RedMagic 11: Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 Powerhouse with IP68 Cooling Fan Leaks
The RedMagic 11 is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing releases in the smartphone world in 2025. Imagine a phone that dares to stick an actual cooling fan inside, while still saying, “Yeah, go ahead, drop me in some water and dust, I’ll survive.” That’s what’s happening here. I’ll be honest, when I first heard about it, I did a double-take—active cooling is something I associate with gaming rigs, not what’s rattling around in my back pocket. But apparently Nubia’s RedMagic sub-brand just loves shaking up expectations.
So, what’s the deal? At the heart of it all sits Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 chipset, which isn’t even out yet. Qualcomm plans to drop it in September, and you can bet all the RedMagic fans (and a fair few spec nerds) have that date circled in red. The Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 is expected to bring the usual “seriously fast” vibes—think better performance, more efficiency, probably way more than most of us use in real life, but hey, it's a gaming phone: excess is the point.
But the real head-turner? RedMagic 11 is reportedly the first phone ever to boast both an active cooling fan and a proper IP68 rating—so dust and water resistance. Oppo made waves last month with their K13 Turbo phones and their own waterproof fans, but they couldn’t offer the dust-proofing. RedMagic is now—if you’re the sort who cares about having the absolute latest—staking its claim as the “first” to achieve this particular combo. It almost feels like a collector’s item for phone geeks. I can already picture someone at a tech meet-up gleefully submerging theirs just to prove a point (I am that someone).
Not that this is just about raw specs. The inclusion of a built-in fan signals that Nubia’s still committed to making gaming devices for folks who really play, for hours, on high settings, without roasting their palms. Past RedMagic phones have been, well, bold in their design and have had their quirks—but they’ve also built up a loyal following precisely because they take risks. Now, with the IP68 seal, they’re saying you don’t have to baby their phone between matches, either.
As for price and launch date? Things are still hush-hush, but Nubia’s general manager Jiang Chao has confirmed the phone is real and coming before the year’s out. Will it be expensive? Almost certainly, but in the turbo-charged world of gaming phones, it’s almost never about “value”—it’s about walking around with a phone that can cool itself, survive a dip, and spark instant envy from anyone who cares about the difference between IP68 and IPX9.
It remains to be seen just how well the RedMagic 11 will juggle performance, battery life, and that all-new fan. But if you’re the person whose phone runs hotter than your coffee during marathon gaming sessions—or you just collect weird, bold tech for the bragging rights—the RedMagic 11 is definitely one to watch. Personally, I can’t wait to see those inevitable “I dropped my gaming phone in a creek, and it LIVES!” posts from the first batch of users.
