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RedMagic 12 Pro: One-minute review
RedMagic has produced yet another phenomenally high-performing phone in the RedMagic 12 Pro, but it no longer screams ‘bargain’ in the way the series used to.
Its design has been slightly slimmed down and lightened up, though it remains a whole hunk of a phone with a slightly gauche look. Mind you, that visible liquid cooling system meets the approval of our inner 13-year-old.
The phone’s display is brighter and faster than that of the RedMagic 11 Pro, and provides one of the cleanest media experiences thanks to the lack of a selfie notch — though that omission leads to issues elsewhere.
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As one of the first phones released with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6, the RedMagic 12 Pro is just about as fast as you could hope for, though it may not be able to sustain peak performance quite as well as its predecessors.
Battery life is the biggest improvement here, thanks to a massive increase in capacity. This is a phone that could potentially last you days, provided you don’t hit the games too hard, with 80W charging (both wired and wireless) getting you up to speed relatively swiftly.
But for all of these improvements, RedMagic has fallen into a familiar and oh-so-2026 trap. In raising the price of the 12 Pro by such a considerable amount (£170 / $250 / €200), it no longer feels like the total bargain this series built its reputation on.
Don’t get us wrong, £799 is a very good price for a phone that performs and lasts as long as this, especially in this hiked-up climate. But we’re still talking about a flagship(ish) price here, which can only draw extra attention to the phone’s failings.
For all the subtle progress elsewhere, that’s most typified by a camera system that’s as mediocre as ever. Selfies, especially, continue to be a total write-off on the RedMagic 12 Pro thanks to that aforementioned hidden front camera.
Elsewhere, a paltry two-year OS update promise further dents the brand’s formerly unimpeachable sense of value.
The RedMagic 12 Pro is the most capable gaming phone on the market, but the previous-generation RedMagic 11 Pro remains a much better buy while stocks last.
RedMagic 12 Pro review: Price and availability
- Released on November 18, 2026
- Priced from $899 / £799 (around AU$1,290)
- Another big price bump
- Available globally
Open sales for the RedMagic 12 Pro commence on November 18, 2026. Availability is global, including the UK, US, Australia, and much of Europe.
Following an industry-wide trend, the phone is significantly more expensive than its predecessors. With a starting price of $899 / £799 (around AU$1,290 — RedMagic lists the ‘global’ price of the 12 Pro in US dollars) for 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, it’s a considerable $250 / £170 (around AU$360) more expensive than the RedMagic 11 Pro.
This represents the second major price rise in a year for the brand. The RedMagic 11S Pro only launched in June, and at a lower starting price of $849 / £709 (around AU$1,220).
You’ll pay a lot more for models with higher RAM and storage, too: $999 / £889 (around AU$1,430) for 16GB/512GB, and $1,199 / £1,059 (around AU$1,720) for 16GB/1TB.
RedMagic 12 Pro review: Specs
| Header Cell – Column 0 | Header Cell – Column 1 |
|---|---|
Dimensions: | 163.03 x 75.96 x 8.55mm |
Weight: | 223g |
Display: | 6.85-inch 1.5K (1216 x 2688) up to 185Hz BOE AMOLED |
Chipset: | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 |
RAM: | 12GB / 16GB |
Storage: | 256GB / 512GB / 1TB |
OS: | Android 17 with RedMagic OS 12 |
Primary camera: | 50MP Samsung OV50J 1/1.56-inch sensor w/ OIS |
Ultra-wide camera: | 50MP Samsung OV50D40 1/2.87-inch sensor |
Macro camera: | NA |
Front Camera: | 16MP under-display |
Battery: | 8,400mAh |
Charging: | 80W wired, 80W wireless |
Colors: | Nightfreeze, Subzero |
RedMagic 12 Pro review: Design
(Image credit: Future)
- Extended liquid cooling system
- Confusing IP68/IP69 and IPX8 certification
- Dedicated gaming mode button and capacitive shoulder buttons
- Improved speakers
RedMagic’s current design language dates back to the RedMagic 8 Pro in late 2022. That was the first RedMagic phone to feature the brand’s now-signature flattened-out look, as replete with right angles as it was with semi-transparent elements and RGB lighting.
The RedMagic 12 Pro broadly follows that trend, but there have been a few minor tweaks and refinements in the years since the 8 Pro hit shelves.
It remains a big lump of a phone, measuring 163.03 x 75.96 x 8.55mm and weighing 223g. Compared to last year’s model, however, the 12 Pro is 7g lighter and 0.35mm thinner, together with a fractionally smaller footprint.
I’m somewhat perplexed by the RedMagic 12 Pro’s level of dust resistance. New to this year’s model is the claim of full IP68 and IP69 certification, which is genuine flagship-grade. However, this comes accompanied by the following small print, which I’ll quote directly from the press materials: “IP68 and IP69 ratings apply to the device, while the cooling fan area is rated IPX8 due to its independent airflow channel design.”
So the 12 Pro is completely dustproof… until you get to the open vents on either edge of the phone. Thanks for that, RedMagic.
(Image credit: Future)
Those vents do, admittedly, form part of the most extensive cooling system around, leading to a physical fan that spins at a higher 25,500rpm (up from 24,000rpm). This is paired with an even more extensive liquid cooling system, which now winds its way around much more of the RedMagic 12 Pro, drawing heat away from core components.
The lava lamp look of this liquid cooling system continues to fascinate, with tiny clear globules winding their way around a brilliant blue pathway. It’s more tasteful than the blingy RGB LED lighting, which can be configured around the cooling fan, shoulder buttons, and to a lesser extent the cooling goop itself.
The right edge of the phone continues to be crammed with elements, with a set of capacitive shoulder buttons joining the volume rocker and circular power button. One new element sees the old slider switch giving way to another push button.
It serves the same purpose, granting access to RedMagic’s custom gaming UI. But you’ll now need to press and hold the button rather than simply flicking a switch.
It’s less satisfying and intuitive to use, but on the plus side, it now functions much better as a remappable ‘Magic Key’. Repurposing it as a camera or flashlight shortcut feels more natural now.
RedMagic has bolstered the audio output of the 12 Pro’s Dolby Atmos-certified stereo speakers. You now get a pair of 1115E speakers — they’re more balanced and fuller-sounding, although they lack the low-end kick of the speakers on something like the Poco F9 Ultra.
RedMagic 12 Pro review: Display
- 6.85-inch OLED display
- 185Hz refresh rate
- 1,900 nits maximum brightness
RedMagic has kept the basic dimensions of the 12 Pro Display consistent with its recent antecedents — it’s another large 6.85-inch OLED panel with a 2,688 x 1,216 (1.5K) resolution.
Improvements have been made, however, starting with a move to a new BOE X11 panel material, which has a higher maximum brightness of 1,900 nits (up from 1,800 nits).
It can also hit a higher 185Hz refresh rate, compared to the RedMagic 11 Pro’s 144Hz. Not many games will be able to hit the kind of elevated frame rates to make the most of that spec, but it makes more sense on this gaming-focused phone than any other.
As always, I found RedMagic’s default color profile to be a little too punchy, but a quick rummage around in the Settings menu — and a switch to the Standard mode — saw to that particular problem.
Ultimately, the RedMagic 12 Pro’s display has all of the key strengths we’ve grown accustomed to with the brand. Its large size and unobstructed view — there’s no selfie notch to get in the way of gaming or video content — set it apart from most other phones and make it a great choice for media playback.
RedMagic 12 Pro review: cameras
- 50MP main camera with OIS
- Mediocre 50MP ultra-wide
- No more macro
- 16MP in-display selfie camera remains awful
RedMagic phones have never been particularly impressive in the camera department. We’ve always accepted this fact, albeit somewhat begrudgingly, because of the brand’s tight gaming focus and aggressive pricing.
The RedMagic 12 Pro’s cameras don’t improve matters, and they’re a little harder to defend given the phone’s price bump.
Its camera system is led by a 1/1.56” 50MP OmniVision OV50J sensor. Image quality in good lighting is fine, though it’s nothing you can’t get (or even improve upon) with a decent mid-range phone like the Google Pixel 10a.
Night shots, meanwhile, reveal noisy skies and a distinct lack of detail pulled from the shadows.
Portrait shots are weirdly horrendous, with an oddly fake-looking bokeh effect made worse by a terribly imprecise edge blur around the subject.
(Image credit: Future)
You’re not going to hear me complaining about the loss of the RedMagic 11 Pro’s 2MP macro camera, but it’s technically another cut.
With no dedicated telephoto, zoomed shots are forced to crop in on that main sensor. The results look somewhat soft even at 2x, becoming noticeably grainy at 3x, and downright unusable at 10x.
There’s also a humble 50MP ultra-wide camera with a 1/2.87″ OmniVision OV50D40 sensor. It yields slightly better results in terms of sharpness, though the tone is noticeably cooler and the exposure falls short of the main camera’s equivalent.
Matters degrade further with the RedMagic 12 Pro’s 16MP front camera, which once again suffers badly from its positioning under the phone’s display. While this positioning is an advantage for clean media playback, it renders selfies a fuzzy mess, producing sickly skin tones and smudged details. They’re a write-off.
Video, at least, is moderately impressive on the RedMagic 12 Pro, with support for 4K/120fps enabling reasonably high-quality slo-mo footage. You take your wins where you can get them.
I get that photography isn’t the focus here, but the simple point is that a $899 / £799 smartphone should be taking better pictures in late 2026.
RedMagic 12 Pro review: camera samples
RedMagic 12 Pro review: performance
- Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 chipset
- 12GB or 16GB, or 24GB of RAM
- Extended liquid and active cooling system
The RedMagic 12 Pro is one of the first phones on the market to use Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 chipset. While this 2nm chip is the fastest Android chip on the market at the time of writing, it doesn’t bring about a seismic shift in performance.
Benchmark tests suggest that the RedMagic 12 Pro is barely any faster than the RedMagic 11 Pro and RedMagic 11S Pro (which share the same chip) in CPU terms, according to Geekbench 6.
GPU tests point to a much bigger improvement in GPU terms, with Geekbench 6 GPU scores that are between 16 and 28% faster, depending on the test.
That’s good to hear from a gaming-focused smartphone. Less positive were my 3DMark stress tests, which suggest the RedMagic 12 Pro is worse than its predecessors when it comes to sustained load.
(Image credit: Future)
Its peaks were higher, but its lower scores towards the end of the 20-minute WildLife Extreme Stress Test were quite a bit lower. This resulted in a stability score of 54% compared to 66% on the RedMagic 11 Pro.
Putting aside the possibility that this is a simple driver issue, it would suggest that, while the RedMagic 12 Pro is capable of running faster than its predecessors, it’s not capable of maintaining that flat-out speed quite as well. That’s surprising, given RedMagic has packed in an even more extensive liquid cooling system, plus a large vapor chamber and a faster cooling fan.
Benchmarks aside, the RedMagic 12 Pro performs impeccably in demanding games, running Wuthering Waves at relatively smooth frame rates with high graphical settings.
Ultimately, if you’re after the fastest-performing Android phone on the market right now, you won’t do any better than the RedMagic 12 Pro. Viewed from this angle, that $899 / £799 asking price doesn’t seem so bad at all.
- Performance score: 4.5 / 5
RedMagic 12 Pro review: software
- Fluid yet bland Android 17-based UI
- Game Space gaming UI
- Two Android updates
- Five years of security updates in Europe, three in the US
One of RedMagic’s main weaknesses has always been software, and some credit is due in this department on the RedMagic 12 Pro.
The company has cleaned up its act considerably, to the point where RedMagic OS 12 looks and feels much like most other custom Android UIs from Chinese manufacturers.
Instances of random Chinese text and troublesome bugs are now relatively rare — though I did observe a slight glitch with the DisneyPlus app in picture-in-picture mode. Gone, too, are the ugly screen-dominating widgets.
What’s left is slightly bland and generic, and relatively free of frills or flair, but it works quickly and reliably. Google Feed is placed to the left of the home screen, in all its increasingly AI- and ad-blighted glory.
RedMagic OS still has a bit of a bloatware problem. There are unwanted preinstallations for Booking.com, TikTok, Instagram, and AliExpress, as well as three rubbish games and a duplicate web browser app. But none of that is particularly unusual.
More problematic is the relatively poor level of software support. RedMagic promises a mere two full Android OS updates and up to five years of security updates for Europe. The US only gets three years of the latter.
As ever, the unique selling point here is Game Space UI. Long-press the red button, and this interface will offer you a hub for running, tweaking, and optimizing your games. It’ll also let you crank up the processor or map those capacitive buttons to specific controls within games via a drag-out overlay.
It’s all very busy and nerdy, but that’s just what the doctor ordered with a gaming phone of this caliber.
RedMagic 12 Pro review: Battery life
- Huge 8,400mAh battery
- Multi-day usage
- Comprehensive 80W wired and wireless charging
RedMagic has managed to massively increase the size of the 12 Pro’s battery, despite its slimmed-down chassis. It now runs on a massive 8,400mAh cell, up from 7,500mAh in the RedMagic 11 Pro and its subsequent S variant.
If you don’t stretch the phone’s legs with too many high-end games or a lot of 4K video recording, you could well get through three full days before needing to recharge. On one day of light-to-moderate usage, with 3 hours 40 minutes of screen-on time (and no gaming), I was still left with 72% in the tank.
This hefty battery is, of course, built to allow you to incorporate a couple of hours of heavy-duty 3D gaming into your day, but even then, you should be able to get through a full day without running too low.
When it comes time to recharge, 80W wired and wireless charging keeps things reasonably rapid. It’s not hugely impressive, but given that large capacity, a 50% charge in 30 minutes seems pretty good.
A full charge from empty took me about 72 minutes.
Do note, however, that I was able to use a compatible Nubia charger, and that no such provision comes in the box.
Should you buy the RedMagic 12 Pro?
Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
Design | RedMagic has slimmed its design down a little, and the visible liquid cooling system is fascinating, but this is still a big old phone. | 3.5 / 5 |
Display | The 12 Pro offers a big, bright, unblemished view of media, with a rapid 185Hz maximum refresh rate and no annoying notch to get in the way. | 4 / 5 |
Performance | The Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 ensures this is one of the fastest Android phones around, though there are indications that sustained performance has dropped off a tad. | 4.5 / 5 |
Camera | RedMagic has streamlined its camera offering to pretty middling dual 50MP set-up and a terrible 16MP selfie camera, which isn’t really good enough give the new higher price tag. | 2.5 / 5 |
Battery | With a huge new 8,400mAh cell, the RedMagic 12 Pro’s stamina is seriously impressive, while 80W wired and wireless charging is more than sufficient. | 5 / 5 |
Software | Redmagic OS 12 is cleaner and less annoying than it’s ever been, but it’s still rather functional and drab, and software support is limited. | 3 / 5 |
Value | Consecutive price rises over the past year mean that the RedMagic 12 Pro is far from the bargain that the RedMagic 11 Pro was, though it still offers a lot of bang for your buck. | 3.5 / 5 |
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
RedMagic 12 Pro review: also consider
RedMagic is the only dedicated gaming phone maker on the market, but there are alternative options to consider.
How I tested the RedMagic 12 Pro
- Review test period = 2 weeks
- Testing included = Everyday usage, including web browsing, social media, photography, gaming, streaming video, music playback
- Tools used = Geekbench 6, 3DMark, native Android stats, Nubia 80W power adapter
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I tested the RedMagic 12 Pro for two weeks, using it as I would any other gaming phone. I played demanding titles like Wuthering Waves for extended periods, watched movies and TV shows on apps like Netflix, and browsed the internet and social media during casual-use days.
I tested the phone’s power credentials using benchmark apps including Geekbench 6 and 3DMark, and used a compatible Nubia 80W power adapter to measure its charging speed.
First reviewed: October 2026