Honor Magic8 Pro Air vs Honor Play 8A
The Honor Magic8 Pro Air (2026) runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 9500, while the Honor Play 8A (2019) runs on the MediaTek Helio P35. By overall MobileRank rating, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air leads — 89/100 vs 22/100 (a 67-point difference). Key differences: the Honor Magic8 Pro Air has the bigger battery (5500 mAh vs 3020); the main camera is 50 MP vs 13 MP; the Honor Magic8 Pro Air is faster in AnTuTu (4,430,255 vs 199,111); the Honor Magic8 Pro Air has NFC for contactless payments, the Honor Play 8A doesn't; the Honor Magic8 Pro Air is thinner (6.1mm vs 8.0mm).
Profile comparison
Category scores
Honor Magic8 Pro Air
Honor Play 8A
What makes Honor Magic8 Pro Air better?
- Higher AnTuTu: 4430255 vs 199111
- Better Geekbench Single: 3293 vs 476
- Better Geekbench Multi: 10243 vs 828
- Bigger battery: 5500 vs 3020 mAh
- Better main camera: 50MP vs 13MP
- Higher performance (97/100 vs 19/100)
- Better camera (87/100 vs 10/100)
- Longer battery life (77/100 vs 15/100)
- Better display (85/100 vs 41/100)
- Better portability (100/100 vs 84/100)
What makes Honor Play 8A better?
- Lighter: 150g vs 155g
- Overall rating 22/100
Comparison verdict
Comparing the Honor Magic8 Pro Air vs the Honor Play 8A, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air scores 67 points higher (89/100 vs 22/100). In the "performance" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air leads (97/100 vs 19/100). In the "camera" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air leads (87/100 vs 10/100). In the "battery" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air leads (77/100 vs 15/100). In the "performance" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play 8A (97/100 vs 19/100). In the "display" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play 8A (85/100 vs 41/100). In the "camera" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play 8A (87/100 vs 10/100). In the "battery" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play 8A (77/100 vs 15/100). In the "portability" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air notably outperforms the Honor Play 8A (100/100 vs 84/100).
Specs comparison
| Specification | Honor Magic8 Pro Air | Honor Play 8A | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | MediaTek Dimensity 9500 | MediaTek Helio P35 | |
| AnTuTu | 4430255 | 199111 | |
| Geekbench Single | 3293 | 476 | |
| Geekbench Multi | 10243 | 828 | |
| Display | 6.3" LTPO OLED | 6.0" LCD | |
| Resolution | 1216x2640 | 720x1560 | |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | — | |
| Battery | 5500 mAh | 3020 mAh | |
| Charging | 80W | — | |
| Wireless charging | 50W | — | |
| Main camera | 50 MP | 13 MP | |
| Ultrawide | 50 MP | 0 MP | |
| Telephoto | 64 MP | 0 MP | |
| Front camera | 50 MP | 8 MP | |
| RAM | 12GB / 16GB | 3GB | |
| Storage | 256GB / 512GB / 1TB | 64GB | |
| OS | Android 16 | Android 9.0 (Pie); EMUI 9 | |
| Brightness (peak) | 6000 nits | — | |
| NFC | yes | no | |
| Protection | IP68/IP69 | — | |
| Dimensions | 150.5×71.9×6.1 mm | 156.3×73.5×8.0 mm | |
| Weight | 155 g | 150 g | |
| Launch price | — | — |
Camera comparison
Honor Magic8 Pro Air
- Main: 50MP f/1.6
- Ultrawide: 50MP
- Telephoto: 64MP
- Front: 50MP
Honor Play 8A
- Main: 13MP f/1.8
- Front: 8MP
Display comparison
Honor Magic8 Pro Air
- 6.3" LTPO OLED
- Resolution: 1216x2640
- Refresh rate: 120 Hz
Honor Play 8A
- 6.0" LCD
- Resolution: 720x1560
- Refresh rate: —
Battery and charging
Honor Magic8 Pro Air
- 5500 mAh
- Wired: 80W
- Wireless: 50W
Honor Play 8A
- 3020 mAh
- Wireless charging: no data
Overall performance score
We compared Honor Magic8 Pro Air and Honor Play 8A, covering their specs and all relevant benchmarks.
Honor Magic8 Pro Air leads Honor Play 8A by 2125.0% in our overall performance rating.
Benchmarks
Detailed category analysis
performance
In the "performance" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play 8A (97/100 vs 19/100).
display
In the "display" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play 8A (85/100 vs 41/100).
camera
In the "camera" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play 8A (87/100 vs 10/100).
battery
In the "battery" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play 8A (77/100 vs 15/100).
portability
In the "portability" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air notably outperforms the Honor Play 8A (100/100 vs 84/100).
Frequently asked questions
Which is better: the Honor Magic8 Pro Air or the Honor Play 8A?
The Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play 8A by 67 points (89/100 vs 22/100).
What is the rating of the Honor Magic8 Pro Air and the Honor Play 8A?
The Honor Magic8 Pro Air has a MobileRank rating of 89/100, the Honor Play 8A — 22/100.
Which has the better camera: the Honor Magic8 Pro Air or the Honor Play 8A?
The Honor Magic8 Pro Air leads on camera score (87/100 vs 10/100).
Which is more powerful: the Honor Magic8 Pro Air or the Honor Play 8A?
The Honor Magic8 Pro Air leads on performance (97/100 vs 19/100).
Should you choose the Honor Magic8 Pro Air over the Honor Play 8A?
The Honor Magic8 Pro Air is a better fit for gamers and power users, mobile photography enthusiasts, those who care about battery life.