Honor 9C vs Honor Magic8 Pro Air
The Honor 9C (2020) runs on the HiSilicon Kirin 710A, while the Honor Magic8 Pro Air (2026) runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 9500. By overall MobileRank rating, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air leads — 89/100 vs 32/100 (a 57-point difference). Key differences: the Honor Magic8 Pro Air has the bigger battery (5500 mAh vs 4000); the main camera is 48 MP vs 50 MP; the Honor Magic8 Pro Air is faster in AnTuTu (4,430,255 vs 343,622); the Honor Magic8 Pro Air has NFC for contactless payments, the Honor 9C doesn't; the Honor Magic8 Pro Air is noticeably lighter (155g vs 176g).
Profile comparison
Category scores
Honor 9C
Honor Magic8 Pro Air
What makes Honor 9C better?
- Overall rating 32/100
What makes Honor Magic8 Pro Air better?
- Higher AnTuTu: 4430255 vs 343622
- Better Geekbench Single: 3293 vs 318
- Better Geekbench Multi: 10243 vs 1201
- Bigger battery: 5500 vs 4000 mAh
- Better main camera: 50MP vs 48MP
- Lighter: 155g vs 176g
- Higher performance (97/100 vs 25/100)
- Better camera (87/100 vs 32/100)
- Longer battery life (77/100 vs 32/100)
- Better display (85/100 vs 39/100)
- Better portability (100/100 vs 72/100)
Comparison verdict
Comparing the Honor 9C vs the Honor Magic8 Pro Air, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air scores 57 points higher (89/100 vs 32/100). In the "performance" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air leads (97/100 vs 25/100). In the "camera" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air leads (87/100 vs 32/100). In the "battery" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air leads (77/100 vs 32/100). In the "performance" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor 9C (97/100 vs 25/100). In the "display" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor 9C (85/100 vs 39/100). In the "camera" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor 9C (87/100 vs 32/100). In the "battery" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor 9C (77/100 vs 32/100). In the "portability" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air notably outperforms the Honor 9C (100/100 vs 72/100).
Specs comparison
| Specification | Honor 9C | Honor Magic8 Pro Air | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | HiSilicon Kirin 710A | MediaTek Dimensity 9500 | |
| AnTuTu | 343622 | 4430255 | |
| Geekbench Single | 318 | 3293 | |
| Geekbench Multi | 1201 | 10243 | |
| Display | 6.4" IPS LCD | 6.3" LTPO OLED | |
| Resolution | 720x1560 | 1216x2640 | |
| Refresh rate | — | 120 Hz | |
| Battery | 4000 mAh | 5500 mAh | |
| Charging | — | 80W | |
| Wireless charging | — | 50W | |
| Main camera | 48 MP | 50 MP | |
| Ultrawide | 8 MP | 50 MP | |
| Telephoto | 0 MP | 64 MP | |
| Front camera | 8 MP | 50 MP | |
| RAM | 4GB | 12GB / 16GB | |
| Storage | 64GB | 256GB / 512GB / 1TB | |
| OS | Android 10; EMUI 10.1, no Google Play Services | Android 16 | |
| Brightness (peak) | — | 6000 nits | |
| NFC | no | yes | |
| Protection | — | IP68/IP69 | |
| Dimensions | 159.8×76.1×8.1 mm | 150.5×71.9×6.1 mm | |
| Weight | 176 g | 155 g | |
| Launch price | — | — |
Camera comparison
Honor 9C
- Main: 48MP f/1.8
- Ultrawide: 8MP
- Front: 8MP
Honor Magic8 Pro Air
- Main: 50MP f/1.6
- Ultrawide: 50MP
- Telephoto: 64MP
- Front: 50MP
Display comparison
Honor 9C
- 6.4" IPS LCD
- Resolution: 720x1560
- Refresh rate: —
Honor Magic8 Pro Air
- 6.3" LTPO OLED
- Resolution: 1216x2640
- Refresh rate: 120 Hz
Battery and charging
Honor 9C
- 4000 mAh
- Wireless charging: no data
Honor Magic8 Pro Air
- 5500 mAh
- Wired: 80W
- Wireless: 50W
Overall performance score
We compared Honor 9C and Honor Magic8 Pro Air, covering their specs and all relevant benchmarks.
Honor Magic8 Pro Air leads Honor 9C by 92.2% in our overall performance rating.
Benchmarks
Detailed category analysis
performance
In the "performance" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor 9C (97/100 vs 25/100).
display
In the "display" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor 9C (85/100 vs 39/100).
camera
In the "camera" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor 9C (87/100 vs 32/100).
battery
In the "battery" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor 9C (77/100 vs 32/100).
portability
In the "portability" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air notably outperforms the Honor 9C (100/100 vs 72/100).
Frequently asked questions
Which is better: the Honor 9C or the Honor Magic8 Pro Air?
The Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor 9C by 57 points (89/100 vs 32/100).
What is the rating of the Honor 9C and the Honor Magic8 Pro Air?
The Honor 9C has a MobileRank rating of 32/100, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air — 89/100.
Which has the better camera: the Honor 9C or the Honor Magic8 Pro Air?
The Honor Magic8 Pro Air leads on camera score (87/100 vs 32/100).
Which is more powerful: the Honor 9C or the Honor Magic8 Pro Air?
The Honor Magic8 Pro Air leads on performance (97/100 vs 25/100).
Should you choose the Honor 9C over the Honor Magic8 Pro Air?
The Honor Magic8 Pro Air is a better fit for gamers and power users, mobile photography enthusiasts, those who care about battery life.