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Pink Magic 10 Air: Two-minute overview
With the Pink Magic 10 Air, Nubia has basically taken final yr’s Red Magic 9 Pro, squeezed it right into a a lot slimmer and fewer obnoxious design, and charged a lower cost for the privilege of proudly owning this newer mannequin.
As repurposing jobs go, it is a very canny one. The Pink Magic 10 Air is a extremely succesful gaming cellphone that prices lower than $600 / £450, and you will not discover higher efficiency for the cash.
Whereas it runs on a chip that is now not high of its class, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 stays a superb runner. It will deal with the most recent video games extraordinarily fluidly, which is basically what issues right here.
Nubia’s new slimmed-down design is the perfect it is ever give you, definitely inside the gaming cellphone area, and it hasn’t even needed to compromise on battery life to attain this trimmer physique. With a 6,000mAh cell, the Pink Magic 10 Air will final two days of regular utilization fairly simply.
Whereas the Recreation House gaming UI remains to be there to allow you to handle and customise your video games, Pink Magic OS stays one of many busiest and cheapest-feeling UIs available on the market. It is higher than it is ever been, however that is actually not saying a lot.
One other continued weak level is the cellphone’s photographic provision. This twin 50MP digital camera setup will get you satisfactory footage in most situations, however you are able to do higher even for this kind of cash.
In the meantime, the cellphone’s in-display selfie digital camera could also be good for media content material, nevertheless it makes for really horrible selfies.
In the end, for those who’re searching for a gaming-capable cellphone for lower than £500, the Pink Magic 10 Air is one in every of your finest bets – particularly if you’d like a cellphone that does not stretch the liner of your pockets.
We might nonetheless wish to see additional refinement to the {hardware} and notably the software program, however the Pink Magic 10 Air efficiently carves out a brand new area of interest, even when we’re not 100% certain there is a marketplace for it. Till the day that Asus decides to create a mid-range ROG cellphone (if that day ever comes), that is essentially the most unassuming gaming cellphone available on the market.
Pink Magic 10 Air overview: value and availability
- From £439 / $579
- Launched on April 23, 2025
- Flare mannequin anticipated in June 2025
- Not accessible in Australia
The Pink Magic 10 Air is on sale now, having commenced open gross sales on April 23, 2025. The Flare mannequin, with its fetching orange end, is anticipated to go on sale a bit of later, in June 2025.
Pricing begins at $579 / £439 for the Twilight and Hailstone fashions with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of inner storage. You possibly can bump that spec as much as 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage (as reviewed right here) in all three finishes for $699 / £559.
As at all times with Pink Magic units, this can be a vastly aggressive value for the extent of efficiency being equipped. The Air won’t be as succesful because the Pink Magic 10 Professional, nevertheless it’s additionally $70 / £140 cheaper than that cellphone’s launch value.
At $579 / £439, it undercuts the Poco F7 Pro – one other mid-range performance-focused cellphone with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip – by £60.
The Pink Magic 10 Air will not be accessible in Australia on the time of writing.
Pink Magic 10 Air overview: specs
| Header Cell – Column 0 | Header Cell – Column 1 |
|---|---|
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Dimensions: |
164.3 x 76.6 x 7.85mm |
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Weight: |
205g |
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Show: |
6.8-inch AMOLED (2,480 x 1,116) as much as 120Hz AMOLED |
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Chipset: |
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 |
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RAM: |
12GB, 16GB |
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Storage: |
256GB, 512GB |
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OS: |
Android 15 |
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Major digital camera: |
50MP 1/1.55-inch sensor |
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Extremely-wide digital camera: |
50MP 1/2.88-inch sensor |
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Entrance Digital camera: |
16MP 1/2.77-inch sensor |
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Battery: |
6,000mAh |
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Charging: |
100W wired (worldwide) |
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Colours: |
Black Twilight, White Hailstone, Orange Flare |
Pink Magic 10 Air overview: design
- A lot slimmer, lighter, and extra refined than Professional
- 520Hz capacitive shoulder set off buttons
- Solely IP54 rated
- Customizable Magic Key
The Pink Magic 10 Air is by far the best-looking gaming cellphone Nubia has ever made, in addition to the simplest to dwell with.
Nubia has considerably stripped again the garish gamer aesthetic, offering a largely clear etched glass again with solely refined Pink Magic branding. Even the RGB lighting has been stripped proper again, with only a small ring gentle positioned above the 2 rear cameras in its personal housing.
My take a look at mannequin is within the Hailstone shade, which is a pleasingly shimmery white. You may as well specify it in Twilight (black), whereas a Flare variant is coming in June for these with a craving for one thing extra eye-catching. The latter presents a daring orange end with a black body, along with a transparent-effect strip operating the size of the rear panel.
That ‘Air’ identify must be taken in context. A thickness of seven.85mm and a weight of 205g each sound fairly regular for a daily cellphone, however they work out to be extraordinarily compact for a gaming cellphone.
Nubia has nonetheless managed to equip its newest cellphone with a big battery, a meaty vapor chamber cooling system, and a handful of additional controls positioned round its aluminum body – all necessities of the gaming cellphone format.
These controls embrace a pair of 520Hz capacitive shoulder buttons, which might be mapped to gaming controls. This makes aggressive shooters comparable to Warzone Cell and the brand new Delta Drive, specifically, rather more intuitive to play.
Essentially the most attention-grabbing design tweak, except for that slimmer physique, is the transfer from a bodily {hardware} change for getting into Nubia’s Gamespace UI to a extra generic button. Sure, it lacks the tactile clunk of the unique, nevertheless it beneficial properties versatility by being remappable.
Whereas it defaults to the Gamespace UI for launching and managing video games, it may be reassigned to a digital camera shortcut, a mute/silent button, or for turning on the torch.
Just like the Pink Magic 10 Professional, the Air is just rated to an IP54 degree of mud and water resistance. That is effectively in need of the Poco X7 Professional and its flagship-level IP68 ranking.
One different signature Pink Magic function is the dearth of a visual notch, which implies that video and gaming content material is totally unobstructed.
Pink Magic 10 Air overview: show
- 6.8-inch AMOLED
- 2,480 x 1,116 decision, 120Hz refresh charge
- 1600-nit peak brightness
Glancing on the specs of the Pink Magic 10 Air’s show, it immediately turns into clear what Nubia has executed right here. It is basically utilizing the display screen from final yr’s Pink Magic 9 Professional.
Whereas meaning it isn’t fairly as large, sharp, vivid, or responsive because the Pink Magic 10 Professional, it nonetheless makes for a superb media canvas.
It is a 6.8-inch 120Hz AMOLED with a 2,480 x 1,116 decision (aka 1.5K). No, you aren’t getting the Pink Magic 10 Professional’s 144Hz refresh charge, however you would rely on one hand the variety of consequential video games that actually make use of this spec. The brand new Delta Drive shooter is the newest and notable instance, nevertheless it’s a rarity.
It is extra of a disgrace to lose the ten Professional’s bolstered brightness, although a 1,600-nit peak nonetheless proves a lot vivid sufficient in all however the sunniest of circumstances.
Colours look vibrant but pure, at the least as soon as you turn away from the default ‘Colourful’ setting to the better-balanced ‘Commonplace’ one. It is a totally nice show to make use of day-to-day, in addition to for gaming.
On the audio entrance, two stereo audio system present good spacious sound with an affordable degree of depth – for a mid-range cellphone, at the least – and DTS-X Extremely certification.
Pink Magic 10 Air overview: cameras
- 50MP foremost with OIS
- 50MP ultra-wide
- Improved 16MP selfie digital camera
- As much as 8K/30fps video
On the Pink Magic 10 Air, Pink Magic has caught with broadly the identical digital camera system because the Pink Magic 10 Professional, with one very minor tweak.
The principle digital camera here’s a 50MP 1/1.5″ OmniVision OV50E with OIS and a 7P lens. The opposite digital camera is a 50MP 1/2.88″ OmniVision OV50D ultra-wide. There is not any devoted macro digital camera this time, which is of completely no consequence.
These cameras have been current previously few Professional generations, they usually’ve by no means impressed. They fall on the decrease finish of the mid-range digital camera high quality scale, with occasional blown-out highlights in situations that decision for HDR mode, and unnaturally vibrant colours usually.
Fed with the correct amount of sunshine, you may seize strong pictures with respectable element. These punched-up colours make sure that none of your pictures will look boring or washed out, and human topics look fairly good and outlined. Portrait mode, too, is fairly efficient at accentuating the topic even with out correct depth mapping.
Zoomed pictures crop in on the principle sensor, and stay serviceable at 2x, however flip to an more and more noisy mess at 5x and 10x. Night time pictures, nevertheless, look fairly crisp and clear, courtesy of a decent-sized sensor and OIS.
The ultra-wide exhibits a drop-off intimately and depth, as you’d count on from a considerably smaller sensor, nevertheless it’s not horrible. The tone is broadly in step with that foremost digital camera, which is at all times welcome.
You additionally get the identical 16MP entrance digital camera this time, with the identical ruinous in-display configuration. This makes for a few of the worst selfie pictures you are more likely to see in a 2025 cellphone of any value.
The video recording provision is fairly respectable for a mid-range cellphone, using the Pink Magic 10 Air’s flagship chip to help 8K/30fps or 4K/60fps.
Pink Magic 10 Air overview: digital camera samples
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Pink Magic 10 Air overview: efficiency
Picture 1 of 2
- Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip is an oldie however a goodie
- 6,100mm² vapor chamber cooling
- 12GB or 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM
- 256GB or 512GB UFS 4.0 storage
The ‘Pink Magic 9 Professional on a eating regimen’ vibes proceed with the Pink Magic Air 10’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor. This was the chip of alternative for the 2024 Android flagship crowd.
It is since been outmoded by the sensible Snapdragon 8 Elite, as seen within the Pink Magic 10 Professional, however that does not imply this older chip is out of date. It stays a really sturdy runner, and one which continues to be aggressive in 2025, particularly with both 12 or 16GB of RAM to assist it out, as there may be right here.
In CPU benchmark phrases, the Pink Magic 10 Air comfortably beats the Pixel 9 Pro XL with its Tensor G4, which is likely one of the high flagship telephones for the time being. I encountered the standard GFX Bench quirk that Nubia telephones exhibit, the place the GPU body charge outcomes appear much less spectacular than they’re, however relaxation assured that this factor flies on sensible graphical duties.
Crucially, it is able to operating essentially the most superior video games on excessive settings and fluid body charges. It is a recognized indisputable fact that cell recreation growth hasn’t saved tempo with cell chip know-how, which implies that the likes of GRID Legends, Genshin Affect, and Warzone Cell run superbly on final yr’s high chip.
It additionally runs comparatively cool. Whereas the Pink Magic 10 Air loses the lively fan cooling of the Professional sequence, a 6,100 mm² vapor chamber retains issues from getting too toasty.
A stability rating of 89.8% within the demanding 3DMark Photo voltaic Bay Stress Take a look at brings the Pink Magic 10 Air out forward of most 2025 flagship telephones, if effectively in need of the Pink Magic 10 Professional and Asus ROG Cellphone 9 Professional. This tells you that the cellphone will broadly keep its efficiency over barely longer gaming classes.
- Efficiency rating: 4.5 / 5
Pink Magic 10 Air overview: software program
- Pink Magic OS 10 on Android 15
- Busy however fluid and customizable UI
- Devoted Recreation House gaming UI
Nubia has caught with the identical software program as on the Pink Magic 10 Professional, which implies you get Pink Magic OS 10 sat atop Android 15.
It is by no means been an particularly interesting interface, with little artistry or subtlety to the icons, menus, and wallpapers. Nevertheless, Nubia has cleaned up its act considerably over the previous few years, and the Pink Magic 10 Air presents Pink Magic OS at its least obnoxious.
There are now not any ugly widgets on the house display screen once you first boot the cellphone up. I did not spot too many typos or glitches, both.
A lot of the apps you may see first are from Google, aside from Nubia’s personal pointless internet browser. The second house display screen is the place all of the bloatware lives, together with uninvited downloads of TikTok, Fb, MoboReels (third-rate video clips), MoboReader (a third-rate e-book reader), Reserving.com, WPS Workplace, and Goper (the place you may handle all of your Nubia units).
If MoboReader and MoboReels really feel considerably low-rent, wait till you have seen what lives to the left of the house display screen rather than Google Feed. Nubia has equipped a bunch of doubtful ‘Really useful apps’, some even worse advisable video games, and a bunch of various information tales. All of it feels very low cost.
With all that stated, Pink Magic OS 10 is customizable and purposeful, and it scrolls alongside at a good outdated lick.
Nubia’s Recreation House recreation administration UI has at all times been a spotlight, insomuch because it caters effectively to the goal demographic. Press that purple button, and you will be taken right into a panorama UI that permits you to launch video games, tweak the cellphone’s efficiency output, play with display screen sensitivity, and handle in-game plug-ins. Assume enhanced zoom and sound equalizers in shooters.
AI implementation is fairly minimal in comparison with many different modern telephones, regardless of that meaty AI-ready chip. You get real-time voice translation, Google’s ordinary Magic Editor, Gemini preinstalled, and that is about it. Suffice to say, this is not the cellphone to go along with for those who’re excited by the reducing fringe of cell AI.
The Pink Magic 10 Air is about to obtain three years of Android model updates and three years of safety updates. That is an advance on the flagship Pink Magic 10 Professional’s one Android model and three years of safety updates, although it is nonetheless not among the many finest available on the market, even at this value.
Pink Magic 10 Air overview: battery life
- 6,000mAh battery
- Two days of normal utilization
- 100W wired charging (worldwide model)
On condition that Nubia has slimmed the Pink Magic 10 Air down considerably in comparison with the Professional line, you’d count on one thing to present on the battery capability entrance.
One thing has certainly given, however solely comparatively talking. Out goes the mammoth 7,050mAh battery of the Pink Magic 10 Professional; in comes a still-huge 6,000mAh cell.
On the whole use, I discovered that this sizeable battery was fairly comfortably able to lasting by way of two days of reasonable utilization. A day with 3 hours and quarter-hour of screen-on time left me with 62%.
The worldwide model of the Pink Magic 10 Air comes with a 100W charger, however the mannequin I used to be despatched solely had the 80W charger that comes with the Chinese language mannequin. I say ‘solely’, nevertheless it was nonetheless in a position to get from empty to 100% in a creditable 51 minutes.
As with the remainder of the Pink Magic vary, there isn’t any wi-fi charging provision right here. That is much more forgivable at this lower cost, although.
It is a disgrace there isn’t any second USB-C port, as with the Asus ROG Cellphone 9 Professional. I discovered gaming whereas charging fairly tough, as reaching the right-hand shoulder button proved notably awkward.
Ought to I purchase the Pink Magic 10 Air?
|
Attributes |
Notes |
Ranking |
|---|---|---|
|
Design |
That is the perfect Pink Magic design but, with a slimmer, lighter, and extra interesting physique, and a extra subdued gamer aesthetic. |
4 / 5 |
|
Show |
Pink Magic has rolled again from the ten Professional’s show, nevertheless it’s nonetheless a giant, correct, fluid display screen for gaming on – and it is utterly unobstructed by a notch. |
4 / 5 |
|
Efficiency |
It is likely to be final yr’s chip, however the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 can nonetheless combine it with the 2025 flagship pack, and runs video games impeccably. |
4.5 / 5 |
|
Digital camera |
The Pink Magic 10 Air’s twin 50MP cameras take satisfactory pictures in most lighting circumstances, nothing extra. 8K/30fps or 4K/60fps video is fairly good for the cash, although. |
3.5 / 5 |
|
Battery |
Nubia has geared up its slim cellphone with a large 6,000mAh battery, which yields two-day battery life in common utilization. |
4.5 / 5 |
|
Software program |
Pink Magic OS is fairly cluttered and ugly, with an excessive amount of bloat. Nevertheless, it runs fluidly sufficient. |
3 / 5 |
|
Worth |
Other than the Poco F7 Professional, nothing else provides the identical degree of efficiency because the Pink Magic 10 Air for lower than £500. |
4.5 / 5 |
Purchase it if…
Do not buy it if…
Pink Magic 10 Air overview: additionally think about
The Pink Magic 10 Air is not the one gaming-ready mid-range smartphone available on the market. Listed below are a few of the options to think about.
How I examined the Pink Magic 10 Air
- Evaluate take a look at interval = 1 week
- Testing included = On a regular basis utilization, together with internet searching, social media, images, gaming, streaming video, music playback
- Instruments used = Geekbench 6, GFXBench, 3DMark, native Android stats, Pink Magic 80W energy adapter
First reviewed: April 2025