Honor Magic9 vs Honor Play 40
The Honor Magic9 (2026) 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 Magic9 leads — 92/100 vs 35/100 (a 57-point difference). Key differences: the Honor Magic9 has the bigger battery (8000 mAh vs 5200); the main camera is 200 MP vs 13 MP; the Honor Magic9 is faster in AnTuTu (4,288,382 vs 477,542); the Honor Magic9 has NFC for contactless payments, the Honor Play 40 doesn't; the Honor Play 40 is noticeably lighter (188g vs 209g).
Profile comparison
Category scores
Honor Magic9
Honor Play 40
What makes Honor Magic9 better?
- Higher AnTuTu: 4288382 vs 477542
- Better Geekbench Single: 3639 vs 746
- Better Geekbench Multi: 11047 vs 1816
- Bigger battery: 8000 vs 5200 mAh
- Faster charging: 80W vs 10W
- Better main camera: 200MP vs 13MP
- Higher refresh rate: 120Hz vs 90Hz
- Higher performance (99/100 vs 41/100)
- Better camera (100/100 vs 10/100)
- Longer battery life (86/100 vs 48/100)
- Better display (85/100 vs 44/100)
What makes Honor Play 40 better?
- Lighter: 188g vs 209g
- Better portability (62/100 vs 48/100)
Comparison verdict
Comparing the Honor Magic9 vs the Honor Play 40, the Honor Magic9 scores 57 points higher (92/100 vs 35/100). In the "performance" category, the Honor Magic9 leads (99/100 vs 41/100). In the "camera" category, the Honor Magic9 leads (100/100 vs 10/100). In the "battery" category, the Honor Magic9 leads (86/100 vs 48/100). In the "performance" category, the Honor Magic9 significantly outperforms the Honor Play 40 (99/100 vs 41/100). In the "display" category, the Honor Magic9 significantly outperforms the Honor Play 40 (85/100 vs 44/100). In the "camera" category, the Honor Magic9 significantly outperforms the Honor Play 40 (100/100 vs 10/100). In the "battery" category, the Honor Magic9 significantly outperforms the Honor Play 40 (86/100 vs 48/100). In the "portability" category, the Honor Play 40 is a bit better (62/100 vs 48/100).
Specs comparison
| Specification | Honor Magic9 | Honor Play 40 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 480+ 5G | |
| AnTuTu | 4288382 | 477542 | |
| Geekbench Single | 3639 | 746 | |
| Geekbench Multi | 11047 | 1816 | |
| Display | 6.4" OLED | 6.6" TFT LCD | |
| Resolution | 1236x2664 | 720x1612 | |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 90 Hz | |
| Battery | 8000 mAh | 5200 mAh | |
| Charging | 80W | 10W | |
| Wireless charging | 50W | 0W | |
| Main camera | 200 MP | 13 MP | |
| Ultrawide | 50 MP | 0 MP | |
| Telephoto | 200 MP | 0 MP | |
| Front camera | 55 MP | 5 MP | |
| RAM | 12GB / 16GB | 6GB / 8GB | |
| Storage | 256GB / 512GB / 1TB | 128GB / 256GB | |
| OS | Android 17 | Android 13, Magic OS 7.1 | |
| Brightness (peak) | 10000 nits | — | |
| NFC | yes | no | |
| Protection | IP68/IP69K | — | |
| Dimensions | 151.0×72.3×8.5 mm | 163.3×75.1×8.4 mm | |
| Weight | 209 g | 188 g | |
| Launch price | — | — |
Camera comparison
Honor Magic9
- Main: 200MP f/1.9
- Ultrawide: 50MP
- Telephoto: 200MP
- Front: 55MP
Honor Play 40
- Main: 13MP f/1.8
- Front: 5MP
Display comparison
Honor Magic9
- 6.4" OLED
- Resolution: 1236x2664
- Refresh rate: 120 Hz
Honor Play 40
- 6.6" TFT LCD
- Resolution: 720x1612
- Refresh rate: 90 Hz
Battery and charging
Honor Magic9
- 8000 mAh
- Wired: 80W
- Wireless: 50W
Honor Play 40
- 5200 mAh
- Wired: 10W
- No wireless charging
Overall performance score
We compared Honor Magic9 and Honor Play 40, covering their specs and all relevant benchmarks.
Honor Magic9 leads Honor Play 40 by 798.0% in our overall performance rating.
Benchmarks
Detailed category analysis
performance
In the "performance" category, the Honor Magic9 significantly outperforms the Honor Play 40 (99/100 vs 41/100).
display
In the "display" category, the Honor Magic9 significantly outperforms the Honor Play 40 (85/100 vs 44/100).
camera
In the "camera" category, the Honor Magic9 significantly outperforms the Honor Play 40 (100/100 vs 10/100).
battery
In the "battery" category, the Honor Magic9 significantly outperforms the Honor Play 40 (86/100 vs 48/100).
portability
In the "portability" category, the Honor Play 40 is a bit better (62/100 vs 48/100).
Frequently asked questions
Which is better: the Honor Magic9 or the Honor Play 40?
The Honor Magic9 significantly outperforms the Honor Play 40 by 57 points (92/100 vs 35/100).
What is the rating of the Honor Magic9 and the Honor Play 40?
The Honor Magic9 has a MobileRank rating of 92/100, the Honor Play 40 — 35/100.
Which has the better camera: the Honor Magic9 or the Honor Play 40?
The Honor Magic9 leads on camera score (100/100 vs 10/100).
Which is more powerful: the Honor Magic9 or the Honor Play 40?
The Honor Magic9 leads on performance (99/100 vs 41/100).
Should you choose the Honor Magic9 over the Honor Play 40?
The Honor Magic9 is a better fit for gamers and power users, mobile photography enthusiasts, those who care about battery life.