Prakhar Khanna / Digital Trends
Honor took its honeyed time to bring the Magic V2 out of China – six month , to be accurate . Given the awe-inspiring hardware , it ’s been a foresighted delay .
I ’ve had a trial run social unit since July 2023 , which did n’t have the software and camera ready until earlier this month . After using it as my primary equipment for a few weeks , I can confidently say that the Honor Magic V2 is the most comfortable foldable earphone I ’ve used to engagement .
Prakhar Khanna / Digital Trends
Perfectly bridging the gap between a regular and foldable phone
For a long sentence , my major outlet with using foldable telephone set has been how they sense in the hand . It started with the Galaxy Z Fold ( and still remains the same with the Galaxy Z Fold 5 ) , which feel like holding two even confect headphone together . We generate closer to a slab phone - like form broker on a folding with theOnePlus Open , but it ’s still thick . The Honor Magic V2 solves this trouble with a thinner , lighter , and secure form element than ever .
Starting with thickness , at 10.1 mm , the Magic V2 brings the foldable phone form factor closer to a slab phone experience than ever . The Ultimate version with a vegan leather back is even thinner at 9.9 mm .
For mention , mainstream foldable like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 , Google Pixel Fold , and the OnePlus Open measure 13.46 mm , 12.1 mm , and 11.7 mm in thickness , severally . While slab sound like the newGalaxy S24 UltraandGoogle Pixel 8 Proare 8.7 mm and 8.8 mm in thickness , respectively . The Magic V2 lies in the centre of these .
Secondly , the Magic V2 weigh 237 grams , which is eight gramme lighter than the current best foldaway phone , the OnePlus Open . The Samsung and Google foldables weigh way more at 253 grams ( Galaxy Z Fold 5 ) and 283 grams ( Pixel Fold ) , while the Galaxy S24 Ultra weigh 233 gm . The thin and light innovation make it like to slab earphone , which is a big exploit for the foldaway segment .
Honor made this possible by working on the material , flexible joint , and barrage fire . First , it utilize proprietary steel that is said to be 25 % fragile and 20 % stronger than the Honor Magic Vs . Second , the flexible joint is made out of titanium , which is 42 % light than before . Third , the companionship made a slimmer silicon - carbon battery and does n’t apply a lithium - ion jail cell like other folding phone .
Another aspect that gives it a slab headphone - alike shape component is a 21:9 facet proportion natural covering showing . On flagship phones like the Galaxy S24 Ultra oriPhone 15 Pro Max , you get an facial expression proportion that is faithful to 20:9 . But on foldables , this is all over the place — from the improbable Galaxy Z Fold 5 to the wide Pixel Fold . The OnePlus Open is the only other foldable with a 21:9 aspect ratio on the cover silver screen . This is important because it prevents apps from misbehaving , and they dilute like they would on a regular smartphone .
All of these constituent meld to offer an awful day - to - Clarence Shepard Day Jr. experience . Using the fresh Honor folding in day-by-day spirit does n’t find like I ’m using two phone slapped into one . As a result , reserve it to graze , doomscroll on social media , and understand is a good experience than other foldables . Moreover , it does n’t sense uncomfortable when carried in my pocket because it fits in my pants like a regular telephone . The shaving off of millimeters and grams from the physical body does wonders .
Unlike other foldables , the Honor Magic V2 is n’t a big screen that folds to give you a slab headphone - comparable experience . Instead , it feels like a even earphone that unfolds to give you a big screen . And that is an awful effort to achieve .
What else should you know about the Honor Magic V2?
The Honor Magic V2 features a 6.43 - in top video display and a 7.92 - column inch foldaway screen at bottom . Both of these are OLED control board that offer a dynamic 120Hz refresh pace and support for the Honor Magic Pen stylus . Both the screens are sharp and shiny , with clear visibleness in direct sunlight .
I enjoy follow motion picture and videos on this phone , especially when I could fold it midway in cramp flights . However , there ’s no Dolby Vision support . I like taking notes with the Honor stylus but did n’t behave it around because there ’s no place in the speech sound or on its case to keep it . If you need to use the Magic Pen , you ’ll have to channel it separately .
The hinge is solid and remains in the position you require it to . The crease situation is much good than the Galaxy Z Fold 5 , but the OnePlus Open ’s near non - existent plication is still the near implementation on a folding screen . However , I enjoyed using the Honor Magic V2 because MagicOS 7.2 ( based on Android 13 ) offers good multitasking capabilities .
you’re able to operate two apps side by side , and I ’ve been using it to explore floor on one side and take notes on the other . It works like a picnic – without any lag or stutter . There are stack of gestures to make thing easy and intuitive with swipe . I got used to them within a duo of days . That being say , OnePlus’sOpen Canvasremains the multitasking bench mark in foldaway software . Honor ’s multitasking capabilities are on par with Galaxy Z Fold 5 ’s multitasking .
The Honor Magic V2 is power by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset , which might seem old on newspaper but is still equal to . It is paired with 16 GB of RAM and 256 gigabit or 512 GB of storage .
Talking about the processor , it was the flagship chip when the phone was released in China last year , but by the time the Magic V2 made its way to Europe , there had been plenty of phone launches with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 . However , its main competition , the OnePlus Open and Galaxy Z Fold 5 , both transport the same chipset . You wo n’t feel like the Magic V2 is slow or last - gen by any means – it remain a top - notch gimmick .
As for the camera , the Honor Magic V2 sports three rear cameras that admit a 50 - megapixel basal sensing element , a 50MP ultrawide - angle lens , and a 20MP telephoto television camera with 2.5x optical zoom and 50x digital soar . On the front , you get 16MP cameras – one on the book binding display and the other on the big inner silver screen .
The Honor Magic V2 capture a set of detail on all three camera . I wish the color tuning and portrait photos . Photos acquire at 10x are social media sharing - worthy , too . you’re able to go up to 40x , but those are n’t good quality . The nighttime photos come out fairly well , too .
When compared to the OnePlus Open , the Magic V2 loses in telephoto camera performance . The opened clicks good zoom photos , but the Magic V2 has a secure ultrawide camera turnout . As for the Galaxy Z Fold 5 comparison , I ’d break up the Magic V2 over the Samsung foldaway for the overall tv camera performance .
The Honor Magic V2 pack a 5,000mAh battery that plump for 66W fast charging . In my prison term using it as my principal phone , it lasted me throughout the working days . For reference , my regular usage includes jump around X ( formerly Twitter ) , Instagram , WhatsApp , Slack , and Teams throughout the day with time of day of browse , snap some photos , and about 20 minutes of navigation .
Innovation comes at a steep price
The Honor Magic V2 is now available in Purple and Black color options for 1,700 British pounds/1,999 euros in Europe ( without offers ) . It ’s an expensive cost tag when considering the Galaxy Z Fold 5 selling for 1,899 Euros and the OnePlus Open costing 1,799 Euros . However , I ’d still recommend the Honor Magic V2 because it changes how you interact with folding earpiece .
If you need the most economic value - for - money foldable phone , the OnePlus Open should be your go - to selection . It offers the best camera setup on a foldable and near - seam - less inside display . But if you want a close up phone that does n’t feel like you ’re holding two speech sound when interact with the cover display , the Honor Magic V2 should be your pick . It feature an excellent innovation , great video display , smooth performance , an all - day battery life , and expert cameras . It ’s a remarkable parcel — and one that cements Honor as one of the top thespian in the foldable world .
