Honor Magic9 Pro Max vs Honor Play 40
The Honor Magic9 Pro Max (2026) runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6, while the Honor Play 40 (2023) runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 480+ 5G. By overall MobileRank rating, the Honor Magic9 Pro Max leads — 96/100 vs 35/100 (a 61-point difference). Key differences: the Honor Magic9 Pro Max has the bigger battery (8800 mAh vs 5200); the main camera is 200 MP vs 13 MP; the Honor Magic9 Pro Max is faster in AnTuTu (5,524,187 vs 477,542); the Honor Magic9 Pro Max has NFC for contactless payments, the Honor Play 40 doesn't.
Profile comparison
Category scores
Honor Magic9 Pro Max
Honor Play 40
What makes Honor Magic9 Pro Max better?
- Higher AnTuTu: 5524187 vs 477542
- Better Geekbench Single: 4301 vs 746
- Better Geekbench Multi: 12490 vs 1816
- Bigger battery: 8800 vs 5200 mAh
- Faster charging: 100W vs 10W
- Better main camera: 200MP vs 13MP
- Higher refresh rate: 120Hz vs 90Hz
- Higher performance (100/100 vs 41/100)
- Better camera (100/100 vs 10/100)
- Longer battery life (94/100 vs 48/100)
- Better display (85/100 vs 44/100)
What makes Honor Play 40 better?
- Overall rating 35/100
Comparison verdict
Comparing the Honor Magic9 Pro Max vs the Honor Play 40, the Honor Magic9 Pro Max scores 61 points higher (96/100 vs 35/100). In the "performance" category, the Honor Magic9 Pro Max leads (100/100 vs 41/100). In the "camera" category, the Honor Magic9 Pro Max leads (100/100 vs 10/100). In the "battery" category, the Honor Magic9 Pro Max leads (94/100 vs 48/100). In the "performance" category, the Honor Magic9 Pro Max significantly outperforms the Honor Play 40 (100/100 vs 41/100). In the "display" category, the Honor Magic9 Pro Max significantly outperforms the Honor Play 40 (85/100 vs 44/100). In the "camera" category, the Honor Magic9 Pro Max significantly outperforms the Honor Play 40 (100/100 vs 10/100). In the "battery" category, the Honor Magic9 Pro Max significantly outperforms the Honor Play 40 (94/100 vs 48/100).
Specs comparison
| Specification | Honor Magic9 Pro Max | Honor Play 40 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 480+ 5G | |
| AnTuTu | 5524187 | 477542 | |
| Geekbench Single | 4301 | 746 | |
| Geekbench Multi | 12490 | 1816 | |
| Display | 6.8" LTPO OLED | 6.6" TFT LCD | |
| Resolution | 1320x2868 | 720x1612 | |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 90 Hz | |
| Battery | 8800 mAh | 5200 mAh | |
| Charging | 100W | 10W | |
| Wireless charging | 80W | 0W | |
| Main camera | 200 MP | 13 MP | |
| Ultrawide | 50 MP | 0 MP | |
| Telephoto | 200 MP | 0 MP | |
| Front camera | 50 MP | 5 MP | |
| RAM | 12GB / 16GB | 6GB / 8GB | |
| Storage | 256GB / 512GB / 1TB | 128GB / 256GB | |
| OS | Android 17 | Android 13, Magic OS 7.1 | |
| NFC | yes | no | |
| Protection | IP68 | — | |
| Dimensions | — | 163.3×75.1×8.4 mm | |
| Weight | — | 188 g | |
| Launch price | — | — |
Camera comparison
Honor Magic9 Pro Max
- Main: 200MP f/1.6
- Ultrawide: 50MP
- Telephoto: 200MP
- Front: 50MP
Honor Play 40
- Main: 13MP f/1.8
- Front: 5MP
Display comparison
Honor Magic9 Pro Max
- 6.8" LTPO OLED
- Resolution: 1320x2868
- Refresh rate: 120 Hz
Honor Play 40
- 6.6" TFT LCD
- Resolution: 720x1612
- Refresh rate: 90 Hz
Battery and charging
Honor Magic9 Pro Max
- 8800 mAh
- Wired: 100W
- Wireless: 80W
Honor Play 40
- 5200 mAh
- Wired: 10W
- No wireless charging
Overall performance score
We compared Honor Magic9 Pro Max and Honor Play 40, covering their specs and all relevant benchmarks.
Honor Magic9 Pro Max leads Honor Play 40 by 1056.8% in our overall performance rating.
Benchmarks
Detailed category analysis
performance
In the "performance" category, the Honor Magic9 Pro Max significantly outperforms the Honor Play 40 (100/100 vs 41/100).
display
In the "display" category, the Honor Magic9 Pro Max significantly outperforms the Honor Play 40 (85/100 vs 44/100).
camera
In the "camera" category, the Honor Magic9 Pro Max significantly outperforms the Honor Play 40 (100/100 vs 10/100).
battery
In the "battery" category, the Honor Magic9 Pro Max significantly outperforms the Honor Play 40 (94/100 vs 48/100).
Frequently asked questions
Which is better: the Honor Magic9 Pro Max or the Honor Play 40?
The Honor Magic9 Pro Max significantly outperforms the Honor Play 40 by 61 points (96/100 vs 35/100).
What is the rating of the Honor Magic9 Pro Max and the Honor Play 40?
The Honor Magic9 Pro Max has a MobileRank rating of 96/100, the Honor Play 40 — 35/100.
Which has the better camera: the Honor Magic9 Pro Max or the Honor Play 40?
The Honor Magic9 Pro Max leads on camera score (100/100 vs 10/100).
Which is more powerful: the Honor Magic9 Pro Max or the Honor Play 40?
The Honor Magic9 Pro Max leads on performance (100/100 vs 41/100).
Should you choose the Honor Magic9 Pro Max over the Honor Play 40?
The Honor Magic9 Pro Max is a better fit for gamers and power users, mobile photography enthusiasts, those who care about battery life.