Smartphone Comparison: OnePlus 9 vs. Honor Magic V3
1. Specifications Comparison
| Feature | OnePlus 9 | Honor Magic V3 | Practical Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Design | |||
| Form Factor | Standard | Foldable | Honor Magic V3 offers a larger, tablet-like screen when unfolded, but is bulkier when folded; OnePlus 9 is a standard phone |
| Dimensions | 160 × 74.2 × 8.7 mm | 156.6 × 145.3 × 4.35 mm | OnePlus 9 is taller and thicker, while Honor Magic V3 is significantly wider when unfolded |
| Weight | 192g | 226g | OnePlus 9 is lighter, making it more comfortable for prolonged single-handed use |
| Display | |||
| Size | 6.55" | 7.92" | Honor Magic V3 has a much larger display, offering an immersive experience for media consumption and multitasking |
| Resolution | 1080x2400 | 2156x2344 | Honor Magic V3 has a sharper display, resulting in clearer text and images |
| Pixel Density | 402 PPI | 402 PPI | Both have the same clarity |
| Technology | AMOLED | (Unspecified) | OnePlus 9's AMOLED offers richer colors and deeper blacks; Honor Magic V3's display technology is not specified |
| Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 120Hz | Both provide smooth scrolling and animations |
| Brightness | 1100 nits | 5000 nits | Honor Magic V3 offers dramatically better outdoor visibility, especially in bright sunlight |
| Performance | |||
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 | Honor Magic V3 has a much newer and more powerful chip, resulting in snappier performance and improved efficiency |
| AnTuTu Score | 880,900 | 2,220,000 | Honor Magic V3 significantly outperforms OnePlus 9, offering smoother performance in demanding tasks |
| GPU | Adreno 660 | Adreno 750 | Honor Magic V3 has a superior GPU, resulting in better gaming performance |
| Camera | |||
| Main Camera | 48MP f/1.79, 1/1.4" sensor, Sony IMX689 | 50MP f/1.6, 1/1.55" sensor, Omnivision OV50E | Honor Magic V3 has slightly higher resolution and a wider aperture; OnePlus 9 has a slightly larger sensor |
| Selfie Camera | 16MP f/2.4, 1/3.13" sensor, Sony IMX471 | 20MP f/2.2 | Honor Magic V3 has slightly higher resolution and wider aperture for better low light selfies |
| Telephoto Lens | None | 50MP f/3.0, 1/2.5" sensor, Omnivision OV50C | Honor Magic V3 offers optical zoom capabilities, not available on OnePlus 9 |
| Wide-Angle Lens | 50MP f/2.2, 1/1.56" sensor, Sony IMX766 | None | OnePlus 9 has a dedicated wide angle lens, not available on Honor Magic V3 |
| Wide Angle + Macro | None | 40MP f/2.2 | Honor Magic V3 offers a wide angle camera with macro functionality, not available on OnePlus 9 |
| Black & White Lens | 2MP f/2.4 | None | OnePlus 9 offers dedicated monochrome sensor |
| Video | Up to 8K@30fps with HDR, EIS | Up to 4K@60fps with OIS, EIS | OnePlus 9 offers higher video resolution; Honor Magic V3 offers OIS for smoother footage |
| DxOMark Score | Not Available | 137 (Mobile) | Honor Magic V3 camera quality has been evaluated with a good score |
| Battery | |||
| Capacity | 4500mAh | 5150mAh | Honor Magic V3 has a larger battery, likely offering longer battery life |
| Charging | 65W Fast, 15W Wireless | 66W Fast, 50W Wireless | Honor Magic V3 has faster wireless charging; both have fast charging capabilities |
| Software | |||
| OS | Android 11 (upgradable to 13) | Android 14 | Honor Magic V3 has a newer OS out of the box, offering the latest features |
| Connectivity | |||
| WiFi | Wi-Fi 6 | Wi-Fi 6 | Both support the same Wi-Fi standards for fast internet speeds |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.2 | Bluetooth 5.3 | Honor Magic V3 has a slightly newer Bluetooth version |
| GPS | Comprehensive | More Comprehensive | Honor Magic V3 has more satellite support for potentially better location accuracy |
| SIM | Dual Nano SIM | Dual Nano SIM + eSIM | Honor Magic V3 offers eSIM capabilities for more flexible carrier options |
| Storage | |||
| Internal | 128/256GB | 256/512/1024GB | Honor Magic V3 offers significantly more storage options |
| RAM | 8/12GB | 12/16GB | Honor Magic V3 has more RAM for smoother multitasking and heavy app usage |
| Expandable | No | No | Neither phone supports expandable storage |
| Audio | |||
| Audio Quality | Dolby Atmos, Stereo Speakers | DTS / DTS X, Stereo Speakers | Both phones offer good audio experience, Honor Magic V3 offers DTS |
| Security | |||
| Fingerprint Sensor | Basic | Side-mounted | Honor Magic V3 has a more convenient and responsive side-mounted fingerprint sensor |
| Build Quality | |||
| Screen Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 | Unknown | OnePlus 9 has a protected display, the protection level of the Honor Magic V3 is unknown |
| Sensors | |||
| Sensors | Comprehensive | More Comprehensive | Honor Magic V3 has more sensors including Gravity and Hall sensors |
2. Key Differences Analysis
OnePlus 9 Advantages
- Lighter and More Compact: Easier to handle and pocket, especially for single-handed use.
- AMOLED Display: Offers superior contrast and color accuracy for media consumption.
- Dedicated Wide Angle Lens: For wide shots without relying on digital zoom or cropping.
- 8K Video Recording: Higher resolution video option.
- Dolby Atmos Support: Superior audio experience for compatible headphones and content.
- Established Ecosystem: Being an older phone, there is a larger community for support
Honor Magic V3 Advantages
- Foldable Design with Large Display: Provides a tablet-like experience for content consumption, multitasking, and productivity.
- Superior Performance: The latest Snapdragon chipset provides much smoother experience and faster app loading.
- Much Higher Screen Brightness: Excellent visibility under direct sunlight.
- Telephoto Lens: Optical zoom capabilities.
- Significantly Higher AnTuTu Benchmark Scores: The Honor Magic V3 has a much higher benchmark score of 2,220,000 compared to the OnePlus 9's 880,900. This difference indicates a major improvement in performance, app loading speeds, and the ability to handle demanding games and multitasking.
- Higher Battery Capacity & Wireless Charging Speed: Longer battery life and fast wireless charging.
- Newer Android OS: Up-to-date features and security.
- More RAM and Storage Options: Accommodates power users who need more storage and smooth multitasking.
- eSIM support: More flexible network options.
- DTS/DTS X Support: Improved Audio experience.
- More Sensors: Features a Hall sensor and Gravity sensor for enhanced functionalities
Trade-offs
- OnePlus 9: Lacks optical zoom and foldable screen, older chipset and OS, lower screen brightness.
- Honor Magic V3: Larger and heavier, display tech unspecified, missing dedicated wide angle lens, unknown screen protection.
3. User Profiles & Recommendations
OnePlus 9 Ideal User
- Budget-Conscious Users: Seeking a flagship experience without the premium price tag.
- Single-Handed Users: Prioritizing a light, compact device for everyday use.
- Multimedia Enthusiasts: Appreciating an excellent AMOLED display and good sound quality.
Users comfortable with older tech: Not needing the latest OS, specs and prefering a reliable known phone.
- Specific Use Case: Casual browsing, social media, watching videos, and occasional photography.
Honor Magic V3 Ideal User
- Power Users and Professionals: Need a large screen for productivity, multitasking, and presentations.
- Mobile Gamers: Demanding the best graphics performance and smooth gameplay.
- Content Creators: Needing zoom capabilities, higher resolution video and excellent color reproduction.
- Users wanting the latest and greatest features: Wanting a foldable screen, latest chipset, OS, etc.
Users prioritising high screen brightness: Need good outdoor visibility
- Specific Use Case: Gaming, media consumption, document editing, presentations, video editing, professional photography.
4. Decision Framework
Key Questions for Buyers
- Do you value portability and one-handed use, or a large screen experience? (OnePlus 9 is lighter and compact vs Honor Magic V3 being large and foldable)
- Is cutting-edge performance and the latest OS a priority? (Honor Magic V3 has much superior chip and latest OS)
- How important is camera zoom and display brightness, and do you need 8K recording? (Honor Magic V3 has zoom, higher brightness, OnePlus 9 has 8K recording)
Scenario-Based Recommendations
- Scenario 1: If you prioritize a lightweight, pocketable phone with a great display for everyday use and casual media consumption, and you are comfortable with older tech, the OnePlus 9 is a solid choice.
- Scenario 2: If you need a large screen for productivity, media consumption, and gaming with excellent outdoor visibility and the latest performance, the Honor Magic V3 is the superior option, despite being larger and more expensive.
- Scenario 3: If you want a phone for professional photography, with versatile zoom capabilities, the Honor Magic V3 is better due to its telephoto lens.
What I Would Choose
I would choose the Honor Magic V3.
Reasoning:
While the OnePlus 9 is a capable phone, the Honor Magic V3 provides a significantly better experience in key areas that align with my priorities. I value cutting-edge technology, and the foldable design, combined with the superior Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, dramatically higher screen brightness, and greater storage and RAM, makes it the clear winner for me.
Although it’s larger and heavier, the advantage of the large foldable screen for productivity, media consumption and gaming is a major benefit, more than offsetting the additional weight. Additionally the superior chipset will keep the phone running great for longer. The higher quality camera, zoom capabilities and better battery would also come in very useful. While OnePlus has the advantage of the AMOLED display, I believe this is offset by the superior brightness of the Honor, and the other benefits outweigh the drawbacks of the display tech being unspecified.
