Nubia Red Magic 11 Air vs Vivo Y500

The Nubia Red Magic 11 Air (2026) runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite, while the Vivo Y500 (2026) runs on the Unisoc T7300; launch prices were $499 and $345. By overall MobileRank rating, the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air leads — 72/100 vs 56/100 (a 16-point difference). Key differences: the Vivo Y500 has the bigger battery (8100 mAh vs 7000); the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air has NFC for contactless payments, the Vivo Y500 doesn't.

The Nubia Red Magic 11 Air is noticeably better than the Vivo Y500 — the overall rating gap is 16 points.
Profile comparison
Category scores
Nubia Red Magic 11 Air
Performance 93
Display 93
Camera 35
Battery 68
Portability 50
Value for money 70
Vivo Y500
Performance
Display 84
Camera 37
Battery 64
Portability 51
Value for money 52
What makes Nubia Red Magic 11 Air better?
  • Faster charging: 80W vs 44W
  • Higher refresh rate: 144Hz vs 120Hz

  • Longer battery life (68/100 vs 64/100)
  • Better display (93/100 vs 84/100)
What makes Vivo Y500 better?
  • Bigger battery: 8100 vs 7000 mAh
  • Lighter: 210g vs 215g
  • Cheaper at launch: $345 vs $499

  • Better camera (37/100 vs 35/100)
  • Better portability (51/100 vs 50/100)
Comparison verdict

Comparing the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air vs the Vivo Y500, the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air scores 16 points higher (72/100 vs 56/100). Value score: Nubia Red Magic 11 Air — 70/100, Vivo Y500 — 52/100; it is biased by price level, so it should not be compared directly between devices at different prices. In the "display" category, the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air is a bit better (93/100 vs 84/100). In the "camera" category, the Vivo Y500 and the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air are nearly equal (37/100 vs 35/100). In the "battery" category, the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air and the Vivo Y500 are nearly equal (68/100 vs 64/100). In the "portability" category, the Vivo Y500 and the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air are nearly equal (51/100 vs 50/100).

Nubia Red Magic 11 Air: The Nubia Red Magic 11 Air is a better fit for gamers and power users.
Vivo Y500: The Vivo Y500 is a better fit for everyday use.
Specs comparison
Specification Nubia Red Magic 11 Air Vivo Y500
Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Unisoc T7300
AnTuTu 3448524
Geekbench Single 3041
Geekbench Multi 9494
Display 6.8" AMOLED 6.8" AMOLED
Resolution 2688x1216 1260x2800
Refresh rate 144 Hz 120 Hz
Battery 7000 mAh 8100 mAh
Charging 80W 44W
Main camera 50 MP 50 MP
Ultrawide 8 MP 0 MP
Front camera 16 MP 32 MP
RAM 12GB / 16GB 8GB
Storage 256GB / 512GB 128GB / 256GB
OS Android 16 Android 16
Brightness (peak) 1800 nits 5000 nits
NFC yes no
Protection IP54 IP68/IP69
Dimensions 163.8×76.5×8.0 mm 163.7×76.2×8.2 mm
Weight 215 g 210 g
Launch price $499 $345
Camera comparison
Nubia Red Magic 11 Air
  • Main: 50MP f/1.9
  • Ultrawide: 8MP
  • Front: 16MP
35
camera
Vivo Y500
  • Main: 50MP f/1.8
  • Front: 32MP
37
camera
Display comparison
Nubia Red Magic 11 Air
  • 6.8" AMOLED
  • Resolution: 2688x1216
  • Refresh rate: 144 Hz
93
display
Vivo Y500
  • 6.8" AMOLED
  • Resolution: 1260x2800
  • Refresh rate: 120 Hz
84
display
Battery and charging
Nubia Red Magic 11 Air
  • 7000 mAh
  • Wired: 80W
  • No wireless charging
68
battery
Vivo Y500
  • 8100 mAh
  • Wired: 44W
  • No wireless charging
64
battery
Benchmarks
Launch prices and where to check today's
Nubia Red Magic 11 Air
$499
Vivo Y500
$345

Launch price difference: $154. Vivo Y500 was $154 cheaper at launch.

Detailed category analysis
display

In the "display" category, the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air is a bit better (93/100 vs 84/100).

camera

In the "camera" category, the Vivo Y500 and the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air are nearly equal (37/100 vs 35/100).

battery

In the "battery" category, the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air and the Vivo Y500 are nearly equal (68/100 vs 64/100).

portability

In the "portability" category, the Vivo Y500 and the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air are nearly equal (51/100 vs 50/100).

Frequently asked questions
Which is better: the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air or the Vivo Y500?

The Nubia Red Magic 11 Air is noticeably better than the Vivo Y500 — the overall rating gap is 16 points.

What is the rating of the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air and the Vivo Y500?

The Nubia Red Magic 11 Air has a MobileRank rating of 72/100, the Vivo Y500 — 56/100.

Should you choose the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air over the Vivo Y500?

The Nubia Red Magic 11 Air is a better fit for gamers and power users. The Vivo Y500 is a better fit for everyday use.