REDMAGIC 10 Pro: Design and workmanship
Gaming first is the motto of the REDMAGIC 10 Pro, without falling into typical gamer clichés in terms of design. At 163,4 x 76,1 x 8,9 millimeters and 229 grams, it feels bulky in the hand, but that is exactly what gives it the stability it needs when gaming. If you are looking for an ultra-light smartphone, this is not the right choice. But if you value a robust construction that feels high-quality, this is exactly your thing.
The front is almost entirely dedicated to the display, framed by a bezel that is just 1,25 mm thin, without a notch or punch hole. The under-display camera remains invisible, so nothing disturbs the view. The edge-to-edge view is particularly worthwhile when gaming - no distractions, just pure display.
The back of our test device is more playful than the front in the color "Dusk". The transparent glass surface shows enough to make the design look exciting without drifting into exaggeration. Screws, metal accents and the illuminated REDMAGIC logo are subtle but effective.
A gently glowing fan and a glowing X in the top right offer just the right amount of gaming aesthetics without slipping into cliché. The open fan design does come at a price, however. There is no official IP certification, so you better be careful when the Energy is on your desk.
A genuine gaming feature are the programmable, capacitive triggers on the edge of the housing. They work with a fast sampling rate of 520 Hz and are placed within easy reach. REDMAGIC also remains consistent with the 3,5 mm jack connection, offering a welcome option for anyone who prefers to use wired headsets.
interim conclusion
The REDMAGIC 10 Pro relies on uncompromising gaming design with clever features and robust construction. It is bulky, striking and functional - exactly what a gaming phone should be. If you value water protection or an ultra-light casing, you will have to look elsewhere.
REDMAGIC 10 Pro: Display
The REDMAGIC 6,85 Pro's 10-inch AMOLED display delivers 2688 x 1216 pixels and a crisp pixel density of 430 ppi. Content is displayed in razor-sharp detail and colors appear vibrant and rich.
With up to 2000 nits in automatic mode, the display ensures that everything remains clearly visible even in bright sunlight. I tested the device outside on a sunny winter day and the readability was excellent, with no annoying reflections or guessing game with dark content. Manually, it manages 1060 nits, which is more than enough for most indoor scenarios.
Animations are buttery smooth thanks to the 144 Hz refresh rate and fast movements – whether in Genshin impact or PUBG – appear absolutely fluid. If you want to save energy, you can set the frequency to 60 Hz, 90 Hz or 120 Hz or activate the auto mode, which adjusts the frequency dynamically. The 960 Hz touch sampling rate also ensures lightning-fast inputs, which is a noticeable advantage, especially in competitive matches.
Of course, the display is also optimized for multimedia fans. Thanks to HDR10+ and a 10-bit color depth, series and films are shown in vivid colors and with rich contrast. HDR support ensures that dark scenes stay really dark and bright highlights really shine.
A small downside: Netflix currently only streams SD quality, although according to the DRM info Widevine L1 is available! Let's hope for an update, because the display deserves better.
The under-display camera (UDC) is invisible, at least most of the time. Sometimes you can see it with certain colors (for example blue), but that's hardly a problem. The full screen area without an annoying notch or punch hole is a real bonus, especially when gaming or streaming.
Another plus point is the eye-friendly modes such as dark mode, night light and reading mode. Anyone who spends a long time reading or gaming on the display in the evening will appreciate this.
interim conclusion
The REDMAGIC 10 Pro's display is a stage for gaming and entertainment. It's big, bright and buttery smooth to look at. Exactly what you'd expect from a high-end gaming smartphone. The Netflix limitation is a shame, but for everything else this display is simply outstanding.
REDMAGIC 10 Pro: Performance and Software
Powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite and combined with up to 24 GB LPDDR5x RAM and UFS 4.1 storage, the REDMAGIC 10 Pro offers enormous power.
In benchmarks like Geekbench 6 (3.173 points in single core), the smartphone shows what it's capable of and there's no reason to complain graphically either. Games like Genshin Impact run smoothly with a constant 60 fps even in the highest settings and the device stays surprisingly cool when playing for longer periods of time. The ICE-X cooling system with a 23.000 RPM fan is audible but not disturbing.
The storage options also leave nothing to be desired. From 12 GB RAM with 256 GB storage to an impressive 24 GB RAM and 1 TB storage, there is enough space for games, videos, apps and more. In the test, the storage achieved up to 4.120 MB/s read speed and 3.660 MB/s write speed, so apps load in no time.
The software is based on Android 15 and comes with REDMAGIC OS 10, a heavily customized user interface. This is also the biggest difference to conventional flagship smartphones, because the system is clearly tailored to gamers.
The Game Space, which is activated using a slider on the side, allows you to individually adjust performance, FPS limits and touch settings for each game. Gaming plugins such as a crosshair for shooters, the hunting mode for better enemy visibility or the X Gravity mode for mouse and joystick support provide clear advantages - almost at cheat level.
The integrated gaming hub also shows live data on CPU and GPU usage as well as FPS, which is especially exciting for ambitious mobile gamers.
But not everything is perfect. Translation errors and an occasionally chaotic menu structure spoil the impression. There is also a fair amount of bloatware, i.e. many pre-installed apps, most of which can end up in the digital trash can.
A major weak point is the update policy. The REDMAGIC 10 Pro only receives one Android upgrade (to Android 16) and three years of security updates. This is disappointing for a smartphone of this price range and performance. In comparison, a Google Pixel 9 offers seven years of update support!
interim conclusion
The REDMAGIC 10 Pro is a real powerhouse and one of the most powerful gaming smartphones on the market. The combination of high-end hardware and gaming features is impressive, but the software still has room for improvement.
REDMAGIC 10 Pro: Camera
The REDMAGIC 10 Pro is clearly positioned as a gaming smartphone and you can tell that from the camera. While the hardware with 50 MP sensors sounds promising on paper, in practice it turns out that the camera does not have the same priority as the gaming functions. Here is a brief overview of the technical data:
- Main camera: 50 MP, f/1.9, 1/1.5", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS
- Ultra wide angle camera: 50 MP, f/2.2, 1/2.88", 0.61µm
- Macro camera: 2 MP, f/2.4
- Front camera: 16 MP, f/2.0, 1.12µm, under-display
The 50 MP main camera with optical image stabilization (OIS) delivers decent results in good light. Details are sharp, colors appear vivid (sometimes perhaps a little too vivid) and the dynamic range is sufficient. The camera is particularly impressive in static scenes, such as landscape shots. However, there are problems with high-contrast subjects. Lights tend to burn out and shadows swallow up details.
In night mode, the main camera delivers better results than you might expect. Details are brought out and the brightness is noticeably improved. However, the naturalness of the photos suffers as the colors sometimes appear unnatural and light sources often overexpose.
If you activate the 50 MP mode, you can get more details out of the photos, but at the cost of larger files and longer processing times. By default, the camera uses pixel binning, which improves light sensitivity but slightly reduces image sharpness.
Videos can be recorded with the main camera in 8K at 30 fps or stabilized in 4K at 60 fps. The recordings are clear and smooth, especially in 4K, where the optical image stabilization does its job.
Unfortunately, the 50 MP ultra-wide-angle camera cannot compete with the main camera. The details appear soft and there is visible distortion at the edges, despite correction algorithms. Colors are more realistic in some situations, but sometimes a little pale. These weaknesses become even more apparent at night. There is a lack of sharpness and dynamics and the images quickly appear noisy.
The 2 MP macro camera is what you would expect from a low-end sensor, namely more marketing than real added value. The resolution is so low that details are quickly lost and the usefulness remains questionable. Even close-ups often appear blurry and unimpressive.
The 16 MP under-display camera is undoubtedly a nice feature, but the design takes its toll. While it makes the display look clean and unobstructed, the image quality suffers significantly. Selfies often look soft, details are barely visible and colors appear pale.
In direct sunlight, lens flare effects also occur, which affect the image. It is sufficient for occasional video calls, but selfie lovers should not expect too much.
interim conclusion
The camera on the REDMAGIC 10 Pro isn't a deal breaker, but it's also not a highlight. The main camera delivers solid results in daylight and the night mode saves some scenes. But the ultra-wide angle and selfie camera are disappointing. The macro camera is also more of a gimmick. For gamers who want to take a snapshot every now and then, this is perfectly adequate. However, if you place a lot of value on photography, you'd be better off looking for alternatives.
REDMAGIC 10 Pro: connectivity
With dual nano-SIM support and a wide range of 5G and LTE bands, the REDMAGIC 10 Pro is well equipped for international use. The supported 5G bands cover both NSA and SA, including the important frequencies n1, n7, n28, n38, n40, n41, n71, n77 and n78 . This is solid, but not complete, because mmWave, which is becoming increasingly relevant in some regions such as the USA, is unfortunately missing. An eSIM option is also missing.
Wi-Fi 7 ensures fast data transfers over WLAN on the REDMAGIC 10 Pro. In tests, the connection remained stable and impressed with its long range. For navigation and location determination, the device uses dual-band GPS as well as support for Galileo, BeiDou, GLONASS and QZSS. Within a few seconds, the location is determined to an accuracy of up to three meters, regardless of whether you are navigating through the city or using AR games.
There is also NFC for contactless payment and an infrared transmitter to use the smartphone as a universal remote control. An optical fingerprint scanner is located invisibly under the display. It reacts quickly and unlocks the device reliably in most cases.
Bluetooth 5.4 includes all the important audio codecs such as aptX HD and LDAC, which allow wireless headphones and speakers to be operated in the best quality. The audio performance of the REDMAGIC 10 Pro is decent. The symmetrical stereo speakers, which are placed on the top and bottom of the frame, ensure a balanced sound, regardless of whether the device is held horizontally or vertically.
The speakers can easily fill a small room while remaining surprisingly clear. The bass is present but not overwhelming and the DTS function makes the sound even more dynamic by emphasizing the highs and mids.
interim conclusion
The REDMAGIC 10 Pro is well positioned in terms of connectivity and therefore appeals to both gamers and power users. The stereo speakers impress with clear and loud playback, even if the bass could be a bit fuller. With practical extras such as NFC and an infrared transmitter, the smartphone covers many areas of application. Unfortunately, the smartphone does not support eSIM.
REDMAGIC 10 Pro: Rechargeable battery
The battery is one of the strengths of the REDMAGIC 10 Pro. With a capacity of 7.050 mAh, it delivers an above-average battery life, which easily gets the smartphone through intensive gaming sessions and everyday use.
With normal use, the REDMAGIC 10 Pro easily lasts two full days. Even with more intensive use, such as hours of gaming or streaming, it still delivers impressive results. The display-on time with normal use is around 10 hours.
It is charged quickly with the 80 watt GaN charger included in delivery. It takes just 35 minutes for the battery to be fully charged. Charging up to 100 watts is even supported, which can shorten the charging time by a further few minutes.
Battery charging can be deactivated while gaming. The power is sent directly to the hardware, reducing heat generation and increasing battery life. During intensive charging, the integrated fan switches on automatically to prevent overheating and keep the charging speed constant.
Despite its strong battery performance, the REDMAGIC 10 Pro lacks some convenience features, such as wireless charging and reverse charging.
interim conclusion
The REDMAGIC 10 Pro shows what battery life should look like in a gaming smartphone. The lack of convenience features such as wireless charging somewhat tarnishes the overall picture.
