Honor Magic9 vs Huawei nova 3
The Honor Magic9 (2026) runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, while the Huawei nova 3 (2018) runs on the Hisilicon Kirin 970. By overall MobileRank rating, the Honor Magic9 leads — 92/100 vs 32/100 (a 60-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 Huawei nova 3 is noticeably lighter (166g vs 209g).
Profile comparison
Category scores
Honor Magic9
Huawei nova 3
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 17/100)
- Longer battery life (86/100 vs 16/100)
- Better display (85/100 vs 58/100)
What makes Huawei nova 3 better?
- Lighter: 166g vs 209g
- Better portability (87/100 vs 48/100)
Comparison verdict
Comparing the Honor Magic9 vs the Huawei nova 3, the Honor Magic9 scores 60 points higher (92/100 vs 32/100). In the "performance" category, the Honor Magic9 leads (99/100 vs 34/100). In the "camera" category, the Honor Magic9 leads (100/100 vs 17/100). In the "battery" category, the Honor Magic9 leads (86/100 vs 16/100). In the "performance" category, the Honor Magic9 significantly outperforms the Huawei nova 3 (99/100 vs 34/100). In the "display" category, the Honor Magic9 notably outperforms the Huawei nova 3 (85/100 vs 58/100). In the "camera" category, the Honor Magic9 significantly outperforms the Huawei nova 3 (100/100 vs 17/100). In the "battery" category, the Honor Magic9 significantly outperforms the Huawei nova 3 (86/100 vs 16/100). In the "portability" category, the Huawei nova 3 significantly outperforms the Honor Magic9 (87/100 vs 48/100).
Specs comparison
| Specification | Honor Magic9 | Huawei nova 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 24 MP | |
| RAM | 12GB / 16GB | 4GB / 6GB | |
| Storage | 256GB / 512GB / 1TB | 128GB / 8TB | |
| OS | Android 17 | Android 8.1 (Oreo), upgradable to Android 9.0 (Pie); EMUI 9 | |
| Brightness (peak) | 10000 nits | — | |
| NFC | yes | yes | |
| Protection | IP68/IP69K | — | |
| Dimensions | 151.0×72.3×8.5 mm | 157.0×73.7×7.3 mm | |
| Weight | 209 g | 166 g | |
| Launch price | — | — |
Camera comparison
Honor Magic9
- Main: 200MP f/1.9
- Ultrawide: 50MP
- Telephoto: 200MP
- Front: 55MP
Huawei nova 3
- Main: 16MP f/1.8
- Front: 24MP
Display comparison
Honor Magic9
- 6.4" OLED
- Resolution: 1236x2664
- Refresh rate: 120 Hz
Huawei nova 3
- 6.3" IPS LCD
- Resolution: 1080x2340
- Refresh rate: —
Battery and charging
Honor Magic9
- 8000 mAh
- Wired: 80W
- Wireless: 50W
Huawei nova 3
- 3750 mAh
- Wired: 18W
- No wireless charging
Overall performance score
We compared Honor Magic9 and Huawei nova 3, covering their specs and all relevant benchmarks.
Honor Magic9 leads Huawei nova 3 by 810.9% in our overall performance rating.
Benchmarks
Detailed category analysis
performance
In the "performance" category, the Honor Magic9 significantly outperforms the Huawei nova 3 (99/100 vs 34/100).
display
In the "display" category, the Honor Magic9 notably outperforms the Huawei nova 3 (85/100 vs 58/100).
camera
In the "camera" category, the Honor Magic9 significantly outperforms the Huawei nova 3 (100/100 vs 17/100).
battery
In the "battery" category, the Honor Magic9 significantly outperforms the Huawei nova 3 (86/100 vs 16/100).
portability
In the "portability" category, the Huawei nova 3 significantly outperforms the Honor Magic9 (87/100 vs 48/100).
Frequently asked questions
Which is better: the Honor Magic9 or the Huawei nova 3?
The Honor Magic9 significantly outperforms the Huawei nova 3 by 60 points (92/100 vs 32/100).
What is the rating of the Honor Magic9 and the Huawei nova 3?
The Honor Magic9 has a MobileRank rating of 92/100, the Huawei nova 3 — 32/100.
Which has the better camera: the Honor Magic9 or the Huawei nova 3?
The Honor Magic9 leads on camera score (100/100 vs 17/100).
Which is more powerful: the Honor Magic9 or the Huawei nova 3?
The Honor Magic9 leads on performance (99/100 vs 34/100).
Should you choose the Honor Magic9 over the Huawei nova 3?
The Honor Magic9 is a better fit for gamers and power users, mobile photography enthusiasts, those who care about battery life.