Honor Magic 9 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S26+
Verdict
Honor Magic 9 Pro Max scores higher on the OH Rank (86 vs 81), winning 3 of 10 categories including Performance and Battery. Honor Magic 9 Pro Max is 1.2mm wider than Samsung Galaxy S26+. Honor Magic 9 Pro Max is the more recent release, from Oct 8, 2026.
Score Breakdown
Performance /15
Battery /15
Screen /15
IP Protection /15
Main Camera /15
Selfie /5
Video /5
SD Memory /5
Software /5
Desktop Replacement /5
TOTAL
86
81
Honor Magic 9 Pro Max
77mm (3.03in) · Oct 8, 2026 · Rank #1
15+13+13+12+15+4+4+0+5+5 = 86
SUPERIOR* TOP Performance* TOP Battery Endurance* TOP Camera* TOP Selfie* TOP Software* TOP Desktop Replacement
EDITORIAL: (this is a pre-test listing based on reasonable expectation of charging, screen and imaging performance) Following last year's Xiaomi lead, Honor jumped on the iPhone-copy-naming-trend and made 9 Pro Max. It is 2mm wider then previous top model and packs upgrades: chip, 1700mAh bigger battery(!), brighter screen, new 200MP main and 55MP selfie cameras - all for less then $1000.
PROs
unique camera island design with optional external 200mm zoom lens, top SD 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 (2nm) with UFS 4.1 performance, 48hr endurance from a huge 8800mAh Si-C battery with sub-90min 100W (80W wireless) charging, >1800nits bright 460ppi 120Hz LTPO OLED screen with Dolby Vision, IP69 protection, excellent 200MP 23mm OIS main + 200MP 80mm OIS periscope telephoto + 50MP 12mm ultrawide (all with PDAF) setup, very good new 55MP selfie, very good video recording, AI and other features loaded MagicOS with 7 years of OS updates iOS integration, mature desktop replacement feature, fast USB-C 3.2 port with OTG and Display Port 1.2 tech
CONs
big and 230g heavy, at 8800mAh - battery size could be an overkill, no AF on selfie for the second year, no expandable memory slot, lacks Apple's and Samsung's global distribution
Samsung Galaxy S26+
75.8mm (2.98in) · Mar 4, 2026 · Rank #10
13+10+15+12+12+5+4+0+5+5 = 81
* TOP Screen* TOP Selfie* TOP Software* TOP Desktop Replacement
EDITORIAL: Like with all S models this year, Samsung saw no reason to innovate – the S26+ gets an upgraded processor and 25W (instead of 15W) wireless charging. Everything else stays the same. Still it is a top flagship phone with great performance, top screen, very good imaging and DeX, 7 years of stabile and feature rich OS, plus tons of AI tricks
PROs
just 7mm thick, excellent build, fast SD 8 Elite Gen 5 (EU gets Exynos 2600) with UFS 4.0 performance, >1400nits bright >500ppi LTPO AMOLED screen with HDR10+ support, IP69 protection, reliable 50MP 24mm main + 10MP 67mm tele (both OIS PDAF) + 12MP 13mm back setup, excellent (from Feb 2023) 12MP 26mm dual pixel PDAF selfie, solid video recording, feature-packed OneOS with 7 years of updates, industry leading (with Pixel and Honor) AI integration, excellent DeX (Desktop eXperience) multi window desktop replacement environment and a fast USBC 3.2 port with DisplayPort and OTG features
CONs
same as S25+ but for much higher price, small 4900mAh Lithium battery with >60min 45W (25W wireless) charging, no expandable memory, kill-joy lack of innovation and improvement
Both phones here were scored by me, using the same ten categories, with no ads, sponsorships, or manufacturer relationships — this comparison is as objective and honest as it gets.
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