Honor Magic9 Pro Max vs Honor Play
The Honor Magic9 Pro Max (2026) runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6, while the Honor Play (2018) runs on the Hisilicon Kirin 970. By overall MobileRank rating, the Honor Magic9 Pro Max leads — 96/100 vs 31/100 (a 65-point difference). Key differences: the Honor Magic9 Pro Max has the bigger battery (8800 mAh vs 3750); the main camera is 200 MP vs 16 MP; the Honor Magic9 Pro Max is faster in AnTuTu (5,524,187 vs 470,805); the Honor Magic9 Pro Max has NFC for contactless payments, the Honor Play doesn't.
Profile comparison
Category scores
Honor Magic9 Pro Max
Honor Play
What makes Honor Magic9 Pro Max better?
- Higher AnTuTu: 5524187 vs 470805
- Better Geekbench Single: 4301 vs 420
- Better Geekbench Multi: 12490 vs 1617
- Bigger battery: 8800 vs 3750 mAh
- Faster charging: 100W vs 18W
- Better main camera: 200MP vs 16MP
- Higher performance (100/100 vs 34/100)
- Better camera (100/100 vs 14/100)
- Longer battery life (94/100 vs 16/100)
- Better display (85/100 vs 58/100)
What makes Honor Play better?
- Overall rating 31/100
Comparison verdict
Comparing the Honor Magic9 Pro Max vs the Honor Play, the Honor Magic9 Pro Max scores 65 points higher (96/100 vs 31/100). In the "performance" category, the Honor Magic9 Pro Max leads (100/100 vs 34/100). In the "camera" category, the Honor Magic9 Pro Max leads (100/100 vs 14/100). In the "battery" category, the Honor Magic9 Pro Max leads (94/100 vs 16/100). In the "performance" category, the Honor Magic9 Pro Max significantly outperforms the Honor Play (100/100 vs 34/100). In the "display" category, the Honor Magic9 Pro Max notably outperforms the Honor Play (85/100 vs 58/100). In the "camera" category, the Honor Magic9 Pro Max significantly outperforms the Honor Play (100/100 vs 14/100). In the "battery" category, the Honor Magic9 Pro Max significantly outperforms the Honor Play (94/100 vs 16/100).
Specs comparison
| Specification | Honor Magic9 Pro Max | Honor Play | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 | Hisilicon Kirin 970 | |
| AnTuTu | 5524187 | 470805 | |
| Geekbench Single | 4301 | 420 | |
| Geekbench Multi | 12490 | 1617 | |
| Display | 6.8" LTPO OLED | 6.3" IPS LCD | |
| Resolution | 1320x2868 | 1080x2340 | |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | — | |
| Battery | 8800 mAh | 3750 mAh | |
| Charging | 100W | 18W | |
| Wireless charging | 80W | 0W | |
| Main camera | 200 MP | 16 MP | |
| Ultrawide | 50 MP | 0 MP | |
| Telephoto | 200 MP | 0 MP | |
| Front camera | 50 MP | 16 MP | |
| RAM | 12GB / 16GB | 6GB | |
| Storage | 256GB / 512GB / 1TB | 64GB | |
| OS | Android 17 | Android 8.1 (Oreo); EMUI 8.2 | |
| NFC | yes | no | |
| Protection | IP68 | — | |
| Dimensions | — | 157.9×74.3×7.5 mm | |
| Weight | — | 176 g | |
| Launch price | — | — |
Camera comparison
Honor Magic9 Pro Max
- Main: 200MP f/1.6
- Ultrawide: 50MP
- Telephoto: 200MP
- Front: 50MP
Honor Play
- Main: 16MP f/2.2
- Front: 16MP
Display comparison
Honor Magic9 Pro Max
- 6.8" LTPO OLED
- Resolution: 1320x2868
- Refresh rate: 120 Hz
Honor Play
- 6.3" IPS LCD
- Resolution: 1080x2340
- Refresh rate: —
Battery and charging
Honor Magic9 Pro Max
- 8800 mAh
- Wired: 100W
- Wireless: 80W
Honor Play
- 3750 mAh
- Wired: 18W
- No wireless charging
Overall performance score
We compared Honor Magic9 Pro Max and Honor Play, covering their specs and all relevant benchmarks.
Honor Magic9 Pro Max leads Honor Play by 1073.3% in our overall performance rating.
Benchmarks
Detailed category analysis
performance
In the "performance" category, the Honor Magic9 Pro Max significantly outperforms the Honor Play (100/100 vs 34/100).
display
In the "display" category, the Honor Magic9 Pro Max notably outperforms the Honor Play (85/100 vs 58/100).
camera
In the "camera" category, the Honor Magic9 Pro Max significantly outperforms the Honor Play (100/100 vs 14/100).
battery
In the "battery" category, the Honor Magic9 Pro Max significantly outperforms the Honor Play (94/100 vs 16/100).
Frequently asked questions
Which is better: the Honor Magic9 Pro Max or the Honor Play?
The Honor Magic9 Pro Max significantly outperforms the Honor Play by 65 points (96/100 vs 31/100).
What is the rating of the Honor Magic9 Pro Max and the Honor Play?
The Honor Magic9 Pro Max has a MobileRank rating of 96/100, the Honor Play — 31/100.
Which has the better camera: the Honor Magic9 Pro Max or the Honor Play?
The Honor Magic9 Pro Max leads on camera score (100/100 vs 14/100).
Which is more powerful: the Honor Magic9 Pro Max or the Honor Play?
The Honor Magic9 Pro Max leads on performance (100/100 vs 34/100).
Should you choose the Honor Magic9 Pro Max over the Honor Play?
The Honor Magic9 Pro Max is a better fit for gamers and power users, mobile photography enthusiasts, those who care about battery life.