Nubia Red Magic 11 Air vs Samsung Galaxy S21 FE

The Nubia Red Magic 11 Air (2026) runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite, while the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE (2022) runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888; launch prices were $499 and $699. By overall MobileRank rating, the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air leads — 72/100 vs 51/100 (a 21-point difference). Key differences: the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air has the bigger battery (7000 mAh vs 4500); the main camera is 50 MP vs 12 MP; the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air is faster in AnTuTu (3,448,524 vs 753,345); the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is noticeably lighter (177g vs 215g).

The Nubia Red Magic 11 Air significantly outperforms the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE by 21 points (72/100 vs 51/100).
Profile comparison
Category scores
Nubia Red Magic 11 Air
Performance 93
Display 93
Camera 35
Battery 68
Portability 50
Value for money 70
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE
Performance 58
Display 80
Camera 26
Battery 42
Portability 74
Value for money 14
What makes Nubia Red Magic 11 Air better?
  • Higher AnTuTu: 3448524 vs 753345
  • Better Geekbench Single: 3041 vs 1488
  • Better Geekbench Multi: 9494 vs 3373
  • Bigger battery: 7000 vs 4500 mAh
  • Faster charging: 80W vs 25W
  • Better main camera: 50MP vs 12MP
  • Higher refresh rate: 144Hz vs 120Hz
  • Cheaper at launch: $499 vs $699

  • Higher performance (93/100 vs 58/100)
  • Better camera (35/100 vs 26/100)
  • Longer battery life (68/100 vs 42/100)
  • Better display (93/100 vs 80/100)
What makes Samsung Galaxy S21 FE better?
  • Lighter: 177g vs 215g

  • Better portability (74/100 vs 50/100)
Comparison verdict

Comparing the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air vs the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE, the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air scores 21 points higher (72/100 vs 51/100). In the "performance" category, the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air leads (93/100 vs 58/100). In the "battery" category, the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air leads (68/100 vs 42/100). Value score: Nubia Red Magic 11 Air — 70/100, Samsung Galaxy S21 FE — 14/100; it is biased by price level, so it should not be compared directly between devices at different prices. In the "performance" category, the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air significantly outperforms the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE (93/100 vs 58/100). In the "display" category, the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air is a bit better (93/100 vs 80/100). In the "camera" category, the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air is a bit better (35/100 vs 26/100). In the "battery" category, the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air notably outperforms the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE (68/100 vs 42/100). In the "portability" category, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE notably outperforms the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air (74/100 vs 50/100).

Nubia Red Magic 11 Air: The Nubia Red Magic 11 Air is a better fit for gamers and power users.
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE: The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is a better fit for everyday use.
Specs comparison
Specification Nubia Red Magic 11 Air Samsung Galaxy S21 FE
Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Qualcomm Snapdragon 888
AnTuTu 3448524 753345
Geekbench Single 3041 1488
Geekbench Multi 9494 3373
Display 6.8" AMOLED 6.4" Dynamic AMOLED 2X
Resolution 2688x1216 2340x1080
Refresh rate 144 Hz 120 Hz
Battery 7000 mAh 4500 mAh
Charging 80W 25W
Wireless charging 0W 15W
Main camera 50 MP 12 MP
Ultrawide 8 MP 12 MP
Telephoto 0 MP 8 MP
Front camera 16 MP 32 MP
RAM 12GB / 16GB 6GB / 8GB
Storage 256GB / 512GB 128GB / 256GB
OS Android 16 Android 12
Brightness (peak) 1800 nits
NFC yes yes
Protection IP54 IP68
Dimensions 163.8×76.5×8.0 mm 155.7×74.5×7.9 mm
Weight 215 g 177 g
Launch price $499 $699
Camera comparison
Nubia Red Magic 11 Air
  • Main: 50MP f/1.9
  • Ultrawide: 8MP
  • Front: 16MP
35
camera
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE
  • Main: 12MP f/1.8
  • Ultrawide: 12MP
  • Telephoto: 8MP
  • Front: 32MP
26
camera
Display comparison
Nubia Red Magic 11 Air
  • 6.8" AMOLED
  • Resolution: 2688x1216
  • Refresh rate: 144 Hz
93
display
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE
  • 6.4" Dynamic AMOLED 2X
  • Resolution: 2340x1080
  • Refresh rate: 120 Hz
80
display
Battery and charging
Nubia Red Magic 11 Air
  • 7000 mAh
  • Wired: 80W
  • No wireless charging
68
battery
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE
  • 4500 mAh
  • Wired: 25W
  • Wireless: 15W
42
battery
Overall performance score

We compared Nubia Red Magic 11 Air and Samsung Galaxy S21 FE, covering their specs and all relevant benchmarks.

Nubia Red Magic 11 Air Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite
72/100
3448524 AnTuTu
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE Qualcomm Snapdragon 888
51/100 -357.8%
753345 AnTuTu

Nubia Red Magic 11 Air leads Samsung Galaxy S21 FE by 357.8% in our overall performance rating.

Benchmarks
Launch prices and where to check today's
Nubia Red Magic 11 Air
$499
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE
$699

Launch price difference: $200. Nubia Red Magic 11 Air was $200 cheaper at launch.

Detailed category analysis
performance

In the "performance" category, the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air significantly outperforms the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE (93/100 vs 58/100).

display

In the "display" category, the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air is a bit better (93/100 vs 80/100).

camera

In the "camera" category, the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air is a bit better (35/100 vs 26/100).

battery

In the "battery" category, the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air notably outperforms the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE (68/100 vs 42/100).

portability

In the "portability" category, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE notably outperforms the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air (74/100 vs 50/100).

Frequently asked questions
Which is better: the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air or the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE?

The Nubia Red Magic 11 Air significantly outperforms the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE by 21 points (72/100 vs 51/100).

What is the rating of the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air and the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE?

The Nubia Red Magic 11 Air has a MobileRank rating of 72/100, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE — 51/100.

Which has the better camera: the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air or the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE?

The Nubia Red Magic 11 Air leads on camera score (35/100 vs 26/100).

Which is more powerful: the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air or the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE?

The Nubia Red Magic 11 Air leads on performance (93/100 vs 58/100).

Should you choose the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air over the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE?

The Nubia Red Magic 11 Air is a better fit for gamers and power users. The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is a better fit for everyday use.