All of the foldable telephones that I’ve attempted to this point have had one serious problem – they are all moderately chunky. They are both too heavy or simply too thick that it seems like wearing a brick in my pocket — and this comes from any person who makes use of an iPhone 14 Professional Max with a Casetify case, which is already moderately chunky and heavy.

On the other hand, once I noticed HONOR’s Magic V2 at IFA final yr, I used to be amazed. How has HONOR been in a position to pack such specifications and strong {hardware} into a tool this narrow and lightweight? This foldable gives one thing distinctive in comparison to the likes of OnePlus Open, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, and Pixel Fold. And now, after having spent a just right a part of greater than 3 weeks with it, I feel it has the prospective to be the most productive foldable telephone of the yr.

In fact, there are some drawbacks, just like the absence of an legit IP ranking, the fewer spectacular device, and the prime price ticket, although it will get many stuff proper. However the query stays: Can the Magic V2’s strengths justify its steep value, or do its weaknesses grasp it again? Here is our complete evaluation of the HONOR Magic V2.

Honor Magic V2

Skinny, Mild, and Mighty

The Honor Magic V2 is the thinnest and lightest foldable telephone available on the market. The Magic V2 has a big 7.92-inch interior foldable show and a 6.43-inch quilt show. It additionally includes a triple digital camera array and runs at the robust Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor.

Professionals

• Each quilt and foldable monitors are superb
• Graceful and narrow design makes it really easy to make use of and elevate
• Speedy charging and superb battery lifestyles
• Clean efficiency with MagicOS, due to an impressive chipset
• Seems like a typical telephone when closed

Cons

• Digicam efficiency will have been higher
• Lacks legit IP ranking for mud and water resistance
• Makes use of Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 whilst Gen 3 is already to be had

Value and availability

Just about six months after launching in China, HONOR formally introduced the Magic V2 in Europe and the United Kingdom on January 26, 2024. There may be just one type of the foldable, which comes with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of garage and is priced at £1,699.99 (~$2,150) in the United Kingdom and €1,999 in Europe.

Whilst this is a important bounce in comparison to the Magic Vs, which retailed for £1,399, HONOR is providing more than a few pre-order incentives. The pre-order items come with Bang & Olufsen Headphones valued at £459, 6 months of display screen coverage, and a 66W HONOR SuperCharge Energy Adapter. When you position your order ahead of March 1, 2024, you’ll be able to take hold of an extra £200 cut price by way of the usage of the code “AV2PR200” at checkout.

The HONOR Magic V2 is available in two colour choices: Phantom Pink and Black Vegan Leather-based. It kind of feels that the Magic V2 RSR version, which the corporate has advanced in partnership with Porsche, will simplest be to be had later this month — the corporate has teased its release at MWC later this month.

Design and Show

Pocketnow / Sanuj Bhatia

Let’s get started with the design, and as you will have already found out, the HONOR Magic V2 is extremely skinny and lightweight foldable. This instrument is simplest 4.7mm skinny when opened up and 9.9mm skinny within the folded state. To place this in viewpoint, it is an identical in thickness to as of late’s common slab telephones; as an example, OnePlus’s newest OnePlus 12 is 9.2mm thick.

The instrument could also be moderately light-weight, weighing both 237g (glass model) or 231g (vegan leather-based model), relying at the variant you select. For comparability, Samsung’s newest Galaxy S24 Extremely additionally weighs 233 grams. Within the hand, the Magic V2 seems like a typical slab telephone when it is closed, due to it being extraordinarily skinny and narrow.

At the again, you get a triple-camera setup in a somewhat protruded oblong cutout with HONOR branding at the backside. I truly just like the end of the Phantom Pink unit I’ve right here with me. As for the buttons, they are well-placed and at the reverse facet when opened up, making them simple to make use of. When folded, they are at other ranges (and peak), which makes them simple to tell apart. And for the ones questioning, the facility button additionally doubles as a fingerprint reader.

HONOR Magic V2 subsequent to an iPhone 14 Professional Max

Now, let’s communicate in regards to the hinge, which is made from a sturdy Titanium alloy and examined for over 400,000 folds, in keeping with HONOR. It makes somewhat squeaky sound when opening, however it’s general truly robust. The hinge permits you to open the instrument at an perspective between 60 and 150 levels, and when folded, there is not any hole between the 2 halves. On the other hand, the instrument is so narrow, and because there’s no hole, I first of all discovered it tough — and used to be nearly frightened — about opening it too forcefully.

On the other hand, the full construct high quality is top class, the usage of fabrics like glass, steel, and titanium. The instrument feels sumptuous. For the entrance show coverage, HONOR has opted to make use of a Nanocrystal Glass 2.0 — no Corning Gorilla Glass right here — however the corporate says this glass gives ten occasions higher drop resistance than conventional glass. There is not any legit IP mud or water resistance right here, which will have equipped further assurance in the market within the wild, however it sort of feels HONOR has left that for the following model.

Pocketnow / Sanuj Bhatia

However, in the event you’re frightened about your instrument, HONOR features a kickstand case within the field for additonal coverage. The satin glass end of the Magic V2 will also be slippery, and given its value, you would not wish to possibility losing it. The kickstand case, which has a leather-like end, supplies a greater grip in addition to some coverage from day-to-day put on and tear coverage (together with the hinge).

Whilst you’ll be able to completely use this telephone simplest with the entrance 6.43-inch OLED show, the true magic occurs whilst you spread the instrument. You’re welcomed to a large 7.92-inch OLED panel with a 120Hz refresh charge and a pixel answer of two,344 x 2,156. However, the most productive a part of the Magic V2 is that the show crease is only noticeable. I passed over my Magic V2 unit to a large number of first-time foldable instrument customers, and so they have been left amazed at how delicate the crease is; you truly must search for it.

Pocketnow / Sanuj Bhatia

Each the outer and interior shows are of superb high quality. The duvet display screen boasts a 6.43-inch OLED show with a 120Hz refresh charge and an outstanding height brightness of 2500 nits. The internal show has a height brightness of 1600 nits, making it simply visual outside. No longer simplest that, however each monitors strengthen HDR10+ playback, offering an impressive media intake revel in.

Very similar to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, the Magic V2 helps stylus enter, however HONOR does not come with a stylus in the usual version bundle. The Porsche Design variant does include a stylus within the field, however there does not seem to be a purchasable accent for the usual version at the corporate’s web page.

Tool and Efficiency

The HONOR Magic V2 is powered by way of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor. And whilst it will not be the newest chip at the block – the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 takes that crown — the foldable nonetheless gives improbable efficiency to your on a regular basis wishes. Coupled with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of garage, this foldable runs snappy. Apps open temporarily (and stay in reminiscence), the gameplay is easy (even all the way through lengthy sessions), and it does not overheat.

Whilst some would possibly say that the staggering €2000 value does now not justify getting a year-old chip, and whilst there may be some fact to that argument, we have now come to the day and age the place the chipsets are extra robust than what we require, making the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 greater than succesful. In truth, it’s the identical chipset that powers the OnePlus Open and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, so you will not fail to notice anything else.

Referring to gaming, well-liked titles like “Participant Unknown’s Struggle Grounds,” “EA Sports activities FC Cell,” or even Netflix’s newest GTA video games make superb use of the internal display screen, taking over the entire house and offering an immersive revel in. Total, you can be happy with the rapid efficiency of the V2 fold.

Pocketnow / Sanuj Bhatia

Now shifting onto device, the Magic V2 runs on MagicOS 7.2, in line with Android 13 out of the field. Whilst it will not be the newest device, HONOR tells me the instrument will obtain Android 14 someday one day. In truth, HONOR tells me that it’s going to supply 4 years of device upgrades and 5 years of safety updates for this instrument, which is on-par with what its opponents be offering. And for the ones questioning, the Magic V2 comes with Google Play Retailer and all Google products and services out of the field (if that used to be ever a query).

As for the MagicOS 7.2, it’s closely skinned, and similar to different Chinese language ROMs, it’s closely modded to appear to be iOS. And that’s the reason now not essentially a nasty factor; you get various customization choices within the settings, from converting the At all times On show to the topics, and app icons. However it is simply that I am extra of partial to a Pixel-like UI. Regardless, the device on Magic V2 is polished and user-friendly. App switching between the duvet display screen and the internal foldable display screen is instant, and continuously, apps adapt to the display screen with out requiring relaunching.

Pocketnow / Sanuj Bhatia

The Magic V2 helps multitasking with as much as 3 apps open concurrently (two facet by way of facet and a 3rd with a floating window on height). You’ll be able to upload much more apps and retailer them in a sidebar for simple get right of entry to. Getting into the multitasking view is beautiful seamless as nicely. When you are the usage of the internal display screen and the app is in full-screen mode, you can see a small bar seem over the app, after which you’ll be able to both transfer to full-screen, side-by-side mode, or floating perspectives.

On the other hand, there is not any conventional dock on the backside. As a substitute, HONOR makes use of a distinct navigation taste, the place you press and grasp the again button, and a small facet display screen of apps seems. It is not essentially dangerous, only a special approach in comparison to what you may well be used to, particularly when you’ve been the usage of an iPad for years like me.

At the complete, the Magic V2 is a multitasking powerhouse, and in case you are an influence consumer who’s used to doing issues facet by way of facet, you can love this foldable. Whilst HONOR has to paintings with some companions and app builders to totally optimize apps for this foldable, lots of the crucial apps paintings as required out of the field and that ends up in an relaxing revel in.

Pocketnow / Sanuj Bhatia

Speaker

Till now, the iPhone 15 Professional Max has been the gold same old for stereo sound setup for me. Maximum Android telephones fail to compare the iPhone’s deep and strong audio high quality — which, individually, makes or breaks the media intake revel in of a tool. On the other hand, the Magic V2’s audio system are a pleasing marvel. They ship remarkable sound that is not like every other Android telephone I have used ahead of. The audio is wealthy, loud, and packs a punch, placing it on par, if now not higher, than my iPhone.

Digicam

Pocketnow / Sanuj Bhatia

Foldable telephones continuously lag in the back of conventional smartphones in relation to digital camera efficiency, and the similar holds true right here. On paper, the HONOR Magic V2 has a lovely flexible digital camera setup, together with a 50MP number one sensor with OIS, a 50MP f/2.0 ultra-wide digital camera, and a 20MP f/2.4 telephoto sensor with 2.5x optical zoom. There may be additionally a 16MP selfie shooter on each the duvet and foldable interior monitors.

In just right lights prerequisites, the digital camera fares nice. It captures sharp, detailed photographs with colourful (and every so often overly punchy) colours. Colours don’t seem to be washed out, if anything else, and the digital camera captures transparent main points and attention-grabbing contrasts. On the other hand, it is price noting that the main digital camera has a tendency to overprocess photographs, making them glance reasonably synthetic or overly colourful now and then.

Something I realized is that the shutter pace of the main digital camera may be very quick. This implies the foldable excels at taking pictures fast-moving topics. As an example, take a look at the picture underneath of a street signal captured from a shifting bus at 50km/h – the main points are impressively crisp.

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The two.5x optical zoom digital camera proves helpful in more than a few situations and delivers detailed and sharp effects. And although there is a 10x zoom possibility within the digital camera app, I would advise towards the usage of it, because the ensuing photographs have a tendency to be blurry and noisy, as proven within the samples underneath. The ultra-wide photographs take care of just right element, although there’s a slight colour shift. In low-light prerequisites, the digital camera plays on par with different foldables, conserving colour accuracy and generating pleasing-to-eyes pictures.

Total, when you desire the picture processing taste of iPhones, which has a tendency to be extra toned down and natural-looking, it’s possible you’ll in finding the HONOR Magic V2’s digital camera a little too colourful. On the other hand, when you like pictures with main points and colourful colours, you can love this digital camera. You’ll be able to take a look at our complete digital camera samples of the Magic V2 down underneath:

Digicam Samples

Battery

Pocketnow / Sanuj Bhatia

Now, that is the place the Magic V2 beats each different foldable available on the market. In spite of being this skinny and narrow, the Magic V2 options a large 5,000 mAh mobile, which is greater than what each different foldable in the world gives. This has been imaginable because of a brand new silicon battery tech that HONOR is the usage of within the Magic V2, and the foldable does be offering remarkable battery lifestyles. You’ll be able to simply cross a complete day on a unmarried price, and the newest instrument replace turns out to have additional advanced this.

Even with intensive use of the internal foldable display screen, which consumes extra energy because of its dimension and 120Hz refresh charge, I persistently ended my day with no less than 20% battery ultimate. On the other hand, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and MagicOS 7.2 appear optimized sufficient for a just right battery revel in.

With regards to charging, the Magic V2 supplies 66W quick USB-C charging, which is able to take the instrument from 0% to 100% in about 45 mins. Sadly, there’s no wi-fi charging, which is form of disappointing given the top class value of the instrument. Nonetheless, a handy guide a rough top-up within the morning will have to simply stay you powered right through the day.

Ultimate Verdict

Pocketnow / Sanuj Bhatia

So, the query stays: is the HONOR Magic V2 price spending £1,700? Smartly, the solution to this query is a little difficult. On one hand, the Magic V2 stands proud as an ultra-thin and light-weight foldable that feels strangely like a typical telephone. It packs a succesful processor, a large battery that simply lasts a complete day, and impressively quick charging. Its quilt display screen gives a well-known telephone revel in, not like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, which has a narrower quilt display screen – one thing I am not partial to.

On the other hand, you must believe that the Magic V2 lacks wi-fi charging, an legit IP ranking for water and mud resistance, and it comes with a hefty price ticket. That stated, whilst you believe the full bundle the Magic V2 delivers, it for sure ranks among the finest foldable telephones to be had. It is in particular interesting in case you are shopping to transition from a conventional Android telephone because it gives a foldable revel in in a in a similar way sized shape issue.

On the other hand, in case you are prepared to look ahead to foldable costs to drop and persist with a typical smartphone for now, that is a legitimate selection — perhaps even look ahead to the corporate’s Magic6 Professional. On the other hand, with the Magic V2, HONOR has set a brand new same old for foldable gadgets, and it is going to be intriguing to peer how the contest responds within the coming yr.

Honor Magic V2

The Honor Magic V2 is the thinnest and lightest foldable telephone available on the market. The Magic V2 has a big 7.92-inch interior foldable show and a 6.43-inch quilt show. It additionally includes a triple digital camera array and runs at the robust Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor.