Motorola might have been essentially the most improved smartphone model of 2023, however RedMagic was very near profitable that title. We have seen the Chinese language telephone maker go from zero to hero over time, with its gaming telephones steadily reaching the next degree of finesse.
The RedMagic 9 Professional made its debut on the tail finish of 2023, within the remaining days of December. This beautiful slab of steel and glass goes very far in proving that RedMagic has lastly shed the ghosts of its previous and will even be able to tackle the greats like Samsung, Google, and ASUS.
Whereas this is not an ideal telephone, we’re lastly on the level the place this gadget can be utilized by your common Joe as a day by day driver, and that makes me tremendous excited. In truth, for lots of people, this simply could be the proper match for varied causes. Okay, I will cease teasing and dive proper into the evaluate!
RedMagic 9 Professional: Value, availability, and specs
The RedMagic 9 Professional was unveiled on December 18, 2023. Pre-orders went stay on December 27 and the gadget was accessible in international markets from January 3, 2024, onwards.
You should buy the RedMagic 9 Professional in one in every of three colours, two of which sport clear backs. This consists of Snowfall which has a white clear design, Cyclone which is a black see-through choice, and Sleet which is the one opaque colorway with a stable black coat of paint.
As for the worth, the 12/256GB variant in Sleet prices $749. It’s also possible to get the 16/512GB variant in each Cyclone and Snowfall variants for a similar worth, $899.
| Class | RedMagic 9 Professional |
|---|---|
| OS | REDMAGIC OS 9.0 primarily based on Android 14 |
| Show | 6.8-inch BOE Q9+ FHD+ AMOLED (2480×1116), 120Hz refresh, 1600 nits max brightness, Corning Gorilla Glass 5, 2000Hz instantaneous & 960Hz general contact sampling charges |
| Chipset | Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, Pink Core 2 Professional |
| RAM | 12GB/16GB LPDDR5 |
| Storage | 256GB/512GB UFS 4.0 |
| Rear digicam 1 | Samsung GN5 50MP principal, OIS, 7P lens, APL-coated anti-glare |
| Rear digicam 2 | Samsung JN1 50MP ultra-wide-angle |
| Entrance digicam | 16MP |
| 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 | 6,500mAh, 80W charging |
| Ingress safety | 🚫 |
| Dimensions | 163.98mm x 76.35mm x 8.9mm, 229g |
| Extras | 520Hz RGB shoulder triggers, colourful RGB fan with customized lights, gaming button |
RedMagic 9 Professional: Design and show
RedMagic began out wild, however the model has lastly tamed its design language. The RedMagic 9 Professional is sleeker, slimmer, and extra well-balanced than ever earlier than, to the purpose that you would be able to make it stand on any facet unassisted.
The sharp edges look neat and do not harm anymore. This was an issue with final yr’s RedMagic 8 Professional and 8S Professional. One other downside that is been addressed is the protruding digicam lenses used to gather mud. Amazingly, the lenses are sealed off contained in the clear glass again, maintaining dust particles away. Clearly, the Chinese language smartphone maker put loads of thought into the telephone.
The headphone jack, purple gaming button, shoulder triggers, and under-display digicam are all nonetheless there. Nevertheless, there is a new rounded energy button this time round. It takes some getting used to, however it truly improves the texture of the gadget. I did not need to fumble across the sides, urgent the amount rocker by chance whereas making an attempt to press the ability button.
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The entrance has Gorilla Glass 5 for cover, and the again is glass as effectively. You get a beautiful aluminum body and RGB lights integrated into the shoulder triggers, in addition to a tiny little portion of the rear. The speaker grills are situated on the highest and backside of the telephone.
Gone are the times of 165Hz AMOLED panels, however I can not say I miss it a lot. The RedMagic 9 Professional’s 6.8-inch 120Hz AMOLED display is extraordinarily crispy, vivid, and punchy. The dearth of a notch makes it an absolute pleasure to behold. In response to my colleague Nick Sutrich’s check outcomes, there isn’t any PWM flicker both. For those who’re delicate to that, you will be completely happy as a lamb.
At 1600 nits of peak brightness ranges, the 9 Professional will get moderately vivid out in obtrusive daylight. General, the scale and show are very strongly paying homage to the S23 Extremely.
RedMagic 9 Professional: Efficiency
Slowly however steadily, REDMAGIC OS has improved considerably. The RedMagic 9 Professional runs REDMAGIC OS 9.0 primarily based on Android 14, and it’s the smoothest telephone I’ve ever used. It feels even snappier when you swap out the preset icons for much less gamer-esque ones.
The mixture of uncooked energy from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset and 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM is unmatched. Need to hear the craziest half? You may give the RedMagic 9 Professional slightly little bit of a lift through the use of a part of the UFS 4.0 storage so as to add 3GB of additional RAM.
This gadget powers via something and every thing, day in and time out, delivering easy efficiency like a champion. You will overlook what delays really feel like, to be sincere. Even with 1,000,000 apps open, multitasking like a monster, and leaving loads of different issues operating within the background, the RedMagic 9 Professional does not stutter or glitch out on me. There is a very fluid really feel to the gadget.
| Class | RedMagic 9 Professional | ASUS ROG Cellphone 8 Professional | iQOO 12 | iPhone 15 Professional Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single-core) | 2241 | 2244 | 2252 | 2950 |
| Geekbench 6 (multi-core) | 6953 | 6995 | 6952 | 7381 |
| 3DMark Wild Life Excessive (rating) | 5203 | 5207 | 4329 | 3648 |
| 3DMark Wild Life Excessive (FPS) | 31.16 | 31.18 | 25.92 | 21.9 |
| 3DMark Photo voltaic Bay (rating) | 8685 | 8657 | 8042 | 5024 |
| 3DMark Photo voltaic Bay (FPS) | 33 | 32.92 | 32.33 | 19.1 |
One have a look at the benchmarks, and you may see simply why the RedMagic 9 Professional operates so effectively. The RedMagic 9 Professional and ASUS ROG Cellphone 8 Professional’s scores are neck and neck. The ICE 13 cooling system retains issues cool beneath the hood whilst you push the telephone to its limits. The one time I ever noticed the 9 Professional in hassle was once I ran the 3DMark Photo voltaic Bay, and the telephone shut down afterward due to overheating. To be truthful, even the ASUS ROG Cellphone 8 Professional ran extraordinarily sizzling when operating the identical check, as per my colleague Harish Jonnalagadda’s testing, and that gadget has much more muscle.
There is not any activity that does not really feel like a pleasure on this gadget. It is without doubt one of the greatest gaming telephones of 2024, and I am sure it’s going to compete admirably towards the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely.
RedMagic 9 Professional: Software program
Normally, that is the half the place I specific my frustration, disappointment, and anger at RedMagic’s badly organized UI, poor translations, and chunky icons. Girls and gents, I’m past ecstatic to announce that that is now not the case. The corporate truly went forward and glued every thing we hated so passionately about REDMAGIC OS.
I can not even start to precise my pleasure at this landmark enchancment. The RedMagic 9 Professional has the very best software program on any RedMagic telephone so far. REDMAGIC OS 9.0 is fluid, effectively organized, written in correct English, straightforward to look via and navigate, and simply appears so darn good. Do not consider me? See for your self!
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From icons and themes to paint schemes and RGB lights, every thing is definitely accessible and customizable. All the additional options are neatly categorized beneath the Options settings. The OS does not really feel heavy in any respect, and transitions are ultra-snappy.
This goes to point out how a lot one thing seemingly small can change the person expertise and perspective of a smartphone. REDMAGIC OS is nearly akin to inventory Android at this level, and that is the very best praise I may give it.
The great thing about the 9 Professional is that it is not only a gaming telephone anymore. You should use it as your day by day driver and get extra out of it than what primary Android 14 delivers. There is a new tray that pulls out of the perimeters, providing you with entry to apps and different shortcuts. It is similar to the facet panels present in One UI. You continue to get the customizable Z-POP button if you need much more shortcuts and fast entry on the fly.
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As for the gaming facet of issues, that is simply nearly as good as ever, albeit with correct phrases as an alternative of wonky translations. You will discover thousands and thousands of gaming choices, settings, shortcuts, screencasting, add-ons, plugins, and different significant options that take your gaming to an entire new degree, all baked proper into the OS.
For those who’re coming from a RedMagic telephone, the brand new gaming overlay will really feel acquainted. There is a small studying curve there, however it’s nothing insanely troublesome to observe. All you have to do is mess around with the choices and settings to familiarize your self.
RedMagic now ensures “at the very least two years” of main OS updates in addition to safety updates. That is nice information as a result of you do not need a $750 to $900 gadget to develop into outdated after a mere 12 months. And with the processing energy this factor packs, it may well positively deal with future updates with out flinching.
RedMagic 9 Professional: Battery and charging
RedMagic all the time kills it within the battery and charging phase, and this yr is not any completely different. The RedMagic 9 Professional jacks up final yr’s 5,000mAh cell, ditching it in favor of an excellent bigger 6,500mAh battery. That is an insane quantity of energy, which simply lasts for 2 days on common.
As soon as your 9 Professional runs out of juice, recharging it takes about 20 minutes or so. For the reason that gadget options 80W Energy Supply 3.0 USB-C charging, such a feat is definitely completed by the RedMagic 9 Professional.
There’s nonetheless no wi-fi charging right here, however actually, you do not even want it. It is handy, however Qi wi-fi charging may be very inefficient in apply. With 80W wired charging in your fingers, there isn’t any want to contemplate different charging strategies.
RedMagic 9 Professional: Cameras
Cameras aren’t often an space of a lot focus in the case of gaming telephones. Nevertheless, the RedMagic 9 Professional is not restricted to hardcore players. Anybody who prizes efficiency over all else can take into account getting one for themselves, so cameras are positively value wanting into.
With the 9 Professional, gone are the nonsensical 5MP macro and 8MP ultrawide sensors. As an alternative, RedMagic very fastidiously opted for under two principal cameras, each of that are 50MP lenses. The primary digicam is a wide-angle Samsung GN5 50MP lens with optical picture stabilization, 7P lens, and APL-coated anti-glare. In the meantime, the secondary ultrawide-angle digicam is a Samsung JN1 50MP lens with an optimized distortion correction algorithm.
Collectively, you’ll be able to seize movies in 8K at 30fps, 4K at 60fps or 30fps, and 1080p at as much as 240fps on the RedMagic 9 Professional.
Under are some major digicam samples in various lighting situations. Naturally, the intense daylight shot got here out wanting nice. The cameras had been capable of retain fairly a little bit of element in each pure gentle and synthetic indoor lighting situations. Some photos lack punchiness, however the outcomes are respectable sufficient general.
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Digital zoom is not half unhealthy both, providing you with pictures like these when taken benefit of in the proper lighting situations and on the proper angle.
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I used to be significantly happy with the improved low mild and evening pictures. These pictures had been taken in a really darkish curler skating rink and the colours are very correct to actual life. There’s loads of texture and distinction there as effectively.
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The fifth era of RedMagic’s UDC know-how does a fabulous job of pretending it isn’t there when the entrance digicam is not in use. You’ll be able to’t inform whether or not there is a digicam lens buried beneath the layer of pixels by any means.
The selfie digicam on final yr’s RedMagic 8 Professional was rubbish, giving overly saturated outcomes that had been method off when it comes to colours, tones, distinction, and element. The fifth-gen UDC featured within the RedMagic 9 Professional improves on these issues, however the finish outcome nonetheless appears fuzzy, and the colours prove a bit washed out.
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Simply have a look at the identical selfie I captured with the RedMagic 9 Professional and the Google Pixel 6. The distinction in hues and textural particulars is astonishing.
So, whereas we are able to all agree that the 9 Professional’s entrance digicam is markedly higher than the earlier iterations, it is nonetheless not able to compete with the greatest Android telephones on the market.
RedMagic 9 Professional: Competitors
The ASUS ROG Cellphone 8 Professional, iQOO 12, and the unreleased Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely come to thoughts when contemplating potential rivals for the RedMagic 9 Professional.
By way of worth and worth for cash, the iQOO 12 provides RedMagic combat. This price range gaming telephone prices lower than the 9 Professional, but it nonetheless delivers efficiency that is on par and quicker 120W charging. You get Android 14 and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, however there isn’t any devoted cooling system or shoulder triggers for gaming.
If price range just isn’t a difficulty, you’ll be able to’t go fallacious with the mighty ASUS ROG Cellphone 8 Professional. This beefed-up gadget additionally makes use of the identical chipset and has a devoted cooling system in addition to gaming triggers. Nevertheless, it one-ups the RedMagic 9 Professional with 15W wi-fi charging, 4 OS updates (two greater than RedMagic), a 32MP telephoto lens, a USB-C DisplayPort 1.4, and IP68 water and mud resistance.
Earlier than you throw within the towel, do do not forget that the maxed-out variant of the RedMagic 9 Professional prices $900, whereas the ASUS ROG Cellphone 8 Professional begins at a whopping $1,200 for the fundamental 12GB/256GB model. The highest-of-the-line 24GB/1TB mannequin will set you again round $1,500.
RedMagic 9 Professional: Must you purchase it?
You need to get it if…
- You’re a energy person who wants blazing efficiency
- You need a devoted cooling system
- You hate entrance digicam notches
- It’s essential to get essentially the most worth to your cash
- You’ll be able to’t do with out shoulder triggers
- You crave super-fast charging speeds
You should not get it if…
- You utilize CDMA carriers
- You prioritize cameras above all else
- You depend upon water resistance
Actually talking, I didn’t anticipate to like the RedMagic 9 Professional as a lot as I did. And I actually didn’t anticipate that I would be capable of examine it to the likes of the S23 Extremely or hope to pit it towards the unreleased S24 Extremely.
RedMagic took me abruptly this time round. I used to be absolutely anticipating extra of the identical — a beastly gaming telephone held again by its flawed software program. However I am completely happy to report that this isn’t the case this time round. REDMAGIC OS 9.0 is somewhat pleasant and feels amazingly light-weight. The 9 Professional is immensely highly effective, helped alongside by its secondary Pink Core 2 Professional chipset that is devoted to gaming.
Hand on my coronary heart, I can lastly say that the RedMagic 9 Professional is prepared for the mainstream person now. The entrance digicam is not nice, however every thing else weighs a lot too closely in favor of the smartphone. If you’d like a implausible telephone with flagship components and efficiency however for half the worth, you can purchase the RedMagic 9 Professional.
It truly is magic
The RedMagic 9 Professional debuts the cleaner, lighter, and snappier REDMAGIC OS 9.0 which pairs fabulously with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC. You get unbridled processing energy, highly effective internals, and a beautiful 6.8-inch AMOLED panel free from any blemish. Assured to obtain at the very least two years of updates, it is a nice smartphone for heavy multitaskers and energy customers.
