Honor Magic8 Pro Air vs Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer
The Honor Magic8 Pro Air (2026) runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 9500, while the Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer (2019) runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855. By overall MobileRank rating, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air leads — 89/100 vs 54/100 (a 35-point difference). Key differences: the Honor Magic8 Pro Air has the bigger battery (5500 mAh vs 3300); the Honor Magic8 Pro Air is faster in AnTuTu (4,430,255 vs 824,513); the Honor Magic8 Pro Air is noticeably lighter (155g vs 173g).
Profile comparison
Category scores
Honor Magic8 Pro Air
Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer
What makes Honor Magic8 Pro Air better?
- Higher AnTuTu: 4430255 vs 824513
- Better Geekbench Single: 3352 vs 968
- Better Geekbench Multi: 10402 vs 2731
- Bigger battery: 5500 vs 3300 mAh
- Faster charging: 80W vs 27W
- Faster wireless charging: 50W vs 20W
- Lighter: 155g vs 173g
- Higher performance (97/100 vs 54/100)
- Longer battery life (77/100 vs 22/100)
- Better display (85/100 vs 83/100)
- Better portability (100/100 vs 79/100)
What makes Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer better?
- Overall rating 54/100
Comparison verdict
Comparing the Honor Magic8 Pro Air vs the Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air scores 35 points higher (89/100 vs 54/100). In the "performance" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air leads (97/100 vs 54/100). In the "battery" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air leads (77/100 vs 22/100). In the "performance" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer (97/100 vs 54/100). In the "display" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air and the Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer are nearly equal (85/100 vs 83/100). In the "battery" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer (77/100 vs 22/100). In the "portability" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air notably outperforms the Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer (100/100 vs 79/100).
Specs comparison
| Specification | Honor Magic8 Pro Air | Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | MediaTek Dimensity 9500 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 | |
| AnTuTu | 4430255 | 824513 | |
| Geekbench Single | 3352 | 968 | |
| Geekbench Multi | 10402 | 2731 | |
| Display | 6.3" LTPO OLED | 6.4" Super AMOLED | |
| Resolution | 1216x2640 | 1080x2340 | |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | — | |
| Battery | 5500 mAh | 3300 mAh | |
| Charging | 80W | 27W | |
| Wireless charging | 50W | 20W | |
| Main camera | 50 MP | — | |
| Ultrawide | 50 MP | 48 MP | |
| Telephoto | 64 MP | 0 MP | |
| Front camera | 50 MP | 20 MP | |
| RAM | 12GB / 16GB | 12GB | |
| Storage | 256GB / 512GB / 1TB | 256GB | |
| OS | Android 16 | Android 9.0 (Pie); MIUI 10 | |
| Brightness (peak) | 6000 nits | — | |
| NFC | yes | yes | |
| Protection | IP68/IP69 | — | |
| Dimensions | 150.5×71.9×6.1 mm | 157.5×74.7×7.6 mm | |
| Weight | 155 g | 173 g | |
| Launch price | — | — |
Camera comparison
Honor Magic8 Pro Air
- Main: 50MP f/1.6
- Ultrawide: 50MP
- Telephoto: 64MP
- Front: 50MP
Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer
- Main: —
- Ultrawide: 48MP
- Front: 20MP
Display comparison
Honor Magic8 Pro Air
- 6.3" LTPO OLED
- Resolution: 1216x2640
- Refresh rate: 120 Hz
Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer
- 6.4" Super AMOLED
- Resolution: 1080x2340
- Refresh rate: —
Battery and charging
Honor Magic8 Pro Air
- 5500 mAh
- Wired: 80W
- Wireless: 50W
Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer
- 3300 mAh
- Wired: 27W
- Wireless: 20W
Overall performance score
We compared Honor Magic8 Pro Air and Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer, covering their specs and all relevant benchmarks.
Honor Magic8 Pro Air leads Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer by 437.3% in our overall performance rating.
Benchmarks
Detailed category analysis
performance
In the "performance" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer (97/100 vs 54/100).
display
In the "display" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air and the Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer are nearly equal (85/100 vs 83/100).
battery
In the "battery" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer (77/100 vs 22/100).
portability
In the "portability" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air notably outperforms the Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer (100/100 vs 79/100).
Frequently asked questions
Which is better: the Honor Magic8 Pro Air or the Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer?
The Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer by 35 points (89/100 vs 54/100).
What is the rating of the Honor Magic8 Pro Air and the Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer?
The Honor Magic8 Pro Air has a MobileRank rating of 89/100, the Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer — 54/100.
Which is more powerful: the Honor Magic8 Pro Air or the Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer?
The Honor Magic8 Pro Air leads on performance (97/100 vs 54/100).
Should you choose the Honor Magic8 Pro Air over the Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer?
The Honor Magic8 Pro Air is a better fit for gamers and power users, mobile photography enthusiasts, those who care about battery life.