Nubia Red Magic 11 Air vs Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
The Nubia Red Magic 11 Air (2026) runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite, while the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (2021) runs on the Samsung Exynos 2100; launch prices were $499 and $1199. By overall MobileRank rating, the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air leads — 72/100 vs 61/100 (a 11-point difference). Key differences: the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air has the bigger battery (7000 mAh vs 5000); the main camera is 50 MP vs 108 MP; the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air is faster in AnTuTu (3,448,524 vs 1,074,182).
Nubia Red Magic 11 Air
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
- Higher AnTuTu: 3448524 vs 1074182
- Better Geekbench Single: 3041 vs 1435
- Better Geekbench Multi: 9494 vs 3555
- Bigger battery: 7000 vs 5000 mAh
- Faster charging: 80W vs 25W
- Higher refresh rate: 144Hz vs 120Hz
- Lighter: 215g vs 228g
- Cheaper at launch: $499 vs $1199
- Higher performance (93/100 vs 63/100)
- Longer battery life (68/100 vs 52/100)
- Better display (93/100 vs 89/100)
- Better portability (50/100 vs 33/100)
- Better main camera: 108MP vs 50MP
- Better camera (55/100 vs 35/100)
Comparing the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air vs the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air scores 11 points higher (72/100 vs 61/100). In the "performance" category, the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air leads (93/100 vs 63/100). In the "camera" category, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra leads (55/100 vs 35/100). In the "battery" category, the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air leads (68/100 vs 52/100). Value score: Nubia Red Magic 11 Air — 70/100, Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra — 32/100; 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 Ultra (93/100 vs 63/100). In the "display" category, the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air and the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra are nearly equal (93/100 vs 89/100). In the "camera" category, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra notably outperforms the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air (55/100 vs 35/100). In the "battery" category, the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air notably outperforms the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (68/100 vs 52/100). In the "portability" category, the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air notably outperforms the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (50/100 vs 33/100).
| Specification | Nubia Red Magic 11 Air | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite | Samsung Exynos 2100 | |
| AnTuTu | 3448524 | 1074182 | |
| Geekbench Single | 3041 | 1435 | |
| Geekbench Multi | 9494 | 3555 | |
| Display | 6.8" AMOLED | 6.8" AMOLED | |
| Resolution | 2688x1216 | 3200x1440 | |
| Refresh rate | 144 Hz | 120 Hz | |
| Battery | 7000 mAh | 5000 mAh | |
| Charging | 80W | 25W | |
| Wireless charging | 0W | 15W | |
| DXOMark (camera) | — | 117 | |
| Main camera | 50 MP | 108 MP | |
| Ultrawide | 8 MP | 12 MP | |
| Telephoto | 0 MP | 10 MP | |
| Front camera | 16 MP | 40 MP | |
| RAM | 12GB / 16GB | 12GB / 16GB | |
| Storage | 256GB / 512GB | 128GB / 256GB / 512GB | |
| OS | Android 16 | Android 11 | |
| Brightness (peak) | 1800 nits | 1500 nits | |
| NFC | yes | yes | |
| Protection | IP54 | IP68 | |
| Dimensions | 163.8×76.5×8.0 mm | 165.1×75.6×8.9 mm | |
| Weight | 215 g | 228 g | |
| Launch price | $499 | $1199 |
Nubia Red Magic 11 Air
- Main: 50MP f/1.9
- Ultrawide: 8MP
- Front: 16MP
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
- Main: 108MP f/1.8
- Ultrawide: 12MP
- Telephoto: 10MP
- Front: 40MP
Nubia Red Magic 11 Air
- 6.8" AMOLED
- Resolution: 2688x1216
- Refresh rate: 144 Hz
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
- 6.8" AMOLED
- Resolution: 3200x1440
- Refresh rate: 120 Hz
Nubia Red Magic 11 Air
- 7000 mAh
- Wired: 80W
- No wireless charging
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
- 5000 mAh
- Wired: 25W
- Wireless: 15W
We compared Nubia Red Magic 11 Air and Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, covering their specs and all relevant benchmarks.
Nubia Red Magic 11 Air leads Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra by 221.0% in our overall performance rating.
Launch price difference: $700. Nubia Red Magic 11 Air was $700 cheaper at launch.
performance
In the "performance" category, the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air significantly outperforms the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (93/100 vs 63/100).
display
In the "display" category, the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air and the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra are nearly equal (93/100 vs 89/100).
camera
In the "camera" category, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra notably outperforms the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air (55/100 vs 35/100).
battery
In the "battery" category, the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air notably outperforms the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (68/100 vs 52/100).
portability
In the "portability" category, the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air notably outperforms the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (50/100 vs 33/100).
Which is better: the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air or the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra?
The Nubia Red Magic 11 Air is noticeably better than the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra — the overall rating gap is 11 points.
What is the rating of the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air and the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra?
The Nubia Red Magic 11 Air has a MobileRank rating of 72/100, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra — 61/100.
Which has the better camera: the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air or the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra?
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra leads on camera score (55/100 vs 35/100).
Which is more powerful: the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air or the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra?
The Nubia Red Magic 11 Air leads on performance (93/100 vs 63/100).
Should you choose the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air over the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra?
The Nubia Red Magic 11 Air is a better fit for gamers and power users. The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is a better fit for active users.