BERLIN—At IFA 2023, Honor presented its latest folding phone, the Honor Magic V2, which the company says is the thinnest and lightest book-style smartphone. The Magic V2 is just 0.39 inches (9.9mm) thick when folded and weighs 8.15 ounces with the vegan-leather-backed version or 8.36 ounces with the glass-backed one. For reference, the Google Pixel Fold comes in at 0.5 inches (12.7mm) folded and 10 ounces, while the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is 0.53 inches (13.5mm) when closed and weighs 8.92 ounces. The Magic V2 is also lighter than the iPhone 14 Pro Max (8.47 ounces) and just 0.08 inches thicker than that slab phone.
Apart from its lack of girth, Honor wants people to know that the Magic V2 is tough. The device can withstand over 400,000 folds, has glass that the company says offers 10 times greater drop resistance than typical glass, and relies on a titanium alloy cover over its hinge. Honor says that this cover offers 150% more strength than aluminum (aluminum is used in the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Z Flip 5's frames). Similar to the Pixel Fold and Galaxy Z Fold, the Magic V2 can be used while partially open and will hold angles ranging from 60 to 110 degrees. The Magic V2 folds flat without any gap between its halves.
The external OLED display stretches 6.43 inches in a 20:9 aspect ratio with a resolution of 2,376 by 1,060 pixels for a density of 402ppi. It shines brightly with a peak brightness of 2,500 nits, which should mean this display will be easy to see in daylight. The inner OLED screen measures 7.92 inches with a resolution of 2,344 by 2,156 pixels for a pixel density of 402ppi and a peak brightness of 1,600 nits. Honor says that the depth of the fold crease on the inner screen is reduced by 47% when compared to the Honor Magic Vs. Both displays have a refresh rate of up to 120Hz which should make for smooth scrolling and animations.
Additionally, both screens offer 3,840Hz PWM dimming, which means they can rapidly change brightness levels at a high rate. This would lead to a reduction of flickering and eye strain even at lower brightness levels.
A triple camera assembly on the rear panel is comprised of a 50MP main shooter with optical image stabilization (OIS), a 50MP ultra-wide camera, and a 20MP telephoto camera with OIS. The rear camera is also capable of capturing video up to 4K resolution. The front-facing camera on the external display, as well as the one on the inner screen, are both 16MP. Honor says this device will use AI to figure out what mode the camera should switch to depending on what you are shooting.
Inside, the Magic V2 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and all models have 16GB of RAM. The Magic V2 is offered with either 256GB or 512GB of storage; a 1TB model is available, but it is designated as the Honor Magic V2 Ultimate Edition. The device houses a 5,000mAh battery to power everything and supports up to 66W wired fast charging. The Magic V2 uses Honor's MagicOS, which is based on Android 13. As for connectivity, the Magic V2 supports Wi-Fi 7, 5G, Bluetooth 5.3, and NFC.
In addition to the Magic V2, the company showed off the Honor V Purse folding phone concept, which is 0.35 inches thick when closed, making it even thinner than the Magic V2. The V Purse features an always-on display that shows off images and animations to mimic a handbag and can attach to a strap. This perplexing purse phone is merely an idea, so don't expect to see it gracing the runway any time soon.
Honor plans to release the Honor Magic V2 globally, but international pricing and availability were not available at the time of publication.