If you’re in the market for a foldable phone, then you might have heard of the HONOR Magic V2. It holds the title of the slimmest foldable phone, tipping the scales at a mere 232 grams and measuring a svelte 9.9mm when folded.
This, coupled with its eye-catching design and powerful specs, makes it a compelling option for those seeking a premium foldable experience. But is this the one for you? How does expectation hold up to real life? And is it worth our money? Let’s find out.
Design & Display
The HONOR Magic V2 is a well-built device. It boasts an ultra-slim and lightweight design, currently the thinnest foldable on the market. It measures just 9.9 mm when folded and a mere 4.7 mm when unfolded. It also weighs only 232 g, which in foldable standards is light.
Our review unit, the Black variant, features a PU leather texture back panel. The phone exudes a premium and professional aesthetic. Since the device is thinner than other foldables, it is comfortable to hold and has a good hand feel. It has a good build, as well, but for some reason, I’m always afraid of dropping it when in use.
The Magic V2 is equipped with a Super-light Titanium Hinge, which makes the device lighter (again, by foldable standards) while enhancing its durability. This hinge is rated for more than 400,000 folds by SGS and is 42% lighter than stainless steel.
When closed, both the volume and power buttons are on the right side. The USB-C port, a speaker, and a microphone are at the bottom. There’s another speaker, an IR port, and another microphone at the top side.
When open, the phone is meant to be held in landscape orientation. In this mode, the speakers are on the left and right sides of the device. They sound good with ample volume and texture.
The volume buttons will then be at the top, within easy reach, while the power button will be at the bottom. The power button also has a built-in fingerprint sensor. It’s slimmer than what we’re accustomed to, but it gets the job done.
The phone also comes with a nice plastic case with a PU leather design and foldable stand. Aside from propping the phone up, it can protect the back and corners from drops and scratches.
The Magic V2 has a 6.43-inch OLED curved display on the cover, with a resolution of 2376×1060 pixels and a refresh rate of 120Hz.
The inside display measures 7.92 inches and features an OLED LTPO panel with a resolution of 2344×2156 pixels, a refresh rate of up to 120Hz, and a peak brightness of 2500 nits.
Like all foldable phones, it has a crease that runs across the inside display. However, while you can feel the crease when you run your finger over it, it’s barely noticeable and you will soon forget that its even there.
Both displays have good visibility even under bright sunlight and deliver excellent visual quality for various activities, like watching videos and browsing the web.
During our review, I often used the phone in closed mode, around 85% of the time. The cover display has a 21:9 aspect ratio, making it well-suited for most phone activities. The only times I unfoled it was when tasks called for a larger screen such as when streaming videos on YouTube and Netflix, or when doing quick edits on articles.
Cameras
The Magic V2 comes with a triple camera setup consisting of a 50MP main camera with a customized sensor, a 50MP ultra-wide camera, and a 20MP telephoto camera. It also features two 16MP selfie cameras on the cover and inside displays.
It has a typical camera app that has the usual set of modes and features, such as photo, portrait, video, pro mode, and more. It can also record up to 4K at 60fps videos, as well as 10-bit LOG videos.
You can also use the camera app in when the phone is half-folded. It’s surprisingly convenient and it gives you a gallery view of photos you’ve taken. Despite this, I didn’t use this feature much at all.
As for the camera quality, it is very impressive. Photos from the phone come out with good dynamic range and accurate punchy colors. You can see that details are well preserved with ample sharpness.
The zoom quality is commendable as well, offering good colors and adequate sharpness. However, zooming in all the way will result in that watercolor effect when you peep. But its all good if it’s just for social media.
The portrait mode is also noteworthy, with good edge detection and natural colors. Low light and night mode shots are well-lit, with minimal noise and good detail and sharpness.
Both selfie cameras are also good, providing pleasant photos with good skin tones.
Sample Photos
Sample Photos – Zoom
Sample Photos – Night
Sample Photos – Selfies
Performance
The Magic V2 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. The phone runs on MagicOS 7.2 on top of Android 13.
The phone also has features that take advantage of the inside screen when unfolded. The home screen, for instance, is configured to mirror the closed-mode home screen. You can also have two apps open side by side.
I had Chrome and YouTube running at the same time, which felt like having two phones beside each other, thanks to the 21:9 aspect ratio. However, not all apps are supported by this feature.
As for its performance, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is a powerful chipset and is more than capable of handling any app or game. It delivers fast performance with no visible lags or stutters. The phone felt snappy and responsive, either closed or open.
Here are the benchmark scores, if you care about it.
Battery Life
The Magic V2 houses a 5000mAh battery with 66W SUPERVOOC fast charging. The phone features the thinnest dual Silicon-carbon batteries with an average thickness of only 2.72mm. Moreover, this new electrochemical system extends its cycle life by up to 40%.
The battery can last a day with moderate usage, and a day and a half with light usage. For heavy users, you will need to charge before the day ends, especially if you use the inside screen often. Charging from 10-100% took around 52 minutes, give or take. A quick 30-minute charge yielded around 60%.
Verdict
The HONOR Magic V2 emerges as a strong contender in the foldable phone arena. It combines a lightweight design, stunning displays, and powerful performance to create a premium and versatile foldable experience.
However, it does have some caveats. For one, the software, while good, needs more features for foldables. Another is that the phone doesn’t include a stylus in the box, despite both displays supporting it.
Is it worth your money? The quick answer is ‘yes’ if you’re looking for a foldable phone. Is it the best foldable out there? At the moment, yes. The phone stands out in a sparse foldable segment, narrowly beating the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5.
Price
The HONOR Magic V2 is priced at P79,999. The device is available for pre-order until March 1, 2024, on HONOR’s official online stores on Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok Shop.
As a special offer, customers who pre-order will get a free HONOR Watch GS 3 and a Harman Kardon Aura Studio 4 HIFI Speaker, worth P28,000 in total.
HONOR Magic V2 specs
| Display | 7.92-inch LTPO Foldable OLED display, 2344×2156, 120Hz refresh rate, DCI-P3 wide color gamut, HDR10+, 3840Hz PWM Dimming |
| Cover Display | 6.43-inch OLED curved display, 2376×1060, 120Hz refresh rate |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 |
| RAM/Storage | 16GB+256GB 16GB+512GB 16GB+1TB (Ultimate Edition) |
| Rear Camera | 50MP main 50MP ultra-wide 20MP telephoto, 40x digital zoom EIS+OIS |
| Front Camera | 16MP, interior screen 16MP, exterior screen |
| Network | 5G, 4G LTE, Dual SIM |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, GPS, NFC, IR |
| Others | Side fingerprint scanner, USB-C, stereo speakers |
| OS | MagicOS 7.2, Android 13 |
| Colors | Silk Purple, Black(PU), Gold, Silk Black |
| Battery | 5000mAh Battery, 66W fast charging |
