Review of the REDMAGIC 9 Pro, the latest model in the REDMAGIC series of gaming smartphones with powerful cooling fans

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Body composed of metal and glass

Let's take a look at the exterior of the REDMAGIC 9 Pro, the latest in the series.
The body measures 163.98 (H) x 76.35 (W) x 8.9 (D) mm and weighs 229 g. The AMOLED display on board is a bezel-less 6.8-inch display.

The metal surface of the body itself seems to have good heat dissipation properties, but on the rear side, a standard cooling fan sits proudly on the underside of the camera. This is a fairly high-performance fan with a rotation speed of 22,000 RPM and 59 propellers, which cools the internal heat powerfully. Because of this air-cooling system, this product is not waterproof. This should be noted.

We would like to delve a little deeper into the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor of this device.
Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 series processors are high-performance chips for high-end smartphones, but they also present a major challenge. That is the problem of heat generation. Especially in the early Snapdragon 888 and Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, a lot of users reported a lot of heat generation, which was a problem. However, the trend changed dramatically when the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 was introduced in the fall of 2022. This processor is highly regarded as a product that has successfully improved the heat generation problem that had been an issue, while maintaining the existing high performance.
However, the heat generation problem of the Snapdragon 8 series resulted in the evolution of the "REDMAGIC" series cooling system.
The REDMAGIC 9 Pro, with its further improved Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, is equipped with the latest processor for the highest spec smartphone currently available and a powerful air-cooling system to provide a comfortable gameplay environment.

6.8" AMOLED display with refresh rate up to 120 Hz

The 6.8-inch AMOLED display (resolution: 1,116 x 2,480) on the REDMAGIC 9 Pro supports a maximum refresh rate of 120 Hz, which is lower than the 165 Hz of the two-generation previous model, the REDMAGIC 7. This is probably due to the heat generation problem mentioned above. Of course, this is the reason why the monitor can be played stably for a long time. The maximum brightness is 1600 nits, up from 1300 nits on the previous model, RREDMAGIC 8 Pro.
The touch sampling rate is up to 960Hz at all times, and up to 2,000Hz at a moment. This is expected to ensure reliable operation even in FPS games that require split-second operations.

Let's actually play a game with the REDMAGIC 9 Pro.
The first game we will play is "Genshin Impact," which is known for its heavy processing.

The recommended specifications for "Genshin Impact" for Android are as follows.

CPU	Snapdragon 855, Kirin 820 or higher
RAM	6 GB or higher
System Version	Android 11.0 or higher
Storage	30 GB or more free space required

This title is characterized by a very large capacity for a mobile game. It takes a very long time to complete installation and requires a large amount of storage space.

With the REDMAGIC 9 Pro, however, there is little chance of running out of space. There are two combinations of memory and storage for this device: 16GB+512GB and 12GB+256GB, and the author used the former this time. With 512GB of storage, it is possible to install the software without any problems.

Let's try playing "Genshin Impact".

Genshin Impact" is a third-person action RPG, and from the beginning, a bow-wielding character named Amber becomes an ally. I tried shooting Amber with the "REDMAGIC 9 Pro," and thanks to the high-resolution, colorful display and perfect touch-sensitive sensitivity, I was able to achieve a solid aim.

The heat generated by the REDMAGIC 9 Pro did not bother us at all, probably due to the cooling fan that is a feature of this machine.

The next game we will play is "Minecraft.

Minecraft (Android version) requires the following specifications.

CPU	Any processor that supports floating-point arithmetic
Graphics	Any device that supports OpenGL ES 2.0
System Version	Android 4.2
Storage	300 MB (however, a maximum of 1 GB is required for map storage)

We chose this title because we tend to play it for a long time, during which time the smartphone's processor heats up excessively and performance is likely to be degraded .......

As a result of playing the game, we concluded that "REDMAGIC 9 Pro" was sufficient for about an hour of continuous gameplay. As with the "Genshin Impact," the cooling effect was sufficient by running the fan at maximum output.

When playing "Minecraft" in survival mode, "sudden quick maneuvers" are often required. Zombies and creepers approaching from out of sight must be defeated as soon as they are spotted. At such times, the touch sensitivity of the REDMAGIC 9 Pro's display really comes into play.

A sudden turn of vision and an attack with zombies and creepers in sight. The REDMAGIC 9 Pro greatly improves the accuracy and certainty of these operations.

One of the few concerns with this unit is the fast battery consumption. If the fan is kept running at maximum output, it will inevitably consume extra battery power. We inquired about this with REDMAGIC's distributor.

They said that they conducted an experiment in which they played "PUBG Mobile" within the development company and compared the battery consumption of the "REDMAGIC 9 Pro" with and without the fan running. The "PUBG Mobile" game is set to "Smooth" and the frame rate is set to 90 fps. As a result, the following data was calculated.

With the fan running: 12% reduction after 30 minutes

With the fan stopped: 10% reduction after 30 minutes

What is surprising is that there is only a 2% difference per 30 minutes between the condition with the fan running and the condition without the fan running. Knowing this data, we can no longer say that this part of the data is a "cause for concern.

The REDMAGIC 9 Pro is priced at 109,800 yen for the 12GB+256GB / Sleet, and 134,800 yen for the 16GB+512GB / Cyclone and 16GB+512GB / Snowfall. Note, however, that the two 16GB+512GB models will begin shipping in mid-March.

Specifications

OS	REDMAGIC OS 9.0 (based on Android 14)
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
Memory	12/16 GB
Storage	256 GB/512 GB
Display	6.8-inch AMOLED (1116 x 2480)
Body size	163.98 (height) x 76.35 (width) x 8.9 (thickness) mm
Weight	229g
Camera	50 megapixels (wide-angle) + 50 megapixels (ultra-wide-angle) + 2 megapixels
Battery	6500mAh dual cell battery
Ports	USB 3.2, Type-C, display port, dual nano-SIM slots, 3.5mm earphone jack
Speakers	Dual 1115K speakers

Product Information

• REDMAGIC 9 Pro
• Brand name: REDMAGIC
• Price: 109,800 yen (tax included)
• Cellular technology: 5G
• Accessories：Cell phone protective case (transparent), SIM tray ejector, power adapter, Type-C data cable
• Year of release: Jan. 23, 2024
• Official website: https://jp.redmagic.gg/pages/redmagic-9-pro