No one can accuse REDMAGIC of laziness. Barely a month goes by with out one other new product announcement or launch from the prolific Chinese language gaming-focused handset producer, and the newest product to land on our desks is the REDMAGIC 11 Air.
Why “Air”? Effectively, as a result of the particular talent this mannequin brings to the get together is lightness. Whereas earlier REDMAGIC handsets that we’ve reviewed have been pointedly boxy and substantial, as befits machines of unrivalled gaming grunt, the REDMAGIC 11 Air is a extra delicate specimen.
If the REDMAGIC 11 Professional is a greatsword, designed for cleaving and bludgeoning, then the REDMAGIC 11 Air is a rapier. It’s lighter within the hand, simpler to hide, and altogether much less menacing at a look. Fortuitously, it’s simply as efficient in attaining its function.
Which, to be clear, is working video games.
And it’s arguably much more efficient at attaining its secondary function, which is being a common all-purpose smartphone with first rate battery life, media functionality, sound high quality, and all spherical useability.
Appears
Although considerably slimmer and lighter than its predecessors, the REDMAGIC 11 Air has the identical angular kind issue and huge, 6.85-inch OLED display. It additionally has the identical clear again, revealing the workings beneath – however on this case the workings are extra elegant and aesthetically pleasing.
Instead of the big vents on both facet of the handset is a single vent, for drawing away the warmth generated by the handset’s formidable gaming equipment. Instead of the 2 pretty apparent touch-sensitive shoulder buttons are two touch-sensitive shoulder buttons which can be barely noticeable.
And instead of the massive orange slider for booting up the proprietary Recreation House software program and activating gaming mode there’s a smaller, extra discreet orange button.
There’s a small pink emblem that lights up on the again of the system when Recreation House is working, however not the varied different rainbow LEDs that scream for consideration on the REDMAGIC 11 Professional and former fashions.
In brief, the REDMAGIC 11 Air is a toned-down model of its extra muscular stablemates, whereas nonetheless being very clearly a handset preserved for followers of gaming, leading edge expertise, and flashy glowing logos.
If you would like a telephone that may run video games with out essentially rubbing everyone’s face within the reality, the REDMAGIC 11 Air could possibly be for you.
Specs
If you’re available in the market for a gaming handset, efficiency is what actually issues, and the REDMAGIC 11 Air confidently delivers.
Below the hood it’s packing a Snapdragon 8 Elite CPU, RedCore R4 Gaming Chip, and 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM, together with as much as 512GB of UFS 4.1 storage. That’s greater than sufficient to maintain up with the present crop of cellular video games, even on the larger finish of technical necessities.
The show, in the meantime, is wealthy, colourful, and silky easy because of a 144 Hz refresh charge and OLED expertise. This makes it supreme for gaming and media, supported by wonderful haptics and strong, punchy sound from the stereo audio system.
It’s price mentioning right here that the REDMAGIC 11 Air lacks the three.5mm headphone jack of its predecessors. It is a function that’s more and more absent from handsets however one which some customers miss. If assist for wired headphones was one of many belongings you preferred about your final REDMAGIC telephone, you might be dissatisfied by the shortage of it right here.
The REDMAGIC Air 11 boasts a formidable 7000 mAH battery cell and 120W quick charging, that means it’s amazingly fast to cost and lasts effectively over a day (relying on what you’re utilizing your telephone for, in fact). Battery-wise, you’ll don’t have any complaints.
Alas, the identical can’t be stated for the digital camera. In widespread with all REDMAGIC handsets, the digital camera efficiency is strong however unremarkable. Together with a 50MP principal digital camera there’s an 8MP ultrawide digital camera on the again and a 16MP under-display selfie digital camera.
Life is stuffed with compromises, and it’s affordable to think about the REDMAGIC 11 Air’s underwhelming photographic efficiency as the value paid for its excellent gaming grunt and general energy.
In any case, if smartphone pictures issues to you, look elsewhere.
Software program
The REDMAGIC 11 Air runs Android 16 beneath REDMAGIC’s customized pores and skin. Apart from the big recreation fan widget that comes with the OS out of the field (and which you’ll take away from the house display at any time) the pores and skin is extraordinarily minimal and unobtrusive.
Whereas it’s unlikely that gaming is completely absent from the ideas of anyone shopping for the REDMAGIC 11 Air, it’s additionally true that you could possibly fortunately use one with out ever booting up a recreation.
Being a leading edge smartphone, the REDMAGIC 11 Air comes with the newest model of Android and promised assist for an additional two main Android updates. When it comes to software program longevity, that places it behind gadgets like Google’s personal Pixel sequence and others. REDMAGIC mitigates this with 5 years of safety updates, that means that your system will no less than stay safe into the 2030s.
There’s additionally a beneficiant serving to of AI, with REDMAGIC’s proprietary Recreation House platform boasting quite a lot of AI-driven options, akin to behavioural studying and real-time tactical steerage in a collection of video games together with PUBG Cellular.
In-game chat and voice instructions are second-to-none, permitting you to play hands-free, and you need to use your REDMAGIC 11 Air as a second display for PC and pill gaming. Recreation House means that you can customise your controls, observe achievements, join peripherals, obtain a ton of helpful plugins, and just about do the whole lot you’d anticipate from a chunk of gaming software program.
In all different respects, the REDMAGIC 11 Air is just a really strong Android telephone.
Conclusion
If the title REDMAGIC isn’t as acquainted to you as Samsung, Motorola, and Google with regards to cellphones, that’s partly as a result of it occupies a distinct segment. Not everyone wants their smartphone to be a video games console, however for many who do, the Redmagic vary stands able to serve.
With the REDMAGIC 11 Air, as with earlier Air fashions, REDMAGIC is aiming for the midcore somewhat than the hardcore. Because of this, it’s simpler to place the gaming stuff to at least one facet and see it for what it’s: a lightweight, elegant, and sensible smartphone with a superb display, ample battery life, quick charging, and a chic sufficiency of sheer energy.
In the event you occur to love enjoying video games in your telephone, a lot the higher.
There are superior choices on the market if digital camera high quality and longevity of software program assist are essential to you, however in any other case the REDMAGIC 11 Air is an efficient all-rounder.
The nice
LightPowerfulExcellent battery lifeFast-charging
The dangerous
Middling digital camera qualityLimited software program assist
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