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The HONOR Magic V is HONOR’s very first foldable smartphone. This smartphone was rumored for quite some time, before HONOR officially announced it in January 2022. That being said, the first market this phone got launched in is China. The phone will stay exclusive to China, unfortunately. Its successor, however, will arrive to global markets. That is something HONOR confirmed at IFA 2022.
That being said, in this article, we’ll try to provide you with some more information about the device. The HONOR Magic V is aiming its sights at the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3/4, obviously. It has a similar form factor, and it’s also quite powerful. The HONOR Magic V does have some things going for it, though, so read on if you’d like to know more.
Here’s everything you need to know about the HONOR Magic V.
How much does the HONOR Magic V costs?
In China, the only market it launched at thus far, the device comes in two variants. Both of those variants include 12GB of RAM, but have different amounts of storage. The more affordable variant has 256GB of storage, while the more expensive one comes with 512GB of storage. The two models are priced at CNY9,999 and CNY10,999 in China, which converts to $1,569 and $1,726. As you can see, the device is not exactly cheap in its home country.
Should I wait for a price drop?
There is not really much to say here, as the device is available only in China. Chances are that we won’t see many discounts on this phone. HONOR would offer various deals in Europe, but sadly, this device won’t make its way to countries outside of China. It seemed like it will at first, but that won’t happen.
What trade-in offers are available at launch?
We don’t expect to see any trade-in offers. HONOR may surprise us, though.
Where can I buy the HONOR Magic V?
At the moment, it’s only available in China, and according to the latest information from the company, it will stay that way. Its successor is coming to global markets in Q1 2023, though.
What carriers will it support?
The HONOR Magic V would be an unlocked smartphone, if it ever launched globally. That won’t happen, though. Its successor will be an unlocked phone, and it will launch in Europe, based on what we know now.
Which carriers will sell the HONOR Magic V?
The device is not coming to the US, so it won’t officially be sold by any carriers there. The same goes for carriers in Europe, of course, or any carriers outside of China. It remains to be seen what will happen with the next-gen model, though.
What colors are available?
The HONOR Magic V arrived in three color variants. HONOR announced it in Titanium Silver, Black, and Burnt Orange options. The first two variants offer an aluminum frame, and a glass back. The Burnt Orange model comes with an aluminum frame, and “eco leather” on the back aka Vegan Leather. That makes the Burnt Orange model less slippery than the other two variants HONOR announced.
What are the specs of the HONOR Magic V?
A spec comparison with the Galaxy Z Fold 3 can be found below, while you can get more information on the HONOR Magic V specs by clicking here.
| HONOR Magic V | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 | |
| Display | Main: 7.9-inch 2272 x 1984 foldable OLED display (90Hz) Secondary: 6.45-inch (2560 x 1080) OLED display (120Hz) |
Main: 7.6-inch fullHD+ (2208 x 1768) Dynamic AMOLED 2X Flex display (foldable, 120Hz) Secondary (Cover): 6.2-inch HD+ (2268 x 832) Super AMOLED display (flat, 120Hz) |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 |
| RAM/Storage | 12GB (LPDDR5); 256GB/512GB | 12GB (LPDDR5); 256GB/512GB |
| Camera | 50MP (f/1.9 aperture, PDAF, Laser AF, 23mm lens) 50MP (f/2.0 aperture, 20mm wde lens, PDAF) 50 MP (f/2.2 aperture, 122-degree FoV, 13mm lens) |
12MP (1.8um pixel size, Super Speed Dual Pixel OIS, f/1.8 aperture, 83-degree FoV) 12MP (1.0um pixel size, f/2.4 aperture, 45-degree view, 2x optical zoom, 10x digital zoom, telephoto) 12 MP (1.12um pixel size, f/2.2 aperture, 123-degree FoV, ultra-wide) |
| Battery | 4,750mAh | 4,400mAh, non-removable, 25W fast wired charging, 11W wireless charging, 4.5W Wireless PowerShare |
| Audio | Stereo speakers | Stereo Speakers |
| Authentication | Side-facing fingerprint scanner | Side-facing fingerprint scanner |
| Dimensions | Unfolded: 160.4 x 141.1 x 6.7mm Folded: 160.4 x 72.7 x 14.3mm |
Unfolded: 158.2 x 128.1 x 6.4mm Folded: 158.2 x 67.1 x 16.0mm |
| Weight | 288/293 grams | 271 grams |
| Software | Android 12 with Magic UI 6 | Android 11 with One UI 2.5 (upgradable to Android 12) |
| Price | Starts at $1,569 (China) | $1,799 |
What are the HONOR Magic V’s main advantages over the Galaxy Z Fold 3?
The HONOR Magic V comes with the so-called “gap-less” display when folded. In other words, much like the OPPO Find N, it doesn’t have gaps when folded. That’s not the case with the Galaxy Z Fold 3. Due to the way the phone’s hinge is made, it folds into a slight letter ‘V’, which leaves a bit of a gap in between the two sides when folded. That doesn’t look aesthetically pleasing, plus it allows for dust and what not to pile on inside.
The Magic V also comes with thinner bezels than the Galaxy Z Fold 3. If you take a look at the image below, you’ll see exactly what we’re talking about. That image has been provided by Ice Universe, by the way. The Magic V does look like a more premium device from the outside, because of those differences in bezels.
The last direct advantage comes in form of the width of its outer display. Narrower is usually better in this day and age, when it comes to phones, but Samsung may have pushed things a bit too far. The Z Fold 3 is 67.1mm wide when folded, while the Magic V is 72.7mm wide. That is not a huge difference, but it’s enough to make typing more comfortable on the Magic V. We’re basing that opinion on devices that are similar in width, of course. We found that typing on the Z Fold 3’s secondary display is not that pleasant, due to the fact how narrow the display is (25:9). You can get used to it, but it’ll never be as comfortable as typing on a slightly wider display.
What features does the HONOR Magic V offers?
The HONOR Magic V is a flagship-grade smartphone, and it’s also a foldable phone at that. In this section, we’ll talk about the phone’s strong suits, including its main features / selling points. Do note that we still don’t have a full picture, as we’re basing this off of a Chinese model of the device.
Truly powerful specs
HONOR didn’t really spend any cost when it comes to including top-of-the-line hardware here. The company used metal, glass, and eco leather to create this device. On the inside, it included only the most powerful specs. This handset includes the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC, Qualcomm’s most powerful processor to date.
In addition to that, LPDDR5 RAM is used, and UFS 3.1 flash storage. The company also included a 90Hz foldable display, and a 120Hz regular display. Both of those displays offer really high resolutions 1984 x 2272 and 1080 x 2560, respectively. Android 12 is also included out of the box, and it will be on the global unit as well.
On top of all that, you’re getting extremely powerful camera hardware, with three 50-megapixel cameras, and really fast charging too. The HONOR Magic V includes a 4,750mAh battery, and 66W fast wired charging. On top of that, reverse wired charging is also supported.
Foldable phone features
We didn’t really get to use the phone just yet, but HONOR did mention some foldable phones features are included. The main one that was mentioned is called ‘Multi-Windows’. As its name says, this feature enables you to open multiple windows on the display at the same time. So, when you unfold the HONOR Magic V, you can open your apps in windows, so that you have access to several of them at the same time. You can do some calculations while writing down the notes, and also message someone at the same time, without the need to switch between apps.
What’s best is that HONOR Magic V will actually automatically detect and recommend content for Multi-Windows based on your usage. It remains to be seen how well will this work, though, of course.
Privacy & Security
In addition to all the privacy features that Google included in Android 12, HONOR made sure to add some of its own. The HONOR Magic V comes with a dual-security system (HTEE+QTEEE), and it has an independent security chip on board. That chip will make sure to provide an extra level of security for passwords and biometrics, such as fingerprints. Yes, the device also supports facial scanning via its front-facing camera.
Advanced cooling system
The HONOR Magic V also comes with an advanced cooling system. It includes an “intelligent cooling system” which comprises of the latest third-gen graphene and an AI intelligent thermal management system. This cooling system is supposed to keep the phone performing its best at all times. Cooling phones with two displays is a bit different in comparison to regular smartphones, of course.
Which HONOR Magic V should I buy?
When it comes to the HONOR Magic V, you have not only a choice in terms of storage, but in terms of the build as well. The first thing that you need to decide is how much storage you need. Once you do that, you can get onto the color and material choosing. Do note that it’s possible that the Burnt Orange model ends up being available with 512GB of storage only, once it arrives to Europe. It remains to be seen. In any case, you’ll probably want to opt for the Burnt Orange variant if you want more grip, if not, the other two variants will serve you just fine.