Nubia Red Magic 11 Air vs Sony Xperia 1 III
The Nubia Red Magic 11 Air (2026) runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite, while the Sony Xperia 1 III (2021) runs on the Snapdragon 888; launch prices were $499 and $1299. By overall MobileRank rating, the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air leads — 73/100 vs 60/100 (a 13-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 (3,265,219 vs 1,232,200); the Sony Xperia 1 III is noticeably lighter (186g vs 215g).
Profile comparison
Category scores
Nubia Red Magic 11 Air
Sony Xperia 1 III
What makes Nubia Red Magic 11 Air better?
- Higher AnTuTu: 3265219 vs 1232200
- Better Geekbench Single: 3013 vs 1500
- Better Geekbench Multi: 9287 vs 3537
- Bigger battery: 7000 vs 4500 mAh
- Faster charging: 120W vs 30W
- Better main camera: 50MP vs 12MP
- Higher refresh rate: 144Hz vs 120Hz
- Cheaper at launch: $499 vs $1299
- Higher performance (92/100 vs 65/100)
- Longer battery life (76/100 vs 42/100)
- Better display (93/100 vs 90/100)
What makes Sony Xperia 1 III better?
- Lighter: 186g vs 215g
- Better camera (46/100 vs 35/100)
- Better portability (65/100 vs 50/100)
Comparison verdict
Comparing the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air vs the Sony Xperia 1 III, the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air scores 13 points higher (73/100 vs 60/100). In the "performance" category, the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air leads (92/100 vs 65/100). In the "camera" category, the Sony Xperia 1 III leads (46/100 vs 35/100). In the "battery" category, the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air leads (76/100 vs 42/100). Value score: Nubia Red Magic 11 Air — 68/100, Sony Xperia 1 III — 30/100; it shows how far a model sits above or below the usual level for its price, and is not part of the overall rating. In the "performance" category, the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air notably outperforms the Sony Xperia 1 III (92/100 vs 65/100). In the "display" category, the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air and the Sony Xperia 1 III are nearly equal (93/100 vs 90/100). In the "camera" category, the Sony Xperia 1 III is a bit better (46/100 vs 35/100). In the "battery" category, the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air significantly outperforms the Sony Xperia 1 III (76/100 vs 42/100). In the "portability" category, the Sony Xperia 1 III notably outperforms the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air (65/100 vs 50/100).
Specs comparison
| Specification | Nubia Red Magic 11 Air | Sony Xperia 1 III | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite | Snapdragon 888 | |
| AnTuTu | 3265219 | 1232200 | |
| Geekbench Single | 3013 | 1500 | |
| Geekbench Multi | 9287 | 3537 | |
| Display | 6.8" AMOLED | 6.5" OLED | |
| Resolution | 2688x1216 | 1644x3840 | |
| Refresh rate | 144 Hz | 120 Hz | |
| Battery | 7000 mAh | 4500 mAh | |
| Charging | 120W | 30W | |
| Wireless charging | 0W | 11W | |
| DXOMark (camera) | — | 105 | |
| Main camera | 50 MP | 12 MP | |
| Ultrawide | 8 MP | 12 MP | |
| Telephoto | 0 MP | 12 MP | |
| Front camera | 16 MP | 8 MP | |
| RAM | 12GB / 16GB | 12GB | |
| Storage | 256GB / 512GB | 256GB / 512GB | |
| OS | Android 16 | Android 11 | |
| Brightness (peak) | 1800 nits | — | |
| NFC | yes | yes | |
| Protection | IP54 | IP65/IP68 | |
| Dimensions | 163.8×76.5×8.0 mm | 165.0×71.0×8.2 mm | |
| Weight | 215 g | 186 g | |
| Launch price | $499 | $1299 |
Camera comparison
Nubia Red Magic 11 Air
- Main: 50MP f/1.9
- Ultrawide: 8MP
- Front: 16MP
Sony Xperia 1 III
- Main: 12MP f/1.7
- Ultrawide: 12MP
- Telephoto: 12MP
- Front: 8MP
Display comparison
Nubia Red Magic 11 Air
- 6.8" AMOLED
- Resolution: 2688x1216
- Refresh rate: 144 Hz
Sony Xperia 1 III
- 6.5" OLED
- Resolution: 1644x3840
- Refresh rate: 120 Hz
Battery and charging
Nubia Red Magic 11 Air
- 7000 mAh
- Wired: 120W
- No wireless charging
Sony Xperia 1 III
- 4500 mAh
- Wired: 30W
- Wireless: 11W
Overall performance score
We compared Nubia Red Magic 11 Air and Sony Xperia 1 III, covering their specs and all relevant benchmarks.
Nubia Red Magic 11 Air leads Sony Xperia 1 III by 165.0% in our overall performance rating.
Benchmarks
Launch prices and where to check today's
Launch price difference: $800. Nubia Red Magic 11 Air was $800 cheaper at launch.
Detailed category analysis
performance
In the "performance" category, the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air notably outperforms the Sony Xperia 1 III (92/100 vs 65/100).
display
In the "display" category, the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air and the Sony Xperia 1 III are nearly equal (93/100 vs 90/100).
camera
In the "camera" category, the Sony Xperia 1 III is a bit better (46/100 vs 35/100).
battery
In the "battery" category, the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air significantly outperforms the Sony Xperia 1 III (76/100 vs 42/100).
portability
In the "portability" category, the Sony Xperia 1 III notably outperforms the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air (65/100 vs 50/100).
Frequently asked questions
Which is better: the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air or the Sony Xperia 1 III?
The Nubia Red Magic 11 Air is noticeably better than the Sony Xperia 1 III — the overall rating gap is 13 points.
What is the rating of the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air and the Sony Xperia 1 III?
The Nubia Red Magic 11 Air has a MobileRank rating of 73/100, the Sony Xperia 1 III — 60/100.
Which has the better camera: the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air or the Sony Xperia 1 III?
The Sony Xperia 1 III leads on camera score (46/100 vs 35/100).
Which is more powerful: the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air or the Sony Xperia 1 III?
The Nubia Red Magic 11 Air leads on performance (92/100 vs 65/100).
Should you choose the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air over the Sony Xperia 1 III?
The Nubia Red Magic 11 Air is a better fit for gamers and power users, those who care about battery life. The Sony Xperia 1 III is a better fit for active users.