Verdict
The Honor Magic V2 is an impeccably designed folding with dimensions that bring it into Hellenic smartphone territorial dominion , and there ’s very trivial compromise to do so . However , the delayed passing have in mind that its spec is no longer the best around , and it ’s £ 300 more than its predecessor .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
month after the Honor Magic V2 had its international debut , the gorgeously thin - and - light foldable is last useable to buy in the UK – and I ’ve drop the preceding few weeks with it .
boast a folded heaviness of just 9.9 mm and librate 231 g , the Honor Magic V2 is a triumph of technology that brings the foldable nearer to its candybar smartphone brethren than any other foldable that has come before it . It ’s a serious competitor to popular boastful - screen foldables like theGoogle Pixel Fold , Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5andOnePlus Open .
However , the five - month delay between annunciation and release does refine things a flake , as does the £ 300 price startle to £ 1699 compared to theHonor Magic Vs . So , does pureness do enough to tempt fans away from established foldable brands like Samsung , or has it seem too small too former ?
Design
Honor has managed to do the unimaginable : create a folding smartphone that is n’t thick or overly heavy , bringing foldables nearer to their candybar smartphone brethren than ever before .
Simply put , the Honor Magic V2 is a triumph of pattern and manufacture , measuring in at an imposingly thin 4.7 mm thick when unfolded and 9.9 mm fatheaded when pen up . For comparison , the Galaxy Z Fold 5 measures 13.4 millimetre thick when extend . In fact , it ’s much close in width to standard smartphones than any other folding around .
It ’s a similar fib when it derive to weight as , at 231 thou , the Honor Magic V2 actually weighs less than theSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultra , allow alone the likes of the 253 g and 283 g from Samsung and Google ’s foldables severally .
It ’s even tenuous and lighter than the 11.7mm/245 g OnePlus Open , which I praised in its October 2023 review . This constitute a Brobdingnagian difference not only in the pouch but in the hand , hold for a much more prosperous experience whether you ’re using the international or intimate displays . In fact , when folded , it doesn’tfeellike you ’re using a foldable – and that ’s a new experience for me .
That ’s thanks in part to Honor ’s new hinge mechanism , which boasts a 91 % titanium alloy construction for improved rigidity , and there ’s 0 col when in its folded position to help abbreviate the amount of dust and debris building up on the national panel .
But wait past all the numbers , the Honor Magic V2 is only a very good - look phone and quite possibly the best - designed foldable we ’ve seen so far . Its curving design , impressively thin screen bezels , gorgeous matt - finish sparkle rear and lowly photographic camera caparison all contribute to the arresting look of the earpiece , with no tinge of foldable compromise anywhere to be discover .
I make out the shade of purple I was bring home the bacon for limited review , but if you want something a little unlike , it comes in Black ( both silk and vegan leather finishes ) along with a gimcrack Gold last , though the latter is n’t available in the UK .
There is one key area where the Magic V2 come down behind the competition however ; piddle electrical resistance . While the Galaxy Z Fold 5 blow the sameIPX8water underground as its forerunner , the Magic V2 does n’t boast any kind of official information processing rating at all , so do n’t go dunking it in H2O .
However , the Honor representative I spoke to at my briefing promise me that the foldable is very much splash - resistant , so it should survive a poor stint in the rainfall . There ’s nothing in term of protection on the dust front , though that ’s a challenge the orotund foldable securities industry still has to confront .
Screens
As a book - style foldable , the Honor Magic V2 has not one but two exhibit ; a covering fire display and a larger internal panel . The good news is that both are of the high caliber available , make for a rather exquisite viewing experience .
countenance ’s start with the covering display . It assess 6.43 inch and it ’s much little and homesteader than the comically marvellous - and - thin 6.2 - inch display of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 , more closely resemble a regular smartphone showing . In fact , I recall it ’s even closer to the received experience than the OnePlus Open ’s cover covert , with a slimly wider curved display and small screen bezel .
It also facilitate that it ’s dead pack with high - end showing tech like an adaptive120Hzrefresh rate , documentation forHDR10+andDolby Visionand a mega - bright peak luminousness of 2500nits that ’s actually smart than the 1600nit interior venire . This does make sense though ; you ’re more likely to apply the easily accessible cover display when out and about in burnished sunshine .
Importantly , the Magic V2 further develop the blind tech present on recent models like theMagic 5 ProandHonor 90with a supercharge 3840Hz dimming rate to help reduce eye fatigue , and it ’s a feature available across both the external and internal display .
This is all a roundabout agency of saying that you’re able to practice the outside video display just as you would a regular candybar phone . It ’s well-heeled to text with one - handed , makes for a more commodious way to scroll through emails and even provide a solid gambling experience with a wider field of aspect for shooters like Call of Duty Mobile .
But get ’s move on to that whop 7.92 - column inch intragroup exhibit which , along with the OnePlus Open , is the orotund of any record book - elan folding right now .
The premium experience from the back display also translates to the folding screen , sporting a 2 honey oil resolution , adaptive 120Hz refresh rate tech and HDR10 + support , even going a footprint further with IMAX enhance musical accompaniment . It ’s clean-cut where Honor expects you to do the bulk of your motion picture - observance .
It ’s a solid OLED display that suit itself well to a variety of tasks , be it split - concealment multitasking or simply savour TikTok on a larger CRT screen . That ’s also aid by the fact that most democratic third - company apps now offer support for large - screenland foldable like this , and even those that do n’t can be forced to with no payoff most of the prison term .
The earpiece ’s new hinge also deliver a much shallower seam on the internal foldable display not only when compared to the Magic Vs , but the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Pixel Fold too . If you look at the screen off - centre , it ’s still there , but the tactile spirit of running your finger over the crease is nearly non - existent .
There ’s still a ways to go before we reach the legendary creaseless foldaway , but accolade ’s implementation is up there with the OnePlus Open as the upright I ’ve seen to engagement .
Cameras
Not just a thoroughly - looking foldable , Honor has its sights set firmly on photography chops with the Magic V2 . toss the foldaway around and you ’ll rule a rectangular camera housing with three mellow - Ra camera ready for use . That include a 50MP f/1.9 main , a 50MP f/2.0 ultrawide and a 20MP f/2.4 2.5x telephoto with digital rapid climb up to 10x .
That means the trio of lens of the eye offer a higher megapixel count than alternatives from Google and Samsung , although the OnePlus Open and its trio of high-pitched - res lenses does outshine the Magic V2 – on paper , at least .
The Magic V2 also sports the same Falcon Shot camera technical school from the flagship Honor Magic 5 professional , using a combination of AI and immobile lenses to capture much more detail from tight - moving subject . It was a feature I praised with the Magic 5 Pro , able to captivate even my German Shepherd running at full speed , so it ’s expectant to see it usable here too .
The interrogative sentence is , how does all that camera tech translate to the daily shooting experience ? gratefully , it ’s largely good news .
The primary 50MP snapper , unadulterated with OIS and a fast f/1.9 aperture save consistently acute , well - lit shots spare of fuzz whether I ’m snapping pic of my cat at home base on a dark winter ’s evening or make use of that rarified winter sun as I wander around snap shots of the London skyline .
It does a particularly good line at balancing exposure , especially with heavily backlit subjects , pull hatful of detail back from the phantasm and massively toning down the highlights .
Nox picture taking is potential with the Magic V2 , but it ’s well suit to stationary topic like city streets or skylines . As presently as you introduce any kind of move open , be it my hombre or my cooperator , range of a function come out a little soft .
It ’s fine for most multitude , but if Nox photography is important , the larger detector from the OnePlus Open or innovative AI from the Pixel Fold will serve up you well .
I ’ve been fairly well-chosen with the timber of images bring forth by the 2.5x telephoto lens too , with storey of point not far from what you enchant from the primary lens despite the lower resolution on pass .
It ’s great for portrait photography , with decent sharpness detection and bokeh generation , though I would n’t press it far beyond – at 10x digital rapid climb , particular become notably piano , with lowly particular like brickwork looking blurry in places . Without a dedicated periscope lens , the regular candybar competition wins out .
The 50MP ultrawide lens is utterly suited to capturing those scenic panorama or chemical group selfies with almost indistinguishable colour tuning to the primary camera , and there ’s very little noticeable sharpness distortion despite that wide of the mark angle either . It ’s not the best in low - light conditions , but it ’s rarified to find an ultrawide that is .
Rounding off the cameras are twin 16MP selfie camera , one on the outside and one on the interior . These are okay for video calls with plenty of detail and light , but with the folding nature of the earpiece allowing you to use the rear lense for selfies , you wo n’t be using these all that often .
Performance
The Honor Magic Vs was a slap-up full-grown - CRT screen foldable , but due to a enormously delayed international release , it signify that the phone ’s Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 had already been replaced by the new , more powerfulSnapdragon 8 Gen 2by the time it hit the UK .
While I was bright that Honor was keen to rectify things with the Magic V2 and its Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor , the gap between its September 2023 reveal and January 2024 loss means that it ’s the same narration all over again , with the newerSnapdragon 8 Gen 3now appearing in machine .
It ’s not just a chipset that ’s riotous and more power effective than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 of the Magic V2 , but it ’s a chipset that enables on - twist GenAI capabilities .
As we ’ve already seen with the Samsung Galaxy S24 discover , that ’s coif to be a huge focus for phone in 2024 , and it means that the Magic V2 simply ca n’t connect in on the playfulness . give that Samsung and Google are look to update their compete foldables with Gen AI capability this year , the Magic V2 might struggle to stand out .
That means that the Magic V2 does n’t nock quite as highly in benchmark as recent speech sound like theSamsung Galaxy S24 Ultra , but with that said , it is still a performance creature , scoop the OnePlus Open and delivering consequence similar to the Galaxy Z Fold 5 ’s custom 8 Gen 2 chipset .
That all said , you ’re unlikely to remark a difference in operation between the Magic V2 and late Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 smartphones . The sound feels rapid in use , with apps opening instantly , buttery smooth scroll on apps like Threads and Instagram and smooth gaming performance , even with more demanding titles like Call of Duty Mobile .
What ’s more , the Magic V2 manages to stay comparatively cool under high loads , with the phone barely getting lovesome after a 25 - minute school term of COD . It wo n’t beat consecrate gaming phones like theROG Phone 8 ProandRedMagic 9 Pro , but the orotund internal showing is a treat to play on .
That ’s paired with either 256- , 512 GB or 1 TB of storage depending on the variant you prefer for , though like its predecessor , there is n’t any way of life to expand storage post - purchase .
Software
Despite its early 2024 vent , the Honor Magic V2 comes running the class - honest-to-goodness Android 13 out of the box with Honor ’s MagicOS 7.2 on top .
That ’s pretty odd considering we ’re now run across a steady flow of Android 14 devices and it means that one of the three upgrades that Honor is promise for the Magic V2 will be to take it from Android 13 to Android 14 .
It ’s not ahugedeal , however ; unlike recent bounteous iOS updates , Android translation update are a little more subdued when it comes to tote up novel feature . or else , it ’s up to manufacturers to add singular functionality to their smartphones .
In this respectfulness , Honor ’s MagicOS 7.2 does a majuscule job . There are foldable - specific social occasion like a dedicated split - cover gaming musical mode that lets you play two games simultaneously . It seems like a turn of a gimmick – who wants to spiel two games at once – but it does at least show just how capable the chipset at the heart of the foldable is .
You ’ve also father multiple ways to lam up to three apps on - screen at once , with gestures to easily shrink and hide floating window for well-heeled multi - app management . It ’s not really something that fits into my consumption shell , but it was handy having Google Sheets open in a pop - up windowpane to lumber benchmark final result .
There are also smaller elements that add to the user experience , like expand folders on the abode screen that provide access code to up to eight apps within the pamphlet without having to open up it , AI - based cutoff in the Control Center and the power to stack multiple gadget on top of one another .
It ’s not all merry though ; on the flip side , MagicOS 7.2 does n’t extend much in the way of customisation , lacking feature like Material You , a customisable whorl cover and interesting AOD elements that really perfect the gamey - oddment smartphone experience . Not all apps open in full - screen style by default either , despite running just ok when push to make full the screenland .
It ’s made all the more seeming coming from the vie OnePlus Open , which does have all of the above and more , and helps highlight that Honor still has a way to go before it offers the secure software system experience around .
Battery life
Despite the thinness of the Magic V2 , Honor has managed to admit two tops - svelte cell that total 5,000mAh . It may not be any different to the Magic Vs , but it stay the largest capacity of any foldable on the market decently now , 600mAh more than Samsung ’s Galaxy Z Fold 5 and 195mAh more than the OnePlus Open .
I was actually able to see the bombardment during my pre - briefing and was impressed by just how thin they are , measuring around 2.7 millimetre thickheaded and the sizing of a credit rating circuit card .
All that said , the Honor Magic V2 is a battery beast ; despite using the large interior display often for the likes of reading books on the tube-shaped structure , browsing Instagram and watching TikToks , the phone had no issue lasting all Clarence Day . On ordinary , I ’d get to the conclusion of a 16 - minute day with around 30 - 40 % leave in the tank .
A full charge got me through a full day and a half of use , giving up at around 4 pm on the 2nd day – a stern change to the ilk of the Google Pixel Fold .
Not content with receive the vainglorious battery capacity among foldables , Honor has equipped the Magic V2 with impressively fast 66W wired charging , although neither the charger nor a USB - C cable amount in the box – a small bit odd considering its premium nature .
However , using a 100W USB - C atomic number 46 charger I had ready to hand , I run across impressive charge speeds that delivered 32 % in 15 minutes , 69 % in 30 minutes and a full tutelage in 56 minutes . Oddly , Honor says that you need to charge the phone unfolded for maximal charge speed , but I ran the tests with it folded and saw dear - indistinguishable solvent , so it count like it does n’t matter for the most part .
grant , those speed may not be any faster than its predecessor , and there are stack of candybar speech sound that charge faster , but compare to the 25W and 30W from Samsung and Google ’s bountiful - screen foldables severally , it ’s jolly rapid . In fact , only the OnePlus Open charges quicker , and there ’s only a few minutes in it .
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Should you buy it?
Honor has crafted an impeccable foldable , blow a thinner and lighter blueprint than any other in the market that bring it into Hellenic smartphone territory .
Honor ’s MagicOS has a few foldaway - focused feature film , but it falls short of what you ’ll find from compete foldables like theOnePlus Ope .
Final Thoughts
When it comes to design , the Honor Magic V2 is unvanquished . It ’s both the thin and unaccented Quran - style foldable to escort with dimension just about in candybar smartphone territory . Seriously , it ’s an engineering marvel , and it ’s immediately noticeable when handling the gimmick .
That ’s even more impressive when you consider the fact there are no major concession here in price of hardware : the bombastic , smartphone - shape external show is packed with eminent - terminal tech , as is the internal 7.92 - inch foldable screen , and the latter has less of a bend than popular alternative like theSamsung Galaxy Z Fold 5andGoogle Pixel Fold .
However , the delayed release of the 2023 foldable means it ’s not quite as invite an option as it could ’ve been , with earphone now come out with new , GenAI - capable chipsets , and it ’s likely that the foldable competition will make use of that sooner than later too .
It ’s also £ 300 more than last year’sHonor Magic Vs , at £ 1,699 , and while the design does somewhat free the price hike , it might struggle to keep its allure long - term as true 2024 foldables begin to appear .
Trusted Score
How we test
We test every nomadic earphone we review thoroughly . We habituate industry - standard trial run to equate characteristic by rights and we use the earphone as our independent equipment over the review period . We ’ll always tell apart you what we come up and we never , ever , accept money to go over a product .
Find out more about how we test in ourethics policy .
FAQs
No , it does n’t have an prescribed water resistor rating .
Yes , you may shoot the Magic V2 at up to 66W , though you do n’t get a charger in the box .
Test Data
Full Specs
