With the launch of Xiaomi’s Mix Fold 2 last year, it was expected that other brands would soon follow with similarly slim foldable phones. This year, we saw Huawei’s Mate X3 and Google’s Pixel Fold, which both offered impressive thinness. Now, another Chinese brand, Honor, has surpassed Huawei with an even slimmer and lighter foldable phone called the Honor Magic V2.
The Honor Magic V2 is the first foldable phone to have a folded thickness of less than 1cm and weighs less than top flagship candybar phones like the Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. When folded, it measures just 9.9mm thick, and when unfolded, it is only 4.7mm thick.
It weighs only 231g, making it lighter than the Oppo Find N2 and Mate X3. The Magic V2 achieved this breakthrough by incorporating a new hinge design made from 3D-printed aerospace-grade titanium and proprietary steel parts. It also features a flexible OLED panel from China’s BOE and has been certified to withstand over 400,000 folds by TÜV Rheinland.
The Magic V2 comes with a 5,000mAh battery, surpassing other foldable phones in terms of capacity. It supports Honor’s 66W fast charging but does not support wireless charging due to the device’s slimness. Honor had to slim down various components like the vapor cooling chamber, antenna, aluminum mid-frame, fingerprint module, USB-C connector, and speakers to achieve this compact design.
The phone offers a 6.43-inch OLED screen on the outside and a 7.92-inch flexible panel when unfolded, both with adaptive refresh rates of up to 120Hz and HDR10+ support. The displays also feature eye protection measures to reduce eye fatigue and aid better sleep.
The Magic V2 is equipped with flagship-level specifications, including Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, up to 16GB of RAM, up to 1TB of storage, NFC, triple microphones, Bluetooth 5.3, and infrared remote capabilities. It runs on MagicOS 7.2, based on Android 13, promising fast performance for 50 months.
The rear camera setup includes a 50MP main camera with optical stabilization, a 50MP ultra-wide camera, and a 20MP 2.5x zoom camera, all with optical stabilization. There are also 16MP selfie cameras on both the external and internal displays. The Magic V2 is available for pre-order in China, starting at 8,999 yuan (approximately $1,250) for the 256GB version and going up to 11,999 yuan ($1,670) for the 1TB Ultimate Edition.
While it remains uncertain if the Magic V2 will have a global release, enthusiasts can find ways to acquire it from China. Honor has not provided confirmation on international availability but may reveal more details at IFA in September. Meanwhile, there is anticipation for Samsung’s upcoming foldable phones, which are expected to compete with the Magic V2 in terms of quality and features.
