By
Andy Boxall
Published Jan 25, 2026, 7:00 AM EST
Andy is a seasoned technology journalist with more than 15 years experience in the mobile industry, writing for Digital Trends, Wired, and more. During that time he has reviewed hundreds of smartphones and tablets, dozens of smartwatches, and a host of smart rings and smartglasses too.
His daily mobile tech life includes Android and iOS devices, smart rings, and a smartwatch unless it's a special ocassion, when a traditional watch takes its place on his wrist. He has attended multiple CES, MWC, and IFA tradeshows, has a passion for photography and cars, listens to far too much K-pop, and always has a strong opinion on the state of the tech industry.
You can find Andy's portfolio of work on his Authory page.
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Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents:
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I use both an Android phone and an Apple iPhone. It’s mostly for professional reasons, and I don’t have a strict allegiance to either.
If I’m not reviewing one of the models I’m using, my time is usually split equally between them.
For the last few weeks, the balance has shifted in favor of the iPhone. At first, it was subconscious, then I began to notice the Android phone’s battery didn't need charging as much.
I sat down to understand why, and the reason clicked after a back-to-back test. Android’s infuriating stutters and lag are ruining the phone, and it’s a serious problem.
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Posts 5 By Jon GilbertWhat phones?
It’s a flagship problem
I’m using the Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max and the Honor Magic8 Pro.
Both are less than six months old, run the latest versions of their respective operating systems, and have class-leading processors.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max starts at $1,199, or £1,099, and although the Magic8 Pro isn’t available in the US, it also starts at £1,099 in the UK.
On paper, these two phones should provide the same level of performance and offer a comparable on-device experience.
If I had purchased the Magic8 Pro based on some online reviews, it should, in theory, beat the iPhone.
I’ve seen headlines calling it the “iPhone Android phone,” and a “proper flagship,” for example. Should be amazing, right?
Stutter and lag
Infuriatingly common
Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max
At the very least, Android on the Magic8 Pro should be equal to, and not even better than, iOS on the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Unfortunately, it’s not, and it has stopped me from using it as much as I would normally.
The camera shutter lag is the worst culprit. There is a pronounced, at least one-second lag between tapping the shutter release and the phone actually taking the photo.
It’s entirely visible and immediately noticeable.
Honor Magic8 Pro
This doesn’t exist on the iPhone. The shutter reacts instantly when you tap the button, giving you confidence that it will capture the photo you want, at the time you want.
The Magic8 Pro’s lag doesn’t overtly affect sharpness, although I don’t think performance is as good as the iPhone’s, but it does severely impact the quality of ownership.
As stated, the Magic8 Pro costs the same as the iPhone 17 Pro Max, yet the camera lag makes it feel like a cheaper, less capable smartphone.
When taking photos of my cat, the iPhone captured the moment I took the photo, while the Magic8 Pro captured the moment a second later. I don’t think it’s acceptable.
Stuttering apps
Scrolling through mud
I’ll aimlessly scroll through Threads, Reddit, and Discover as much as the next person, but I’ve been wasting my time on the iPhone more than the Magic8 Pro.
Like the shutter lag, Android’s slowness is immediately obvious on the Magic8 Pro. Reddit takes a second or so longer to open, and scrolling doesn’t have the same natural motion as the iPhone.
It can be smooth, but it can also vary its speed at odd intervals. It’s almost imperceptible, but you notice when slowly scrolling through posts, almost like it’s lagging and suddenly catching up.
On the iPhone, speed is smooth and consistent, and I can see each post as I move through the list.
Threads is different, but no better.
Android lacks the smoothness of iOS in this app, and while the app itself struggles with loading times on both platforms, only Android suffers from muddy scrolling.
Although I don’t use it as much, Instagram is similarly muddy on Android, and the iPhone provides a far smoother, more visually comfortable experience.
Switching between apps and using the menu system is fairly similar, but I find iOS’s touch responsiveness is more naturally tuned for finger swipes than Android on the Honor phone.
It’s a hard thing to describe, and will be even harder to pinpoint without directly comparing the two devices, but it is there, and my brain slowly began to push me towards the iPhone because of it.
Not a new problem
Phone frustration
I reach for my iPhone because it provides a noticeably higher quality, more comfortable, and more enjoyable in-app and camera experience than Android on the Magic8 Pro.
While I’ve really noticed the issue with the Honor phone, it’s not unique to it.
We’ve written about shutter lag on Samsung phones and app stuttering on Pixel phones over the last year. Search online, and complaints about these problems can date back a decade.
Some manufacturers have worked on fixing the problem, with OnePlus recently impressing with the OnePlus 15, and I don’t recall the Pixel 10 Pro XL being sluggish either, but I know others have.
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Subscribe to our newsletter for hands-on smartphone analysis: we break down camera shutter lag, app stutter, and UI comfort with practical insights to help you choose phones that truly feel premium. Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.That said, a brand new expensive smartphone with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, 12GB of RAM, a 1-120Hz refresh rate OLED screen, and Android 16 should not only take on the iPhone, but beat it in some circumstances too.
It hasn’t managed to do that.
Reliability and comfort
Neither should be optional
The Honor Magic8 Pro has subconsciously frustrated me so much, I’ve barely used it over the last week or so, and instead reached for my iPhone.
It feels and operates like a $1,199 phone, just like it should.
Comfort shouldn’t be underestimated in a smartphone. From the way the body is shaped to the software we use all the time, both should fit our bodies and minds.
When one is off, we may use it less and not connect with it in the way we require.
Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max
8/10
SoC
A19 Pro chip
Display type
Super Retina XDR display with 120Hz ProMotion
Display dimensions
6.9-inches
Display resolution
2868 x 1320
Storage
256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB
Battery
Up to 39 hours of video playback
$1199 at Apple
Expand
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I’ve felt this way about the Magic8 Pro, even though at first, I didn’t know I was rejecting it. I think I had accepted that Android can sometimes feel like this.
Over a longer period of time, I subconsciously gravitated towards the phone with less friction, where I didn’t experience the same micro-frustrations that slowly build up and frustrate.
Over the next few days, I’ll swap my primary SIM from the Honor Magic8 Pro to a different Android phone, and will look out for any change in my phone use habits.
Android can be really great, but these last few weeks have shown me where it can be terrible compared to its arch-rival.
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