Honor Magic V2: The Foldable Phone that Breaks all the Rules

With the constant release of foldable phones, it’s safe to say they’re here to stay. In keeping up with their disruptor reputation, Honor has released the Honor Magic V2, which claims to be the world’s thinnest and lightest foldable phone.

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It’s packed with top-end features, from its stunning dual display to its powerful chipset and camera system. The added chassis size also means a massive battery that supports Honor’s fast charging tech.

What is the price of Honor Magic V2 in UAE?

The Honor Magic V2 was first released in China in July 2023. During IFA 2023 in Berlin, the company announced availability in select markets worldwide. The Magic V2 should make its way to the UAE as early as the end of 2023 or the beginning of 2024.

As for pricing, the only ones published as of writing this are the ones from China, but you can expect the base 16GB RAM + 256GB variant at around AED 5300 and the top 16GB RAM + 1TB variant going for AED 7100.

Honor Magic V2 Specs

	Honor Magic V2	Honor Magic V
Display (Inner Panel)	7.92-inch Foldable LTPO OLED 1B colors HDR10+ IMAX Enhanced 1600 nits (peak)	7.9-inch Foldable OLED 1B colors HDR10+
Resolution	2156 x 2344 pixels	1984 x 2272 pixels
Refresh Rate	120Hz	90Hz
Display (Cover Panel)	6.43-inch LTPO OLED 1B colors HDR10+ 2500 nits brightness	6.45-inch OLED 1B colors HDR10+
Resolution	1060 x 2376 pixels	1080 x 2560 pixels
Refresh Rate	120Hz	120Hz
Operating System	Android 13, MagicOS 7.2	Android 12, Magic UI 6
Chipset	Qualcomm SM8550-AB Snapdragon 8 Gen 2	Qualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
Memory	16GB RAM	12GB RAM
Storage	256GB / 512GB / 1TB	256GB / 512GB
Rear Cameras	Triple Camera System 50 MP (wide) 20 MP (telephoto) 50 MP (ultrawide)	Triple Camera System 50 MP (wide) 50 MP (ultrawide) 50 MP (telephoto)
Front Camera	16 MP (wide)	42 MP (wide)
Battery	Li-Po 5000 mAh, non-removable	Li-Po 4750 mAh, non-removable
Charging	HONOR 66W SuperCharge	HONOR 66W SuperCharge
Dimensions	Unfolded: 156.7 x 145.4 x 4.7 mm Folded: 156.7 x 74.1 x 9.9 mm	Unfolded: 160.4 x 141.1 x 6.7 mm Folded: 160.4 x 72.7 x 14.3 mm
Weight	231 g	288 g
Connectivity	WiFi 6E Bluetooth 6.2	WiFi 6E Bluetooth 6.2

Design

The Honor Magic V2 is designed in the style of the book-type foldable, much like the Samsung Galaxy Fold series. It’s sleek and elegant with a magnesium alloy frame.

If you’re familiar with foldable devices, they’re not usually sleek and slender to accommodate the dual-screen design. The most impressive thing about the Honor Magic V2 is how thin and light it is.

The phone’s overall thickness is 9.9mm; when you open it up, it’s only 4.7mm. If you want a direct comparison, the Samsung Galaxy Fold 5 measures 13.4mm when folded and 6.1mm unfolded.

It’s also significantly lighter at 231g compared to Samsung’s 253g. This makes the phone incredibly comfortable in both folded and unfolded modes.

Display

Like other foldable devices, the Honor Magic V2 has two displays: A wide foldable inner display and another one for the cover.

The inner panel is an LTPO OLED with a 2156 x 2344 pixels resolution and measures 7.92 inches. It’s surrounded by thin bezels, and there’s a notch for the selfie camera. 

An interesting feature of the inner display is its support for IMAX Enhanced, allowing it to play IMAX-certified movies with improved contrast, colour, and clarity.

As for the cover display, it’s also an LTPO OLED with a resolution of 1060 x 2376 pixels. It has a more traditional look similar to other panels on traditional smartphones. 

Whether you’re looking at the inner or cover display, they’re both equally stunning with vivid colours, sharp details, and smooth animations, thanks to their 120Hz refresh rate.

Camera

The Honor Magic V2’s triple camera system does not disappoint, with high-quality photos and videos in almost every scenario possible. 

The 50MP main camera can capture detailed and balanced shots in daylight and low-light conditions. The 20MP telephoto camera allows you to zoom in on distant subjects without losing quality or detail. As for the 50MP ultrawide camera, you can fit more in the frame without compromising on sharpness and detail.

Since you can use the Magic V2 in two ways, it comes with two identical front cameras that are good for selfies and portraits.

As for the video capabilities, Honor did not skimp out on the Magic V2, as it can record videos up to 4K resolution at 60fps. Higher framerate options are also available at 1080p at 240fps.

Performance

When it comes to performance, the Honor Magic V2 is powered by the latest, greatest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset. It’s the fastest processor in Android space, allowing it to handle any task easily.

It’s also one of the first phones to embrace AI with its suite of AI-powered apps like AI Vision, AI Voice Assistant, AI Translation, and AI Photo Editor.

With the hardware it’s got, the phone’s performance is one of its strong points. You can expect a fast and smooth experience matching other flagship devices.

Battery and Charging

The most impressive tech that Chinese smartphone brands have compared to their counterparts is their battery and charging technology. You half expect it with every new phone they put out, and the Magic V2 does not disappoint with its 66W wired charging capability.

You’ll be able to get its 5000mAh battery from 0% to 100% in just 45 minutes. Unfortunately, the phone does not support wireless and reverse charging, which is a knock on its impressive list of features.

Video Reviews of the Honor Magic V2

Austin Evans finally got his hands on the Honor Magic V2, which impressed him quite a bit. He notes the size and weight of the phone as this is one of the lightest foldables he’s tried using. The phone boasts flagship-level hardware from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 to the triple camera system and a robust hinge design.

SuperSaf praises the Honor Magic V2 and says it’s one of his favourite foldable smartphones. He highlights its incredibly slim and lightweight design while still cramming in a massive 5000mAh battery.

One of the things that impressed Ben the most in his hands-on experience with the Honor Magic V2 is its thin design profile. It’s thinner than most non-folding smartphones, which is already an impressive feat in itself.

Honor Magic V2 Alternatives: Other foldable phones to consider

The Honor Magic V2 is not the only foldable device you can get if you are looking for versatility. Here are some other options that are similar:

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 has a similar design to the Honor Magic V2. However, it does come with a few extras like water resistance rating and wireless charging. The cameras are marginally better on the Samsung. It’s also significantly more expensive, so you do get better value with the Honor foldable.

The Google Pixel Fold has a slightly smaller inner display than the Honor Magic V2. One significant advantage that the Pixel Fold has is that it runs on stock Android and comes with a more refined UI and software. As for price, The Pixel Fold is more expensive, but not by much compared to the Samsung.

The Huawei Mate X3 takes foldable devices to an entirely different level with its outward-folding design. Since it’s a Chinese brand, it does come with fast charging. A big difference is reverse wireless charging, as the Honor does not support it. 

Overall, though, none of these alternatives can beat the Honor’s thinness, lightness, display quality, and performance.

Should You Buy the Honor Magic V2?

The Honor Magic V2 is a remarkable foldable phone that’s thin, light, and powerful. If you’re not yet convinced of foldable devices, this will make you think otherwise.

Making a phone that’s feature-packed and reasonably priced, like the Honor Magic V2, means you will make some compromises. Some notable ones are water and dust resistance, wireless charging, and a modest camera system.