Honor Magic8 Pro Air vs Honor Play9C
The Honor Magic8 Pro Air (2026) runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 9500, while the Honor Play9C (2024) runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 6100+. By overall MobileRank rating, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air leads — 89/100 vs 35/100 (a 54-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 513,809); the Honor Magic8 Pro Air has NFC for contactless payments, the Honor Play9C doesn't; the Honor Magic8 Pro Air is noticeably lighter (155g vs 190g).
Profile comparison
Category scores
Honor Magic8 Pro Air
Honor Play9C
What makes Honor Magic8 Pro Air better?
- Higher AnTuTu: 4430255 vs 513809
- Better Geekbench Single: 3293 vs 688
- Better Geekbench Multi: 10243 vs 1900
- Bigger battery: 5500 vs 5200 mAh
- Faster charging: 80W vs 10W
- Better main camera: 50MP vs 13MP
- Higher refresh rate: 120Hz vs 90Hz
- Lighter: 155g vs 190g
- Higher performance (97/100 vs 41/100)
- Better camera (87/100 vs 10/100)
- Longer battery life (77/100 vs 48/100)
- Better display (85/100 vs 44/100)
- Better portability (100/100 vs 60/100)
What makes Honor Play9C better?
- Overall rating 35/100
Comparison verdict
Comparing the Honor Magic8 Pro Air vs the Honor Play9C, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air scores 54 points higher (89/100 vs 35/100). In the "performance" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air leads (97/100 vs 41/100). 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 48/100). In the "performance" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play9C (97/100 vs 41/100). In the "display" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play9C (85/100 vs 44/100). In the "camera" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play9C (87/100 vs 10/100). In the "battery" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air notably outperforms the Honor Play9C (77/100 vs 48/100). In the "portability" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play9C (100/100 vs 60/100).
Specs comparison
| Specification | Honor Magic8 Pro Air | Honor Play9C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | MediaTek Dimensity 9500 | MediaTek Dimensity 6100+ | |
| AnTuTu | 4430255 | 513809 | |
| Geekbench Single | 3293 | 688 | |
| Geekbench Multi | 10243 | 1900 | |
| Display | 6.3" LTPO OLED | 6.6" TFT LCD | |
| Resolution | 1216x2640 | 720x1612 | |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 90 Hz | |
| Battery | 5500 mAh | 5200 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 | 5 MP | |
| RAM | 12GB / 16GB | 6GB / 8GB / 12GB | |
| Storage | 256GB / 512GB / 1TB | 128GB / 256GB | |
| OS | Android 16 | Android 14, Magic OS 8 | |
| Brightness (peak) | 6000 nits | 780 nits | |
| NFC | yes | no | |
| Protection | IP68/IP69 | — | |
| Dimensions | 150.5×71.9×6.1 mm | 163.6×75.3×8.4 mm | |
| Weight | 155 g | 190 g | |
| Launch price | — | — |
Camera comparison
Honor Magic8 Pro Air
- Main: 50MP f/1.6
- Ultrawide: 50MP
- Telephoto: 64MP
- Front: 50MP
Honor Play9C
- Main: 13MP f/1.8
- Front: 5MP
Display comparison
Honor Magic8 Pro Air
- 6.3" LTPO OLED
- Resolution: 1216x2640
- Refresh rate: 120 Hz
Honor Play9C
- 6.6" TFT LCD
- Resolution: 720x1612
- Refresh rate: 90 Hz
Battery and charging
Honor Magic8 Pro Air
- 5500 mAh
- Wired: 80W
- Wireless: 50W
Honor Play9C
- 5200 mAh
- Wired: 10W
- No wireless charging
Overall performance score
We compared Honor Magic8 Pro Air and Honor Play9C, covering their specs and all relevant benchmarks.
Honor Magic8 Pro Air leads Honor Play9C by 762.2% in our overall performance rating.
Benchmarks
Detailed category analysis
performance
In the "performance" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play9C (97/100 vs 41/100).
display
In the "display" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play9C (85/100 vs 44/100).
camera
In the "camera" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play9C (87/100 vs 10/100).
battery
In the "battery" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air notably outperforms the Honor Play9C (77/100 vs 48/100).
portability
In the "portability" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play9C (100/100 vs 60/100).
Frequently asked questions
Which is better: the Honor Magic8 Pro Air or the Honor Play9C?
The Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play9C by 54 points (89/100 vs 35/100).
What is the rating of the Honor Magic8 Pro Air and the Honor Play9C?
The Honor Magic8 Pro Air has a MobileRank rating of 89/100, the Honor Play9C — 35/100.
Which has the better camera: the Honor Magic8 Pro Air or the Honor Play9C?
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 Play9C?
The Honor Magic8 Pro Air leads on performance (97/100 vs 41/100).
Should you choose the Honor Magic8 Pro Air over the Honor Play9C?
The Honor Magic8 Pro Air is a better fit for gamers and power users, mobile photography enthusiasts, those who care about battery life.