HMD Pulse Pro vs HONOR Play9C
20Performancechip26.3
29.1Display29.1
37.9Camera20.5
40.4Battery40.7
28Features46.7
4 spec wins — HMD Pulse Pro6 spec wins — HONOR Play9C
InnoReviews verdict
This one is close to a dead heat: HMD Pulse Pro scores 30.3 against 30.6 for HONOR Play9C. Pick by the categories that matter to you — HONOR Play9C edges ahead in features and performance, or by price.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the HMD Pulse Pro
- Stronger camera score: 38 vs 21
- 900% higher Front camera: 50 MP vs 5 MP
- 285% higher Main camera: 50 MP vs 13 MP
- 100% higher Wired charging: 20 W vs 10 W
- Has NFC — the other doesn't
Reasons to pick the HONOR Play9C
- Stronger performance score: 26 vs 20
- Stronger features score: 47 vs 28
- 100% higher RAM (max): 12 GB vs 6 GB
- 30% higher Peak brightness: 780 nits vs 600 nits
- Has 5G — the other doesn't
Display
| Spec | HMD Pulse Pro | HONOR Play9C |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 6.56 ″ | 6.56 ″ |
| Panel type | IPS LCD | TFT LCD |
| Resolution | 720x1612 | 720x1612 |
| Pixel density | 269 ppi | 269 ppi |
| Refresh rate | 90 Hz | 90 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 600 nits | 780 nits+30% |
Performance
| Spec | HMD Pulse Pro | HONOR Play9C |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Unisoc T606 | Dimensity 6100+ |
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 376Bottom 2% | — |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 1,324Bottom 3% | — |
| RAM (max) | 6 GB | 12 GB+100% |
| Storage options | 128GB | 128GB/256GB |
| Storage type | UFS 2.2 | — |
Camera
| Spec | HMD Pulse Pro | HONOR Play9C |
|---|---|---|
| Main camera | 50 MP+285% | 13 MP |
| Main aperture | — | f/1.8 |
| Max video | 1080p@30fps | 1080p |
| Front camera | 50 MP+900% | 5 MP |
Battery
| Spec | HMD Pulse Pro | HONOR Play9C |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 5,000 mAh | 5,200 mAh+4% |
| Wired charging | 20 W+100% | 10 W |
Design
| Spec | HMD Pulse Pro | HONOR Play9C |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 196 g | 190 g+3% |
| Thickness | 8.6 mm | 8.4 mm+2% |
| IP rating | IP52 | — |
| Frame material | Plastic | — |
Connectivity
| Spec | HMD Pulse Pro | HONOR Play9C |
|---|---|---|
| 5G | No | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 5 | Wi-Fi 5 |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 | 5.1 |
| NFC | Yes | No |
| USB | USB-C 2.0 | USB-C 2.0 |
| eSIM | — | No |
Software
| Spec | HMD Pulse Pro | HONOR Play9C |
|---|---|---|
| OS at launch | Android 14 | Android 14 (MagicOS 8.0) |
| OS update pledge | 2 years | — |
Audio
| Spec | HMD Pulse Pro | HONOR Play9C |
|---|---|---|
| Stereo speakers | No | — |
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | Yes |