Between the Magic V3 and Phone (3a), the Magic V3 comes out ahead in antutu and ram, while the Phone (3a) wins on front camera and weight. Overall, the Magic V3 scores 71.7 and the Phone (3a) scores 62.5 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The Magic V3 is the clear pick on raw spec strength, leading by 9.2 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 antutu, ram, wired charging, among others.
Pick the Phone (3a) if you photograph or shoot video regularly and want the better imaging pipeline of the two. Its strongest claims are front camera, weight.
Both ship with comparable main camera, refresh rate, 5g support, 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
- ▲AnTuTu — 150.00% more. 2050000 vs 820000.
- ▲RAM — 100.00% more. 16 GB vs 8 GB.
- ▲Wired charging — 32.00% more. 66 W vs 50 W.
- ▲Screen size — 16.99% more. 7.92 " vs 6.77 ".
- ▲Pixel density — 3.88% more. 402 ppi vs 387 ppi.
- ▲Battery capacity — 3.00% more. 5150 mAh vs 5000 mAh.
- ▲Water resistance: IPX8 (vs IP64).
- ▲Promised OS updates: 5 (vs 3).
Why Nothing - Phone (3a) wins
- ▲Front camera — 60.00% more. 32 MP vs 20 MP.
- ▲Weight — 25.00 g less. 201 vs 226.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Honor - Magic V3 | Nothing - Phone (3a) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 226 g | 201 glead |
| Thickness | 9.2 mm | 8.4 mmlead |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IPX8lead | IP64 |
| Form factor | foldable_booklead | bar |
Display
| Spec | Honor - Magic V3 | Nothing - Phone (3a) |
|---|---|---|
| Screen sizeⓘ | 7.92 "lead | 6.77 " |
| Pixel densityⓘ | 402 ppilead | 387 ppi |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightnessⓘ | 5000 nitslead | 3000 nits |
Performance
Cameras
| Spec | Honor - Magic V3 | Nothing - Phone (3a) |
|---|---|---|
| Main cameraⓘ | 50 MP | 50 MP |
| Front camera | 20 MP | 32 MPlead |
| Optical image stabilizationⓘ | true | true |
Battery
| Spec | Honor - Magic V3 | Nothing - Phone (3a) |
|---|---|---|
| Battery capacity | 5150 mAhlead | 5000 mAh |
| Wired chargingⓘ | 66 Wlead | 50 W |
| Wireless chargingⓘ | 50 Wlead | 0 W |
Connectivity
| Spec | Honor - Magic V3 | Nothing - Phone (3a) |
|---|---|---|
| 5G supportⓘ | true | true |
| Headphone jack | false | false |
| microSD slot | false | false |
Operating System
| Spec | Honor - Magic V3 | Nothing - Phone (3a) |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Android | Android |
| Promised OS updates | 5 yearslead | 3 years |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery, Magic V3 or Phone (3a)?+
Magic V3 has 3.0% more battery — 5150 mAh vs 5000 mAh.
Which is lighter, Magic V3 or Phone (3a)?+
Phone (3a) is 25g lighter — 226g vs 201g.
Is Magic V3 waterproof?+
Magic V3 has an IPX8 rating.
Does Phone (3a) support 5G?+
Yes, Phone (3a) supports 5G.
Which has more RAM, Magic V3 or Phone (3a)?+
Magic V3 offers 16GB of RAM.
Which has a better camera, Magic V3 or Phone (3a)?+
Phone (3a) has a 50 MP main camera vs 50 MP.
Spec-level deep dives
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