Between the Magic V3 and iPhone 17 Air, the Magic V3 comes out ahead in wireless charging and wired charging, while the iPhone 17 Air wins on weight and pixel density. Overall, the Magic V3 scores 71.7 and the iPhone 17 Air scores 60.3 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The Magic V3 is the clear pick on raw spec strength, leading by 11.4 points on the Mars Score. The margin is wide enough that the underdog only makes sense if its individual strengths line up with what you specifically need.
Pick the Magic V3 if you push the hardware — gaming, on-device AI, heavy multitasking — and the extra compute headroom is worth the trade-offs. The biggest gaps in its favor are wireless charging, wired charging, ram, among others.
Pick the iPhone 17 Air if the display is what you stare at all day — refresh rate, brightness, or sharpness is where the difference will be most visible. Its strongest claims are weight, pixel density, promised os updates.
Both ship with comparable refresh rate, 5g support, optical image stabilization, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the Magic V3 is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Why Honor - Magic V3 wins
- ▲Wireless charging — 233.33% more. 50 W vs 15 W.
- ▲Wired charging — 230.00% more. 66 W vs 20 W.
- ▲RAM — 100.00% more. 16 GB vs 8 GB.
- ▲Battery capacity — 77.59% more. 5150 mAh vs 2900 mAh.
- ▲Front camera — 66.67% more. 20 MP vs 12 MP.
- ▲Screen size — 20.00% more. 7.92 " vs 6.6 ".
- ▲AnTuTu — 4.59% more. 2050000 vs 1960000.
- ▲Main camera — 4.17% more. 50 MP vs 48 MP.
Why Apple - iPhone 17 Air wins
- ▲Weight — 80.00 g less. 146 vs 226.
- ▲Pixel density — 14.43% more. 460 ppi vs 402 ppi.
- ▲Promised OS updates: 6 (vs 5).
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Honor - Magic V3 | Apple - iPhone 17 Air |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 226 g | 146 glead |
| Thickness | 9.2 mm | 5.6 mmlead |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IPX8lead | IP68 |
| Form factor | foldable_booklead | bar |
Display
| Spec | Honor - Magic V3 | Apple - iPhone 17 Air |
|---|---|---|
| Screen sizeⓘ | 7.92 "lead | 6.6 " |
| Pixel densityⓘ | 402 ppi | 460 ppilead |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightnessⓘ | 5000 nitslead | 2200 nits |
Performance
Cameras
| Spec | Honor - Magic V3 | Apple - iPhone 17 Air |
|---|---|---|
| Main cameraⓘ | 50 MPlead | 48 MP |
| Front camera | 20 MPlead | 12 MP |
| Optical image stabilizationⓘ | true | true |
Battery
| Spec | Honor - Magic V3 | Apple - iPhone 17 Air |
|---|---|---|
| Battery capacity | 5150 mAhlead | 2900 mAh |
| Wired chargingⓘ | 66 Wlead | 20 W |
| Wireless chargingⓘ | 50 Wlead | 15 W |
Connectivity
| Spec | Honor - Magic V3 | Apple - iPhone 17 Air |
|---|---|---|
| 5G supportⓘ | true | true |
| Headphone jack | false | false |
| microSD slot | false | false |
Operating System
| Spec | Honor - Magic V3 | Apple - iPhone 17 Air |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Android | iOSlead |
| Promised OS updates | 5 years | 6 yearslead |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery, Magic V3 or iPhone 17 Air?+
Magic V3 has 77.6% more battery — 5150 mAh vs 2900 mAh.
Which is lighter, Magic V3 or iPhone 17 Air?+
iPhone 17 Air is 80g lighter — 226g vs 146g.
Is Magic V3 waterproof?+
Magic V3 has an IPX8 rating.
Does iPhone 17 Air support 5G?+
Yes, iPhone 17 Air supports 5G.
Which has more RAM, Magic V3 or iPhone 17 Air?+
Magic V3 offers 16GB of RAM.
Which has a better camera, Magic V3 or iPhone 17 Air?+
Magic V3 has a 50 MP main camera vs 48 MP.
Spec-level deep dives
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