Honor Magic 9 Pro Max vs Xiaomi 18 Pro
Verdict
Honor Magic 9 Pro Max and Xiaomi 18 Pro tie on the OH Rank at a score of 86. Honor Magic 9 Pro Max wins on Desktop Replacement; Xiaomi 18 Pro wins on Battery and Selfie. Honor Magic 9 Pro Max is 5mm wider than Xiaomi 18 Pro. 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
86
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
72mm (2.83in) · Sep 23, 2026 · Rank #2
15+14+13+12+15+5+4+0+5+3 = 86
SUPERIOR* TOP Performance* TOP Battery Endurance* TOP Camera* TOP Selfie* TOP Software
EDITORIAL: (this is a pre-test listing based on reasonable expectation of battery and imaging performance) On the day Qualcomm announced it's 2nm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 chip it got released in the latest Xiaomi phones. The 18 Pro Max gets the "Extreme" version that should deliver somewhat better performance across the board but 18 Pro will still beat the other competition. Unlike 17 Pro, the latest model is going global!
PROs
unique 2 screen design, very fast SD 8 Elite Gen 6 with UFS 4.1 performance, >42hr endurance from a 7000mAh Si-C battery with sub-60min 100W (50W wireless) charging, ~1600nits 420ppi 120Hz LTPO AMOLED screen with Dolby Vision, IP68 protection, excellent 200MP 23mm OIS main + 200MP 75mm OIS periscope telephoto + 50MP 17mm ultrawide (all with PDAF) setup, excellent 50MP 21mm PDAF selfie, very good video recording, stabile and feature rich HyperOS 4 with 6 years of OS updates, basic desktop replacement functionality built into Android 17, fast USB-C 3.2 with OTG and Display Port, sub €800 at lounch
CONs
no memory expansion slot, limited market availability
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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