By Mashable | Created at 2026-09-28 18:30:32 | Updated at 2026-09-28 20:58:52
5 hours ago
Does the camera on your smartphone matter more than anything else that the device can do?
If so, you might want to check out Honor's new Magic 9 Pro Max.
Seriously. Just take a look at it. Have you ever seen the lenses on any smartphone’s camera bump extend the entire width of the phone?
The Honor Magic 9 Pro Max launch. Credit: Honor
As Phone Arena points out, the release of the Honor Magic 9 Pro Max marks the 10th anniversary of the company, which is a subsidiary of Huawei, so it appears they’re going all out.
The phone's camera system was created in partnership with ARRI, the professional cinema camera company that has long been a staple in major motion pictures. ARRI provided image science and camera expertise, which helped Honor develop the camera for the device.
Furthermore, the partnership brings ARRI’s touch to the camera software as well. The Honor Magic 9 Pro Max provides 14 ARRI filter presets along with support for 4K 60fps "Cinema Grade" recording, 10-bit color depth and ARRI Wide Gamut 3.
Mashable Light Speed
But, the Magic 9 Pro Max is more than just a partnership with a leading Hollywood camera-maker. The cameras themselves top any other smartphone in the market.
The Honor Magic 9 Pro Max sports a whopping 200 MP main camera with 1/1.28-inch sensor and a f/1.57 aperture, a 200 MP telephoto camera with 1/1.4-inch sensor and a f/2.6 aperture, and a 50 MP ultra-wide lens with f/2.0 aperture. In addition to that, the Magic 9 Pro Max boasts a 55 MP selfie camera as well.
To compare Honor’s latest smartphone with the newest iPhone 18 Pro Max, all three rear cameras on the Apple device top out at 48 MP. Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Ultra probably comes the closest with its 200 MP main camera, but the phones’ camera specs differ beyond megapixel count.
The main camera on the Honor Magic 9 Pro Max has optical image stabilization rated to the Camera & Imaging Products Association’s CIPA 8.0 standard. In addition, it also boasts 3-degree gimbal-level stabilization, a feature in which the camera can actually move and tilt by up to 3 degrees.
It's not just cinema-grade cameras either. Honor claims that the Magic 9 Pro Max is the first smartphone with a "cinema-grade" directional microphone. The company says it can pick up sound from up to 20 meters away and has audio recording presets to help users capture the sounds that they want and reduce noise from its surroundings.
The phone’s full specs are as follows:
6.8-inch LTPO OLED display, 1–120Hz, 2,000 nits peak brightness
200 MP main camera with 1/1.28-inch sensor and a f/1.57 aperture, 200 MP telephoto camera with 1/1.4-inch sensor and a f/2.6 aperture, 50 MP ultra-wide lens with f/2.0 aperture, 55 MP selfie camera
Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6
Up to 16 GB RAM, up to 1 TB storage
8,800 mAh silicon-carbon battery
MagicOS 11 based on Android 17
The Honor Magic 9 Pro Max looks like a beast for smartphone camera aficionados. Unfortunately, however, Honor’s devices are not officially sold in the U.S. So, if you really want one, you’ll have to go through third parties and import it yourself.
The Honor Magic 9 Pro Max launches today in China and retails for approximately $970 USD.
