Honor Magic8 Pro Air vs Honor Play 9A
The Honor Magic8 Pro Air (2026) runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 9500, while the Honor Play 9A (2020) runs on the MediaTek Helio P35. By overall MobileRank rating, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air leads — 89/100 vs 25/100 (a 64-point difference). Key differences: the Honor Magic8 Pro Air has the bigger battery (5500 mAh vs 5000); 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 9A doesn't; the Honor Magic8 Pro Air is noticeably lighter (155g vs 185g).
Profile comparison
Category scores
Honor Magic8 Pro Air
Honor Play 9A
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 5000 mAh
- Faster charging: 80W vs 10W
- Better main camera: 50MP vs 13MP
- Lighter: 155g vs 185g
- Higher performance (97/100 vs 19/100)
- Better camera (87/100 vs 10/100)
- Longer battery life (77/100 vs 43/100)
- Better display (85/100 vs 40/100)
- Better portability (100/100 vs 57/100)
What makes Honor Play 9A better?
- Overall rating 25/100
Comparison verdict
Comparing the Honor Magic8 Pro Air vs the Honor Play 9A, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air scores 64 points higher (89/100 vs 25/100). 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 43/100). In the "performance" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play 9A (97/100 vs 19/100). In the "display" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play 9A (85/100 vs 40/100). In the "camera" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play 9A (87/100 vs 10/100). In the "battery" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play 9A (77/100 vs 43/100). In the "portability" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play 9A (100/100 vs 57/100).
Specs comparison
| Specification | Honor Magic8 Pro Air | Honor Play 9A | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | MediaTek Dimensity 9500 | MediaTek Helio P35 | |
| AnTuTu | 4430255 | 199111 | |
| Geekbench Single | 3293 | 476 | |
| Geekbench Multi | 10243 | 828 | |
| Display | 6.3" LTPO OLED | 6.3" IPS LCD | |
| Resolution | 1216x2640 | 720x1600 | |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | — | |
| Battery | 5500 mAh | 5000 mAh | |
| Charging | 80W | 10W | |
| Wireless charging | 50W | 0W | |
| 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 | 4GB | |
| Storage | 256GB / 512GB / 1TB | 64GB / 128GB | |
| OS | Android 16 | Android 10.0 (AOSP + HMS); Magic UI 3.0 | |
| Brightness (peak) | 6000 nits | — | |
| NFC | yes | no | |
| Protection | IP68/IP69 | — | |
| Dimensions | 150.5×71.9×6.1 mm | 159.1×74.1×9.0 mm | |
| Weight | 155 g | 185 g | |
| Launch price | — | — |
Camera comparison
Honor Magic8 Pro Air
- Main: 50MP f/1.6
- Ultrawide: 50MP
- Telephoto: 64MP
- Front: 50MP
Honor Play 9A
- 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 9A
- 6.3" IPS LCD
- Resolution: 720x1600
- Refresh rate: —
Battery and charging
Honor Magic8 Pro Air
- 5500 mAh
- Wired: 80W
- Wireless: 50W
Honor Play 9A
- 5000 mAh
- Wired: 10W
- No wireless charging
Overall performance score
We compared Honor Magic8 Pro Air and Honor Play 9A, covering their specs and all relevant benchmarks.
Honor Magic8 Pro Air leads Honor Play 9A 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 9A (97/100 vs 19/100).
display
In the "display" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play 9A (85/100 vs 40/100).
camera
In the "camera" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play 9A (87/100 vs 10/100).
battery
In the "battery" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play 9A (77/100 vs 43/100).
portability
In the "portability" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play 9A (100/100 vs 57/100).
Frequently asked questions
Which is better: the Honor Magic8 Pro Air or the Honor Play 9A?
The Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play 9A by 64 points (89/100 vs 25/100).
What is the rating of the Honor Magic8 Pro Air and the Honor Play 9A?
The Honor Magic8 Pro Air has a MobileRank rating of 89/100, the Honor Play 9A — 25/100.
Which has the better camera: the Honor Magic8 Pro Air or the Honor Play 9A?
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 9A?
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 9A?
The Honor Magic8 Pro Air is a better fit for gamers and power users, mobile photography enthusiasts, those who care about battery life.