Honor Magic8 vs Honor Play9A
The Honor Magic8 (2025) runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, while the Honor Play9A (2024) runs on the MediaTek Helio G36. By overall MobileRank rating, the Honor Magic8 leads — 88/100 vs 27/100 (a 61-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 193,858); the Honor Magic8 has NFC for contactless payments, the Honor Play9A doesn't.
Profile comparison
Category scores
Honor Magic8
Honor Play9A
What makes Honor Magic8 better?
- Higher AnTuTu: 4037547 vs 193858
- Better Geekbench Single: 3639 vs 189
- Better Geekbench Multi: 11047 vs 781
- Bigger battery: 7000 vs 5200 mAh
- Better main camera: 50MP vs 13MP
- Higher performance (98/100 vs 11/100)
- Better camera (87/100 vs 10/100)
- Longer battery life (85/100 vs 74/100)
- Better display (85/100 vs 34/100)
- Better portability (56/100 vs 55/100)
What makes Honor Play9A better?
- Lighter: 194g vs 205g
- Overall rating 27/100
Comparison verdict
Comparing the Honor Magic8 vs the Honor Play9A, the Honor Magic8 scores 61 points higher (88/100 vs 27/100). In the "performance" category, the Honor Magic8 leads (98/100 vs 11/100). In the "camera" category, the Honor Magic8 leads (87/100 vs 10/100). In the "battery" category, the Honor Magic8 leads (85/100 vs 74/100). In the "performance" category, the Honor Magic8 significantly outperforms the Honor Play9A (98/100 vs 11/100). In the "display" category, the Honor Magic8 significantly outperforms the Honor Play9A (85/100 vs 34/100). In the "camera" category, the Honor Magic8 significantly outperforms the Honor Play9A (87/100 vs 10/100). In the "battery" category, the Honor Magic8 is a bit better (85/100 vs 74/100). In the "portability" category, the Honor Magic8 and the Honor Play9A are nearly equal (56/100 vs 55/100).
Specs comparison
| Specification | Honor Magic8 | Honor Play9A | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 | MediaTek Helio G36 | |
| AnTuTu | 4037547 | 193858 | |
| Geekbench Single | 3639 | 189 | |
| Geekbench Multi | 11047 | 781 | |
| Display | 6.6" Dynamic OLED | 6.6" | |
| Resolution | 2760x1256 | 720x1612 | |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | — | |
| Battery | 7000 mAh | 5200 mAh | |
| Charging | 90W | — | |
| Wireless charging | 80W | — | |
| Main camera | 50 MP | 13 MP | |
| Ultrawide | 50 MP | 0 MP | |
| Telephoto | 64 MP | 0 MP | |
| Front camera | 50 MP | 5 MP | |
| RAM | 12GB | 4GB | |
| Storage | 256GB | 64GB / 128GB / 256GB | |
| OS | Android 16 | Android 14, MagicOS 8 | |
| Brightness (peak) | 6000 nits | — | |
| NFC | yes | no | |
| Protection | IP68 | — | |
| Dimensions | 157.1×74.0×8.0 mm | 163.9×75.8×8.7 mm | |
| Weight | 205 g | 194 g | |
| Launch price | $625 | — |
Camera comparison
Honor Magic8
- Main: 50MP f/1.9
- Ultrawide: 50MP
- Telephoto: 64MP
- Front: 50MP
Honor Play9A
- Main: 13MP f/1.8
- Front: 5MP
Display comparison
Honor Magic8
- 6.6" Dynamic OLED
- Resolution: 2760x1256
- Refresh rate: 120 Hz
Honor Play9A
- 6.6"
- Resolution: 720x1612
- Refresh rate: —
Battery and charging
Honor Magic8
- 7000 mAh
- Wired: 90W
- Wireless: 80W
Honor Play9A
- 5200 mAh
- Wireless charging: no data
Overall performance score
We compared Honor Magic8 and Honor Play9A, covering their specs and all relevant benchmarks.
Honor Magic8 leads Honor Play9A by 1982.7% in our overall performance rating.
Benchmarks
Launch prices and where to check today's
Honor Play9A
Price unknownDetailed category analysis
performance
In the "performance" category, the Honor Magic8 significantly outperforms the Honor Play9A (98/100 vs 11/100).
display
In the "display" category, the Honor Magic8 significantly outperforms the Honor Play9A (85/100 vs 34/100).
camera
In the "camera" category, the Honor Magic8 significantly outperforms the Honor Play9A (87/100 vs 10/100).
battery
In the "battery" category, the Honor Magic8 is a bit better (85/100 vs 74/100).
portability
In the "portability" category, the Honor Magic8 and the Honor Play9A are nearly equal (56/100 vs 55/100).
Frequently asked questions
Which is better: the Honor Magic8 or the Honor Play9A?
The Honor Magic8 significantly outperforms the Honor Play9A by 61 points (88/100 vs 27/100).
What is the rating of the Honor Magic8 and the Honor Play9A?
The Honor Magic8 has a MobileRank rating of 88/100, the Honor Play9A — 27/100.
Which has the better camera: the Honor Magic8 or the Honor Play9A?
The Honor Magic8 leads on camera score (87/100 vs 10/100).
Which is more powerful: the Honor Magic8 or the Honor Play9A?
The Honor Magic8 leads on performance (98/100 vs 11/100).
Should you choose the Honor Magic8 over the Honor Play9A?
The Honor Magic8 is a better fit for gamers and power users, mobile photography enthusiasts, those who care about battery life, budget-conscious buyers.