Honor Magic8 Pro Air vs Honor Play9A
The Honor Magic8 Pro Air (2026) runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 9500, while the Honor Play9A (2024) runs on the MediaTek Helio G36. By overall MobileRank rating, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air leads — 89/100 vs 27/100 (a 62-point difference). Key differences: the Honor Magic8 Pro Air has the bigger battery (5500 mAh vs 5200); the main camera is 50 MP vs 13 MP; the Honor Magic8 Pro Air is faster in AnTuTu (4,430,255 vs 193,858); the Honor Magic8 Pro Air has NFC for contactless payments, the Honor Play9A doesn't; the Honor Magic8 Pro Air is noticeably lighter (155g vs 194g).
Profile comparison
Category scores
Honor Magic8 Pro Air
Honor Play9A
What makes Honor Magic8 Pro Air better?
- Higher AnTuTu: 4430255 vs 193858
- Better Geekbench Single: 3293 vs 189
- Better Geekbench Multi: 10243 vs 781
- Bigger battery: 5500 vs 5200 mAh
- Better main camera: 50MP vs 13MP
- Lighter: 155g vs 194g
- Higher performance (97/100 vs 11/100)
- Better camera (87/100 vs 10/100)
- Longer battery life (77/100 vs 74/100)
- Better display (85/100 vs 34/100)
- Better portability (100/100 vs 55/100)
What makes Honor Play9A better?
- Overall rating 27/100
Comparison verdict
Comparing the Honor Magic8 Pro Air vs the Honor Play9A, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air scores 62 points higher (89/100 vs 27/100). In the "performance" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air leads (97/100 vs 11/100). In the "camera" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air leads (87/100 vs 10/100). In the "performance" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play9A (97/100 vs 11/100). In the "display" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play9A (85/100 vs 34/100). In the "camera" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play9A (87/100 vs 10/100). In the "battery" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air and the Honor Play9A are nearly equal (77/100 vs 74/100). In the "portability" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play9A (100/100 vs 55/100).
Specs comparison
| Specification | Honor Magic8 Pro Air | Honor Play9A | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | MediaTek Dimensity 9500 | MediaTek Helio G36 | |
| AnTuTu | 4430255 | 193858 | |
| Geekbench Single | 3293 | 189 | |
| Geekbench Multi | 10243 | 781 | |
| Display | 6.3" LTPO OLED | 6.6" | |
| Resolution | 1216x2640 | 720x1612 | |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | — | |
| Battery | 5500 mAh | 5200 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 | 5 MP | |
| RAM | 12GB / 16GB | 4GB | |
| Storage | 256GB / 512GB / 1TB | 64GB / 128GB / 256GB | |
| OS | Android 16 | Android 14, MagicOS 8 | |
| Brightness (peak) | 6000 nits | — | |
| NFC | yes | no | |
| Protection | IP68/IP69 | — | |
| Dimensions | 150.5×71.9×6.1 mm | 163.9×75.8×8.7 mm | |
| Weight | 155 g | 194 g | |
| Launch price | — | — |
Camera comparison
Honor Magic8 Pro Air
- Main: 50MP f/1.6
- Ultrawide: 50MP
- Telephoto: 64MP
- Front: 50MP
Honor Play9A
- Main: 13MP f/1.8
- Front: 5MP
Display comparison
Honor Magic8 Pro Air
- 6.3" LTPO OLED
- Resolution: 1216x2640
- Refresh rate: 120 Hz
Honor Play9A
- 6.6"
- Resolution: 720x1612
- Refresh rate: —
Battery and charging
Honor Magic8 Pro Air
- 5500 mAh
- Wired: 80W
- Wireless: 50W
Honor Play9A
- 5200 mAh
- Wireless charging: no data
Overall performance score
We compared Honor Magic8 Pro Air and Honor Play9A, covering their specs and all relevant benchmarks.
Honor Magic8 Pro Air leads Honor Play9A by 2185.3% in our overall performance rating.
Benchmarks
Detailed category analysis
performance
In the "performance" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play9A (97/100 vs 11/100).
display
In the "display" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play9A (85/100 vs 34/100).
camera
In the "camera" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play9A (87/100 vs 10/100).
battery
In the "battery" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air and the Honor Play9A are nearly equal (77/100 vs 74/100).
portability
In the "portability" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play9A (100/100 vs 55/100).
Frequently asked questions
Which is better: the Honor Magic8 Pro Air or the Honor Play9A?
The Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play9A by 62 points (89/100 vs 27/100).
What is the rating of the Honor Magic8 Pro Air and the Honor Play9A?
The Honor Magic8 Pro Air has a MobileRank rating of 89/100, the Honor Play9A — 27/100.
Which has the better camera: the Honor Magic8 Pro Air or the Honor Play9A?
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 Play9A?
The Honor Magic8 Pro Air leads on performance (97/100 vs 11/100).
Should you choose the Honor Magic8 Pro Air over the Honor Play9A?
The Honor Magic8 Pro Air is a better fit for gamers and power users, mobile photography enthusiasts, those who care about battery life.