REDMAGIC 11 Air: launch dates, specs, early access

REDMAGIC 11 Air release dates and early access

The REDMAGIC 11 Air is the next slimmer gaming phone from ZTE’s nubia team, following the REDMAGIC 11 Pro. It builds on the REDMAGIC 10 Air with a faster platform and, for the first time in the Air line, an active cooling fan. The company says the phone launches globally on January 29, with open sales starting February 11. There’s also an early access window on February 10 for buyers who grab an early bird voucher from the official store at redmagic.gg (available until February 10).

Design and display

REDMAGIC keeps the Air-series focus on a lighter build than the Pro models. The 11 Air measures 7.85mm thick and weighs 207g, compared to 8.9mm and 230g for the 11 Pro. Up front, it uses a 6.85-inch OLED panel with a flat, rectangular look and no camera cutout. Resolution is 1,216 x 2,688px, and REDMAGIC lists a 144Hz refresh rate along with 960Hz touch sampling.

Snapdragon 8 Elite performance and cooling

Performance is led by the Snapdragon 8 Elite paired with the new RedCore R4 chip, replacing Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and RedCore R3 from the prior Air model. REDMAGIC says the RedCore R4 handles super resolution and frame generation, aiming to lift game frame rates to better match the high refresh display. It also highlights a TSMC 4nm build, an Oryon CPU up to 4.32GHz, and an Adreno 830 GPU clocked at 1,250MHz. Memory options go up to 16GB LPDDR5X RAM and 512GB storage, now using UFS 4.1 rather than UFS 4.0.

Cooling is one of the big functional changes. The REDMAGIC ICE Cooling System adds a 24,000rpm turbo fan, a larger vapor chamber with 40% higher heat diffusion efficiency, and a graphene layer. An AI-assisted thermal management system is used to shift power between CPU and GPU and adjust fan speed to reduce the chances of thermal throttling during longer sessions.

Battery, charging, and gaming controls

Despite the slim body, REDMAGIC says the 2026 Air model steps up to a 7,000mAh battery, which is 1,000mAh more than the 10 Air. Charging is rated at 80W, and Charge Separation (battery bypass) is included to reduce heat by powering the phone directly during play. For input, there are shoulder triggers with a 520Hz sampling rate, and the company says the redesigned triggers also work better in vertical games. Controls are managed through the X-Gravity Gaming Center, while a Magic Key provides quick access to gaming features.

Cameras and audio

The camera setup is built around a 50MP main camera using a 1/1.55-inch OV5E sensor with an f/1.89 lens and OIS, plus an 8MP ultra-wide. REDMAGIC also mentions APL coating to reduce glare, and the rear camera bump is kept close to flush with the back. On the front, a 16MP under-display selfie camera (1/2.77-inch OV16EQ) sits behind the OLED panel, keeping the screen free of punch holes. Audio includes stereo speakers with DTS:X Ultra, and there’s an X-axis linear motor for haptics.

Pricing and availability

The REDMAGIC 11 Air comes in Phantom and Prism finishes, both using a transparent-style design with RGB lighting effects. Open sales start globally on February 11, while early access begins February 10 for voucher holders; the voucher can also be redeemed for a $30/€30 discount and a free REDMAGIC Phone Stand, according to the company. Listed pricing starts at $529 in the US and €499 in Europe for the 12GB/256GB model, while the 16GB/512GB option is listed at $629 and €599. Availability spans North America, Europe, the UK, Asia Pacific, GCC countries, and Latin America, with Vietnam, Thailand, and Turkey scheduled to receive the phone later in the year.

If you want a quick spec recap, REDMAGIC 11 Air debuts with the Snapdragon 8 Elite platform, a 6.85-inch 144Hz OLED, and a 7,000mAh battery, while adding active cooling to the Air line for the first time.