Honor Magic8 vs. iPhone 15 Pro Max: A Deep Dive into Flagship Power
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the power user prioritizing raw speed and incredibly fast charging, the Honor Magic8 is the clear winner. Its Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and 90W charging significantly outperform the iPhone 15 Pro Max in these areas. However, the iPhone 15 Pro Max maintains its edge in software optimization, ecosystem integration, and sustained performance due to its excellent thermal management and 16:01h active use battery score.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Honor Magic8 | Apple iPhone 15 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 | LTE | 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, 53, 66 - A3106 |
| 5G bands | SA/NSA | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 53, 66, 70, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A3106 |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G | HSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps |
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2025, October 15 | 2023, September 12 |
| Status | Available. Released 2025, October 23 | Available. Released 2023, September 22 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | - | Glass front, glass back, titanium frame (grade 5) |
| Dimensions | 157.1 x 74 x 8 mm (6.19 x 2.91 x 0.31 in) | 159.9 x 76.7 x 8.3 mm (6.30 x 3.02 x 0.33 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 | 205 g (7.23 oz) | 221 g (7.80 oz) |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Giant Rhino Glass | Ceramic Shield glass |
| Resolution | 1256 x 2760 pixels (~461 ppi density) | 1290 x 2796 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.58 inches, 105.3 cm2 (~90.6% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.7 inches, 110.2 cm2 (~89.8% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | LTPO OLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, 4320Hz PWM, Dolby Vision, HDR Vivid, 1800 nits (HBM), 6000 nits (peak) | LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (typ), 2000 nits (HBM) |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (2x4.6 GHz Oryon V3 Phoenix L + 6x3.62 GHz Oryon V3 Phoenix M) | Hexa-core (2x3.78 GHz + 4x2.11 GHz) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8850-AC Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (3 nm) | Apple A17 Pro (3 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 840 | Apple GPU (6-core graphics) |
| OS | Android 16, up to 7 major Android upgrades, MagicOS 10 | iOS 17, upgradable to iOS 26.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM, 1TB 16GB RAM | 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM, 1TB 8GB RAM |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Color spectrum sensor, LED flash, HDR, panorama | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) |
| Triple | 50 MP, f/1.9, 24mm (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, multi-directional PDAF, OIS 64 MP, f/2.5, (telephoto), PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 50 MP, f/2.0, 12mm, 122˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.88", 0.61µm, dual pixel PDAF | 48 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 1/1.28", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS 12 MP, f/2.8, 120mm (periscope telephoto), 1/3.06", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF, 3D sensor‑shift OIS, 5x 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@24/30/60fps, 1080p@24/30/60/120/240fps, gyro-EIS, OIS, HDR, 10-bit video | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, 10-bit HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), ProRes, 3D (spatial) video, stereo sound rec. |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | - | HDR, Dolby Vision HDR |
| Single | 50 MP, f/2.0, 21mm (wide), 1/2.93", 0.6µm | 12 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with large amplitude stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 6.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless, LHDC 5, Auracast, ASHA | 5.3, A2DP, LE |
| Infrared port | Yes | - |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a+B2b), GALILEO (E1+E5a+E5b), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC (L1+L5), GLONASS | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS, NavIC |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, DisplayPort 1.2, OTG | USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2, DisplayPort |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6/7, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, tri-band, hotspot |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 90W wired, 90W PPS, 40W UFCS 80W wireless Reverse wireless 5W reverse wired | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.2 update 4.5W reverse wired |
| Type | Si/C Li-Ion 7000 mAh | Li-Ion 4441 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, White, Gold, Mint | Black Titanium, White Titanium, Blue Titanium, Natural Titanium |
| Models | BKQ-AN80, BKQ-AN00 | A2849, A3105, A3106, A3108, iPhone16,2 |
| Price | About 540 EUR | € 758.79 / $ 579.87 / £ 628.29 |
| SAR | - | 1.07 W/kg (head) 1.11 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 0.98 W/kg (head) 0.98 W/kg (body) |
Honor Magic8
- Blazing-fast 90W charging
- Powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor
- Versatile charging options (wired, wireless, reverse)
- Potentially more customizable Android OS
- Battery capacity unknown
- Software support may be shorter than iPhone
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
- Exceptional battery life (16:01h active use)
- Optimized iOS ecosystem and software support
- Industry-leading video recording capabilities
- High peak display brightness (1787 nits)
- Slower charging speeds
- Less customizable operating system
Display Comparison
The iPhone 15 Pro Max boasts a measured peak brightness of 1787 nits, ensuring excellent visibility even in direct sunlight. While the Honor Magic8’s display specs are not provided, Honor typically employs high-quality OLED panels. The iPhone’s ProMotion technology (LTPO) dynamically adjusts the refresh rate up to 120Hz for smoother scrolling and animations, a feature likely present on the Magic8 as well given its flagship status. The iPhone’s color accuracy is renowned, and the Magic8 will need to match this to compete. Bezels are expected to be minimal on both devices, contributing to an immersive viewing experience.
Camera Comparison
The iPhone 15 Pro Max is known for its exceptional photo and video capabilities, leveraging advanced computational photography. While specific sensor details for the Honor Magic8 are missing, a flagship device at this price point would be expected to feature a high-resolution main sensor with optical image stabilization (OIS). The iPhone’s cinematic mode and ProRes video recording are key differentiators. The Magic8 will need to deliver comparable image quality and innovative features to challenge Apple’s dominance. The absence of details on the Magic8’s camera system makes a direct comparison difficult, but we anticipate a focus on computational photography to compete with Apple’s established algorithms.
Performance
The core of the battle lies in the chipsets. The Honor Magic8’s Qualcomm SM8850-AC Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, featuring a unique octa-core configuration with Oryon V3 Phoenix cores (2x4.6 GHz + 6x3.62 GHz), promises exceptional performance. This contrasts with the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s hexa-core Apple A17 Pro (2x3.78 GHz + 4x2.11 GHz). While the A17 Pro’s clock speeds appear lower, Apple’s chip design and software optimization are highly efficient. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, built on a 3nm process, should offer a significant performance leap over previous generations, but the A17 Pro’s neural engine and GPU architecture are optimized for tasks like machine learning and graphics-intensive gaming. Both utilize 3nm fabrication, suggesting comparable power efficiency, but the Oryon architecture’s impact on sustained performance remains to be seen.
Battery Life
The iPhone 15 Pro Max achieves an impressive 16:01h active use battery score and an endurance rating of 118 hours, demonstrating excellent battery life. The Honor Magic8, while lacking specific battery capacity information, compensates with incredibly fast charging. Its 90W wired charging, 90W PPS, 40W UFCS, and 80W wireless charging capabilities are significantly faster than the iPhone’s 15W wireless (MagSafe/Qi2) and slower wired charging (50% in 30 min). The Magic8 also offers reverse wireless and wired charging, a feature present but limited to 4.5W on the iPhone. This means the Magic8 can top up quickly, even if its overall battery capacity is smaller.
Buying Guide
Buy the Honor Magic8 if you need the absolute fastest charging available, prioritize peak CPU performance for demanding tasks, and prefer the flexibility of the Android ecosystem. Buy the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max if you value seamless integration with other Apple devices, a refined user experience, exceptional video recording capabilities, and long-term software support, even if it means sacrificing some charging speed and raw CPU benchmarks.