Honor Magic3 Pro vs. iPhone 14 Pro Max: A Deep Dive into Flagship Performance
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing long-term software support and a refined ecosystem, the iPhone 14 Pro Max is the better choice. However, the Honor Magic3 Pro offers significantly faster wired and wireless charging, and a competitive performance profile, making it a compelling option for Android enthusiasts seeking value.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Honor Magic3 Pro | Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 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, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66 - A2894, A2896 |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 5, 8, 28, 38, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 70, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A2894, A2896 |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G | HSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 70, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A2895 | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2021, August 12 | 2022, September 07 |
| Status | Available. Released 2021, September 01 | Available. Released 2022, September 16 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, glass back or vegan leather back, aluminum frame | Glass front, glass back, stainless steel frame |
| Dimensions | 162.8 x 74.9 x 9.0 mm or 9.5 mm | 160.7 x 77.6 x 7.9 mm (6.33 x 3.06 x 0.31 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time; International)· eSIM + eSIM (8 or more, max 2 at a time; USA)· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM (China) |
| Weight | 212 g / 213 g (7.48 oz) | 240 g (8.47 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | - | Ceramic Shield glass |
| Resolution | 1344 x 2772 pixels, 18.5:9 ratio (~456 ppi density) | 1290 x 2796 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.76 inches, 115.7 cm2 (~94.9% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.7 inches, 110.2 cm2 (~88.3% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | OLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10+ | LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (typ), 2000 nits (HBM) |
| - | Always-On display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x2.99 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) | Hexa-core (2x3.46 GHz Everest + 4x2.02 GHz Sawtooth) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888+ 5G (5 nm) | Apple A16 Bionic (4 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 660 | Apple GPU (5-core graphics) |
| OS | Android 11, Magic UI 5 | iOS 16, upgradable to iOS 26.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM, 1TB 6GB RAM |
| - | NVMe | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Color spectrum sensor, LED flash, HDR, panorama | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) |
| Quad | 50 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, multi-directional PDAF 64 MP, f/3.5, 90mm (telephoto), 1/2.0", 0.7µm, PDAF, OIS, 3.5x optical zoom 64 MP, f/1.8, (monochrome) 13 MP, f/2.2, 120˚ (ultrawide), PDAF TOF 3D (depth) | - |
| Single | 13 MP, f/2.4, 100˚ (ultrawide) TOF 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) | 12 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", PDAF, OIS (unconfirmed) SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
| Triple | - | 48 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 1/1.28", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS 12 MP, f/2.8, 77mm (telephoto), 1/3.5", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF TOF 3D LiDAR scanner (depth) |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, 10-bit HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), ProRes, stereo sound rec. |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 13 MP, f/2.4, 100˚ (ultrawide) TOF 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) | 12 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD | 5.3, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a) | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG | Lightning, USB 2.0 |
| 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, hotspot |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| - | Ultra Wideband (UWB) support Emergency SOS via satellite (SMS sending/receiving) | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 66W wired 66W wireless 5W reverse wireless 5W reverse wired | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.2 update |
| Type | Li-Po 4600 mAh | Li-Ion 4323 mAh (16.68 Wh) |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Golden Hour (Vegan Leather), Black, White | Space Black, Silver, Gold, Deep Purple |
| Models | ELZ-AN10 | A2894, A2651, A2893, A2895, A2896, iphone15,3 |
| Price | About 800 EUR | € 530.79 / $ 489.81 / £ 446.75 |
| SAR | - | 1.15 W/kg (head) 1.07 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 0.99 W/kg (head) 0.98 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 121h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | - | -24.3 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 955884 (v9) GeekBench: 5423 (v5.1) GFXBench: 54fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Honor Magic3 Pro
- Significantly faster wired and wireless charging (66W)
- More affordable price point
- Android OS flexibility
- Older chipset (Snapdragon 888+)
- Less consistent software updates
- Potentially lower resale value
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
- Industry-leading A16 Bionic performance
- Superior camera image processing
- Long-term software support and ecosystem
- Slower charging speeds
- Higher price
- Less OS customization
Display Comparison
The iPhone 14 Pro Max boasts a peak brightness of 1760 nits, a substantial advantage over what was typical for the Magic3 Pro’s panel. While the Honor’s display quality is excellent, the iPhone’s superior brightness translates to better outdoor visibility. Both displays feature infinite (nominal) contrast ratios, typical of OLED technology, but the iPhone’s ProMotion technology (adaptive refresh rate) wasn’t specified for the Magic3 Pro, suggesting a potentially less fluid scrolling experience. The iPhone’s display is also likely to have a more accurate color calibration out of the box, benefiting content creators.
Camera Comparison
Both phones excel in camera capabilities, but approach image processing differently. The iPhone 14 Pro Max’s camera system is renowned for its computational photography, delivering consistently excellent results in various lighting conditions. While specific sensor sizes weren’t provided for the Magic3 Pro, its camera system likely prioritizes detail capture and dynamic range. The iPhone’s video recording capabilities are also a strong point, offering cinematic mode and ProRes video recording. The Magic3 Pro’s camera is capable, but the iPhone’s image processing pipeline and software features provide a more polished and user-friendly experience. The absence of details on the Magic3 Pro’s camera system makes a direct sensor comparison difficult, but the iPhone’s reputation for consistent quality is a significant advantage.
Performance
The core difference lies in the chipsets: Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888+ 5G (5nm) in the Honor Magic3 Pro versus Apple’s A16 Bionic (4nm) in the iPhone 14 Pro Max. The A16’s 4nm process provides a significant efficiency advantage, leading to better thermal management and sustained performance. While the Snapdragon 888+ features an octa-core configuration with a Cortex-X1 prime core, the A16’s hexa-core design, with its Everest and Sawtooth cores, delivers superior single-core and multi-core performance. The iPhone 14 Pro Max will consistently outperform the Magic3 Pro in demanding tasks like video editing and high-end gaming. The Magic3 Pro’s LPDDR5 RAM is competitive, but the A16’s memory bandwidth is likely higher, further contributing to its performance lead.
Battery Life
Both devices achieve an endurance rating of 121 hours, indicating comparable battery life under similar usage scenarios. However, the charging speeds are drastically different. The Honor Magic3 Pro supports 66W wired charging, capable of fully charging the battery in under 40 minutes, and an impressive 66W wireless charging. The iPhone 14 Pro Max offers slower wired charging (50% in 30 minutes via PD2.0) and 15W wireless charging (MagSafe/Qi2). The Magic3 Pro’s charging speed is a major advantage for users who frequently need to top up their battery quickly. The inclusion of 5W reverse wireless and wired charging on the Honor is a niche feature, useful for charging accessories, but not a primary selling point.
Buying Guide
Buy the Honor Magic3 Pro if you need blazing-fast 66W wired and wireless charging, prefer the flexibility of Android, and prioritize raw charging speed over long-term software updates. Buy the Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max if you value a seamless user experience, a robust app ecosystem, industry-leading camera processing, and guaranteed software support for years to come.