This Android phone made my Pixel 9 Pro look boring – and its battery life is truly impressive

Mobile gaming is a huge industry. According to Stastita, the global mobile video market revenue is 98.7 billion dollars, and there are over 2 billion users.

That’s some serious numbers. Most mobile device manufacturers don’t cater specifically to gamers, but that doesn’t mean there are no phones created with gamers in mind. Take, for instance, the Redmagic 10 Pro. 

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This beautifully designed phone offers plenty of power, outstanding battery life, and a fan-based cooling system to keep the device cool under the heavy load often associated with games. I tested this phone and came away seriously impressed (but with a word of caution on my mind). Let me explain.

My experience

My first impression of the Redmagic 10 Pro was that I loved the shape. It’s boxy, easy to hold, and feels good in the hand. But then again, I enjoy that form factor (which is why I was so keen on the Pixel 9 Pro shape). Leave the curved edges to Samsung.

After powering on the phone, the onboarding experience was the same as any Android phone: connect it to a wireless network, enter your Google account information, and let Android do its thing. It took me less than five minutes before the phone was ready to use.

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As soon as the home screen was presented to me, the only doubt about the Redmagic 10 Pro came to mind… bloatware. Sort of. For example, there are two folders on the second page of the home screen, one titled Hot Games and one titled Hot Apps. Those two folders contain icons that, if tapped, will install the game/app in question. Of those apps within each folder, I wouldn’t recommend a single one.

And then there are the other useless preinstalled apps, such as MoboReels, MoboReader, Booking.com, and the usual Cleanup app that shouldn’t be bothered with.

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The good news is that the bloatware ends there, so it’s not nearly the problem it could be. 

My next issue is that, although the default theme is quite nice, it makes reading certain widgets almost impossible. For example, the Weather widget text cannot be seen. Good news: change the default wallpaper, and you’re good to go. Of course, I also switched off dark mode, and the default theme was considerably more pleasing to the eyes and easier to view.

But let’s get beyond the aesthetics and talk about the thing this phone was made for…gaming. I installed Diablo Immortal (not the best take on the franchise, but a valid entry) to kick the tires. Almost immediately, the phone’s fan kicked in to keep the device cool. I could hold the phone up to my face and feel the air coming from the bottom and top vents.

I’ve already played Diablo Immortal on an Android tablet and was surprised at how well the gameplay was on the Redmagic 10 Pro. There was zero lag, the graphics were crisp, the sound was great, and the controls were just as good as they were on the tablet.

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The entire time I played Diablo Immortal, the phone fan continually ran to keep the device cool. I was impressed that I couldn’t hear the fan, but I could still feel it running. It’s important to know that you need to keep your hands from blocking the vents, which can be a bit tricky when playing a game that requires you to hold the device in landscape mode. 

As I played the game, the thing that really struck me (beyond the phone’s performance) was the display. It’s beautiful, and with no bezels, you get the maximum amount of screen possible. 

Gaming on this phone is an absolute treat.

Speaking of which, there’s also Gamespace, which is a hub that organizes all your games and prioritizes system resources when you play a game through this system. To use Gamespace, there’s a red slider on the side of the phone. Slide that into position, select your game, and even enable intelligent learning to get even more performance. 

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With Gamespace, you can customize gaming performance, check your stats in-game, record your screen, and more. When playing Diablo Immortal through Gamespace, I did notice a slight increase in performance. Of course, this will vary, depending on the game you’re playing.

One thing to keep in mind is, when using Gamespace, you can’t exit it until you move the red slider to the Off position.

The Redmagic 10 Pro has some fairly decent hardware for photos. However, there is one glaring issue. Every time you take a photo, it adds either a banner at the bottom (with setting details and the Redmagic logo) or the Redmagic name and logo. I’ve yet to find a way to remove that information from photos. In the end, I attempted to install my favorite camera, the Blackmagic Camera, only to find out it wasn’t compatible with the phone. 

Instead, I installed Open Camera to get around the issue. With Open Camera installed, taking photos with the Redmagic 10 Pro was exponentially better. Although the Redmagic 10 Pro cameras can’t compare to those on the Pixel 9 Pro, they certainly can stand up to just about every other phone at its price point.

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I’ve experienced some Android phones with serious battery power. Some of those “indestructible” devices from the likes of Doogee and Oukitel include batteries that last for days. I’ve powered off those phones, stored them, and, months later, powered them on to find that there was still plenty of juice.

Although the Redmatic 10 Pro can’t compete with a 10,000mAh battery, the 7,050mAh battery still surpasses that of mainstream smartphones. Considering this phone targets gamers, battery life is going to be important. I played Diablo Immortal for quite a while and the battery held up. In fact, I was able to eke out over twenty hours of use from a full charge, and with the 80W charger, it’s possible to get nearly 80% charge in under 15 minutes.

Overall, the Redmagic 10 Pro seriously impressed me once I removed the little bloatware installed and added Open Camera.

ZDNET’s buying advice

If you’re in the market for a phone geared specifically for gamers and $899 is a price you’re willing to shell out, the Redmagic 10 Pro will not disappoint. If you like a good boxy design with the ability to tweak the device so you can get the most power for your games, this is the phone to buy. 

The one thing to keep in mind is that this is a phone designed for gamers, so if gaming isn’t your thing, you’ll get more mileage out of a Google Pixel or Samsung Galaxy phone. If gaming is your jam, the Redmagic 10 Pro is an absolute delight. 

Redmagic 10 pro specs

• CPU – Snapdragon 8 Elite SOC.
• GPU – Adreno 830
• Storage/RAM options – 256GB/12GB, 512GB/12GB, 512GB/16GB, 1TB/24GB
• Display – 6.85″ AMOLED screen with 1B colors, 144 Hz refresh rate, and 2000 nits peak.
• Cameras – Main: 50 MP, f/1.9, (wide), 1/1.5″, 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 50 MP, f/2.2, (ultrawide), 1/2.88″, 0.61µm, 2 MP, f/2.4, (macro), LED flash, HDR, panorama, Video 8K@30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps. Selfie – 16 MP, f/2.0, (wide), 1.12µm, under display, HDR, Video 1080p@30/60fps.
• Sound – Snapdragon chip, 3.5mm jack and 32-bit/384kHz Hi-Res audio.
• Connectivity – Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 5.4, USB-C 3.2.
• Biometrics – fingerprint scanner and face unlock.
• Battery – Si/C 7,050 mAh, 100W wired charging.
• OS – Android 15 at launch.
• Price – starting at $749

The device I tested had 256GB of internal storage and 12GB of RAM.