Redmi will unveil its gaming smartphone, the Redmi K90 Ultra, in China on June 30. Its standout feature is an active cooling system with a fan built into the body. Rather than the latest chip, Redmi went with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite, paired with a large 8,500mAh battery. With pricing set below 3,000 yuan (about 72,000 yen), it competes on the balance between performance and price.
An Active Cooling Fan Built Into the Body
The K90 Ultra's biggest selling point is the cooling fan integrated into the phone itself. A wide horizontal air outlet sits below the rear camera, actively pushing internal heat out. This is not a clip-on cooler accessory; the cooling mechanism is built directly into the phone's design.
The system reportedly uses the same independent cooling structure as the higher-end K90 Max. By keeping the cooling layer separate from the battery, Redmi can pack in a large cell while maintaining cooling performance and without compromising water and dust resistance. Redmi says this design can bring the device's temperature down significantly in a short time.
When a smartphone runs under heavy load for an extended period, it lowers its clock speeds to manage heat, and performance plateaus. This is known as thermal throttling. By physically blowing air across the components, active cooling aims to curb that slowdown and sustain stable performance even during long gaming sessions. Redmi says the phone can run demanding 3D games at maximum settings for an extended time without the frame rate dropping. These are manufacturer measurements and will vary with the game title and usage conditions.
Why Redmi Chose a Chip That Isn't the Newest
The K90 Ultra runs Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite. That is the previous generation's top-tier chip, not the current Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. The Gen 5 powers the K90 Max, Xiaomi's Xiaomi 17 series, and most of this year's flagships from Vivo, OPPO, and HONOR, and it carries a price premium.
The previous-generation Snapdragon 8 Elite, by contrast, is now a high-performance chip with more reasonable component costs. By pairing it with active cooling, Redmi aims to deliver a gaming experience that holds up over long sessions, at a more accessible price. Skipping the newest chip is not a compromise but a deliberate strategy to keep the price down.
This positioning echoes how HONOR offered its "Win" and "Win RT" gaming phones at different price points. Redmi applies the same two-track logic: the K90 Max for those who want the very latest silicon, and the K90 Ultra for Qualcomm fans who want sustained gaming performance without paying flagship prices.
An 8,500mAh Battery and a 6.89-inch High-Refresh OLED
The battery is a large 8,500mAh unit that supports 100W wired fast charging. Both the capacity and the charging spec have been confirmed through China's 3C certification, and Redmi says a full charge from empty takes roughly 50 minutes. For users who drain their batteries hard while gaming, that adds up to practical everyday usability.
The display is a roughly 6.89-inch 1.5K OLED with a refresh rate of up to 165Hz. Smooth on-screen motion translates directly into how responsive games feel. For biometrics, the phone uses an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor, which is more accurate than optical sensors and responds well even with wet fingers.
It also comes with stereo dual speakers and dual IP68/IP69 water and dust resistance. The first color revealed is Space Silver, where the wide air outlet below the camera doubles as a design accent. Rather than hiding the cooling hardware, the design puts the function on display.
Price and Positioning
The K90 Ultra is priced below 3,000 yuan (about 72,000 yen). That undercuts the higher-end K90 Max, which starts at 3,499 yuan (about 84,000 yen) with the newest chip. Instead of claiming the absolute highest performance, the pricing is geared toward delivering gaming performance that holds up over time at a more affordable level.
*1 yuan = about 24 yen (as of June 2026)
The launch is scheduled for June 30 in China, with more detailed specifications expected to surface in the run-up. For now, this is a China-market announcement, and availability in other regions has not been disclosed.
Summary
The Redmi K90 Ultra is a gaming smartphone that combines an active cooling fan built into the body, a previous-generation but still powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite, and a large 8,500mAh battery. Its distinctive angle is deliberately avoiding the newest chip to keep costs down while targeting a gaming experience that resists slowdown, all for under 3,000 yuan (about 72,000 yen). With a roughly 6.89-inch 165Hz OLED, an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor, and IP68/IP69 protection, it is built for gamers who value the balance of price and sustained performance. The reveal lands June 30, starting with the Chinese market.
