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HONOR showed off its latest smartphones at IFA 2023 in Berlin. It brought over the HONOR Magic V2, which is its latest foldable flagship. That device launched in China in July, and this was its global debut of sorts. In addition to that, the HONOR V Purse concept was shown off, but that’s a story for another article, We’re here to focus on the HONOR Magic V2, as that’s the only phone I managed to get some hands-on time thus far. It’s probably more appealing to many of you, as it’s an actual product on the market at the moment.
It feels like a regular smartphone when folded
Having said that, I had high hopes for the design of this phone, and I wasn’t disappointed. The Magic V2 really does feel like a regular smartphone when you hold it. This thing is only 9.9mm thick (eco-leather model). The glass variant is 0.2mm thicker at 10.1mm. Either way, this is the thinnest book-style foldable on the market. It’s a lot thinner than the Galaxy Z Fold 5 (13.4mm), when folded, just to give you one example. It also trumps the Google Pixel Fold, the Huawei Mate X3, and even the Xiaomi MIX Fold 3.
When it’s folded, you can normally use its 6.43-inch display, and you won’t feel the extra thickness of a foldable. When unfolded, you get access to a large 7.92-inch panel. HONOR also fixed one of my display-related gripes with the HONOR Magic Vs, this phone’s successor. Both displays offer a 120Hz refresh rate now. On the Magic Vs, one of them stood at 90Hz. That is something you do notice when you jump between panels often.
Unfolding the phone is much easier now
The company even improved the unfolding experience of the device this time around. How? Well, the Magic Vs was not the easiest phone to unfold, as its two halves were too close together, and you had no proper point of pulling the phone apart. It wasn’t a bit issue, as you do get used to it, but that’s handled a lot better on the Magic V2. The hinge also feels better this time around, as HONOR rebuilt it entirely. The company used titanium in order to improve the hinge, and you can definitely feel that.
What about the crease? Well, it’s barely noticeable, especially in comparison to the Galaxy Z Fold 5. You can see it, but you won’t feel it under your finger nearly as much. That’s in line with some other Chinese smartphone OEMs. Needless to say, that’s great to see, as it does make a difference when using the device, it’s not only for aesthetics.
It’s also quite light for a book-style foldable
Many of you are probably wondering about its weight. Well, despite the fact it has a 5,000mAh battery, the Magic V2 weighs only 231 grams. That’s actually quite light compared to most other foldables in the same category. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 weighs 253 grams, while the Pixel Fold weighs 283 grams. You will feel that difference. As I said, this phone feels like a regular smartphone when it’s folded, and that goes for its weight too.
HONOR didn’t say anything about this phone’s global availability, but considering the attention it got here at IFA, and the fact that HONOR used the word ‘global’ a lot, it’s probably coming later this year.
