Honor Magic3 Pro+ vs Sony Xperia 1 III: A Head-to-Head Flagship Battle
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For users prioritizing ultimate charging speed and a slight performance edge, the Honor Magic3 Pro+ is the winner. However, the Sony Xperia 1 III offers a more balanced package with a potentially more refined camera experience and comparable battery endurance, making it ideal for multimedia enthusiasts.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Honor Magic3 Pro+ | Sony Xperia 1 III |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM 1 & SIM 2 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 66 - Europe |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 5, 8, 28, 38, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - Europe |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE-A, 5G | HSPA, LTE, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
| CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA (specific) | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2021, August 12 | 2021, April 14 |
| Status | Available. Released 2021, September 19 | Available. Released 2021, August 25 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, ceramic back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass 6), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 162.8 x 74.9 x 9.9 mm (6.41 x 2.95 x 0.39 in) | 165 x 71 x 8.2 mm (6.50 x 2.80 x 0.32 in) |
| SIM | Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 236 g (8.32 oz) | 186 g / 187.1 g (mmWave) (6.56 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | IP65/IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | - | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Resolution | 1344 x 2772 pixels, 18.5:9 ratio (~456 ppi density) | 1644 x 3840 pixels, 21:9 ratio (~643 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.76 inches, 115.7 cm2 (~94.9% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.5 inches, 98.6 cm2 (~84.2% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | OLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10+ | OLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR BT.2020 |
| - | Runs at 1096 x 2560 pixels except for select use cases | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x2.99 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888+ 5G (5 nm) | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 660 | Adreno 660 |
| OS | Android 11, Magic UI 5 | Android 11, upgradable to Android 13 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) |
| Internal | 512GB 12GB RAM | 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM |
| - | UFS 3.X | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, HDR, panorama | Zeiss optics, Zeiss T* lens coating, color spectrum sensor, LED flash, panorama, HDR, eye tracking |
| Quad | 50 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/1.28", 1.22µm, multi-directional PDAF, OIS 64 MP, f/3.5, 90mm (telephoto), 1/2.0", 0.7µm, PDAF, OIS, 3.5x optical zoom, 10x hybrid zoom 64 MP, f/1.8, (monochrome) 64 MP, f/2.4, 11mm 126˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.0", 0.7µm, PDAF TOF 3D (depth) | - |
| Single | 13 MP, f/2.4, 100˚ (ultrawide) TOF 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) | 8 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1/4", 1.12µm |
| Triple | - | 12 MP, f/1.7, 24mm (wide), 1/1.7", 1.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.3, 70mm (telephoto), f/2.8, 105mm (telephoto), 1/2.9", dual pixel PDAF, 3x/4.4x optical zoom, OIS 12 MP, f/2.2, 124˚, 16mm (ultrawide), 1/2.6", dual pixel PDAF 0.3 MP, TOF 3D, (depth) |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS | 4K@24/25/30/60/120fps HDR, 1080p@30/60/120fps; 5-axis gyro-EIS, OIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 13 MP, f/2.4, 100˚ (ultrawide) TOF 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) | 8 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 1080p@30fps, 5-axis gyro-EIS |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | Yes |
| 35mm jack | - | Yes |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| - | 24-bit/192kHz audio Dynamic vibration system | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a) | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG, video output |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, color spectrum | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer, compass |
| - | Native Sony Alpha camera support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 66W wired 66W wireless 5W reverse wireless 5W reverse wired | 30W wired, PD, 50% in 30 min Wireless Reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4600 mAh, non-removable | Li-Po 4500 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Ceramic Black, Ceramic White | Frosted Black, Frosted Gray, Frosted Purple |
| Models | ELZ-AN20 | XQBC62/V, XQBC52V.UKCX, SO-51B, SOG03, A101SO, XQ-BC62, XQ-BC72, XQ-BC52, XQ-BC01, XQ-BC11, XQ-BC21, XQ-BC72 |
| Price | About 1070 EUR | € 505.26 / $ 903.43 |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 82h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | - | -26.5 LUFS (Good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 607423 (v8) GeekBench: 3515 (v5.1) GFXBench: 54fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Honor Magic3 Pro+
- Blazing-fast 66W wired and wireless charging
- Slightly higher CPU clock speed for demanding tasks
- Reverse wireless and wired charging capabilities
- Limited display specifications for detailed comparison
- Camera details are sparse, making it hard to assess quality
Sony Xperia 1 III
- Strong 82-hour battery endurance rating
- Higher peak display brightness (620 nits)
- Sony’s reputation for camera quality and color science
- Slower 30W wired charging
- Lower CPU clock speed compared to the Honor
Display Comparison
Both devices utilize the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 series, but the Sony Xperia 1 III boasts a measured peak brightness of 620 nits, suggesting a potentially more visible display in direct sunlight. While both likely employ high-refresh-rate OLED panels (though not explicitly stated for the Honor), the Xperia 1 III’s infinite contrast ratio indicates a superior black level performance. The Honor’s display specifications are less detailed, making a direct comparison of color accuracy and panel technology difficult without further testing.
Camera Comparison
Both phones are marketed as having strong photo and video capabilities, but detailed sensor information is lacking. The absence of specific sensor sizes and aperture details makes a direct comparison challenging. Sony’s brand reputation in camera technology suggests a focus on color science and image processing geared towards natural-looking photos and high-quality video recording. The Honor, while capable, may prioritize different image processing styles. Without detailed specs, it's difficult to assess the low-light performance or dynamic range capabilities of either system.
Performance
The Honor Magic3 Pro+ features the Snapdragon 888+ 5G, clocked slightly higher at 2.99 GHz on its Cortex-X1 core compared to the Xperia 1 III’s 2.84 GHz Snapdragon 888. While both chipsets share the same core architecture (1x Cortex-X1, 3x Cortex-A78, 4x Cortex-A55), the higher clock speed on the Honor suggests a marginal performance advantage in CPU-intensive tasks. Both utilize 5nm fabrication, but the ‘+’ variant in the Honor typically indicates improved thermal management and sustained performance. Both devices likely feature LPDDR5 RAM, but the speed isn't specified, impacting overall system responsiveness.
Battery Life
The Sony Xperia 1 III has an endurance rating of 82 hours, indicating solid battery life. The Honor Magic3 Pro+’s battery capacity is not specified, but its 66W wired and 66W wireless charging capabilities are significantly faster than the Xperia 1 III’s 30W wired charging (50% in 30 minutes). The Honor also offers 5W reverse wireless and wired charging, a feature present on the Xperia 1 III but without specified wattage. The Honor’s faster charging could offset a potentially smaller battery capacity, providing more convenient top-ups throughout the day.
Buying Guide
Buy the Honor Magic3 Pro+ if you need the fastest possible charging – both wired and wireless – and demand the highest possible CPU clock speed for demanding tasks. Buy the Sony Xperia 1 III if you prefer a more cinematic multimedia experience, value a potentially more consistent camera system, and appreciate Sony’s unique software features tailored for content creation.