This phone was provided, on loan, by RedMagic for review. No money was exchanged and no links in this article are monetized.
The REDMAGIC 10 Air is more than a phone for mobile gamers and tech enthusiasts. It’s more than a powerful phone at a budget-friendly price. To me, it’s exactly what a phone should be in 2025: shockingly thin and light, with a display that amazes me every time I use it. Yes, it has the power to be a very good gaming phone. It is not, however, as performant as it’s thicker siblings (RedMagic 10 Pro and 10S Pro). But for those seeking a phone-first, and gaming phone at a close second, the RedMagic 10 Air should be a compelling choice.
It’s priced at just $549, which I knew going into this review. But once I unboxed the phone, I had to double check I was sent the correct phone. In a world where an iPhone 16 Pro Max starts at $1100, how the heck is the Air just $549?!
Design and Durability
The 10 Air lives up to its “Air” moniker, featuring a thinner (7.85 mm) and lighter (205g) build compared to the 10 Pro and 10S Pro. This contributes to a more comfortable in-hand feel, despite a mere 24g difference from the Pro model. Truly, I do like the heft and thick design of the Pro phones, but under direct comparison, the Air feels much better. Its design maintains RedMagic’s gaming aesthetic but with a more subdued look, and it boasts an ultra-thin matte metal body with anti-glare glass etching that resists fingerprints better than my Surface Pro 11 tablet.
A key distinction from its Pro siblings is the absence of an active cooling fan, which means it lacks the ventilation opening found on the Pro and 10S Pro. This design choice makes the 10 Air better sealed and less prone to dust or water ingress through a vent, allowing for its IP54 rating. This rating indicates protection against limited dust ingress and water splashes from all directions, though you should avoid dropping it in a body of water. Even with this rating, RedMagic was able to allow for some additional lighting options on the back of the phone. I’ve set mine to match the “Flare” colorway.
The entire phone is sleek and nearly all-black along the outside. There is an orange button (color varies by colorway) on the left that, when pressed and held for a moment, will activate RedMagic’s Game Space, where you can customize your in-game performance settings.
The 10 Air does have a slight camera bump that can cause some wobble when laid flat, though it’s way less pronounced than on many other phones. The 10 Pro, on the other hand, is completely flat. Reference my video review for a demonstration.
Immersive Display
The 10 Air features a 6.8-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 2480 x 1116 pixels. While slightly lower in resolution than the 10 Pro’s 2688×1216, the difference is minimal and unnoticeable in daily use. I used the Air side by side with both the 10 Pro and 10S Pro – I could not tell the difference. The screen offers a high refresh rate of up to 120Hz and an instant touch sampling rate of 2000Hz, ensuring smooth visuals and responsive touch input for gaming and general use.
I take quite a few selfies, but not enough to be snobbish about it, which matters because this phone can’t compare with Samsung or Apple’s $1000+ flagships. In exchange, however, the front camera is under the display, which allows for a truly uninterrupted full-screen experience with an impressive 93.7% screen-to-body ratio. The display can reach a peak brightness of 1600 nits, providing good readability even in direct sunlight. However, due to its passive cooling, it may not sustain this peak brightness as long as the actively cooled Pro models when exposed to heat.
Side quest: if you’re like me, and you like to read outdoors, even in direct sunlight, consider the new RedMagic Astra 9″ tablet. It has an active cooling system!
Performance and Cooling System
Powering the 10 Air is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, coupled with fast LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 storage. While not as performant as the “Elite” chip found in the 10 Pro, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 still offers more than enough power for demanding mobile games. The phone also incorporates the RedCore R3 and Energy Cube Technology to enhance various aspects of performance, including haptics, audio, and power efficiency.
For cooling, the 10 Air leverages RedMagic’s ICE-X cooling system with a 9-layer design, including a vapor chamber, liquid metal, graphene, and copper insulation. Crucially, unlike the Pro versions, this system is passive, meaning it lacks an active fan. This passive cooling, while contributing to the phone’s slim design and dust/water resistance, means the device may struggle to maintain peak performance over extended, demanding gaming sessions. I’ve read of other users measuring maximum temperatures of up to 60-65°C, under stress. While it can still handle games like Genshin Impact at 45°C after an hour, its sustained performance doesn’t quite match that of the 10 Pro.
Power and Connectivity
The 10 Air is equipped with a 6,000 mAh battery, which is quite large for a phone at this price. This capacity, combined with an energy-efficient processor, contributes to long battery life. I’ve read reports estimating the phone can last well over 20 hours. It also supports 80W fast charging, allowing for a full charge in approximately 48-52 minutes.
For connectivity, the phone supports the latest standards, including Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, 5G, and NFC. It also features Dual SIM compatibility. Verizon claims it cannot fully support the phone, but I’ve read of customers who have no real-world challenges using the 10 Air, or other RedMagic phones, on Verizon’s network in the United States.
Gaming-Centric Features
As a gaming phone, the REDMAGIC 10 Air is packed with features designed to enhance the experience:
- Touch-sensitive shoulder triggers: These offer a rapid 520Hz response rate, complete with RGB lighting, aiding in precise control for fast-paced games.
- Customizable Magic Key: A physical slide button on the side can be configured to launch Game Space, the camera, flashlight, voice recorder, or quickly switch sound modes. While there’s no native option to disable it completely, third-party apps might offer a workaround.
- X-Gravity Gaming Center: This allows for extensive customization, including screencasting, connecting external peripherals like keyboards and console controllers, and utilizing various plugin features.
- Gaming Plugins: These include “Scout Mode” for zooming on distant enemies, “AI Trigger” for automatic actions, “Custom Crosshair,” “Motion Control” for mapping physical movements to in-game actions, “Multi-Screen Mode” for connecting other REDMAGIC devices as secondary screens, and tools for tracking game events and flexible recording.
- SmartCast: Enables high-quality, low-latency wireless screen casting for a bigger display.
- Audio Excellence: Features DTS:X certified stereo speakers with Qualcomm Snapdragon Sound tuning and a super linear motor for powerful vibration feedback, enhancing immersion.
Camera and Audio Experience
The camera setup includes a dual 50-megapixel rear camera system (main and ultra-wide) capable of capturing decent everyday shots and 4K video with stabilization. However, the 16-megapixel under-display front camera is a noticeable weak point, especially in low-lighting conditions. But that’s the trade off for the uninterrupted full-screen design.
Beyond gaming, the dual stereo speakers with DTS:X certification deliver a full audio experience for media consumption, which, for me, is mainly YouTube videos.
Software Experience and Daily Usability
The RedMagic 10 Air runs on the latest REDMAGIC OS 10, based on Android 15. It also integrates Google Gemini AI for various smart tasks like photo search, image editing, real-time translations, and conversational assistance. I’d like to see more of a stock Android approach, and the ability to swipe for a Google News feed. I tried to replace the launcher with Niagara but that didn’t work properly as Niagara was stuck in landscape mode.
On the daily, I found the battery, display, and responsiveness to all be stellar. I can’t believe this phone is under $1000.
Who is this for?
Firstly, the RedMagic 10 Air an excellent choice for mobile gamers who want high performance without the premium price tag of a flagship device. It features the powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, which offers more than enough power for demanding mobile games. Gamers will appreciate its dedicated features like touch-sensitive shoulder buttons with RGB lighting and a 520Hz response rate, along with the customizable Magic Key that can launch Game Space for various “plugin features” to enhance gameplay, such as Scout Mode, AI Trigger, Custom Crosshair, and Motion Control. The immersive 6.8-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and an under-display front camera ensures an uninterrupted full-screen gaming experience.
Secondly, it’s ideal for users who value a sleeker, lighter design with enhanced durability for everyday use compared to its Pro counterparts. Its thinner (7.85 mm) and lighter (205g) build makes it easier to handle, and unlike the Pro models, it lacks an active cooling fan vent, which contributes to its IP54 rating for dust and splash resistance. This makes it a more “splash-proof” option for daily life, addressing concerns about dust or water ingress that active fans might present.
Finally, it’s a strong option for individuals seeking a phone with robust battery life for extended use. With a generous 6,000 mAh battery and 80W fast charging, it can provide significant uptime, allowing users to potentially go longer between charges. This makes it suitable for users who prioritize longevity and don’t want to constantly worry about charging their device, even when using it for non-gaming tasks.
You can learn more directly from RedMagic’s site, found here.