If the Redmagic 10 Pro were a D&D character, it would have all its stat points in strength. It’s one of the best gaming phones, made to plow through heavy games at maximum FPS for hours at a time. Shape and appearance play second fiddle. However, its design inspired this article. The Redmagic 10 Pro is unique in today’s landscape in the way it disregards convention. While it won’t win beauty contests, other phone makers should take notice when conceptualizing their next enthusiast-grade products.
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The Redmagic 10 Pro: How is it different?
Going against convention
You don’t have to be an industry insider to know that most modern phones look the same, more or less. The key differentiating factor tends to be the camera island, the raised area surrounding the multiple lenses of the camera system. The accent is on “raised” here.
Camera islands tend to be large and thick, sometimes obnoxiously so. That’s understandable. We want better photos, and good cameras occupy more space. However, protruding cameras can be an eyesore and make your phone wobble. More annoyingly, phone companies try hard to make the rest of the phone as thin as possible. Why bother?
Embracing thickness in the name of performance
The Redmagic 10 Pro throws convention out the window. At 8.9mm, it embraces thickness and gains valuable internal space, which is used for more than an advanced cooling system.
For starters, it has a humongous 7050mAh dual-cell battery with up to 100W fast charging. It’s miles ahead of what the best Android phones offer. This phone is slightly thicker than the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.
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Secondly, there isn’t a camera bump to speak of. Granted, the Redmagic 10 Pro has a modest camera system that takes below-average photos, but again, the phone is about as thick as a Galaxy S24 Ultra. A solid camera setup can fit in there if the phone maker wants to add one.
Thirdly, some phones with extremely powerful cameras tend to be top-heavy. A larger battery keeps the phone’s center of mass closer to its middle or bottom, potentially making it more comfortable to hold. Despite its large battery, the Redmagic 10 Pro weighs an acceptable 233 grams. Again, about the same as the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Why is nobody making thicker phones with no camera islands?
Hint: companies chase what sells better
I believe there are several reasons why phones designed like the Redmagic 10 Pro aren’t common. Prime among them is the camera. Good cameras take up physical space, which is why they stick out on the best camera phones. They’re over 12mm thick in some cases.
Shoppers may judge a phone’s camera capabilities by its camera island. This is what a representative of a popular smartphone brand shared with me in a chat last year, based on research done by the company. In other words, to the average consumer, a more pronounced camera bump signals better photos. Additionally, when all phones look the same from the front, and the rear design is a strong differentiating element. Phone makers may not have much incentive to hide it.
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The in-hand feel may also be a key factor. A phone thinner at the bottom, where the user holds it, may evoke a premium feel in the eyes of a prospective buyer. Even when shopping online, the specs of most phones state the thickness without the camera area. The thickness of the camera bump is rarely (if ever) stated by the manufacturer, which makes sense when thinness has long been associated with premium devices.
I wish Redmagic’s design could inspire the big guys
Some phones are tailored for enthusiasts, such as the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max, to name a few. There’s little to gain by making enthusiast phones thinner when they’re already large and sporting huge camera bumps.
Instead, phone makers should be inspired by Redmagic and design thicker, high-performance products. I’m not saying a 12mm camera bump should be completely flush. However, it’s amazing what an extra millimeter can allow. A bigger battery, more efficient cooling, and faster charging are advantages the target demographic will appreciate.
There’s good news if you don’t care about any of this. Samsung Galaxy S25 rumors claim that the entire series will be slightly thinner. If those aren’t slim enough, the company may release a super-thin Galaxy S25 Slim model to rival Apple’s rumored iPhone 17 Air. Whether that model is worth being excited about remains to be seen.
