Honor Magic V Launched as the Most Powerful Folding Phone Yet

Honor has launched its first-ever folding phone that will take on the likes of Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and the Oppo Find N. The Honor Magic V is also the most powerful folding phone to date being the first to sport Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC.

Design and Display

The main screen on the inside is a 7.9-inch foldable OLED panel that can close completely flat unlike some other foldable phones on the market. It has a 90Hz refresh rate and 2272 x 1984 resolution with support for HDR10+, 10-bit colors, and 800 nits peak brightness. The 10.3:9 aspect ratio divides the two sides of the screen into an almost 21:9 aspect ratio for using two apps side by side.

The cover screen is a 6.45-inch display with a 120Hz refresh rate and 2560 x 1080 resolution. Honor has made sure to keep its aspect ratio (21:9) close to a regular smartphone which would make typing and other everyday tasks much easier.

Internals and Storage

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC is paired with up to 12GB RAM and 256GB/512GB storage options, though there is no microSD card slot for expansion. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 likes to burn hot like its predecessors and it remains to be seen how well Honor has managed to control its thermals.

As for software, the phone boots Android 12 with Magic UI 6.0 on top which has been optimized for foldable phones. The phone will also come with Google apps, especially Play Store (unlike Huawei phones), which means you’ll be able to get one in Pakistan too.

Cameras

Honor has made no compromises in the camera department as all three cameras lenses on the back are 50MP shooters. There is a 50MP primary lens, a 50MP ultrawide shooter, and a 50MP “color spectrum” lens, whatever that means. We’ll know more once we receive a review unit.

The cover screen and the main screen have the same 42MP selfie shooter in their punch-hole cutouts.

Battery and Pricing

The 4,750 mAh battery onboard has support for 67W fast charging, which is the fastest yet on a folding phone. This technology can fill up a dead battery to 50% in only 15 minutes. There is also support for reverse charging in case you need to use the phone as a power bank.

The Honor Magic V is priced close to its competitors at $1570 for the base model. It will be available in Titanium Silver, Black, and Burnt Orange color options. Honor has not decided on an international launch yet.

Honor Magic V Specifications

• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
• CPU: Octa-core (1×3.00 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3×2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4×1.80 GHz Cortex-A510)
• GPU: Adreno 730
• OS: Android 12, Magic UI 6.0
• Supported Networks: 2G, 3G, 4G LTE, 5G
• Display:
  • Primary: 7.9″ Foldable OLED with 1984 x 2272 pixels resolution; 90Hz refresh rate, HDR10+, 10-bit colors
  • Secondary: 6.45″ OLED with 1080 x 2560 pixels resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+ 10 bit colors
• Memory:
  • RAM: 12GB
  • Internal: 256GB, 512GB
  • Card slot: No
• Camera:
  • Rear (Triple): 50 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), PDAF, Laser AF
    50 MP, f/2.0, 20mm (wide), PDAF
    50 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 122˚, (ultrawide)
  • Front: 42MP (cover display and main display)
• Colors: Titanium Silver, Black, Burnt Orange
• Fingerprint sensor: Side-mounted
• Battery: 4,700 mAh, 66W fast charging, 5W reverse charging
• Price: $1570