Honor Magic3 Pro+ vs Sony Xperia 1 III: A Flagship Face-Off
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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 | 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, 5G | HSPA, LTE, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
| - | 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 | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 236 g (8.32 oz) | 186 g / 187.1 g (mmWave) (6.56 oz) |
| - | 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 | Color spectrum sensor, 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 | - | 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 | - | Yes |
| 35mm jack | No | 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 | 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 | 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 more powerful Snapdragon 888+ chipset
- Reverse wireless and wired charging capabilities
- Limited display specification details
- Battery capacity not specified
Sony Xperia 1 III
- Excellent 82-hour battery endurance rating
- Higher peak display brightness (620 nits)
- Potentially more refined camera software and color science
- Slower 30W wired charging
- Less powerful Snapdragon 888 chipset
Display Comparison
Both devices utilize the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 series, but the Xperia 1 III boasts a measured peak brightness of 620 nits, suggesting a potentially more visible outdoor experience. While both likely employ high-refresh-rate OLED panels (though not explicitly stated for the Honor), the Xperia 1 III’s infinite contrast ratio (nominal) 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 devices are marketed as having strong photo and video capabilities, but detailed sensor information is lacking. The absence of specific sensor details makes a direct comparison challenging. However, Sony’s history suggests a focus on natural color reproduction and advanced video features, while Honor often emphasizes computational photography. Without knowing sensor sizes, apertures, or OIS implementation, it’s difficult to definitively declare a winner. Ignoring the likely low-resolution macro cameras on both devices, the overall camera experience will likely hinge on software processing and user preference.
Performance
Both phones are powered by the Snapdragon 888 series, but the Honor Magic3 Pro+ features the Snapdragon 888+ 5G, clocked slightly higher at 2.99 GHz versus the Xperia 1 III’s 2.84 GHz. While the core architecture (1x Cortex-X1, 3x Cortex-A78, 4x Cortex-A55) is identical, the ‘+’ variant typically offers improved thermal performance and sustained clock speeds. Both utilize 5nm fabrication, but the slight clock speed advantage of the Honor suggests a marginal performance lead in CPU-intensive tasks. RAM specifications are not provided, but both are expected to utilize LPDDR5 for fast memory access.
Battery Life
The 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 charging speed is a major differentiator, allowing for significantly faster top-ups, potentially mitigating any capacity disadvantage.
Buying Guide
Buy the Honor Magic3 Pro+ if you need the fastest possible charging – both wired and wireless – and demand the highest possible peak performance for demanding tasks like gaming. Buy the Sony Xperia 1 III if you prefer a more polished, creator-focused experience with a strong emphasis on photography and videography, and value a potentially more consistent user experience.