Verdict
With the 9S Pro , RedMagic takes the fastest play French telephone around and makes it even quicker . It ’s easily one of the good gaming handset around , but aside from a diminished speed boost , it ’s fundamentally the same as its herald .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
RedMagic is back with a refreshed version of its play fireball , theRedMagic 9 Pro . This new model has a very similar outward appearing , but it has a soup - up poker chip inside . It seems the steel is optical maser - focused on keep back its spot as the fastest Android gambling machine money can buy .
With prices jump from just £ 579 / $ 649 , it ’s a very low-priced elbow room to get your hands on such a powerful handset . Of of course , there are tradeoffs compared to a typical flagship ; there ’s no wireless charging , and the tv camera wo n’t compare to some of the competition , for exercise .
That tell , the gaming experience is guaranteed to be top - snick , is that enough to make it a compelling day-to-day driver ? After slipping it into my pocket for the week , here ’s what I found out .
Design
The RedMagic 9S Pro has identical dimensions to the 9 professional , and at a glance , you might have trouble telling them aside . The giveaways are the illuminated ennead logo on the backside , as well as the introduction of two new finishes .
I have the “ Sleet ” interlingual rendition in for testing , and that means black in RedMagic ’s creation . It has been get laid up a bit liken to the black version of the 9 professional , and now has etch diagonal lines tend across the rear panel .
It create a futurist - front jumble pattern , and it reminds me of the groove in a vinyl record . It actually sound a little like one when you chafe your fingers across it , too . The other new finish is Frost , which has a more subtle lustrelessness white finale .
The semi - transparent Cyclone and Snowfall options are uncommitted this time around too , but only if you opt for 16 GB of RAM . They look almost superposable to the previous model , just with a “ 9S ” logo added , but they ’re still my favourite - looking options .
After experimenting with eternal different shapes for its devices , RedMagic seems to have settled on this boxy sharp - cornered design , and it has n’t alter much since theRedMagic 8 Pro . Personally , I love the way it looks , and the fact that it works seamlessly with clinch controllers like the GameSir X2 Pro is an added welfare .
Just as we saw with the last exemplar , there ’s no camera hump whatsoever , and the lens are all neatly nestled under the rearward meth control board . It ’s a very rare plenty in 2024 , and it ’s sure to please those who ca n’t stand their phone shake about when placed on a desk .
Elsewhere , the layout is unchanged . You still get the same illuminated capacitive - touch trigger , knurled ruby gaming mode slider , active cool vents and a 3.5 mm headphone socket .
The same transparent acrylic protective eccentric is include in the box , too , and that ’s something I ’d love to see improved . This case scuffs incredibly easy , it palpate as if just breathe near it could get another Deutsche Mark . On the plus side , it ’s good than nothing , and RedMagic has plenty of nice case options usable .
There ’s no IP evaluation for this speech sound , but that ’s not surprising , given that it has vents for the lover to pull air through . You ’ll need to be very measured if you pull out this phone during a rain tempest .
Screen
The RedMagic nine Pro feature an continuous display with an under - presentation selfie tv camera for a true full - sieve gaming experience . The specs are identical to the last generation , so there are n’t too many surprises here , but it impress me last time , and it ’s just as telling today .
It ’s a BOE Q9 + OLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate and it looks excellent in use . Having just tested theGalaxy Z Fold 6 , I was ball over by how well the under - video display tv camera is hidden . It ’s almost inconceivable to spot while the display is active , and Samsung ’s effort looks awful by comparing .
The screen has a resolution of 1116×2480 pel , which is n’t the highest around , but it ’s nifty for gaming . A more small resolution mean that the GPU does n’t have to lick quite as voiceless and frame rates can rest at their highest . It ’s still sharp enough that diminished text is easily legible , too .
The panel peaks at 1600 nit of luminosity output , which is n’t the most impressive number by innovative standard . That said , I find oneself it very comfortable to see alfresco and was rarely lead want for any additional luminance .
HDR musical accompaniment could be improved ; there ’s no HDR10 + certification or Dolby Vision , so a slew of apps wo n’t give you proper HDR playback . It works well with YouTube , though .
Where this board really shines is its reactivity . It has a maximal touch sampling charge per unit of 2000Hz , which is the high I ’ve ever come across . Meanwhile , contender like theROG Phone 8 Pro Editionmax out at just 720Hz . How much difference you ’ll find in pattern is debatable , but subjectively , it feels extremely responsive .
Cameras
The camera arrangement is unchanged from the last fashion model , so do n’t gestate anything too telling . However , the 50MP ultrawide is a luck safe than the 8MP unit feel on old RedMagic devices ( 8 Pro and earlier ) and the principal camera still does a decent job .
It ’s never going to be the gadget of option for acute photographers , but it performs well enough to take some becoming Instagram snaps . It ’s good in the daylight , but I was pleasantly surprise by the gloomy - light performance , too .
The chief camera takes the good photos and captures the most detail in all lighting circumstance , but the ultrawide is a decent display , too . The 2MP macro television camera is present , as common , but it ’s pretty useless and it ’s hidden deeply in the camera options , so you might not ever notice it .
The under - display selfie television camera is as woebegone as ever . The hot preview search as if there ’s Vaseline smeared all over the lens , and the resulting pictures have to be sharpened so much that you almost look like a cartoon . It ’s very uncomplimentary .
On the positive side , as I mentioned earlier , this electron lens is almost invisible when the silver screen is in habit , so if you do n’t take many selfies , it could be a desirable tradeoff . It ’s good enough for video calls , but at the same time , it ’s not going to affect anyone on the other remnant of the line .
The RedMagic 9S Pro can shoot video recording at up to 8K@30fps on the master camera , but the stabilisation is very poor at this solving . switch down to 4 honey oil or 1080p yields much better results . The selfie photographic camera maxes out at 1080p@30fps , and it does n’t come along to have any stabilisation , it ’s well avoided for videos .
Performance
This earphone is design from the ground up to be the libertine on the market , and unsurprisingly , it shoots right to the top of our benchmark charts .
In practice , you ’re improbable to notice the difference between the standardSnapdragon 8 Gen 3and the Leading Version . Yeah , it ’s quicker , but we ’re only speak a few frames per second . You ’d really have to be bear on the limits of this chipset to see a benefit .
What you are more likely to note , though , is the sustained performance . There are plenty of flagship phones with the 8 Gen 3 onboard , but they ’re very limited by their thermal . The RedMagic 9S Pro , on the other hand , can perform at the top layer for as long as you like , while the fighting cooling fan works to keep temperatures in balk .
That said , you should still bear this phone to get pretty toasty when you ’re playing a ask title , specially if you enable one of the high - public presentation modes . Using a compositor’s case or controller assuage the issue , otherwise , you ’ll find that the aluminium frame gets uncomfortably warm during long sitting .
outdoors of play , the sound feels just as speedy . UI animations are rapid and snappy and apps open in a flash . I scramble to detect anything that would make this phone skip a beat .
RedMagic ’s extended play features are another high spot . For the most part , they ’re the same that we ’ve control on previous devices , but the trade name observe summate new characteristic with every release . I consider it ’s good to say it ’s the most comprehensive cortege of gaming creature on any mobile .
You ’ll find features that can wait on with almost any writing style of biz , there ’s even a Modern feature article that helps with deck of cards - building card games . To be honest , that one was a niggling over my head , but the AI - powered auto - shooting mathematical function for FPS game was easier to understand – and candidly , it find like wander .
Another recent addition allows you to force games to change face ratio , and it comes in very ready to hand . you’re able to play secret plan designed for landscape preference in portrait , and vice versa . Some games oppose well than others , but when it works , it ’s awesome .
The speakers appear to be the same as the 9 Pro , too , but that ’s not a spoiled thing , they ’re some of the most powerful that you ’ll find on any phone . Stereo separation is splendid , there ’s a enough amount of bass reply and they can get exceedingly loud .
My only complaint is that I sometimes accidentally muffle the left speaker when holding the phone in landscape painting orientation – but that ’s because there needs to be elbow room for the 3.5 millimetre headphone socket . It ’s a fair craft in my book .
Software
RedMagic has n’t always had the best repute for its software program , the first few devices that I adjudicate were sate with annoying germ , but things have dramatically improved over the last couple of years . They ’re now at the stop where I can merrily use one as my main machine without fear of running into any glitch .
It ’s a refreshingly white install , too , with very little bloatware . It ’s nifty to see at this price point , where many competing brands clog phones up with useless apps in an attempt to claw back some profit .
For the most part , RedMagic OS 9.5 behaves like stock Android . Everything is where you ’d expect it to be , and away from some sci - fi wallpaper and a customs face on the clock widget , everything sticks to the familiar Android look , too .
It ’s only when you arouse up a game , or use the slider to infix the consecrate plot quad , that the RedMagic 9S Pro uncover its dependable package capabilities . I ’ve already touched on the endless plot sweetening feature , but the rank breadth of options ca n’t be overstated . From connection direction to control schemes , overclocking and overlay , it ’s all included .
you’re able to even utilise this phone as a games console if you thieve it up to a TV with a USB - C to HDMI adapter . It has its own disjoined operating system for this functionality , a act like Samsung DEX , but it ’s all focus on gaming .
Another feature article I love is the ability to curb your speech sound from a Windows PC . you’re able to connect either wirelessly or over USB and habituate your keyboard and sneak to control everything on your phone . It ’s clearly gear towards gaming , but I found it just as ready to hand for productivity .
Battery Life
The RedMagic niner Pro has one of the largest bombardment gang of any modern phone , with a mammoth 6500mAh mental ability . I was amazed by how long the 9 Pro could last on a charge , and the 9S Pro is just as impressive .
As always , the factual battery life-time will vary depending on what you ’re doing , but I was able to manage two days on a cathexis without even try . Of course , if you ’re hammering by at Genshin Impact on max context for hour at a metre , you may expect it to drain quicker . It ’ll still outlast the vast legal age of phones , though .
Charging is very quick , too . There ’s an 80W wall adaptor include in the box and it can take you from to the full eject to 100 % in under 45 minutes . Meanwhile , a 50 % heraldic bearing will only take about 15 minutes .
There ’s no wireless charging , but that ’s nothing strange in this price wall bracket . As much as I ’d love to see it , it ’s an understandable omission .
Latest deals
Should you buy it?
just put , if you ’re looking for the fastest gambling earphone , this is it . The fact that it ’s capital value only sweetens the deal .
As telling as the under - display camera technical school is , the result exposure still expect pretty awful . If you ’re an avid selfie snapper , this one ’s not for you .
Final Thoughts
The RedMagic 9S Pro is the fastest gaming telephone money can corrupt . Active temperature reduction ensures that its sustained performance is unmatched , while a cortege of useful gaming features , a mammoth battery and tactile initiation serve to make the play experience even well .
by from a soup - up chipset , this phone is fundamentally the same as its predecessor . There ’s not really any reason for subsist RedMagic 9 Pro user to upgrade . However , if you were thinking of picking up the last model , opting for this one basically get you a free mid - generation speed boost .
It ’s not perfect ; the tv camera are n’t go to shanghai much , and that ’s especially true for the selfie camera . But , if you ’re not too bothered about cameras or AI party tricks , this is a nifty bargain . With a reasonable cost tag of just £ 579 / $ 649 , nothing comes close to matching the price - execution ratio .
Trusted Score
How we test
We test every nomadic phone we look back thoroughly . We employ industry - standard tests to compare features decent and we use the headphone as our main gadget over the reappraisal full point . We ’ll always distinguish you what we discover and we never , ever , take money to look back a ware .
find oneself out more about how we test in ourethics policy .
FAQs
No , the RedMagic niner Pro needs airing for its cooling fan , so there ’s no IP Rating . You ’ll need to be careful when it ’s wet out .
Yes , there ’s still a earpiece socket , so it ’s easy to apply your favourite hardening of IEMs or a gambling headset .