Technologies

We Pit These Two Weird-Looking Android Gaming Phones Head to Head

OnePlus 15 vs. RedMagic 11 Pro: These powerful gaming-optimized phones look completely different, and each takes a different tactic to make the most of their high-end hardware.

From a design standpoint, the OnePlus 15 and RedMagic 11 Pro are almost complete opposites. OnePlus aims to evoke a premium design and sleek aesthetics, while the angular, futuristic-looking RedMagic 11 Pro looks like something out of a sci-fi movie.

However, they share nearly identical internal specifications and are both heavily focused on gaming. The OnePlus 15 aims to be a flagship phone that also delivers a strong gaming experience, while the RedMagic 11 Pro is, first and foremost, a gaming phone that also handles everyday smartphone tasks.

They’re both incredibly powerful, and each one makes different trade-offs to deliver a uniquely distinct experience.

Display

Big, beautiful, fast displays are front and center here and are impressive both technically and visually. The RedMagic 11 Pro houses an almost perfectly rectangular 6.85-inch AMOLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate. OnePlus went with a 6.78-inch in. OLED panel with a 120 Hertz refresh rate that can ramp up to 165 Hz during supported games.

The AMOLED panel on the RedMagic 11 Pro shows better colors, and the higher refresh rate gives it the edge here. Plus, RedMagic has been hiding its selfie cameras under the display for a few years now, so the screen is truly edge-to-edge, with no camera cutout. It’s a bit more angled than most other phones, but not uncomfortable, and the huge, gorgeous display is wonderful to look at.

Performance

The RedMagic 11 Pro and the OnePlus 15 have nearly identical spec sheets. Both house the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 with similar storage configurations of 12GB or 16GB of RAM and 256GB or 512GB of storage. RedMagic does have an advantage here, offering a maxed-out version with 24GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, but most people won’t need that much power. However, considering that version is the same price as the 16GB and/ 512GB edition OnePlus 15, that’s a value-oriented point for RedMagic.

RedMagic and OnePlus have both designed proprietary processors to accompany Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 to help boost gaming performance, and the result is two phones that simply fly. I never once experienced any slowdowns or stutters anywhere across the software. No matter what I did, neither phone ever seemed to slow down.

Battery and charging

Both phones have massive batteries, with the OnePlus 15 coming in at 7,300-mAh and the RedMagic 11 Pro squeezing out a bit more juice at 7,500-mAh. Both will easily get you through two days — as long as you keep gaming to a minimum.

Both devices thankfully support fast charging, and it’s some of the fastest in the industry, especially in the US. Each can charge at up to 80-watt speeds over wired charging, and both come with an 80W charger in the box, which is frustratingly rare these days. OnePlus charges over the proprietary SuperVooc standard, which means you’ll need to use that included power adapter in order to achieve the phone’s fastest speed. Meanwhile, RedMagic uses the more universal USB-PD standard, so its charging brick can also fast charge other devices.

Wireless charging is available on both devices — a first for RedMagic. Even more impressive is how fast they can charge wirelessly. OnePlus was the first (and is still the only) company to bring 50W wireless charging to the US a few years ago. RedMagic claims that the 11 Pro can charge at up to 80W wirelessly. That’s an absolutely absurd claim and one I sadly cannot test, as the only 80W wireless charger I could find is made by Xiaomi and thus not available here in the States. OnePlus achieves that faster speed using the AirVooc standard — so again, you’ll need the wireless charger that OnePlus makes in order to get the faster 50W speed. While we can’t test the 80W wireless charging claim, we do know that the phone works with the more universal Qi wireless charging standard.

Gaming

RedMagic has built its entire ethos around mobile gaming, and the 11 Pro is the epitome of that. The lack of camera bump means it’s perfectly flat, so it feels better in your hand and fits into mobile controllers better. There are touch-sensitive shoulder triggers on the right side that can act as a touch point on the screen. For example, setting the left one to aiming and the right to fire in Call of Duty: Mobile easily makes the phone feel more like a gaming controller. There’s even a dedicated cooling fan built into the side to keep the phone cool during longer gaming sessions.

The pinnacle of it all is a feature that’s still a rarity on all but the highest-end gaming PCs: a self-contained liquid cooling system. On the Nightfreeze and Subzero models, you can actually see the electric-blue cooling liquid inside the phone. Turn it on, and the liquid will literally flow across the internals to help maintain peak gaming performance for longer than ever.

This may all seem a bit overkill (and it absolutely is for almost everyone), but it really sets RedMagic apart.

OnePlus takes a different approach, aiming to be a more traditional smartphone that still excels at gaming. On the OnePlus 15, the dedicated touch sampling and Wi-Fi processors, along with a proprietary internal cooling system, are specifically designed to squeeze out as much performance as possible while gaming.

And it works. Highly demanding games such as Call of Duty: Mobile, Genshin Impact, PUBG and Wuthering Heights — among others — all ran flawlessly on the OnePlus 15. In Call of Duty, I very rarely dropped below 165 frames per second, which is substantially higher than the average gaming PC can sustain.

Both companies also add software features to improve the gaming experience. OnePlus offers a preinstalled app called Game Assistant that lets you tweak settings for each game. RedMagic goes a step further to give you a hardware button that launches Game Space. This is essentially a separate launcher that almost turns your phone into a mini console. It also lets you modify settings, but it offers far more options to tweak, including an in-game overlay where you can install plugins and macros for extremely granular customization.

Software

Aside from the wildly different aesthetics, the software experiences are also worlds apart. OnePlus has taken more than a few cues from Apple’s Liquid Glass design language for OxygenOS 16, but the overall experience remains very fast, very smooth and fairly close to Google’s intended version of Android. It’s still one of my favorite takes on the operating system.

The RedMagic 11 Pro knows it’s a gaming phone through and through. Thankfully, RedMagic has heavily toned down the wildly over-the-top gaming-focused design elements over the years, but they’re still readily apparent throughout the software. The company also preloads the phone with an unacceptable amount of bloatware and useless apps, some of which cannot be uninstalled.

CNET senior editor Mike Sorrentino came away feeling rather disappointed in the software experience on the RedMagic 11 Pro during his testing, but I personally didn’t find it too unbearable. Nearly all of the issues he and I have with the software are the same ones I’ve had with Samsung’s software for years — and, ultimately, most of them are easy enough to avoid.

But without question, this one goes to OnePlus.

Price and availability

Prices for both RedMagic and OnePlus phones have steadily increased over the years to the point where both sit squarely in flagship territory. The OnePlus 15 starts at $899 for 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage and jumps up to $999 for the 16GB and 512GB version. The base model only comes in black, but OnePlus typically offers the top-tier models at the lower price during launch.

The RedMagic 11 Pro starts at $749 for the 12GB of RAM and 256GB model and also goes up $100 to $849 for the 16GB and 512GB model. The top-end configuration of 24GB of RAM and 1TB of storage costs $999 — the same price as the lower-specced OnePlus 15.

Both devices will be available in most regions. The OnePlus 15 will be on sale at Best Buy, Amazon and the OnePlus website, although the ultra violet color option will only be available in limited quantities at Amazon and OnePlus. The RedMagic 11 Pro will be available on RedMagic’s website and Amazon.

OnePlus 15 vs. RedMagic 11 Pro

OnePlus 15	RedMagic 11 Pro
6.78-inch OLED, 2,772×1,272 pixels; 1-120 Hz adaptive refresh rate (up to 165 Hz for gaming)	6.85-inch AMOLED; 2,688 x 1,216 pixels; 144 Hz refresh rate
450 ppi	430 ppi
6.36 x 3.02 x 0.32 in	6.44 x 3.01 x 0.35 in
161 x 77 x 8.2 mm	164 x 77 x 8.9 mm
215 g (7.58 oz)	230 g (8.1 oz)
Android 16	Android 16
50-megapixel (wide), 50-megapixel (ultrawide), 50-megapixel (3.5x telephoto)	50-megapixel (wide), 50-megapixel (ultrawide), 2-megapixel
32-megapixel	16-megapixel
8K	8K
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5
12GB + 256GB, 16GB + 512GB	12GB + 256GB, 16GB + 512GB, 24GB + 1TB
None	None
7,300-mAh	7,500-mAh
Under display	Under display
USB-C	USB-C
None	Yes
4 years of OS updates; 6 years of security updates; Bluetooth 6.0; Comes with 80W wall charger	3 years of OS updates and security updates, AquaCore liquid cooling, cooling fan, Game Space, 80W wired charging (charger included), 80W wireless charging
$900 (256GB)	$749 (256GB)

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Feb. 18, #513

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Feb. 18, No. 513.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition has a fun yellow category that might just start you singing. If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but it does in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: I don’t care if I never get back.

Green group hint: Get that gold medal.

Blue group hint: Hoops superstar.

Purple group hint: Not front, but…

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Heard in «Take Me Out to the Ball Game.»

Green group: Olympic snowboarding events.

Blue group: Vince Carter, informally.

Purple group: ____ back.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is heard in «Take Me Out to the Ball Game.» The four answers are Cracker Jack, home team, old ball game and peanuts.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is Olympic snowboarding events. The four answers are big air, giant slalom, halfpipe and slopestyle.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is Vince Carter, informally. The four answers are Air Canada, Half-Man, Half-Amazing, VC and Vinsanity.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is ____ back. The four answers are diamond, drop, quarter and razor.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Wednesday, Feb. 18

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Feb. 18.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s Mini Crossword is a fun one, and it’s not terribly tough. It helps if you know a certain Olympian. Read on for all the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: ___ Glenn, Olympic figure skater who’s a three-time U.S. national champion
Answer: AMBER

6A clue: Popcorn size that might come in a bucket
Answer: LARGE

7A clue: Lies and the Lying ___ Who Tell Them» (Al Franken book)
Answer: LIARS

8A clue: Close-up map
Answer: INSET

9A clue: Prepares a home for a new baby
Answer: NESTS

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Bold poker declaration
Answer: ALLIN

2D clue: Only U.S. state with a one-syllable name
Answer: MAINE

3D clue: Orchestra section with trumpets and horns
Answer: BRASS

4D clue: «Great» or «Snowy» wading bird
Answer: EGRET

5D clue: Some sheet music squiggles
Answer: RESTS

Technologies

The Witcher 3, Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 Bring the Heat to Xbox Game Pass

Two amazing games will be available soon for Xbox Game Pass subscribers.

The second half of February and early March could be considered one of the best stretches in recent memory for Xbox Game Pass subscribers. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, widely regarded as one of the best games of the past decade, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 headline a lineup that leans heavily into sprawling, choice-driven adventures but does throw in some football to mix things up a bit.

Xbox Game Pass offers hundreds of games you can play on your Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Amazon Fire TV, smart TV, PC or mobile device, with prices starting at $10 a month. While all Game Pass tiers offer you a library of games, Game Pass Ultimate ($30 a month) gives you access to the most games, as well as Day 1 games, meaning they hit Game Pass the day they go on sale.

Here are all the latest games subscribers can play on Game Pass. You can also check out other games the company added to the service in early February, including Madden NFL 26.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition

Available on Feb. 19 for Game Pass Ultimate and Premium Game Pass subscribers.

The Witcher 3 came out 10 years ago, and it’s still being praised as one of the best games ever made. To celebrate, developer CD Projekt Red is bringing over The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Edition to Xbox Game Pass. Subscribers will be able to play The Witcher 3 and its expansions, Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine. Players once more take on the role of monster-slayer Geralt, who goes on an epic search for his daughter, Ciri. As he pieces together what happened to her, he comes across vicious monsters, devious spirits, and the most evil of humans who seek to end his quest.

Death Howl

Available on Feb. 19 for Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass subscribers.

Death Howl is a dark fantasy tactical roguelike that blends turn-based grid combat with deck-building mechanics. Players move across compact battlefield maps, weighing positioning and card synergies to survive increasingly difficult encounters. Progression comes through incremental upgrades that reshape each run. Battles reward careful planning, as overextending or mismanaging your hand can quickly end a run.

EA Sports College Football 26

Available on Feb. 19 for Game Pass Ultimate subscribers.

EA Sports College Football 26 delivers a new take on college football gameplay with enhanced offensive and defensive mechanics, smarter AI and dynamic play-calling that reflects real strategic football systems. Featuring over 2,800 plays and more than 300 real-world coaches with distinct schemes, it offers expanded Dynasty and Road to Glory modes where team building and personnel decisions matter. On the field, dynamic substitutions, improved blocking and coverage logic make matches feel more fluid and tactical.

Dice A Million

Available on Feb. 25 for Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers.

Dice A Million centers on rolling and managing dice to build toward increasingly higher scores. Each round asks players to weigh risk against reward, deciding when to bank points and when to push for bigger combinations. Progression introduces modifiers and new rules that subtly shift probabilities, making runs feel distinct while keeping the core loop focused on calculated gambling.

Towerborne

Available on Feb. 26 for Game Pass Ultimate, PC, and Premium Game Pass subscribers.

After months in preview, Towerborne will get its full release on Xbox Game Pass. The fast-paced action game blends procedural dungeons and light RPG progression, with players fighting through waves of enemies. You’ll unlock permanent upgrades between runs and equip weapons, spells and talents that change how combat feels each time. The core loop pushes risk versus reward as you dive deeper into tougher floors, adapting builds on the fly, and mastering movement and timing to survive increasingly chaotic battles.

Final Fantasy 3

Available on March 3 for Game Pass Ultimate, Premium and PC Game Pass subscribers.

Another Final Fantasy game is coming to Xbox Game Pass. This time, it’s Final Fantasy 3, originally released on the Famicom (the Japanese version of the NES) back in 1990. Since then, Final Fantasy 3 has been ported to a slew of devices and operating systems, including the Nintendo Wii, iOS and Android. Now, you’ll be able to play on your Xbox or PC with a Game Pass subscription. A new group of heroes is once again tasked with saving the world before it’s covered in darkness. Four orphans from the village of Ur find a Crystal of Light in a secret cave, which tasks them as the new Warriors of Light. They’ll have to stop Xande, an evil wizard looking to use the power of darkness to become immortal.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2

Available on March 3 for Game Pass Ultimate, Premium and PC Game Pass subscribers.

Last year was stacked with amazing games, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 was one of the best. Developer Warhorse Studios’ RPG series takes place in the real medieval kingdom of Bohemia, which is now the Czech Republic, and tasks players with a somewhat realistic gaming experience where you have to use the weapons, armor and items from those times. The sequel picks up right after the first game (also on Xbox Game Pass) as Henry of Skalitz is attacked by bandits, which starts a series of events that disrupts the entire country.

Games leaving Game Pass in February

For February, Microsoft is removing four games. If you’re still playing them, now’s a good time to finish up what you can before they’re gone for good on Feb. 28.

For more on Xbox, discover other games available on Game Pass now, and check out our hands-on review of the gaming service. You can also learn about recent changes to Game Pass.