This Pro Max Android flagship looks like an iPhone 17 Pro clone, but its crazy specs steal the show

Smartphone makers have spent years making camera bumps bigger, but HONOR’s next flagship takes that trend somewhere new — and strangely familiar. The company has officially revealed the Magic 9 Pro Max, giving us a clear look at its redesigned rear and some seriously ambitious camera hardware.

Shown in a new Moss Green finish, the phone trades HONOR’s usual centered camera island for a wide plateau spanning the top of the device. A large circular module housing the flash and possibly a periscope telephoto camera sits beside two smaller lenses, with prominent ARRI branding completing the look. HONOR’s promotional images also show a contrasting rounded rectangular section immediately below the camera bar.

Put those elements together, and the resemblance to Apple’s recent iPhone Pro models is hard to miss. The Magic 9 Pro Max doesn’t copy the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s lens arrangement, but its full-width plateau and lower inset panel follow a remarkably similar blueprint. HONOR isn’t alone, either: leaked OPPO Find X10 Pro Max renders recently revealed another iPhone Pro-inspired rear.

What is HONOR putting inside that huge camera island?

The Magic 9 Pro Max pairs a 200MP main camera with a 1/1.28-inch sensor and f/1.57 aperture, and a 200MP telephoto camera with a 1/1.4-inch sensor and f/2.6 aperture. HONOR won’t be alone in using such a large telephoto sensor, either, as the vivo X500 Pro Max is expected to match it with a 200MP, 1/1.4-inch setup.

Both phones should offer plenty of resolution for low-light photography, cropping, and long-range zoom, though image processing will ultimately determine how useful those pixels are.

HONOR is pushing the zoom hardware even further with a Photography Master Kit. Its headline accessory is a gigantic 500mm teleconverter, accompanied by a far more pocketable 200mm “thumb” teleconverter measuring 81mm long and weighing 88g. OPPO and vivo have already embraced external smartphone lenses, but HONOR’s 500mm option takes the idea to a new extreme.

The ARRI partnership adds more than a logo. According to IT Home, the Magic 9 series will support ARRI LogC3, the AWG3 wide color gamut, and ready-made ARRI Looks for more cinematic video without extensive color grading.

The rest of the phone appears equally excessive. Leaker Digital Chat Station says the Magic 9 Pro Max will pack an 8,800mAh battery, reportedly the largest among phones in its class. That enormous capacity could give mobile photographers considerably more time away from a charger.

HONOR will fully unveil the Magic 9 series in China on September 28, when we will learn the official specs, more details about global availability, and the price of this elaborate camera setup.