HONOR Magic V2 Review: An Impressively Thin And Light Foldable Phone

At IFA final September, I encountered the Honor Magic V2 for the primary time, which debuted in China in July 2023. The recipient of certainly one of our Best of IFA 2023 Awards, the Magic V2 went world on Jan 26, 2024. Comparable to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 and OnePlus Open in measurement and efficiency, this foldable cellphone contains a thinner and lighter chassis. Honor additionally unveiled the Porsche Design model on the Leipzig, Germany, launch occasion, and we’ll publish the assessment quickly.

Some individuals expressed reservations about final 12 months’s Qualcomm flagship SoC, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC. However, the Magic V2 stays potent, with 16GB RAM and 256/512GB storage choices. Its standout characteristic is being the thinnest and lightest giant foldable available on the market, coupled with good digital camera efficiency for such a slim physique.

Competition, Price, and Availability

From a show high quality and computing energy standpoint, the Honor Magic V2 is on par with the Galaxy Z Fold 5, aside from its lack of a waterproofing IP ranking (the Fold 5 is IP X8), its thinner chassis, and its considerably sooner charging pace.

The Magic V2’s show and SoC are additionally just like the thicker Oneplus Open, aside from the digital camera efficiency.

Thinner and lighter than all its foldable counterparts, the Magic V2 seems to be like a normal 8-inch high-end smartphone, making it an interesting choice for journey, doubling as a pill for content material consumption or work. At Ubergizmo, we’re critically contemplating ditching our cellphone and pill combo for the Magic V2, resulting from our intense touring schedule.

However, its multitasking characteristic lags behind the heavier Z Fold 5, which additionally affords extra functionalities with the non-obligatory new Z Fold 5 S Pen and the S Pen Pro (together with air actions and distant management just for the latter).

Launching with out Android 14, its replace program stays just like the competitors. The HONOR Magic V2 is priced at £1,699.99 within the UK, and €1,999 in choose E.U. nations (roughly $2,150). We advocate shopping for the Honor 66W quick charger together with your order,in some nations just like the UK, it’s provided as a bundled reward (as of as we speak).It prices solely €1 in Germany (as of as we speak), as a substitute of the €29.90 value provided on the Honor France web site (as a substitute of the common €49.90 value, as of as we speak).

Design

The Honor Magic V2 stands out for its key design components, notably its skinny chassis at 10.1 mm / 237 g (or 9.9 mm / 231g for the vegan leather-based model), surpassing the Galaxy Z Fold 5 (13.4mm, 253g), the Pixel Fold (12.1mm, 283g), and the OnePlus Open (11.7-11.9mm, 239-245g).

Unfolded, it measures solely 4.7 mm or 4.8 mm (glass-finish model), which is only one mm thicker than common smartphones such because the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which is 8.25mm and 221 grams.

The construct high quality is great, and we contemplate the Honor Magic V2 one of many best-designed foldable telephones, that includes a chic purple shade for the glass end model (our assessment unit).

“THE BUILD QUALITY IS EXCELLENT, AND WE CONSIDER THE HONOR MAGIC V2 ONE OF THE BEST-DESIGNED FOLDABLE PHONES”

The folding expertise is smoother than the Z Fold 5. However, in contrast to the Samsung’s giant foldable, it lacks a 45-degree folding place, which is a minimal trade-off. The redesigned hinge eliminates gaps, making the cellphone ultra-thin whereas lowering crease depth.

The bundle features a case with a built-in kickstand, usable in numerous orientations, sustaining the Magic V2’s thinner profile in comparison with the Z Fold 5, even with the case connected.

Displays

The Honor Magic V2 contains a 6.43-inch OLED show on the entrance with a decision of 1060 x 2376,a 120Hz refresh price, and a theoretical peak brightness of two,500 nits.

Internally, it homes an almost sq. beautiful 7.92-inch show with a decision of 2156 x 2344, a 120Hz refresh price, and a claimed peak brightness of 1,600 nits. HONOR highlights its 3840Hz PWM dimming tech, doubtlessly aiding customers susceptible to eye pressure throughout extended cellphone use.

The exterior display screen mirrors the scale of a daily smartphone with a curved proper edge, whereas the inner crease is barely noticeable throughout media consumption or gaming. Tested for 400,000 folding cycles, equal to 10 years of folding 100 instances every day.

Camera

The Magic V2 has a typical triple rear digital camera, together with a 50-megapixel fundamental, a 20-megapixel telephoto with a 2.5x optical zoom, and a 50-megapixel ultrawide. There is a 16 MP punch-hole selfie digital camera on every display screen, able to capturing 4K video at 30 fps. The rear digital camera can shoot 4K video at 60 fps.

Primary digital camera evening:

The Magic V2 has a barely much less performing main digital camera at evening in comparison with the opposite giant foldable telephones. However, it does a very good job total, and the outcomes are passable for such a skinny chassis.

The Magic V2 evening image high quality is closest to the Pixel Fold, however the particulars are barely extra blurry, partially due to the sturdy filtering and sharpening algorithms, particularly should you zoom in shut or crop the photographs. Besides that, the digital camera does an incredible job of capturing pure colours and preserving the temper of the evening scene as you see it. The lighting stays pure and on-point and captures in a predictable approach.

Overall, the digital camera has good efficiency each in low mild and in vibrant daylight. We couldn’t calculate Ubergizmo’s HW digital camera rating resulting from a scarcity of particular metadata within the photographs we shot, so we can not examine the {hardware} digital camera system towards the opposite foldable telephones we examined. We will attempt to get the information and replace the assessment accordingly.

Ultrawide digital camera:

Day: The sundown shot is basically attention-grabbing as a result of it challenges the digital camera to concurrently seize particulars and high-dynamic vary. The Magic V2 did properly with the HDR and particulars seize (together with texture) in our assessments. However, it tends to overshoot the publicity settings and different filters, making the ultimate picture look slightly unnatural (too vibrant/vivid) in comparison with what your eyes see.

Night: At evening, the Magic V2 Ultrawide digital camera does a very good job of preserving the lighting, colour, and temper of the scene. However, the ultrawide digital camera module will not be as highly effective as the first (huge) digital camera, and the feel of sure supplies might be troublesome to protect. In this scene, the Ultrawide shot is similar to what we obtained with the OnePlus Open.

Zoom digital camera:

The 2.5X zoom of the Magic V2 is extra suited to seize portrait photographs than competing with telephoto cameras that characteristic 6X or 10X optical zooms. At long-range (10X), the digital camera will depend on digital zooming, making small particulars comparatively blurry in comparison with the acute zoom cameras. That apart, the final 2.5X zoom picture high quality is sort of good, however like it’s usually the case with this digital camera, the photographs can generally look much less pure resulting from how the publicity is ready and the way filters are being utilized.

Camera conclusion:

The Magic V2 rear digital camera system’s picture high quality is spectacular should you contemplate how skinny the chassis is. Indeed, cell cameras want as a lot depth (thickness) as potential to host the digital camera lenses, and HONOR appears to have efficiently balanced cellphone design and digital camera high quality.

SoC, reminiscence, storage, efficiency& software program updates

Software updates

Honor commits to offering 5 years of safety patches and 4 years of Android updates for the Magic V2, aligning with Samsung and OnePlus’ assurances for the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and OnePlus Open, respectively. Google’s Pixel Fold ensures three years of Android model updates and 5 years of safety patches. While the Magic V2 ships with Android 13, one replace is required to carry it updated with Android 14. Unlike the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, the Magic V2 is but to obtain an Android 14 replace.

It homes final 12 months’s Qualcomm flagship SoC, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, with configurations of as much as 16GB RAM and 512GB storage (expandable to 1TB within the Porsche Design variant).

Perceived Performance

Performance stays fluid in every day utilization, together with 3D gaming (I attempted a number of video games).

Measured Performance

CPU efficiency

As you possibly can see from the charts, the Honor Magic V2 has glorious efficiency within the context of foldable telephones regardless of its superb thinness. This might be resulting from Honor’s efforts to provide a sophisticated cooling system known as Ultra-thin Bionic Cooling System.
According to the corporate, the brand new cooling expertise combines an ultra-thin vapor chamber, ultra-high thermal conductivity graphite, thermal conductivity gel, and copper foil.

It ranks among the many highest CPU efficiency, which usually ensures that apps load quick and most duties are accomplished sooner.

GPU efficiency

From a graphics standpoint, the scores are additionally very excessive, making it a excessive performer for normal graphics (GPU efficiency) but in addition video games. Keep in thoughts that with prolonged gaming periods, the warmth will ultimately construct up. That’s why all devoted gaming programs are inherently thicker with additional cooling.

Battery

Battery capability

Despite its ultrathin chassis measuring 4.7 or 4.8 mm, the Magic V2 impressively integrates a 5000 mAh battery (the most important for a foldable cellphone), due to its two-part silicon carbon battery expertise.

Debuting because the thinnest twin Silicon-carbon Batteries, averaging solely 2.72mm in thickness, the modern battery system extends its cycle life by 40%, in line with HONOR.

It incorporates an electrochemical system that enhances longevity and options HONOR’s low-voltage cost energy-gathering expertise for enhanced energy output on the similar voltage as graphite-based batteries.

With common use, related to each 5G and Wi-Fi, the Magic V2 ought to final no less than a full day on one cost. During my assessment, which was performed solely on Wi-Fi (with out 5G) with intermittent use, the battery lasted for 3 days. I can not vouch for battery life as battery drainage extremely varies relying on utilization, with searching and e mail having minimal influence in comparison with excessive workloads corresponding to intense picture shoots, video streaming, or 3D gaming periods. As ordinary, the battery’s capability (in mAh) is your greatest indicator for potential battery life.

Charging pace

The Honor Magic V2 prices 71% of its 5000 mAh battery in half-hour with the non-obligatory €30 66W charger (free or €1 bundle in some markets). This is just like the OnePlus Open charging time of 79% in half-hour for its 4805 mAh battery (with the included OnePlus 67W fast-charger). By comparability, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 prices 49% in half-hour with its non-obligatory 50W Samsung charger.

Conclusion

The Honor V2 delivers spectacular construct high quality and show high quality within the thinnest and lightest foldable type issue available on the market.

This distinctive characteristic ought to persuade individuals reluctant to hold thicker and heavier smartphones to strive the folding smartphone expertise. Travelers ought to contemplate switching to the Magic V2 because it can be used as a pill for productiveness and leisure throughout flights.

Although the digital camera efficiency is barely beneath the one present in aggressive gadgets, it’s glorious for such a skinny chassis.

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Filed in Cellphones. Read extra about Foldable Smartphones, Honor, Smartphones and Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.