Smartphones & Tablets | September 9, 2023
Honor doesn’t want to be the only manufacturer without a new foldable smartphone. After Samsung announced its Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Z Flip 5, and following the recent launch of the Oppo Find n3 Flip, the Chinese company, formerly owned by Huawei, has unveiled the Honor Magic V2. In a way, it’s the successor to the globally announced Magic VS from the end of last year and is here to compete against other devices in this segment with a much thinner and slimmer design. Moreover, it doesn’t sacrifice specifications.
The Honor Magic V2 is, in reality, an alternative to foldables like the Galaxy Z Fold 5 or the Xiaomi Mix Fold 3, as it features a very similar design. It’s a mobile phone with a flexible inner screen that unfolds horizontally, like a book, and also has an outer panel for using the device when the main screen is completely closed.
The difference is that this Honor Magic V2 also resembles conventional smartphones in two ways. First, its thickness, which measures 4.70 mm when the device is fully unfolded, or 13.4 mm when folded. Second, its weight, at 231 grams. Therefore, it’s considerably thinner than the Samsung Galaxy Fold 5, which is 13.4 mm thick when folded. It’s also thinner than the Xiaomi Mix Fold 3 (10.96 mm when folded), which has been one of the thinnest foldable smartphones on the market.
The thickness not only compares favorably with its competition but also with traditional smartphones. It’s lighter than the iPhone 14 Pro Max (240 grams) and the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (234 grams).
Now, how did Honor significantly reduce the weight and thickness? According to the company, they redesigned the hinge components, which allow the screen to fold and unfold. The hinge maintains the same strength of up to 400,000 folds as in previous generations, as well as the same format as the Honor Magic VS, which significantly reduces the crease that forms on the screen when folding the phone.
The Honor Magic V2 not only competes in design but also in areas like the screen, camera, and battery life. The new foldable from the company features a flexible inner panel of 6.43 inches with OLED technology. It has a resolution of 2344 × 2156 pixels and a 120Hz refresh rate. The outer screen, on the other hand, is 6.43 inches. It’s also an OLED panel and includes a 120Hz refresh rate, although its resolution is slightly lower at 2376 × 1060 pixels.
In terms of performance, the Honor Magic V2 comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon Gen 2 processor, one of the most powerful SoCs for smartphones at the moment. It’s accompanied by 12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage, as well as a 5,000mAh battery.
Honor has also made the Magic V2’s screen compatible with its own stylus, allowing users to write or draw on the screen. Samsung has been offering a similar feature in its high-end foldable devices, and like the South Korean company, Honor will sell the digital pen separately.
The camera is also essential in the Honor Magic V2, not only for its features but also for its software functions. The camera configuration is as follows:
Additionally, Honor has included two selfie cameras—one on the outer screen and another on the flexible inner panel. Both have a resolution of 16 megapixels. These sensors, however, are rarely used since the main lenses and the outer screen can serve as a preview mode.
The Honor Magic V2 will be available in Europe soon, as confirmed by the company. However, there are no official details about its price or availability at the moment. The device was announced in China a few months ago, where it is already available for 8,999 yuan in its base version (approximately 1,135 euros at the exchange rate).
