Honor Play 9A vs Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
The Honor Play 9A (2020) runs on the MediaTek Helio P35, while the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra (2026) runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. By overall MobileRank rating, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra leads — 75/100 vs 11/100 (a 64-point difference). Key differences: the main camera is 13 MP vs 200 MP; the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is faster in AnTuTu (3,515,964 vs 199,111); the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra has NFC for contactless payments, the Honor Play 9A doesn't; the Honor Play 9A is noticeably lighter (185g vs 214g).
Honor Play 9A
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
- Lighter: 185g vs 214g
- Better design/ergonomics (68/100 vs 32/100)
- Better value for money (55/100 vs 20/100)
- Higher AnTuTu: 3515964 vs 199111
- Better Geekbench Single: 3601 vs 476
- Better Geekbench Multi: 10686 vs 828
- Faster charging: 60W vs 10W
- Better main camera: 200MP vs 13MP
- Higher performance (84/100 vs 0/100)
- Better camera (86/100 vs 0/100)
- Longer battery life (51/100 vs 36/100)
- Better display (100/100 vs 0/100)
Comparing the Honor Play 9A vs the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra scores 64 points higher (75/100 vs 11/100). In the "performance" category, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra leads (84/100 vs 0/100). In the "camera" category, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra leads (86/100 vs 0/100). In the "battery" category, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra leads (51/100 vs 36/100). In the "value for money" category, the Honor Play 9A leads (55/100 vs 20/100). In the "performance" category, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra significantly outperforms the Honor Play 9A (84/100 vs 0/100). In the "display" category, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra significantly outperforms the Honor Play 9A (100/100 vs 0/100). In the "camera" category, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra significantly outperforms the Honor Play 9A (86/100 vs 0/100). In the "battery" category, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra notably outperforms the Honor Play 9A (51/100 vs 36/100). In the "design" category, the Honor Play 9A significantly outperforms the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra (68/100 vs 32/100). In the "value for money" category, the Honor Play 9A significantly outperforms the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra (55/100 vs 20/100).
| Specification | Honor Play 9A | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | MediaTek Helio P35 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 | |
| AnTuTu | 199111 | 3515964 | |
| Geekbench Single | 476 | 3601 | |
| Geekbench Multi | 828 | 10686 | |
| Display | 6.3" IPS LCD | 6.9" Dynamic AMOLED 2X | |
| Resolution | 720x1600 | 3120x1440 | |
| Refresh rate | — | 120 Hz | |
| Battery | 5000 mAh | 5000 mAh | |
| Charging | 10W | 60W | |
| Wireless charging | 0W | 25W | |
| DXOMark (camera) | — | 157 | |
| Main camera | 13 MP | 200 MP | |
| Ultrawide | 0 MP | 50 MP | |
| Telephoto | 0 MP | 50 MP | |
| Front camera | 8 MP | 12 MP | |
| RAM | 4GB | 12GB / 16GB | |
| Storage | 64GB / 128GB | 256GB / 512GB / 1TB | |
| OS | Android 10.0 (AOSP + HMS); Magic UI 3.0 | Android 16 / One UI 8.5 | |
| Brightness (peak) | — | 2600 nits | |
| NFC | no | yes | |
| Protection | — | IP68 | |
| Dimensions | 159.1×74.1×9.0 mm | 163.6×78.1×7.9 mm | |
| Weight | 185 g | 214 g | |
| Price | — | $1299 |
Honor Play 9A
- Main: 13MP f/f/1.8
- Front: 8MP
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
- Main: 200MP f/f/1.7
- Ultrawide: 50MP
- Telephoto: 50MP
- Front: 12MP
Honor Play 9A
- 6.3" IPS LCD
- Resolution: 720x1600
- Refresh rate: —
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
- 6.9" Dynamic AMOLED 2X
- Resolution: 3120x1440
- Refresh rate: 120 Hz
Honor Play 9A
- 5000 mAh
- Wired: 10W
- No wireless charging
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
- 5000 mAh
- NanoReview test: web browsing 10:12 hrs, total 28:50 hrs
- Wired: 60W
- Wireless: 25W
We compared Honor Play 9A and Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, covering their specs and all relevant benchmarks.
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra leads Honor Play 9A by 94.3% in our overall performance rating.
Honor Play 9A
Price unknownperformance
In the "performance" category, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra significantly outperforms the Honor Play 9A (84/100 vs 0/100).
display
In the "display" category, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra significantly outperforms the Honor Play 9A (100/100 vs 0/100).
camera
In the "camera" category, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra significantly outperforms the Honor Play 9A (86/100 vs 0/100).
battery
In the "battery" category, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra notably outperforms the Honor Play 9A (51/100 vs 36/100).
design
In the "design" category, the Honor Play 9A significantly outperforms the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra (68/100 vs 32/100).
value for money
In the "value for money" category, the Honor Play 9A significantly outperforms the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra (55/100 vs 20/100).
Which is better: the Honor Play 9A or the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra?
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra significantly outperforms the Honor Play 9A by 64 points (75/100 vs 11/100).
What is the rating of the Honor Play 9A and the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra?
The Honor Play 9A has a MobileRank rating of 11/100, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra — 75/100.
Which has the better camera: the Honor Play 9A or the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra?
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra leads on camera score (86/100 vs 0/100).
Which is more powerful: the Honor Play 9A or the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra?
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra leads on performance (84/100 vs 0/100).
Should you choose the Honor Play 9A over the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra?
The Honor Play 9A is a better fit for everyday use. The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is a better fit for gamers and power users, mobile photography enthusiasts.