, which gives cooling like a gaming laptop.
Excellent setup for gaming in design and display
The design of the phone is similar to the RedMagic 8 series, but it has an in-display selfie camera, which keeps the screen completely open for games and videos. Its 2,688×1,216 pixel resolution display comes with a 144Hz refresh rate and 2,000 nits brightness, which makes the screen look clear and bright even outdoors. Gaming animations and scrolling look very smooth. Its software also makes it easy to adjust settings during gaming through Game Space, such as increasing the refresh rate or choosing a performance mode.
Top level in performance, but poor experience as a phone
In benchmark tests like 3DMark and Geekbench, the RedMagic 10 Pro scored equal to or better than the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro, while the Asus costs $1,000. In Geekbench 6.0, it scored 3,123 in single core and 9,756 in multi core, which proves it to be a top class gaming phone. But on the other hand, its software experience as a phone is disappointing. Many unwanted settings are already on, which are difficult to turn off.
Software flaws and problems
The first problem is the camera software, which automatically adds a watermark to every photo. The option to remove it is hidden deep inside – first open the camera, then tap on the up arrow icon, then go to “More Settings” and turn off the watermark option. Apart from this, you also have to turn off the RedMagic watermark separately by going to Game Space, which is a very complicated process. The grammar and wording in these menus also feel inconsistent and unpolished.
Unwanted changes to the Android experience
RedMagic makes several changes to Android’s core structure that detract from the user experience. For example, instead of Google News Feed, a service called “Z-Board” remains the default, which feels like an advertisement. Also, the phone’s default browser is RedMagic’s own, which is easy to change but why there are no reliable options like Chrome or Firefox from the start – is incomprehensible.
Camera quality disappoints
The phone’s 16MP under-display front camera is of very poor quality. Photos come out blurry and devoid of details, no matter how clean the screen is. There are three cameras on the back – 50MP main, 50MP ultrawide and 2MP macro – but the image quality is average. The front camera in particular proves to be the weak link for such a high-end gaming device.
Weak approach to security and updates
RedMagic has had a poor software update record in the past and the same trend continues with the 10 Pro. This phone will get only one major Android update, three years of security updates and two generations of RedMagic UI upgrades. This is considered very low in 2024. Asus offers two years of Android updates and five years of security updates, while Google and Samsung are offering up to seven years of support.
Who is the RedMagic 10 Pro for?
The RedMagic 10 Pro is for users who want a pocket-friendly, high-power gaming device, but do not have high expectations in terms of a phone. The Snapdragon 8 Elite processor and excellent gaming performance at its price make it attractive for gaming lovers. The all-display look of the screen and the large battery backup make it a good option for media consumption as well. For those who know how to install a custom ROM, this device can become even more powerful.
Why you should think before buying this phone
If you want to buy a phone just for gaming, then this can be a good option, but if you want a balanced smartphone experience in which camera, software and user interface also matter, then RedMagic 10 Pro will disappoint you. Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro is a better option, although it is more expensive. At the same time, gaming devices like Steam Deck, even though not phones, offer better value for gaming.
RedMagic 10 Pro will be available in early bird sale from December 12 and in general sale from December 18. This will be the first phone to come to North America with Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, which can attract gamers. But for general users, this phone is not recommended due to the lack of that maturity and balance.
