RedMagic 9S Pro review: Another gaming phone home run
RedMagic loves cramming its gaming telephones with insane options, and we noticed that with the RedMagic 9 Professional earlier this yr. The RedMagic 9S Professional is not any exception—it’s a powerhouse full of all of the muscle you want for a critically epic gaming expertise.
The 9S Professional landed only some months after its predecessor. It’d simply be a reputation change with an “S,” but it surely packs an overclocked chipset, a brand new look, and improved cooling. It’s not a large improve, however that’s anticipated because it’s extra of a mid-year refresh than a full-on new cellphone.
In the event you’re new to the RedMagic model, the 9S Professional gained’t allow you to down for those who’re after a top-tier gaming cellphone. Simply be ready for some ongoing software program points that may nonetheless be a bit annoying.
RedMagic 9S Professional: Worth and availability
The RedMagic 9S Professional is available in 4 variations. The bottom Sleet mannequin, with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, is priced at $649. The Cyclone and Snowfall fashions, each packing 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, go for $799. After which there’s the Frost mannequin, which has 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, additionally priced at $649.
The RedMagic 9S Professional retains the identical pricing because the 9 Professional, with one key change: the addition of the entry-level Frost mannequin.
| Class | RedMagic 9 Professional |
|---|---|
| Working System | Redmagic OS 9.5 (Android 14) |
| Show | 6.8-inch BOE Q9+ FHD+ OLED (2480×1116), 120Hz refresh, 1600 nits max brightness |
| Chipset | Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Main Model, Crimson Core 2 Professional |
| RAM | 12GB/16GB LPDDR5 |
| Storage | 256GB/512GB UFS 4.0 |
| Rear digicam 1 | 50 MP (large), PDAF, OIS |
| Rear digicam 2 | 50 MP (ultrawide), f/2.2 |
| Rear digicam 3 | 2 MP (depth), f/2.4 |
| Entrance digicam | 16 MP (large), f/2.0, underneath show |
| Cooling system | ICE 13 10-layered system, 22,000 RPM high-speed Turbofan with RGB |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, 5G, GPS |
| Safety | In-screen optical fingerprint sensor, face unlock |
| Audio | 3.5mm headphone jack, twin three-dimensional 1115K audio system, DTS:X Extremely, Snapdragon Sound |
| Battery | 6500mAh, 80W wired |
| Dimensions | 164 x 76.4 x 8.9mm |
RedMagic 9S Professional: What I like
I’m an enormous fan of the RedMagic 9S Professional’s boxy design that’s each eye-catching and sensible, and RedMagic totally owns it with these flush rear cameras. Proper out of the field, you’ll discover its hefty, stable construct—this factor feels substantial. It’s visually hanging, one thing you don’t see a lot in telephones lately. Better of all, it avoids the over-the-top, flashy look that plagues so many gaming telephones. It’s daring, certain, however there’s a clear, industrial vibe that’s exhausting to not love.
I’ve no gripes with this design method. In the event you’ve used the RedMagic 9 Professional, the 9S Professional will really feel proper at dwelling. It’s nonetheless a chunky, heavy cellphone, however that’s the value you pay for a large 6.8-inch show and all the center of the ICE 13.5 cooling system.
Positive, the burden may bug some folks, and people sharp edges aren’t precisely hand-friendly, but it surely’s a critically handsome cellphone that feels rock-solid prefer it might survive a drop off a cliff.
The cooling fan lights up when it’s spinning however in any other case blends proper in with the vertical digicam stack. As for the shoulder buttons, they’ve received their very own lighting, too, doubling as standing or notification indicators. You’ll be able to choose from seven colours and results like flashing, respiration, or a gentle glow.
One of many coolest issues right here is the edge-to-edge show—no digicam notch, no gap, simply pure display screen. The entrance digicam is tucked underneath the show like RedMagic’s performed earlier than, and I find it irresistible as a result of it lets your video games take middle stage. There’s a tiny bezel across the edges, with the underside a bit thicker, but it surely’s so near even you gained’t actually care.
The display screen is available in at 1116×2480 pixels, which isn’t the very best decision on the market, but it surely’s spot-on for gaming. A decrease decision helps the GPU preserve issues operating easily, so body charges keep excessive. Plus, it’s sharp sufficient that even small textual content is straightforward to learn.
The panel’s peak brightness of 1600 nits additionally isn’t the brightest on the market, but it surely’s greater than sufficient for snug outside use. In on a regular basis conditions, the show’s brightness held up simply superb, hardly ever needing an additional enhance.
The show has subtly rounded corners, and the perimeters are gently curved, making it extra snug to carry. Plus, the pre-applied display screen protector blends proper in, so that you don’t have to fret about placing one on your self.
The seamless show is ideal for watching motion pictures or TV reveals and gaming.
RedMagic has fine-tuned the 9S Professional with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Main Model. This overclocked model of the already highly effective Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 boosts efficiency whereas maintaining energy utilization in test. Plus, AI optimizations make the gaming expertise even smoother and extra responsive.
Whereas the advertising hype across the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Main Model sounds spectacular, the real-world efficiency distinction in comparison with the usual model is probably going minimal. The overclocked chip does supply a slight enhance, however in on a regular basis use, you most likely gained’t discover a lot of a distinction, particularly with much less demanding duties. To actually see what the chip can do, you’d have to put it by means of its paces with some heavy-duty Android video games.
Whenever you dive into video games like Genshin Impression or different graphically demanding titles, the 9S Professional simply powers by means of, due to the 1GHz Crimson Core 2 Professional gaming chip. In its highest efficiency mode, the 9S Professional constantly hit 60fps with zero crashes, stuttering, or loading hiccups. Animations had been easy, and each motion felt instantaneous. Even in intense gaming moments, there’s no slowdown, and the massive show makes it straightforward to see and management all the pieces.
The RedMagic 9S Professional shines in gaming efficiency, however heavy periods, particularly with high-performance modes on, could make it warmth up quick. To keep away from discomfort, it’s a good suggestion to make use of a case or controller. With out them, the aluminum body can get fairly heat after some time.
Many flagship telephones with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 can wrestle with warmth and efficiency dips. Nonetheless, the RedMagic 9S Professional’s superior cooling system, together with the energetic fan, permits it to keep up peak efficiency for longer. This implies you get a easy, responsive gaming expertise, even throughout essentially the most demanding periods.
The RedMagic 9S Professional’s efficiency isn’t nearly gaming—it shines in on a regular basis use, too. Whether or not you’re scrolling by means of apps, switching between duties, or dealing with extra demanding apps, it does all the pieces easily and effortlessly, displaying off simply how succesful this gadget actually is.
The RedMagic 9S Professional’s inner fan runs surprisingly quietly, which is an enormous win for a high-performance gaming gadget. Contemplating how necessary it’s for maintaining temperatures in test, it’s spectacular. The quiet fan makes the entire gaming expertise higher by slicing down on distractions and making a extra immersive setting.
The gadget comes loaded with a stable set of gaming options, constructing on what earlier fashions already nailed. Whereas a whole lot of these options will really feel acquainted to RedMagic followers, the model retains including cool new stuff with every launch. It’s positively some of the packed gaming toolkits on any cellphone.
One characteristic I actually dig is the touch-sensitive triggers with built-in LEDs. They mild up, making it approach simpler to seek out them throughout gameplay. And it’s not only for present—the LEDs additionally double as notification lights, which is a pleasant contact.
RedMagic 9S Professional: What I do not like
The rear cameras on the RedMagic 9S Professional aren’t on par with different Android digicam telephones, however they do a stable job in good lighting. They’re greater than sufficient for snapping on a regular basis moments and social media content material, overlaying the essential images wants of a gaming cellphone.
The RedMagic 9S Professional sticks with the identical digicam setup as its predecessor, focusing extra on gaming efficiency than images. Whereas the digicam has improved over time, it nonetheless lags behind devoted digicam telephones, particularly in picture high quality and flexibility. That mentioned, given the value, the digicam does an honest job for many customers.
You’re getting the identical 50MP Samsung GN5 sensor that’s been in the previous couple of fashions. It’s a stable digicam, but it surely’s not precisely groundbreaking or new.
The first digicam takes pictures with barely muted colours, and whereas it handles element nicely in good lighting, shadows, and darker areas can look a bit blurry. The ultrawide digicam struggles in low mild, with much less element within the photos. RedMagic applies distortion correction, however the outcomes can nonetheless present some unnatural artifacts.
If there’s one main draw back to Nubia’s all-screen design, it’s the 9S Professional’s 16MP under-display selfie digicam. The selfies are fairly terrible—element, publicity, and dynamic vary are all missing, making it worse than even some funds telephones with an everyday front-facing digicam.
RedMagic 9S Professional digicam samples
Picture 1 of 11
One other factor that’s a bit annoying is how the entrance digicam offers hazy pictures due to the display screen above it. It’s respectable for fast calls or streaming with associates whereas gaming, however for those who’re into taking selfies for Instagram or need one thing extra polished, you’ll be let down.
On the software program entrance, RedMagic’s software program was a little bit of a large number, however the firm has come a good distance previously couple of years. Lately, utilizing a RedMagic gadget day-to-day is glitch-free and fairly pleasurable.
The RedMagic 9S Professional runs on Android 14 with RedMagic OS 9.5 on high. Whereas the interface generally is a bit quirky at instances, it offers you loads of customization choices to tweak issues like themes, wallpapers, and menu colours to match your type.
Nubia claims that each one fashions get “greater than two years of software program help” and guarantees no less than one main Android replace per yr. Nonetheless, it is unclear how lengthy this can truly final. In comparison with corporations like Google and Samsung, which supply as much as seven years of help, this feels a bit missing.
On the finish of the day, you’ve received to make some trade-offs to maintain a $649 price ticket on a cellphone with the most recent Snapdragon. However in relation to gaming, the RedMagic 9S Professional completely delivers, and that’s what actually issues.
RedMagic 9S Professional: Competitors
Nubia and ASUS are normally on the high of our gaming cellphone rankings, so the brand new ROG Cellphone 9 collection may catch your eye. However for those who’re not trying to break the financial institution, the ROG Cellphone 8 from final yr continues to be a beast and a approach higher deal.
The ASUS ROG Cellphone 8 may not be the most recent mannequin, but it surely’s nonetheless a stable choose. Whereas it may not have the identical bang-for-your-buck attraction because the RedMagic 9S Professional, its higher software program help, improved digicam, and extra snug design make it a fantastic all-around gaming cellphone. It’s also possible to go for the beefier ROG Cellphone 8 Professional if you’d like slightly extra energy.
Moreover, the iQOO 12 is a stable competitor within the funds gaming cellphone class, providing spectacular worth for its worth. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset delivers efficiency on par with the RedMagic 9S Professional and even beats it with 120W quick charging. Nonetheless, it falls brief within the gaming division with out options like devoted cooling and shoulder triggers, that are a should for hardcore cell players.
RedMagic 9S Professional: Do you have to purchase it?
You should purchase it if…
- You are after a stable worth cellphone with nice efficiency and an unlimited battery.
- You like a cellphone that stays cool even throughout these marathon gaming periods.
- You desire a cellphone that lasts all day and expenses up very quickly.
You shouldn’t purchase it if…
- You are after top-notch digicam efficiency, for the reason that RedMagic 9S Professional may not be your finest guess.
- You are not a fan of generic-looking interfaces.
- Restricted software program help is a dealbreaker for you.
The RedMagic 9S Professional is a powerhouse in relation to gaming, with {hardware} that may deal with even essentially the most demanding duties with out breaking a sweat. Its superior cooling system retains issues cool, whereas the overclocked chipset ensures easy, lag-free efficiency in even essentially the most intense gaming periods. It is simply some of the highly effective smartphones on the market proper now. Nevertheless it’s not nearly gaming. The 9S Professional additionally delivers a stable all-around package deal, that includes a basic headphone jack, a shocking OLED show, and an enormous battery with quick charging to maintain you within the recreation longer.
Whereas the RedMagic 9S Professional is a beast in relation to gaming, it doesn’t fairly shine as an all-around smartphone. The shortage of an IP score and its underwhelming digicam efficiency is perhaps dealbreakers for these in search of a cellphone that excels in each gaming and on a regular basis duties. Positive, it presents stable worth in comparison with premium flagships and gaming telephones just like the ROG Cellphone 9, however its sturdiness and images shortcomings may maintain it again from claiming a high spot within the broader smartphone market.
In the event you’re not too fussed concerning the digicam or software program quirks, and also you’re simply after a beastly gaming cellphone with cool stuff like built-in cooling and air triggers, the RedMagic 9S Professional is a stable choose. It is a bit of overkill, but it surely’s lots cheaper than the newer ROG telephones and nonetheless delivers critical efficiency. If gaming is your high precedence, you’ll be able to’t go incorrect right here.
Nonetheless reigning supreme
The RedMagic 9S Professional is unquestionably one of many high gaming smartphones of 2024. With its spectacular show, highly effective internals, and funky additional options, it’s a dream for players. That mentioned, it does carry over a few of the flaws from the earlier mannequin, so it is not excellent.
