Honor Magic 9 Pro Max vs Xiaomi 18 Pro Max
Verdict
Honor Magic 9 Pro Max scores higher on the OH Rank (86 vs 83), winning 2 of 10 categories including Screen and Desktop Replacement. Xiaomi 18 Pro Max is 0.6mm wider than Honor Magic 9 Pro Max. 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
83
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
Xiaomi 18 Pro Max
77.6mm (3.06in) · Sep 23, 2026 · Rank #6
15+13+11+12+15+5+4+0+5+3 = 83
SUPERIOR* TOP Performance* TOP Battery Endurance* TOP Camera* TOP Selfie* TOP Software
EDITORIAL: (this is a pre-test listing based on reasonable expectation of charging, screen and imaging performance) A year after it's first Pro Max phone Xiaomi knows it is ready for the international market. The new 18 Pro Max brings big upgrades in chip, massive 8500mAh battery, double 200MP lenses that replace the 50MP ones and a new HyperOS 4 with Android's native support for desktop replacement functionality. In the process, the phone grew in size and weight, now almost as big and heavy as it's iPhone competitor.
PROs
unique two screen design, flagship built, excellent (2nm) SD 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 with UFS 4.1 performance, 48hr endurance from a massive 8500mAh Si-C battery with >60min 100W (50W wireless) charging, 2 ~1000nits 120Hz Dolby Vision LTPO AMOLED screens (front is 418ppi), IP68 protection (down to 6m, up to 30min), much improved 200MP 23mm OIS main + 200MP 75mm OIS periscope telephoto + 50MP 17mm ultrawide (all PDAF) setup, 50MP 21mm PDAF selfie, feature rich HyperOS with 6 years of updates, Android's native support for desktop replacement feature, fast USB-C 3.2 with OTG and Display Port, 3 speaker sound
CONs
big and heavy, sub-1300nits screens, no memory expansion, Xiaomi AI feature integration is behind Samsung, Pixel, Honor and Motorola phones, unlike Apple and Samsung phones Xiaomi is not universally available
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.
Visit Home page to compare world's best phones. You can see scoring and ranking explained on the About page.