Honor Magic8 vs. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: A Deep Dive into Flagship Performance
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the power user prioritizing raw performance and blazing-fast charging, the Honor Magic8 edges out the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. However, the S24 Ultra’s superior battery life, brighter display, and more mature software ecosystem make it the better all-rounder for the average consumer.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Honor Magic8 | Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra |
| 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, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - International |
| 5G bands | SA/NSA | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G | HSPA, LTE (up to 7CA), 5G |
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2025, October 15 | 2024, January 17 |
| Status | Available. Released 2025, October 23 | Available. Released 2024, January 24 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | - | Glass front (Corning Gorilla Armor), glass back (Corning Gorilla Armor), titanium frame (grade 2) |
| Dimensions | 157.1 x 74 x 8 mm (6.19 x 2.91 x 0.31 in) | 162.3 x 79 x 8.6 mm (6.39 x 3.11 x 0.34 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) - INT· Nano-SIM + eSIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) - USA· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM - CN |
| Weight | 205 g (7.23 oz) | 232 g or 233 g (8.18 oz) |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Giant Rhino Glass | Corning Gorilla Armor |
| Resolution | 1256 x 2760 pixels (~461 ppi density) | 1440 x 3120 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~505 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.58 inches, 105.3 cm2 (~90.6% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.8 inches, 113.5 cm2 (~88.5% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | LTPO OLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, 4320Hz PWM, Dolby Vision, HDR Vivid, 1800 nits (HBM), 6000 nits (peak) | Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 2600 nits (peak) |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (2x4.6 GHz Oryon V3 Phoenix L + 6x3.62 GHz Oryon V3 Phoenix M) | 8-core (1x3.39GHz Cortex-X4 & 3x3.1GHz Cortex-A720 & 2x2.9GHz Cortex-A720 & 2x2.2GHz Cortex-A520) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8850-AC Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (3 nm) | Qualcomm SM8650-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 840 | Adreno 750 (1 GHz) |
| OS | Android 16, up to 7 major Android upgrades, MagicOS 10 | Android 14, up to 7 major Android upgrades, One UI 8.0 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM, 1TB 16GB RAM | 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Color spectrum sensor, LED flash, HDR, panorama | Laser AF, LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Quad | - | 200 MP, f/1.7, 24mm (wide), 1/1.3", 0.6µm, multi-directional PDAF, OIS 10 MP, f/2.4, 67mm (telephoto), 1/3.52", 1.12µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 50 MP, f/3.4, 111mm (periscope telephoto), 1/2.52", 0.7µm, PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, Super Steady video |
| 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 | - |
| Video | 4K@24/30/60fps, 1080p@24/30/60/120/240fps, gyro-EIS, OIS, HDR, 10-bit video | 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60/120fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | - | HDR, HDR10+ |
| Single | 50 MP, f/2.0, 21mm (wide), 1/2.93", 0.6µm | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| 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, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, DisplayPort 1.2, OTG | USB Type-C 3.2, DisplayPort 1.2, OTG |
| 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/7, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 90W wired, 90W PPS, 40W UFCS 80W wireless Reverse wireless 5W reverse wired | 45W wired, PD3.0, 65% in 30 min 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Si/C Li-Ion 7000 mAh | Li-Ion 5000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, White, Gold, Mint | Titanium Black, Titanium Gray, Titanium Violet, Titanium Yellow, Titanium Blue, Titanium Green, Titanium Orange |
| Models | BKQ-AN80, BKQ-AN00 | SM-S928B, SM-S928B/DS, SM-S928U, SM-S928U1, SM-S928W, SM-S928N, SM-S9280, SM-S928E, SM-S928E/DS |
| Price | About 540 EUR | $ 514.94 / C$ 929.99 / £ 630.00 / € 658.53 / ₹ 84,999 |
| SAR | - | 1.26 W/kg (head) 0.62 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 1.06 W/kg (head) 1.30 W/kg (body) |
Honor Magic8
- Blazing-fast Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor
- Industry-leading 90W wired and 80W wireless charging
- Potential for superior thermal performance due to 3nm process
- Software experience may be less refined than Samsung’s One UI
- Battery life potentially lower than the S24 Ultra
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
- Exceptional battery life (13:49h active use)
- Bright and color-accurate display
- Mature and feature-rich software ecosystem (One UI)
- Slower charging speeds compared to the Honor Magic8
- Processor is a generation behind the Magic8’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra’s display dominates with a measured peak brightness of 1447 nits, ensuring excellent visibility even in direct sunlight. While the Magic8’s display specs are not provided, Samsung’s panel technology is a known leader. The S24 Ultra likely utilizes LTPO technology for adaptive refresh rates, contributing to battery efficiency. The S24 Ultra’s larger screen size and higher resolution also contribute to a more immersive viewing experience, though this comes at the cost of potentially higher power consumption.
Camera Comparison
The context data lacks detailed camera specifications for both devices, making a direct comparison challenging. However, Samsung’s Galaxy S24 Ultra is renowned for its versatile camera system, likely featuring a high-resolution main sensor and advanced image processing algorithms. The Magic8 will need to deliver exceptional image quality to compete. The S24 Ultra’s established reputation for video recording capabilities, including 8K video, gives it an edge. We can assume both phones will offer a range of shooting modes, but the S24 Ultra’s software features and optical image stabilization (OIS) are likely more refined.
Performance
The Honor Magic8’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, built on a 3nm process, represents a significant leap in mobile silicon. Its octa-core CPU, featuring Oryon V3 Phoenix cores (2x4.6 GHz L + 6x3.62 GHz M), promises substantial performance gains over the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (1x3.39GHz Cortex-X4 & 3x3.1GHz Cortex-A720 & 2x2.9GHz Cortex-A720 & 2x2.2GHz Cortex-A520) fabricated on a 4nm node. The 3nm process allows for greater transistor density and improved power efficiency, potentially leading to less thermal throttling during sustained workloads. However, the S24 Ultra benefits from Samsung’s optimized cooling solutions and software management.
Battery Life
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra’s active use score of 13:49h demonstrates impressive battery endurance. While the Magic8’s battery capacity is unknown, its 90W wired charging (with 90W PPS and 40W UFCS) and 80W wireless charging significantly outperform the S24 Ultra’s 45W wired and 15W wireless charging. The Magic8 can likely achieve a full charge in under 30 minutes, while the S24 Ultra takes considerably longer. The Magic8 also offers reverse wireless and wired charging, a feature the S24 Ultra provides at a lower wattage (4.5W vs 5W).
Buying Guide
Buy the Honor Magic8 if you demand the absolute fastest Android performance available, prioritize incredibly rapid 90W charging, and are comfortable with a potentially less polished software experience. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra if you value all-day battery life, a stunningly bright and color-accurate display, a versatile camera system, and the stability of Samsung’s One UI.