The REDMI K series continues to dominate the domestic flagship smartphone market. The K80 series surpassed one million units sold within just 10 days of release, leaving little competition in the local mobile phone landscape.
Over the past couple of years, the K series has carved out a distinct identity. During the first half of each year, the standard K models aim to deliver maximum value across all aspects, while the Extreme Edition—released in the latter half—focuses primarily on gaming performance. These models typically feature MediaTek Dimensity processors, offering a more aggressive and optimized gaming experience. Compared to their standard counterparts, the Extreme Edition models incorporate high-end 1.5K displays, striking a better balance between power efficiency and visual quality—making them a more practical option for gamers than traditional 2K screens.
Previously, the Extreme Edition devices felt like specialized tools for hardcore gamers, but the Redmi K80 Ultra takes a leap forward with a new vision. Marketed as a high-end performance flagship, it not only brings top-tier gaming capabilities but also delivers a premium tactile and visual experience. It’s the first in the K series to excel in all three dimensions—sight, sound, and touch—earning its place as an all-rounder.
1. Premium Performance: Dimensity 9400+ and Dedicated D2 Graphics Chip
Performance remains the core focus of the Extreme Edition. The Redmi K80 Ultra comes with the cutting-edge Dimensity 9400+ chipset, complemented by the independent D2 graphics chip. This setup enables native hardware-level AI upscaling and frame interpolation, enhancing visuals in demanding games like Genshin Impact, Clash of Clans, and Zero. Unlike software-based solutions, this hardware-level approach ensures smooth, artifact-free gameplay.
Redmi has also integrated its most advanced cooling system yet—a 6500mm² dual-stage ice-sealed loop—making direct contact with the SoC for efficient heat management and rapid cooling.
Xiaomi’s latest Rage Engine 4.0, which taps directly into the chipset’s architecture, boosts performance by optimizing at the micro level. This results in more consistent frame rates, improved energy efficiency, and reduced thermal output during intense gaming sessions.
2. Refined Aesthetics and Build Quality
The Redmi K80 Ultra abandons the traditionally masculine, no-nonsense design in favor of something more refined. While it retains the signature K80 family traits—circular camera module, flat display, and sharp edges—the matte back finish has been noticeably enhanced for a more sophisticated feel, suitable for a broader audience, including female users.
The frame remains metal but now adopts a four-curved wrap-around design similar to the Xiaomi 15, offering a far more ergonomic grip.
On the front, it boasts a 6.83-inch gaming display with ultra-thin bezels and rounded corners for a cleaner, more modern look. The screen includes Qingshan Eye Protection 2.0, featuring 3840Hz PWM dimming and built-in low blue light technology to minimize eye fatigue during extended play.
3. Experience: Sound, Vibration, and Battery Life
The K80 Extreme Edition is not just about raw power—it’s built for an immersive experience across all fronts. It features symmetrical stereo speakers of equal caliber at the top and bottom, delivering balanced, high-quality sound. The CyberEngine motor adds ultra-wideband tactile feedback, enhancing the feel of gameplay and notifications.
Battery life has also been supercharged. The device houses a massive 7410mAh battery—Redmi’s largest to date—paired with the Surge P3 chip and 100W turbo charging. It also supports advanced bypass charging, ensuring players can enjoy long sessions without the device heating up.
On top of these highlights, the phone includes several premium features such as an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, IP68/IP69 water and dust resistance, and offline communication capabilities. All these combine to make the K80 Extreme Edition one of the most comprehensive offerings in the series.
Now, let’s take a closer look at its real-world performance through a series of tests and benchmarks.
Design and Appearance
The Redmi K80 Ultra maintains the signature look of the K80 lineup, with a distinct large circular camera module positioned on the left—making it instantly recognizable as part of the series. The lens deco takes visual cues from celestial star rings, layering circular motifs with precision. These are crafted using advanced CNC machining and fine nano-texturing, resulting in a visually captivating, dynamically balanced ring-like effect.
Our review unit comes in a Sandstone Gray finish, featuring a body made from ultra-lightweight fiberglass. Compared to the K70 Extreme Edition, the device is approximately 6.5 grams lighter and 0.2mm thinner. While these figures might appear minor on paper, the improvement in hand-feel—especially during extended gaming sessions—is noticeable.
On the front, the device boasts a 6.83-inch display built on CSOT’s M9 panel technology. It features generously curved corners, similar to the design seen on the Turbo 4 Pro, aimed at appealing to a younger audience’s visual tastes. The display delivers a 1.5K resolution and supports up to a 144Hz refresh rate. For better gaming interaction, the touch sampling rate has been boosted to an 2560Hz. Paired with a peak brightness of 3200 nits, this screen excels in both clarity and responsiveness.
When it comes to audio, the Redmi K80 Ultra offers the best sound performance yet in Xiaomi’s lineup. It houses top and bottom AAC Technologies 1115-grade speakers—among the highest quality available in smartphones. Their symmetrical positioning prevents audio from being muffled when holding the phone horizontally.
To fully utilize the audio hardware, REDMI has included enhanced sound modes with selectable profiles like bass boost, 3D surround, and vocal clarity, allowing users to customize their listening experience. The device supports 100W fast charging, and ships with a 120W Xiaomi Surge Second Charging Kit in the box, ensuring swift and convenient power-ups right out of the package.
Hardware and Performance
The Redmi K80 Ultra is powered by MediaTek’s most advanced Dimensity 9400+ processor. Built on a cutting-edge 3nm process and a second-generation full-core architecture, this chip delivers exceptional performance with efficient power consumption. It provides a rock-solid hardware platform tailored for high-end user experiences.
Redmi has equipped the entire K80 Extreme series with LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.1 storage as standard, ensuring ultra-fast memory and storage access. Complementing this setup is the dedicated D2 graphics chip, which enhances both frame rates and image quality, allowing the 1.5K display with a 144Hz refresh rate to perform at its full potential during gaming sessions.
To maximize the processor’s capabilities, Redmi introduced its most powerful cooling solution yet—the new-generation 3D Ice-Sealed Circulating Cold Pump System. This upgraded module includes a 6,500mm² dual-stage boss heat dissipation structure, offering a 25% wider thermal coverage than its predecessor in the K70 Extreme. The dual-stage boss shortens the heat path and reduces SoC temperature by about 3°C compared to previous designs.
Additionally, the ergonomic thermal layout minimizes heat buildup in grip-sensitive areas. Coupled with intelligent AI-based thermal regulation, the phone maintains peak performance while ensuring comfortable handling during intense gaming.
We reviewed the 16GB RAM + 1TB storage variant. To test peak performance, we disabled memory expansion and switched to Performance Mode to evaluate raw hardware capabilities, especially in gaming scenarios.
Benchmark Scores
In AnTuTu V10, the K80 Extreme Edition scored nearly 2.96 million points. Breakdown:
- CPU: 603,000
- GPU: 1.313 million
- Memory (MEM): ~530,000
- UX (User Experience): ~510,000
These scores reflect an overall performance boost of over 30% compared to the Dimensity 9300+ chip in the previous K70 Extreme Edition.
Gaming Performance Tests
Tests were conducted in a 27°C room using the Performance Dog tool over WiFi. We focused on four main metrics across three games: frame rate, power draw, energy efficiency, and surface temperature. All games were set to their highest graphical settings and maximum frame rates.
1. Honor of Kings
- Average Frame Rate: 120.3 FPS (on Extreme Quality with 120Hz mode)
- Power Consumption: 2.89W
- Energy Efficiency: 41.6 FPS/W
- Max Temperature (Back): 34.6°C
An AI Game Assistant, powered by the DeepSeek-R1 model, offers real-time strategy tips and performance feedback without obstructing the view—an excellent addition for new and experienced players alike.
2. Genshin Impact
- Test Scenario: 15-minute run in Sumeru City
- Average Frame Rate: 60.1 FPS (fluctuation just 0.2)
- Power Consumption: ~3.8W
- Energy Efficiency: 15.8 FPS/W (approx. 38.9% improvement over K70 Extreme)
- Max Temperature (Back): 38.4°C
The phone maintained consistent performance, excellent thermals, and energy efficiency even under high graphical stress.
3. Honkai Impact 3rd
- Test Scenario: 15-minute run in “Golden Moment” scene
- Early Game Frame Rate: 60 FPS
- Average Frame Rate: 56.1 FPS (notable drop over time)
- Power Consumption: ~7.4W
- Energy Efficiency: 7.58 FPS/W
- Max Temperature (Back): 47.6°C
The demanding nature of this title resulted in significant heat buildup and slight frame drops. Using an external cooling accessory during summer gameplay is recommended for optimal comfort and stability.
Battery Performance
As the flagship model of the K series, the Redmi K80 Ultra is equipped with a massive 7410mAh Xiaomi Jinshajiang battery—the largest ever in the series. It supports 100W high-speed wired charging for rapid power delivery.
Charging Speed
To evaluate charging performance, we first enabled the “Extreme Speed” wired charging mode to unlock the device’s maximum charging potential. With the screen turned off during the test, the phone charged to 25% in 10 minutes, reached 43% in 20 minutes, and hit 60% in 30 minutes. A full charge was completed in just 56 minutes.
Battery Endurance
For assessing battery life, we used the “Battery Dog” tool developed by Fast Technology, which provides a comprehensive simulation of real-world usage. The test involved a 20% battery depletion benchmark and included demanding tasks like high-load CPU operations, multi-threading, AI processing, image and video playback, and web browsing to replicate typical usage patterns.
To maintain consistency and fairness across tests, screen brightness was fixed at 50%, auto-brightness was disabled, and volume was set to 30%.
Under these controlled conditions, the REDMI K80 Extreme Edition lasted 10 hours and 38 minutes before dropping from full charge to 20%—about 1.5 hours longer than the previous K70 Extreme Edition. Based on this, the phone offers around 13 hours of battery life on a full charge, making it more than capable of handling intensive daily usage.
Camera
The Redmi K80 Ultra features a dual-camera setup on the back. Its primary shooter is equipped with a customized Light Hunter 800 sensor—a large 1/1.55-inch unit with an F1.88 aperture and optical image stabilization (OIS). Complementing it is an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens, delivering solid overall imaging performance without any major compromises.
Primary Camera Performance
In daylight, the Light Hunter 800 sensor captures true-to-life photos with impressive detail. Distant buildings and close-up subjects are rendered sharply, even when zoomed in. Color accuracy is another strong point—the camera handles both vibrant hues and soft tones well, preserving natural color gradients and enhancing overall photo appeal.
Low-Light Capabilities
At night, the camera maintains stable performance and good exposure control. It accurately balances highlights and shadows, producing clean images with minimal noise. That said, some glare may appear when shooting against intense light sources, so it’s best to avoid direct lighting in night scenes for optimal results.
Ultra-Wide Lens
For expansive scenes like architecture or landscapes, the ultra-wide-angle lens is highly capable. Its color tuning closely matches that of the main sensor, which helps maintain a consistent visual style across different lenses, making it a practical tool for wide-frame photography.
Verdict
As Xiaomi increasingly asserts its presence in the premium smartphone segment, this year marks a noticeable shift in REDMI’s strategy as well—its entire lineup is clearly aiming higher. The demand for more refined designs, comprehensive feature sets, and flagship-level sophistication is becoming more evident.
In this context, the launch of the Redmi K80 Extreme Edition stands as a milestone. It’s a product that clearly embodies both REDMI and Xiaomi’s evolution.
Carrying the “Extreme” label, the K80 lives up to the title. For the first time in the Supreme Edition series, this model isn’t just about performance or gaming—it’s a fully rounded flagship. It signals a major breakthrough for Xiaomi’s Dimensity series, easily becoming the most capable Dimensity-powered phone the brand has ever released.
Performance-wise, the Redmi K80 Ultra carries forward the series’ high-performance DNA. Featuring a dual-core setup, advanced cooling systems, and the Rage Engine 4.0, it excels not only in delivering high image quality and frame stability but also in managing heat and power consumption remarkably well. It’s arguably the best gaming phone Xiaomi offers—and possibly the best-performing handset using the same platform—thanks to Xiaomi’s in-house 3nm chip innovations.
Take Genshin Impact, for instance—the phone maintains a rock-solid frame rate at full graphical settings with the body temperature maxing out at only 38.4°C, staying comfortably warm. For Honor of Kings, performance at 120Hz results in an even cooler 34.6°C. These enhancements directly benefit gamers, and with the AI game assistant on board, players get seamless support in real time.
Battery life is another major win. With a large 7410mAh cell, it scores an impressive 10 hours and 38 minutes in Battery Dog tests—easily lasting a full day of intense use. The Charge-While-Play Plus feature resolves one of gaming’s biggest pain points—overheating and lag while charging—ensuring smooth gameplay even when plugged in.
After mastering the performance fundamentals, the K80 Extreme raises the bar in all other areas—design, display, camera, audio, haptics, and build quality. It defies the industry norm that gaming phones must compromise on everything else.
With ultra-slim bezels, large R-angle design, advanced Qingshan eye protection, full-brightness DC dimming, and circular polarization tech, the 1.5K resolution display is protected by Xiaomi’s Dragon Crystal Glass and rivals the screen quality of Xiaomi’s top-tier flagships.
Symmetrical dual stereo speakers and a wide-band cyber motor elevate the audiovisual and tactile experience to new heights—outshining anything in its class.
While its camera doesn’t quite rival ultra-premium flagships due to pricing constraints, the inclusion of the Hunter 800 sensor, improved algorithms, and AI-powered imaging marks a major leap forward compared to past Supreme models.
Other highlights include an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner, full IP68/69 water and dust resistance, and support for off-grid communication. While others at this price point are still sacrificing refinement for performance, the K80 Extreme proves that users don’t have to choose. It delivers flagship-level capabilities across the board—ideal for everyday use, not just gaming.
With the Redmi K80 Extreme Edition, REDMI demonstrates bold ambition, and Xiaomi reinforces its commitment to high-end innovation. Positioned as a well-rounded, performance-focused flagship, it’s poised to lead the charge in the competitive 3K segment.
Read Also: The “Moon Rock White” color of the Xiaomi REDMI K80 Ultra Edition has been announced