Honor Magic9 vs Honor Play
The Honor Magic9 (2026) runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, while the Honor Play (2018) runs on the Hisilicon Kirin 970. By overall MobileRank rating, the Honor Magic9 leads — 92/100 vs 31/100 (a 61-point difference). Key differences: the Honor Magic9 has the bigger battery (8000 mAh vs 3750); the main camera is 200 MP vs 16 MP; the Honor Magic9 is faster in AnTuTu (4,288,382 vs 470,805); the Honor Magic9 has NFC for contactless payments, the Honor Play doesn't; the Honor Play is noticeably lighter (176g vs 209g).
Profile comparison
Category scores
Honor Magic9
Honor Play
What makes Honor Magic9 better?
- Higher AnTuTu: 4288382 vs 470805
- Better Geekbench Single: 3639 vs 420
- Better Geekbench Multi: 11047 vs 1617
- Bigger battery: 8000 vs 3750 mAh
- Faster charging: 80W vs 18W
- Better main camera: 200MP vs 16MP
- Higher performance (99/100 vs 34/100)
- Better camera (100/100 vs 14/100)
- Longer battery life (86/100 vs 16/100)
- Better display (85/100 vs 58/100)
What makes Honor Play better?
- Lighter: 176g vs 209g
- Better portability (79/100 vs 48/100)
Comparison verdict
Comparing the Honor Magic9 vs the Honor Play, the Honor Magic9 scores 61 points higher (92/100 vs 31/100). In the "performance" category, the Honor Magic9 leads (99/100 vs 34/100). In the "camera" category, the Honor Magic9 leads (100/100 vs 14/100). In the "battery" category, the Honor Magic9 leads (86/100 vs 16/100). In the "performance" category, the Honor Magic9 significantly outperforms the Honor Play (99/100 vs 34/100). In the "display" category, the Honor Magic9 notably outperforms the Honor Play (85/100 vs 58/100). In the "camera" category, the Honor Magic9 significantly outperforms the Honor Play (100/100 vs 14/100). In the "battery" category, the Honor Magic9 significantly outperforms the Honor Play (86/100 vs 16/100). In the "portability" category, the Honor Play significantly outperforms the Honor Magic9 (79/100 vs 48/100).
Specs comparison
| Specification | Honor Magic9 | Honor Play | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 | Hisilicon Kirin 970 | |
| AnTuTu | 4288382 | 470805 | |
| Geekbench Single | 3639 | 420 | |
| Geekbench Multi | 11047 | 1617 | |
| Display | 6.4" OLED | 6.3" IPS LCD | |
| Resolution | 1236x2664 | 1080x2340 | |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | — | |
| Battery | 8000 mAh | 3750 mAh | |
| Charging | 80W | 18W | |
| Wireless charging | 50W | 0W | |
| Main camera | 200 MP | 16 MP | |
| Ultrawide | 50 MP | 0 MP | |
| Telephoto | 200 MP | 0 MP | |
| Front camera | 55 MP | 16 MP | |
| RAM | 12GB / 16GB | 6GB | |
| Storage | 256GB / 512GB / 1TB | 64GB | |
| OS | Android 17 | Android 8.1 (Oreo); EMUI 8.2 | |
| Brightness (peak) | 10000 nits | — | |
| NFC | yes | no | |
| Protection | IP68/IP69K | — | |
| Dimensions | 151.0×72.3×8.5 mm | 157.9×74.3×7.5 mm | |
| Weight | 209 g | 176 g | |
| Launch price | — | — |
Camera comparison
Honor Magic9
- Main: 200MP f/1.9
- Ultrawide: 50MP
- Telephoto: 200MP
- Front: 55MP
Honor Play
- Main: 16MP f/2.2
- Front: 16MP
Display comparison
Honor Magic9
- 6.4" OLED
- Resolution: 1236x2664
- Refresh rate: 120 Hz
Honor Play
- 6.3" IPS LCD
- Resolution: 1080x2340
- Refresh rate: —
Battery and charging
Honor Magic9
- 8000 mAh
- Wired: 80W
- Wireless: 50W
Honor Play
- 3750 mAh
- Wired: 18W
- No wireless charging
Overall performance score
We compared Honor Magic9 and Honor Play, covering their specs and all relevant benchmarks.
Honor Magic9 leads Honor Play by 810.9% in our overall performance rating.
Benchmarks
Detailed category analysis
performance
In the "performance" category, the Honor Magic9 significantly outperforms the Honor Play (99/100 vs 34/100).
display
In the "display" category, the Honor Magic9 notably outperforms the Honor Play (85/100 vs 58/100).
camera
In the "camera" category, the Honor Magic9 significantly outperforms the Honor Play (100/100 vs 14/100).
battery
In the "battery" category, the Honor Magic9 significantly outperforms the Honor Play (86/100 vs 16/100).
portability
In the "portability" category, the Honor Play significantly outperforms the Honor Magic9 (79/100 vs 48/100).
Frequently asked questions
Which is better: the Honor Magic9 or the Honor Play?
The Honor Magic9 significantly outperforms the Honor Play by 61 points (92/100 vs 31/100).
What is the rating of the Honor Magic9 and the Honor Play?
The Honor Magic9 has a MobileRank rating of 92/100, the Honor Play — 31/100.
Which has the better camera: the Honor Magic9 or the Honor Play?
The Honor Magic9 leads on camera score (100/100 vs 14/100).
Which is more powerful: the Honor Magic9 or the Honor Play?
The Honor Magic9 leads on performance (99/100 vs 34/100).
Should you choose the Honor Magic9 over the Honor Play?
The Honor Magic9 is a better fit for gamers and power users, mobile photography enthusiasts, those who care about battery life.