Every year when I try out the newest gaming phones from RedMagic, I go through the same tired narrative. While the company is often the first to get the latest processor from Qualcomm and outfit itself with optimized specs for gaming, its software remains one of the worst iterations of Android.
In previous years, I've felt that we could explain some of the compromises due to several factors, such as RedMagic's speed to market for delivering a phone powered by the most powerful processor available. The company also often sells its gaming phone at a lower price than rivals from Asus and OnePlus.
However, with the volume of competition entering the phone market in the $749 price range (the RedMagic 11 Pro's starting price), I no longer find RedMagic's software tolerable. And it's unfortunate, because on the hardware side, there are a lot of cool quality-of-life improvements that would otherwise make the phone a great value if its software could just get with the times.
Mortal Kombat Mobile can run at 144 frames per second on the RedMagic 11 Pro. Joseph Maldonado/CNET
RedMagic OS creates headaches that hurt the phone
RedMagic OS made a lot of choices that make the experience of using its gaming phones intolerable, especially if you actually plan to have the device as your main phone.
I took this photo while attending a recent event held by processor-maker MediaTek, realizing later that the RedMagic 11 Pro was adding its watermark to the photos. Mike Sorrentino/CNET
There are several questionable default settings, some of which cannot be removed. The most egregious is a default RedMagic watermark placed on photos, which automatically adds RedMagic's logo and some photo information to the bottom of any picture you take. Fortunately, it can be disabled in the Camera app's settings.
While it's understandable that the camera may take a backseat on a phone that prioritizes gaming and media experiences, it's unusual for RedMagic to initially impose itself on the photos that you do take. A RedMagic representative said that the watermark can "display key shooting parameters to help users understand their photography settings and make adjustments in future shots."
That might sound like an advantageous spin, but it's easy enough to view that information in the Photos app. And if you're learning about photography, similarly priced phones like the Google Pixel 10 use an AI-based Camera Coach system to provide assistance. There's no good reason to visually imprint its settings on your photos, especially by default.
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