Nubia Red Magic 11 Air vs ZTE Axon 40

The Nubia Red Magic 11 Air (2026) runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite, while the ZTE Axon 40 (2022) runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870. By overall MobileRank rating, the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air leads — 72/100 vs 58/100 (a 14-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 64 MP; the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air is faster in AnTuTu (3,448,524 vs 1,010,069); the ZTE Axon 40 is noticeably lighter (200g vs 215g).

The Nubia Red Magic 11 Air is noticeably better than the ZTE Axon 40 — the overall rating gap is 14 points.
Profile comparison
Category scores
Nubia Red Magic 11 Air
Performance 93
Display 93
Camera 35
Battery 68
Portability 50
Value for money 70
ZTE Axon 40
Performance 61
Display 73
Camera 51
Battery 52
Portability 53
Value for money
What makes Nubia Red Magic 11 Air better?
  • Higher AnTuTu: 3448524 vs 1010069
  • Better Geekbench Single: 3041 vs 1298
  • Better Geekbench Multi: 9494 vs 3520
  • Bigger battery: 7000 vs 5000 mAh
  • Higher refresh rate: 144Hz vs 120Hz

  • Higher performance (93/100 vs 61/100)
  • Longer battery life (68/100 vs 52/100)
  • Better display (93/100 vs 73/100)
What makes ZTE Axon 40 better?
  • Better main camera: 64MP vs 50MP
  • Lighter: 200g vs 215g

  • Better camera (51/100 vs 35/100)
  • Better portability (53/100 vs 50/100)
Comparison verdict

Comparing the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air vs the ZTE Axon 40, the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air scores 14 points higher (72/100 vs 58/100). In the "performance" category, the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air leads (93/100 vs 61/100). In the "camera" category, the ZTE Axon 40 leads (51/100 vs 35/100). In the "battery" category, the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air leads (68/100 vs 52/100). In the "performance" category, the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air significantly outperforms the ZTE Axon 40 (93/100 vs 61/100). In the "display" category, the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air notably outperforms the ZTE Axon 40 (93/100 vs 73/100). In the "camera" category, the ZTE Axon 40 notably outperforms the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air (51/100 vs 35/100). In the "battery" category, the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air notably outperforms the ZTE Axon 40 (68/100 vs 52/100). In the "portability" category, the ZTE Axon 40 and the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air are nearly equal (53/100 vs 50/100).

Nubia Red Magic 11 Air: The Nubia Red Magic 11 Air is a better fit for gamers and power users.
ZTE Axon 40: The ZTE Axon 40 is a better fit for active users.
Specs comparison
Specification Nubia Red Magic 11 Air ZTE Axon 40
Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Qualcomm Snapdragon 870
AnTuTu 3448524 1010069
Geekbench Single 3041 1298
Geekbench Multi 9494 3520
Display 6.8" AMOLED 6.7"
Resolution 2688x1216 1080x2400
Refresh rate 144 Hz 120 Hz
Battery 7000 mAh 5000 mAh
Charging 80W
Main camera 50 MP 64 MP
Ultrawide 8 MP 8 MP
Front camera 16 MP 44 MP
RAM 12GB / 16GB
Storage 256GB / 512GB 128GB
OS Android 16 Android 12 Snow Cone
Brightness (peak) 1800 nits
NFC yes yes
Protection IP54
Dimensions 163.8×76.5×8.0 mm 163.4×75.9×8.6 mm
Weight 215 g 200 g
Price $499
Camera comparison
Nubia Red Magic 11 Air
  • Main: 50MP f/1.9
  • Ultrawide: 8MP
  • Front: 16MP
35
camera
ZTE Axon 40
  • Main: 64MP
  • Ultrawide: 8MP
  • Front: 44MP
51
camera
Display comparison
Nubia Red Magic 11 Air
  • 6.8" AMOLED
  • Resolution: 2688x1216
  • Refresh rate: 144 Hz
93
display
ZTE Axon 40
  • 6.7"
  • Resolution: 1080x2400
  • Refresh rate: 120 Hz
73
display
Battery and charging
Nubia Red Magic 11 Air
  • 7000 mAh
  • Wired: 80W
  • No wireless charging
68
battery
ZTE Axon 40
  • 5000 mAh
  • No wireless charging
52
battery
Overall performance score

We compared Nubia Red Magic 11 Air and ZTE Axon 40, covering their specs and all relevant benchmarks.

Nubia Red Magic 11 Air Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite
72/100
3448524 AnTuTu
ZTE Axon 40 Qualcomm Snapdragon 870
58/100 -241.4%
1010069 AnTuTu

Nubia Red Magic 11 Air leads ZTE Axon 40 by 241.4% in our overall performance rating.

Benchmarks
Price and availability
Nubia Red Magic 11 Air
$499
ZTE Axon 40
Price unknown
Detailed category analysis
performance

In the "performance" category, the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air significantly outperforms the ZTE Axon 40 (93/100 vs 61/100).

display

In the "display" category, the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air notably outperforms the ZTE Axon 40 (93/100 vs 73/100).

camera

In the "camera" category, the ZTE Axon 40 notably outperforms the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air (51/100 vs 35/100).

battery

In the "battery" category, the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air notably outperforms the ZTE Axon 40 (68/100 vs 52/100).

portability

In the "portability" category, the ZTE Axon 40 and the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air are nearly equal (53/100 vs 50/100).

Frequently asked questions
Which is better: the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air or the ZTE Axon 40?

The Nubia Red Magic 11 Air is noticeably better than the ZTE Axon 40 — the overall rating gap is 14 points.

What is the rating of the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air and the ZTE Axon 40?

The Nubia Red Magic 11 Air has a MobileRank rating of 72/100, the ZTE Axon 40 — 58/100.

Which has the better camera: the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air or the ZTE Axon 40?

The ZTE Axon 40 leads on camera score (51/100 vs 35/100).

Which is more powerful: the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air or the ZTE Axon 40?

The Nubia Red Magic 11 Air leads on performance (93/100 vs 61/100).

Should you choose the Nubia Red Magic 11 Air over the ZTE Axon 40?

The Nubia Red Magic 11 Air is a better fit for gamers and power users. The ZTE Axon 40 is a better fit for active users.