Physical fans inside gaming phones are getting their biggest push yet

Xiaomi's Redmi K90 Max could bring built-in cooling fans out of niche gaming phones and into the mainstream.

By Pranob Mehrotra Published April 7, 2026

Xiaomi Redmi K90 Max teaser image. — Xiaomi/Weibo

Xiaomi looks set to take active cooling in smartphones out of the niche and into the mainstream with the upcoming Redmi K90 Max. While built-in fans aren’t new, they’ve mostly been limited to over-the-top gaming phones so far. With Xiaomi now preparing to jump on the bandwagon, the technology could finally reach a much wider audience.

What do we know about the Redmi K90 Max’s cooling system?

In a recent series of teasers on Weibo, Xiaomi President Lu Weibing revealed that the Redmi K90 Max will feature a new cooling system consisting of a large 18.1mm fan and a redesigned duct that reportedly boosts airflow by 40%. The company claims this setup can reduce temperatures by up to 10 degrees Celsius in just 100 seconds under load.

The idea behind this new system is to offer users better sustained performance. While modern flagship chips can deliver serious power, they can only do so in short bursts before thermal throttling kicks in. Active cooling aims to keep performance steady during longer gaming sessions, rather than spiking and dropping off.

What makes Xiaomi’s approach stand out?

Although Xiaomi has dabbled in gaming features before, bringing a physical fan to the Redmi K series is a notable shift, as it isn’t expected to be a one-off experimental device. Instead, it could signal that the company sees active cooling as something more users might actually want.

Other brands have already explored this technology. Phones like the Oppo K13 Turbo Pro, Honor Win, and RedMagic 11 Pro all come with internal fans, but they’ve largely targeted the enthusiast gaming segment. That’s where Xiaomi stands out. Its Redmi K series sits closer to the mass-premium category, not a niche gaming lineup. If Xiaomi executes this well, built-in fans could start showing up in more mainstream devices.

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With a 165Hz display, a next-gen flagship chipset, and gaming-focused optimizations also in the mix, the Redmi K90 Max isn’t just chasing specs. It could end up pushing physical fans into the spotlight in a way niche gaming phones haven’t managed so far.

Pranob Mehrotra

News Writer

Pranob is a seasoned tech journalist with over eight years of experience covering consumer technology. His work has been…

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