Honor Magic9 vs Honor Play9A
The Honor Magic9 (2026) 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 Magic9 leads — 92/100 vs 27/100 (a 65-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 193,858); the Honor Magic9 has NFC for contactless payments, the Honor Play9A doesn't; the Honor Play9A is noticeably lighter (194g vs 209g).
Profile comparison
Category scores
Honor Magic9
Honor Play9A
What makes Honor Magic9 better?
- Higher AnTuTu: 4288382 vs 193858
- Better Geekbench Single: 3639 vs 189
- Better Geekbench Multi: 11047 vs 781
- Bigger battery: 8000 vs 5200 mAh
- Better main camera: 200MP vs 13MP
- Higher performance (99/100 vs 11/100)
- Better camera (100/100 vs 10/100)
- Longer battery life (86/100 vs 74/100)
- Better display (85/100 vs 34/100)
What makes Honor Play9A better?
- Lighter: 194g vs 209g
- Better portability (55/100 vs 48/100)
Comparison verdict
Comparing the Honor Magic9 vs the Honor Play9A, the Honor Magic9 scores 65 points higher (92/100 vs 27/100). In the "performance" category, the Honor Magic9 leads (99/100 vs 11/100). In the "camera" category, the Honor Magic9 leads (100/100 vs 10/100). In the "battery" category, the Honor Magic9 leads (86/100 vs 74/100). In the "performance" category, the Honor Magic9 significantly outperforms the Honor Play9A (99/100 vs 11/100). In the "display" category, the Honor Magic9 significantly outperforms the Honor Play9A (85/100 vs 34/100). In the "camera" category, the Honor Magic9 significantly outperforms the Honor Play9A (100/100 vs 10/100). In the "battery" category, the Honor Magic9 is a bit better (86/100 vs 74/100). In the "portability" category, the Honor Play9A is a bit better (55/100 vs 48/100).
Specs comparison
| Specification | Honor Magic9 | Honor Play9A | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 | MediaTek Helio G36 | |
| AnTuTu | 4288382 | 193858 | |
| Geekbench Single | 3639 | 189 | |
| Geekbench Multi | 11047 | 781 | |
| Display | 6.4" OLED | 6.6" | |
| Resolution | 1236x2664 | 720x1612 | |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | — | |
| Battery | 8000 mAh | 5200 mAh | |
| Charging | 80W | — | |
| Wireless charging | 50W | — | |
| 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 | 4GB | |
| Storage | 256GB / 512GB / 1TB | 64GB / 128GB / 256GB | |
| OS | Android 17 | Android 14, MagicOS 8 | |
| Brightness (peak) | 10000 nits | — | |
| NFC | yes | no | |
| Protection | IP68/IP69K | — | |
| Dimensions | 151.0×72.3×8.5 mm | 163.9×75.8×8.7 mm | |
| Weight | 209 g | 194 g | |
| Launch price | — | — |
Camera comparison
Honor Magic9
- Main: 200MP f/1.9
- Ultrawide: 50MP
- Telephoto: 200MP
- Front: 55MP
Honor Play9A
- Main: 13MP f/1.8
- Front: 5MP
Display comparison
Honor Magic9
- 6.4" OLED
- Resolution: 1236x2664
- Refresh rate: 120 Hz
Honor Play9A
- 6.6"
- Resolution: 720x1612
- Refresh rate: —
Battery and charging
Honor Magic9
- 8000 mAh
- Wired: 80W
- Wireless: 50W
Honor Play9A
- 5200 mAh
- Wireless charging: no data
Overall performance score
We compared Honor Magic9 and Honor Play9A, covering their specs and all relevant benchmarks.
Honor Magic9 leads Honor Play9A by 2112.1% in our overall performance rating.
Benchmarks
Detailed category analysis
performance
In the "performance" category, the Honor Magic9 significantly outperforms the Honor Play9A (99/100 vs 11/100).
display
In the "display" category, the Honor Magic9 significantly outperforms the Honor Play9A (85/100 vs 34/100).
camera
In the "camera" category, the Honor Magic9 significantly outperforms the Honor Play9A (100/100 vs 10/100).
battery
In the "battery" category, the Honor Magic9 is a bit better (86/100 vs 74/100).
portability
In the "portability" category, the Honor Play9A is a bit better (55/100 vs 48/100).
Frequently asked questions
Which is better: the Honor Magic9 or the Honor Play9A?
The Honor Magic9 significantly outperforms the Honor Play9A by 65 points (92/100 vs 27/100).
What is the rating of the Honor Magic9 and the Honor Play9A?
The Honor Magic9 has a MobileRank rating of 92/100, the Honor Play9A — 27/100.
Which has the better camera: the Honor Magic9 or the Honor Play9A?
The Honor Magic9 leads on camera score (100/100 vs 10/100).
Which is more powerful: the Honor Magic9 or the Honor Play9A?
The Honor Magic9 leads on performance (99/100 vs 11/100).
Should you choose the Honor Magic9 over the Honor Play9A?
The Honor Magic9 is a better fit for gamers and power users, mobile photography enthusiasts, those who care about battery life.