I am prepared to compromise for low prices. But even if I close both eyes, the Nubia Air disappoints me.
2025 - the year in which smartphones have become thin. This applies not only to the major manufacturers such as Samsung and Apple, but also smaller ones such as Nubia. Compared to the thin competition, the Nubia Air is very affordable, but only impresses with its display.
Thin smartphone with a good display
Among thin smartphones, the Nubia Air is almost thick at 6.7 millimetres (mm). The Galaxy S25 Edge is almost a millimetre thinner at 5.8 mm. The iPhone Air even breaks this brand at 5.6 mm. Even with the camera bump, it remains thicker - albeit with less of an advantage for the more expensive models. I measured 10.5 mm for the Nubia Air and 10.2 mm for the S25 Edge.
The Nubia Air in profile.
At 172 grammes, the Nubia Air weighs nine or seven grammes more than the other two thin smartphones. However, the difference can only be seen on the scales and cannot be felt in the hand. The Nubia Air is still a lightweight among all smartphones. It feels nice and grippy in the hand and doesn't look too delicate. Nevertheless, the housing is dust and waterproof to IP68 - 30 minutes at a depth of 1.5 metres. According to IP69, it can even withstand high temperatures and hard jets of water. However, this is not an invitation to clean it with a Kärcher.
The power button adds a colourful accent.
I have nothing to criticise about the display of the Nubia Air. The suppliers of the screens now seem to have reached a level where even a cheap smartphone looks good. In this case, that means I'm looking at a 6.78-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 2720 × 1224 pixels (which equates to around 440 ppi). The refresh rate reaches up to 120 hertz and the peak brightness is 4500 nits with HDR content. Gorilla Glass 7i is designed to protect the display from damage - just like the more than twice as expensive Xiaomi 15T Pro.
Large display and thin smartphone.
This already sums up the positive aspects of the Nubia Air.
Slow processor does not invite you to play games
Nubia has opted for the Unisoc T8300 chipset for the Air. It has eight processing cores and ensures that the smartphone can be used. However, I have the feeling that some things take a little longer than with other devices. For example, even the device settings seem slow to me. Or the camera is not immediately ready to take pictures after starting the app. I have to wait a moment until the viewfinder image is no longer black. The Nubia Air is not completely unusable, but I don't trust it to take on big tasks.
Various benchmarks show that the Nubia Air lags behind the Unisoc T8300, especially when it comes to graphics calculations. Here, the also very affordable CMF Phone 2 Pro - with the Mediatek Dimensity 7300 Pro 5G - performs more than twice as well. The S25 Edge leaves both of them miles behind with the Snapdragon 8 Elite.
As a rule, the modules for wireless connections are integrated into the smartphone chipset. With Bluetooth 5.4, the Unisoc is well positioned here. With Wi-Fi 5, however, it lags behind the current standard. Wi-Fi 6E should currently be the minimum and I actually expect Wi-Fi 7 from new devices.
See three cameras, use only one
When I look at the back of the Nubia Air, my hopes are quickly dashed. Although I can see three lenses, I can only use one of them for the camera. The main camera offers a resolution of 50 megapixels and has an f/1.6 aperture. There is also a lens for depth of field information. The third lens is for AI functions, such as automatically adjusting the exposure.
Only one of these three openings contains a camera for photos.
If the main camera was at least good, I could smile about its appearance. But unfortunately that's not the case. The colour reproduction is fine and the software also skilfully balances out strong contrasts. Even completely overexposed skies become beautifully blue after a short time, with a few white clouds. The big problem, however, is the level of detail.
Backlight is no problem for the camera, but the lens is not completely anti-reflective.
The images still look OK on the smartphone display. When I look at them on a larger monitor, I notice the lack of detail. When I look at the images there in their original size, they are completely blurred. All the edges fray.
The colours are fine, the sharpness could be improved.
The detailed comparison with the CMF Phone 2 Pro, which is similarly priced:
Not surprisingly, it doesn't get any better in the dark. The camera and software still manage the exposure and the images are reasonably well lit. But there are no details. It's no fun to take photos with the Nubia Air.
The lighting is good, but the sharpness is not.
Digital zoom for perspective
In the camera app, Nubia maintains the impression of multiple cameras. I am offered two focal lengths of 26 and 78 millimetres. However, the larger one is purely digital. It only changes the image section and has all the disadvantages of digital magnification.
The digital zoom changes the angle of view, but the image quality suffers.
View without digital zoom from the same location.
Selfies without details
The front camera of the Nubia Air takes selfies with 20 megapixels. This shows the same problem as the main camera. The exposure is good and the system compensates for strong contrasts without any problems. However, the level of detail is also lacking here and the lens is also reflective.
I could overlook the reflections in the lens if the image quality was right.
In the dark, I also expect modest results and am confirmed.
The Nubia Air in particular must ask itself this question.
Large battery, short battery life
A weak processor is not automatically energy-efficient. There is no other explanation for the short battery life of the Nubia Air. Although its battery is large for such a thin smartphone with a capacity of 5000 mAh, it is not a source of joy. The PCMark Work 3.0 battery test only measures a runtime of 8:45 hours at half display brightness. The S25 Edge with its 3900 mAh battery performs better with 10:59 hours at full display brightness.
Hardly any frame left around the USB-C port.
The Nubia Air is charged via USB-C and draws up to 33 watts. Not outstanding, but I would accept it if the rest was right.
KI places stickers on faces
The Nubia Air runs Android 15 out of the box. The manufacturer provides the operating system with its MyOS 15 user interface, which includes several pre-installed apps from third-party providers in addition to visual customisations. However, these can be uninstalled with little effort.
Nubia also earns money with pre-installed apps.
In the field of AI, Nubia relies on Gemini, the AI assistant from Google. The manufacturer also offers two translation tools for calls and face-to-face conversations. There are also data protection stickers. This function recognises faces in photos and can superimpose various graphics over them - from cartoon faces to quick glasses.
Fast glasses for you?
Nubia has not yet provided any information on when the update to Android 16 will be released. The manufacturer also fails to mention how long it intends to deliver updates in total.
In a nutshell
A lot of hot air, too little substance
The Nubia Air is affordable, well-made and has a stylish display. Nevertheless, it is hardly worth buying if you want a thin smartphone. You would have to make so many compromises that you wouldn't be able to enjoy the smartphone. For the same money, I would rather recommend the CMF Phone 2 Pro - even if it is thicker.
The battery life is short despite good battery capacity, the processor has too little power and the camera does not deliver good image quality. In addition, the update situation is unclear and Wi-Fi 5 is a standard that no longer has any place in new devices.
As a primary school pupil, I used to sit in a friend's living room with many of my classmates to play the Super NES. Now I get my hands on the latest technology and test it for you. In recent years at Curved, Computer Bild and Netzwelt, now at Digitec and Galaxus.
