Honor Play9A vs TCL 501
The Honor Play9A (2024) runs on the MediaTek Helio G36, while the TCL 501 (2024) runs on the MediaTek Helio G36. By overall MobileRank rating, the Honor Play9A leads — 27/100 vs 14/100 (a 13-point difference). Key differences: the Honor Play9A has the bigger battery (5200 mAh vs 3000); the main camera is 13 MP vs 5 MP; the Honor Play9A is thinner (8.7mm vs 9.7mm).
Profile comparison
Category scores
Honor Play9A
TCL 501
What makes Honor Play9A better?
- Bigger battery: 5200 vs 3000 mAh
- Better main camera: 13MP vs 5MP
- Longer battery life (74/100 vs 12/100)
- Better display (34/100 vs 31/100)
- Better portability (55/100 vs 20/100)
What makes TCL 501 better?
- Overall rating 14/100
Comparison verdict
Comparing the Honor Play9A vs the TCL 501, the Honor Play9A scores 13 points higher (27/100 vs 14/100). In the "battery" category, the Honor Play9A leads (74/100 vs 12/100). In the "performance" category, both devices are on the same level — 11/100. In the "display" category, the Honor Play9A and the TCL 501 are nearly equal (34/100 vs 31/100). In the "camera" category, both devices are on the same level — 10/100. In the "battery" category, the Honor Play9A significantly outperforms the TCL 501 (74/100 vs 12/100). In the "portability" category, the Honor Play9A significantly outperforms the TCL 501 (55/100 vs 20/100).
Specs comparison
| Specification | Honor Play9A | TCL 501 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | MediaTek Helio G36 | MediaTek Helio G36 | |
| AnTuTu | 193858 | 193858 | |
| Geekbench Single | 189 | 189 | |
| Geekbench Multi | 781 | 781 | |
| Display | 6.6" | 6.0" IPS LCD | |
| Resolution | 720x1612 | 540x1092 | |
| Refresh rate | — | 60 Hz | |
| Battery | 5200 mAh | 3000 mAh | |
| Charging | — | 10W | |
| Main camera | 13 MP | 5 MP | |
| Front camera | 5 MP | 2 MP | |
| RAM | 4GB | 2GB | |
| Storage | 64GB / 128GB / 256GB | 32GB | |
| OS | Android 14, MagicOS 8 | Android 14 | |
| NFC | no | no | |
| Dimensions | 163.9×75.8×8.7 mm | 156.5×74.9×9.7 mm | |
| Weight | 194 g | — | |
| Launch price | — | — |
Camera comparison
Honor Play9A
- Main: 13MP f/1.8
- Front: 5MP
TCL 501
- Main: 5MP f/2.2
- Front: 2MP
Display comparison
Honor Play9A
- 6.6"
- Resolution: 720x1612
- Refresh rate: —
TCL 501
- 6.0" IPS LCD
- Resolution: 540x1092
- Refresh rate: 60 Hz
Battery and charging
Honor Play9A
- 5200 mAh
- Wireless charging: no data
TCL 501
- 3000 mAh
- Wired: 10W
- No wireless charging
Overall performance score
We compared Honor Play9A and TCL 501, covering their specs and all relevant benchmarks.
Equal performance based on benchmark results.
Benchmarks
Detailed category analysis
performance
In the "performance" category, both devices are on the same level — 11/100.
display
In the "display" category, the Honor Play9A and the TCL 501 are nearly equal (34/100 vs 31/100).
camera
In the "camera" category, both devices are on the same level — 10/100.
battery
In the "battery" category, the Honor Play9A significantly outperforms the TCL 501 (74/100 vs 12/100).
portability
In the "portability" category, the Honor Play9A significantly outperforms the TCL 501 (55/100 vs 20/100).
Frequently asked questions
Which is better: the Honor Play9A or the TCL 501?
The Honor Play9A is noticeably better than the TCL 501 — the overall rating gap is 13 points.
What is the rating of the Honor Play9A and the TCL 501?
The Honor Play9A has a MobileRank rating of 27/100, the TCL 501 — 14/100.
Should you choose the Honor Play9A over the TCL 501?
Neither model stands out enough to recommend it for a specific use case: the clearest difference is battery life — better on the Honor Play9A (74/100 vs 12/100).