Honor Magic8 vs Honor Play 40

The Honor Magic8 (2025) runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, while the Honor Play 40 (2023) runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 480+ 5G. By overall MobileRank rating, the Honor Magic8 leads — 88/100 vs 35/100 (a 53-point difference). Key differences: the Honor Magic8 has the bigger battery (7000 mAh vs 5200); the main camera is 50 MP vs 13 MP; the Honor Magic8 is faster in AnTuTu (4,037,547 vs 477,542); the Honor Magic8 has NFC for contactless payments, the Honor Play 40 doesn't; the Honor Play 40 is noticeably lighter (188g vs 205g).

The Honor Magic8 significantly outperforms the Honor Play 40 by 53 points (88/100 vs 35/100).
Profile comparison
Category scores
Honor Magic8
Performance 98
Display 85
Camera 87
Battery 85
Portability 56
Value for money
Honor Play 40
Performance 41
Display 44
Camera 10
Battery 48
Portability 62
Value for money
What makes Honor Magic8 better?
  • Higher AnTuTu: 4037547 vs 477542
  • Better Geekbench Single: 3640 vs 746
  • Better Geekbench Multi: 11033 vs 1816
  • Bigger battery: 7000 vs 5200 mAh
  • Faster charging: 90W vs 10W
  • Better main camera: 50MP vs 13MP
  • Higher refresh rate: 120Hz vs 90Hz

  • Higher performance (98/100 vs 41/100)
  • Better camera (87/100 vs 10/100)
  • Longer battery life (85/100 vs 48/100)
  • Better display (85/100 vs 44/100)
What makes Honor Play 40 better?
  • Lighter: 188g vs 205g

  • Better portability (62/100 vs 56/100)
Comparison verdict

Comparing the Honor Magic8 vs the Honor Play 40, the Honor Magic8 scores 53 points higher (88/100 vs 35/100). In the "performance" category, the Honor Magic8 leads (98/100 vs 41/100). In the "camera" category, the Honor Magic8 leads (87/100 vs 10/100). In the "battery" category, the Honor Magic8 leads (85/100 vs 48/100). In the "performance" category, the Honor Magic8 significantly outperforms the Honor Play 40 (98/100 vs 41/100). In the "display" category, the Honor Magic8 significantly outperforms the Honor Play 40 (85/100 vs 44/100). In the "camera" category, the Honor Magic8 significantly outperforms the Honor Play 40 (87/100 vs 10/100). In the "battery" category, the Honor Magic8 significantly outperforms the Honor Play 40 (85/100 vs 48/100). In the "portability" category, the Honor Play 40 is a bit better (62/100 vs 56/100).

Honor Magic8: The Honor Magic8 is a better fit for gamers and power users, mobile photography enthusiasts, those who care about battery life.
Honor Play 40: The Honor Play 40 is a better fit for everyday use.
Specs comparison
Specification Honor Magic8 Honor Play 40
Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Qualcomm Snapdragon 480+ 5G
AnTuTu 4037547 477542
Geekbench Single 3640 746
Geekbench Multi 11033 1816
Display 6.6" Dynamic OLED 6.6" TFT LCD
Resolution 2760x1256 720x1612
Refresh rate 120 Hz 90 Hz
Battery 7000 mAh 5200 mAh
Charging 90W 10W
Wireless charging 80W 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 6GB / 8GB
Storage 256GB 128GB / 256GB
OS Android 16 Android 13, Magic OS 7.1
Brightness (peak) 6000 nits
NFC yes no
Protection IP68
Dimensions 157.1×74.0×8.0 mm 163.3×75.1×8.4 mm
Weight 205 g 188 g
Price $625
Camera comparison
Honor Magic8
  • Main: 50MP f/f/1.9
  • Ultrawide: 50MP
  • Telephoto: 64MP
  • Front: 50MP
87
camera
Honor Play 40
  • Main: 13MP f/f/1.8
  • Front: 5MP
10
camera
Display comparison
Honor Magic8
  • 6.6" Dynamic OLED
  • Resolution: 2760x1256
  • Refresh rate: 120 Hz
85
display
Honor Play 40
  • 6.6" TFT LCD
  • Resolution: 720x1612
  • Refresh rate: 90 Hz
44
display
Battery and charging
Honor Magic8
  • 7000 mAh
  • Wired: 90W
  • Wireless: 80W
85
battery
Honor Play 40
  • 5200 mAh
  • Wired: 10W
  • No wireless charging
48
battery
Overall performance score

We compared Honor Magic8 and Honor Play 40, covering their specs and all relevant benchmarks.

Honor Magic8 Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
88/100
4037547 AnTuTu
Honor Play 40 Qualcomm Snapdragon 480+ 5G
35/100 -745.5%
477542 AnTuTu

Honor Magic8 leads Honor Play 40 by 745.5% in our overall performance rating.

Benchmarks
Price and availability
Honor Magic8
$625
Honor Play 40
Price unknown
Detailed category analysis
performance

In the "performance" category, the Honor Magic8 significantly outperforms the Honor Play 40 (98/100 vs 41/100).

display

In the "display" category, the Honor Magic8 significantly outperforms the Honor Play 40 (85/100 vs 44/100).

camera

In the "camera" category, the Honor Magic8 significantly outperforms the Honor Play 40 (87/100 vs 10/100).

battery

In the "battery" category, the Honor Magic8 significantly outperforms the Honor Play 40 (85/100 vs 48/100).

portability

In the "portability" category, the Honor Play 40 is a bit better (62/100 vs 56/100).

Frequently asked questions
Which is better: the Honor Magic8 or the Honor Play 40?

The Honor Magic8 significantly outperforms the Honor Play 40 by 53 points (88/100 vs 35/100).

What is the rating of the Honor Magic8 and the Honor Play 40?

The Honor Magic8 has a MobileRank rating of 88/100, the Honor Play 40 — 35/100.

Which has the better camera: the Honor Magic8 or the Honor Play 40?

The Honor Magic8 leads on camera score (87/100 vs 10/100).

Which is more powerful: the Honor Magic8 or the Honor Play 40?

The Honor Magic8 leads on performance (98/100 vs 41/100).

Should you choose the Honor Magic8 over the Honor Play 40?

The Honor Magic8 is a better fit for gamers and power users, mobile photography enthusiasts, those who care about battery life. The Honor Play 40 is a better fit for everyday use.