Honor Magic8 Pro Air vs Honor Play
The Honor Magic8 Pro Air (2026) runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 9500, while the Honor Play (2018) runs on the Hisilicon Kirin 970. By overall MobileRank rating, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air leads — 89/100 vs 31/100 (a 58-point difference). Key differences: the Honor Magic8 Pro Air has the bigger battery (5500 mAh vs 3750); the main camera is 50 MP vs 16 MP; the Honor Magic8 Pro Air is faster in AnTuTu (4,430,255 vs 470,805); the Honor Magic8 Pro Air has NFC for contactless payments, the Honor Play doesn't; the Honor Magic8 Pro Air is noticeably lighter (155g vs 176g).
Profile comparison
Category scores
Honor Magic8 Pro Air
Honor Play
What makes Honor Magic8 Pro Air better?
- Higher AnTuTu: 4430255 vs 470805
- Better Geekbench Single: 3293 vs 420
- Better Geekbench Multi: 10243 vs 1617
- Bigger battery: 5500 vs 3750 mAh
- Faster charging: 80W vs 18W
- Better main camera: 50MP vs 16MP
- Lighter: 155g vs 176g
- Higher performance (97/100 vs 34/100)
- Better camera (87/100 vs 14/100)
- Longer battery life (77/100 vs 16/100)
- Better display (85/100 vs 58/100)
- Better portability (100/100 vs 79/100)
What makes Honor Play better?
- Overall rating 31/100
Comparison verdict
Comparing the Honor Magic8 Pro Air vs the Honor Play, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air scores 58 points higher (89/100 vs 31/100). In the "performance" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air leads (97/100 vs 34/100). In the "camera" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air leads (87/100 vs 14/100). In the "battery" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air leads (77/100 vs 16/100). In the "performance" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play (97/100 vs 34/100). In the "display" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air notably outperforms the Honor Play (85/100 vs 58/100). In the "camera" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play (87/100 vs 14/100). In the "battery" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play (77/100 vs 16/100). In the "portability" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air notably outperforms the Honor Play (100/100 vs 79/100).
Specs comparison
| Specification | Honor Magic8 Pro Air | Honor Play | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | MediaTek Dimensity 9500 | Hisilicon Kirin 970 | |
| AnTuTu | 4430255 | 470805 | |
| Geekbench Single | 3293 | 420 | |
| Geekbench Multi | 10243 | 1617 | |
| Display | 6.3" LTPO OLED | 6.3" IPS LCD | |
| Resolution | 1216x2640 | 1080x2340 | |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | — | |
| Battery | 5500 mAh | 3750 mAh | |
| Charging | 80W | 18W | |
| Wireless charging | 50W | 0W | |
| Main camera | 50 MP | 16 MP | |
| Ultrawide | 50 MP | 0 MP | |
| Telephoto | 64 MP | 0 MP | |
| Front camera | 50 MP | 16 MP | |
| RAM | 12GB / 16GB | 6GB | |
| Storage | 256GB / 512GB / 1TB | 64GB | |
| OS | Android 16 | Android 8.1 (Oreo); EMUI 8.2 | |
| Brightness (peak) | 6000 nits | — | |
| NFC | yes | no | |
| Protection | IP68/IP69 | — | |
| Dimensions | 150.5×71.9×6.1 mm | 157.9×74.3×7.5 mm | |
| Weight | 155 g | 176 g | |
| Launch price | — | — |
Camera comparison
Honor Magic8 Pro Air
- Main: 50MP f/1.6
- Ultrawide: 50MP
- Telephoto: 64MP
- Front: 50MP
Honor Play
- Main: 16MP f/2.2
- Front: 16MP
Display comparison
Honor Magic8 Pro Air
- 6.3" LTPO OLED
- Resolution: 1216x2640
- Refresh rate: 120 Hz
Honor Play
- 6.3" IPS LCD
- Resolution: 1080x2340
- Refresh rate: —
Battery and charging
Honor Magic8 Pro Air
- 5500 mAh
- Wired: 80W
- Wireless: 50W
Honor Play
- 3750 mAh
- Wired: 18W
- No wireless charging
Overall performance score
We compared Honor Magic8 Pro Air and Honor Play, covering their specs and all relevant benchmarks.
Honor Magic8 Pro Air leads Honor Play by 841.0% in our overall performance rating.
Benchmarks
Detailed category analysis
performance
In the "performance" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play (97/100 vs 34/100).
display
In the "display" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air notably outperforms the Honor Play (85/100 vs 58/100).
camera
In the "camera" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play (87/100 vs 14/100).
battery
In the "battery" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play (77/100 vs 16/100).
portability
In the "portability" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air notably outperforms the Honor Play (100/100 vs 79/100).
Frequently asked questions
Which is better: the Honor Magic8 Pro Air or the Honor Play?
The Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play by 58 points (89/100 vs 31/100).
What is the rating of the Honor Magic8 Pro Air and the Honor Play?
The Honor Magic8 Pro Air has a MobileRank rating of 89/100, the Honor Play — 31/100.
Which has the better camera: the Honor Magic8 Pro Air or the Honor Play?
The Honor Magic8 Pro Air leads on camera score (87/100 vs 14/100).
Which is more powerful: the Honor Magic8 Pro Air or the Honor Play?
The Honor Magic8 Pro Air leads on performance (97/100 vs 34/100).
Should you choose the Honor Magic8 Pro Air over the Honor Play?
The Honor Magic8 Pro Air is a better fit for gamers and power users, mobile photography enthusiasts, those who care about battery life.