HONOR Magic V2 Review: An Impressively Thin And Light Foldable Phone Leave a comment

At IFA final September, I encountered the Honor Magic V2 for the primary time, which debuted in China in July 2023. The recipient of considered one of our Better of IFA 2023 Awards, the Magic V2 went world on Jan 26, 2024. Akin to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 and OnePlus Open in dimension and efficiency, this foldable cellphone incorporates a thinner and lighter chassis. Honor additionally unveiled the Porsche Design model on the Leipzig, Germany, launch occasion, and we’ll publish the overview quickly.

Some folks expressed reservations about final 12 months’s Qualcomm flagship SoC, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC. Nonetheless, the Magic V2 stays potent, with 16GB RAM and 256/512GB storage choices. Its standout characteristic is being the thinnest and lightest massive foldable available on the market, coupled with good digicam efficiency for such a slim physique.

Competitors, Worth, and Availability

From a show high quality and computing energy perspective, the Honor Magic V2 is on par with the Galaxy Z Fold 5, apart from its lack of a waterproofing IP score (the Fold 5 is IP X8), its thinner chassis, and its considerably quicker charging pace.

The Magic V2’s show and SoC are additionally just like the thicker Oneplus Open, apart from the digicam efficiency.

Thinner and lighter than all its foldable counterparts, the Magic V2 appears to be like like a typical 8-inch high-end smartphone, making it an interesting possibility for journey, doubling as a pill for content material consumption or work. At Ubergizmo, we’re significantly contemplating ditching our cellphone and pill combo for the Magic V2, as a consequence of our intense touring schedule.

Nonetheless, its multitasking characteristic lags behind the heavier Z Fold 5, which additionally presents extra functionalities with the optionally available new Z Fold 5 S Pen and the S Pen Professional (together with air actions and distant management just for the latter).

Launching with out Android 14, its replace program stays just like the competitors. The HONOR Magic V2 is priced at £1,699.99 within the UK, and €1,999 in choose E.U. nations (roughly $2,150). We suggest shopping for the Honor 66W quick charger along with your order,in some nations just like the UK, it’s supplied as a bundled reward (as of at the moment).It costs only €1 in Germany (as of at the moment), as an alternative of the €29.90 value supplied on the Honor France website (as an alternative of the common €49.90 value, as of at the moment).

Design

The Honor Magic V2 stands out for its key design parts, notably its skinny chassis at 10.1 mm / 237 g (or 9.9 mm / 231g for the vegan leather-based model), surpassing the Galaxy Z Fold 5 (13.4mm, 253g), the Pixel Fold (12.1mm, 283g), and the OnePlus Open (11.7-11.9mm, 239-245g).

Unfolded, it measures solely 4.7 mm or 4.8 mm (glass-finish model), which is only one mm thicker than common smartphones such because the iPhone 15 Professional Max, which is 8.25mm and 221 grams.

The construct high quality is great, and we take into account the Honor Magic V2 one of many best-designed foldable telephones, that includes a sublime purple shade for the glass end model (our overview unit).

“THE BUILD QUALITY IS EXCELLENT, AND WE CONSIDER THE HONOR MAGIC V2 ONE OF THE BEST-DESIGNED FOLDABLE PHONES”

The folding expertise is smoother than the Z Fold 5. Nonetheless, in contrast to the Samsung’s massive foldable, it lacks a 45-degree folding place, which is a minimal trade-off. The redesigned hinge eliminates gaps, making the cellphone ultra-thin whereas decreasing crease depth.

The package deal features a case with a built-in kickstand, usable in numerous orientations, sustaining the Magic V2’s thinner profile in comparison with the Z Fold 5, even with the case hooked up.

Shows

The Honor Magic V2 incorporates a 6.43-inch OLED show on the entrance with a decision of 1060 x 2376,a 120Hz refresh fee, and a theoretical peak brightness of two,500 nits.

Internally, it homes a virtually sq. attractive 7.92-inch show with a decision of 2156 x 2344, a 120Hz refresh fee, and a claimed peak brightness of 1,600 nits. HONOR highlights its 3840Hz PWM dimming tech, probably aiding customers liable to eye pressure throughout extended cellphone use.

The exterior display mirrors the dimensions of an everyday smartphone with a curved proper edge, whereas the inner crease is barely noticeable throughout media consumption or gaming. Examined for 400,000 folding cycles, equal to 10 years of folding 100 instances each day.

Digicam

The Magic V2 has a typical triple rear digicam, together with a 50-megapixel foremost, a 20-megapixel telephoto with a 2.5x optical zoom, and a 50-megapixel ultrawide. There’s a 16 MP punch-hole selfie digicam on every display, able to taking pictures 4K video at 30 fps. The rear digicam can shoot 4K video at 60 fps.

Major digicam night time:

The Magic V2 has a barely much less performing main digicam at night time in comparison with the opposite massive foldable telephones. Nonetheless, it does a superb job total, and the outcomes are passable for such a skinny chassis.

The Magic V2 night time image high quality is closest to the Pixel Fold, however the particulars are barely extra blurry, partially due to the robust filtering and sharpening algorithms, particularly for those who zoom in shut or crop the images. Apart from that, the digicam does an amazing job of capturing pure colours and preserving the temper of the night time scene as you see it. The lighting stays pure and on-point and captures in a predictable means.

General, the digicam has good efficiency each in low gentle and in brilliant daylight. We couldn’t calculate Ubergizmo’s HW digicam rating as a consequence of an absence of particular metadata within the images we shot, so we can not examine the {hardware} digicam system towards the opposite foldable telephones we examined. We’ll attempt to get the data and replace the overview accordingly.

Ultrawide digicam:

Day: The sundown shot is actually fascinating as a result of it challenges the digicam to concurrently seize particulars and high-dynamic vary. The Magic V2 did nicely with the HDR and particulars seize (together with texture) in our checks. Nonetheless, it tends to overshoot the publicity settings and different filters, making the ultimate picture look just a little unnatural (too brilliant/vivid) in comparison with what your eyes see.

Evening: At night time, the Magic V2 Ultrawide digicam does a superb job of preserving the lighting, shade, and temper of the scene. Nonetheless, the ultrawide digicam module isn’t as highly effective as the first (broad) digicam, and the feel of sure supplies may be troublesome to protect. On this scene, the Ultrawide shot is corresponding to what we obtained with the OnePlus Open.

Zoom digicam:

The two.5X zoom of the Magic V2 is extra suited to seize portrait images than competing with telephoto cameras that characteristic 6X or 10X optical zooms. At long-range (10X), the digicam will depend on digital zooming, making small particulars comparatively blurry in comparison with the intense zoom cameras. That apart, the final 2.5X zoom picture high quality is sort of good, however like it’s typically the case with this digicam, the images can generally look much less pure as a consequence of how the publicity is about and the way filters are being utilized.

Digicam conclusion:

The Magic V2 rear digicam system’s picture high quality is spectacular for those who take into account how skinny the chassis is. Certainly, cell cameras want as a lot depth (thickness) as doable to host the digicam lenses, and HONOR appears to have efficiently balanced cellphone design and digicam high quality.

SoC, reminiscence, storage, efficiency& software program updates

Software program updates

Honor commits to offering 5 years of safety patches and 4 years of Android updates for the Magic V2, aligning with Samsung and OnePlus’ assurances for the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and OnePlus Open, respectively. Google’s Pixel Fold ensures three years of Android model updates and 5 years of safety patches. Whereas the Magic V2 ships with Android 13, one replace is required to carry it updated with Android 14. Not like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, the Magic V2 is but to obtain an Android 14 replace.

It homes final 12 months’s Qualcomm flagship SoC, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, with configurations of as much as 16GB RAM and 512GB storage (expandable to 1TB within the Porsche Design variant).

Perceived Efficiency

Efficiency stays fluid in each day utilization, together with 3D gaming (I attempted just a few video games).

Measured Efficiency

CPU efficiency

As you may see from the charts, the Honor Magic V2 has glorious efficiency within the context of foldable telephones regardless of its wonderful thinness. That is in all probability as a consequence of Honor’s efforts to provide a sophisticated cooling system referred to as Extremely-thin Bionic Cooling System.
Based on the corporate, the brand new cooling expertise combines an ultra-thin vapor chamber, ultra-high thermal conductivity graphite, thermal conductivity gel, and copper foil.

It ranks among the many highest CPU efficiency, which usually ensures that apps load quick and most duties are accomplished quicker.

GPU efficiency

From a graphics standpoint, the scores are additionally very excessive, making it a excessive performer for common graphics (GPU efficiency) but in addition video games. Remember that with prolonged gaming classes, the warmth will ultimately construct up. That’s why all devoted gaming methods are inherently thicker with further cooling.

Battery

Battery capability

Regardless of its ultrathin chassis measuring 4.7 or 4.8 mm, the Magic V2 impressively integrates a 5000 mAh battery (the most important for a foldable cellphone), because of its two-part silicon carbon battery expertise.

Debuting because the thinnest twin Silicon-carbon Batteries, averaging solely 2.72mm in thickness, the progressive battery system extends its cycle life by 40%, in keeping with HONOR.

It incorporates an electrochemical system that enhances longevity and options HONOR’s low-voltage cost energy-gathering expertise for enhanced energy output on the identical voltage as graphite-based batteries.

With common use, related to each 5G and Wi-Fi, the Magic V2 ought to final not less than a full day on one cost. Throughout my overview, which was performed solely on Wi-Fi (with out 5G) with intermittent use, the battery lasted for 3 days. I can not vouch for battery life as battery drainage extremely varies relying on utilization, with shopping and electronic mail having minimal impression in comparison with excessive workloads akin to intense picture shoots, video streaming, or 3D gaming classes. As normal, the battery’s capability (in mAh) is your greatest indicator for potential battery life.

Charging pace

The Honor Magic V2 costs 71% of its 5000 mAh battery in half-hour with the optionally available €30 66W charger (free or €1 bundle in some markets). That is just like the OnePlus Open charging time of 79% in half-hour for its 4805 mAh battery (with the included OnePlus 67W fast-charger). By comparability, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 costs 49% in half-hour with its optionally available 50W Samsung charger.

Conclusion

The Honor V2 delivers spectacular construct high quality and show high quality within the thinnest and lightest foldable type issue available on the market.

This distinctive characteristic ought to persuade folks reluctant to hold thicker and heavier smartphones to strive the folding smartphone expertise. Vacationers ought to take into account switching to the Magic V2 because it will also be used as a pill for productiveness and leisure throughout flights.

Though the digicam efficiency is barely under the one present in aggressive gadgets, it’s glorious for such a skinny chassis.

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Filed in Cellphones. Learn extra about Foldable Smartphones, Honor, Mobile Camera Reviews, Smartphone Reviews, Smartphones and Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.