RedMagic 9S Pro Review: Unmatched Gaming Performance & Design

As one of the few remaining gaming phone brands in the mobile market, Red Magic offers an unparalleled gaming experience that other mainstream flagship phones can't match.

At the end of last year, Red Magic released the Red Magic 9 series. The flat design of the back of the phone left a strong impression, and the exceptional performance and full-screen experience, thanks to the under-display camera, were truly unique.

So, what improvements does the newly released Red Magic 9S series bring? Today, let's explore the Red Magic 9S Pro Deuterium Transparent Edition.

Powered by the Third-Generation Snapdragon 8 Leading Edition for High-Quality Gaming

The main hardware change in the Red Magic 9S Pro is the processor upgrade to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Leading Edition. Compared to the standard Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, the Leading Edition has an increased super-core frequency from 3.3GHz to 3.4GHz and a GPU frequency boost from 903MHz to 1GHz. This can be considered an overclocked version, resulting in a corresponding performance increase.

In terms of storage, the phone uses a high-speed combination of LPDDR5X and UFS 4.0, with options up to 1TB, providing ample space for even the largest games, allowing users to install numerous games effortlessly.

For cooling, Red Magic employs the ICE 13.5 Magic Cold Cooling System, featuring a 10-layer precision structure. It uses Frost Cooling Gel for efficient heat transfer, increasing thermal conductivity by 20%. A large 10,182 square millimeter VC plate helps quickly distribute heat, which is then transferred to the phone's surface via copper foil and graphene cooling sheets. The metal middle frame also aids in heat dissipation.

The Red Magic 9S Pro continues to use an active air cooling system with a fan speed of up to 22,000 RPM, and the fan's outer frame is made of a metal material with better thermal conductivity. In short, everything is designed to enhance cooling.

The Red Magic 9S Pro excels in both configuration and cooling, delivering outstanding performance. In normal temperature environments, it achieves an AnTuTu score of over 2.27 million points, and with fan cooling, the score can exceed 2.32 million. These scores represent the pinnacle of current mobile performance.

Let's look at actual gaming performance. Starting with Genshin Impact at a default resolution of 837P and ultra-high graphics settings, the game was manually set to 60 FPS. After 30 minutes of gameplay, the Red Magic 9S Pro maintained an average frame rate of 60.32 FPS, with a stable frame rate curve that was almost a straight line, indicating no frame drops—a feat many high-performance phones struggle to achieve.

The average power consumption during gaming was 5.18W, ranking 20th in this year's test leaderboard. Considering the smooth performance, this power consumption is entirely acceptable. The highest temperature recorded on the front was 44.0°C, and 43.7°C on the back.

In a test running through the Honkai Star Rail’s Xianzhou Luofu map, the average frame rate was also 60.32 FPS, with the frame rate curve again being a straight line, indicating no lag at all. The smoothness was truly top-notch.

The average power consumption during this game was 7W. Despite the high performance, the slightly higher power consumption is understandable. The maximum temperature on the front was 47.0°C, and 48.3°C on the back. We believe that in high-performance-demanding games like this, the key for gaming phones is to ensure smooth gameplay. Heat issues can be addressed by other means, but performance cannot be compromised. Simply put, if a phone overheats, you can use air cooling or a cooling attachment, but if it lacks performance, it will lag.

The Red Magic 9S Pro offers comprehensive support for performance output. In addition to the Awakening Mode, it also features a "Diablo Mode," which has no thermal control strategy, allowing the processor to fully unleash its performance potential. Furthermore, the Red Magic 9S Pro has scenarios where "Diablo Mode" can truly shine.

The Red Magic 9S Pro also offers an Ultra-Competition Graphics feature. Leveraging the phone's powerful hardware and scheduling capabilities, it can surpass the native resolution limits of games, enhancing the resolution. In Genshin Impact, for example, the default 837P resolution can be boosted to 1674P, achieving 2K-level quality. Comparing the two modes, the visual improvement with Ultra-Competition Graphics enabled is significant, with the image shifting from blurry to finely detailed.

Our tests show that after enabling Ultra-Competition Graphics, the Awakening Mode, which needs to balance cooling, cannot guarantee a consistent 60 FPS, often limiting the frame rate to 40 FPS. The Diablo Mode, however, can maintain 60 FPS throughout, but the heat becomes unbearable, requiring active cooling solutions. Without them, the phone can become too hot to hold within 10 minutes. However, once you've experienced the enhanced graphics, it's hard to go back, as the difference in experience is significant.

In terms of gaming features, the Red Magic 9S Pro uses the Red Magic Cube model, and we’ve already seen how the CUBE AI engine supports gaming performance. The built-in Red Magic R2 Pro chip optimizes control, learning users' control habits, and automatically adjusts key settings.

The Red Magic 9S Pro offers numerous gaming features. In-game, swiping inward from the left or right brings up the CUBE control interface. This time, Red Magic has provided contextual introductions so users can clearly understand the purpose of each feature. Among these features are several familiar from previous iterations and some new ones that leave a strong impression. The screen extraction feature is particularly imaginative, allowing users to project areas at the screen’s edges to more prominent locations. For instance, in Honor of Kings, you can project your teammates’ information to the center of the screen, making it easier to monitor team status and retreat when a teammate’s avatar goes dark.

The Sound Probe feature is ideal for FPS games, as it intelligently identifies sound cues on the mini-map, highlighting footsteps, gunfire, or vehicle sounds at the center of the screen. This allows for quicker reactions to audio cues and even lets you “see” sounds when playing on mute.

The Red Magic 9S Pro retains its dual shoulder triggers with large touch areas and anti-slip glass material. The new generation of linear motors increases vibration by 30%, and the device also supports 4D vibration in PUBG Mobile. The dual 1115K stereo speakers offer excellent sound quality, making the Red Magic 9S Pro fully equipped for gaming.

6500mAh Large Battery: Exceptional Battery Life and Fast Charging

For uninterrupted gaming, long battery life is essential. The Red Magic 9S Pro is equipped with a 6500mAh battery, providing a reassuring amount of power. It also supports 80W fast charging.

In a 3-hour battery life test, the Red Magic 9S Pro had 68% battery remaining, ranking 5th among all tested models in 2024, demonstrating strong battery performance. The power consumption for gaming was 8%, translating to at least 6 hours of continuous gaming, enough for an entire afternoon of play without battery concerns.

In fast charging tests, the Red Magic 9S Pro charged to 53% in 15 minutes, 87% in 30 minutes, and reached 100% UI display in 43 minutes, with full charge completed in 48 minutes. For a 6500mAh battery, this charging speed is impressive.

Sleek Transparent Design with Leading Full-Screen Display

The Red Magic 9S Pro continues its flat design style, with the Deuterium Transparent Edition using a custom glass that ensures both high body strength and camera clarity.

The completely flat back offers many advantages. The phone can lie perfectly flat on surfaces, creating a visually striking effect, while the Deuterium Transparent Edition showcases the internal precision design, adding a strong sense of technology.

The flat back also provides excellent comfort during horizontal gaming, with no camera bumps to interfere with grip. Players won’t need to avoid the camera area or adopt awkward holding positions.

The camera module is vertically aligned, featuring only the main and ultra-wide-angle lenses. Below the camera is a high-speed centrifugal fan with an upgraded speed of 22,000 RPM and a new waterfall air duct for faster cooling.

The right side of the body is equipped with numerous buttons, including the signature shoulder triggers with anti-slip glass for easy control. The round power button is well-positioned and distinguishable from the elongated volume control, making it easy to operate by feel without accidental touches. The red slider quickly accesses the gaming lobby.

The bottom design is symmetrical, with the SIM card slot and speaker openings flanking the USB-C port. A 3.5mm headphone jack at the top ensures no audio latency for users. There’s also a top speaker opening and an infrared port.

The screen is the same 6.8-inch UDC Pro display, featuring an under-display camera for a perfect, notch-free screen. The display quality is outstanding for both gaming and video, with a resolution of 2480*1116, 120Hz refresh rate, and a peak brightness of 1600 nits. It supports DC+2160Hz PWM hybrid dimming.

This screen offers clear, smooth visuals, with the main advantage being the full-screen display, free from any incomplete display or visual disconnection.

Decent Performance in Common Focal Lengths: Sufficient for Daily Photography

In terms of gaming experience, the Red Magic 9S Pro leaves nothing to be desired. The basic requirements for a gaming phone are fully met, with additional features adding further value.

For photography, the Red Magic 9S Pro uses a 50MP Samsung GN5 main camera with a large 1/1.57 sensor, supporting OIS. The ultra-wide-angle lens is a 50MP Samsung GN1. Despite lacking a telephoto lens, the common focal lengths are sufficient, with sample images showing sharpness at 2X zoom and minimal blurriness at 5X zoom.

From the sample images, it’s clear that the Red Magic 9S Pro handles typical photography scenarios with ease, and the built-in camera family features allow for creative shots.

The Red Magic 9S Pro is equipped with the Red Magic Cube model, providing extensive AI features common in other devices. However, one standout is the AI Erase function, which supports manual smudging or frame selection. Compared to other AI erase functions, it falls short, especially since it can’t automatically identify and remove people from selected areas but rather erases the entire selected region. However, it’s worth noting that Red Magic’s AI Erase operates entirely on-device, providing better privacy protection.

Conclusion: Unmatched Gaming Experience

As a mid-cycle upgrade, the Red Magic 9S Pro offers significant performance improvements. These enhancements aren’t just reflected in benchmark scores but provide tangible benefits in gaming scenarios, fully meeting players’ demands for high-quality graphics.

In terms of design, the Red Magic 9S Pro’s aesthetics may be debatable, but it remains the most visually comfortable phone, with its flat body and full-screen display setting it apart from other devices.

Clearly, the Red Magic 9S Pro distinguishes itself from mainstream flagships in gaming performance, offering an experience that mainstream phones simply cannot match.