Honor Magic Vs Overview: Punching Up

Worth When Reviewed

Not accessible within the US

Ever because the first Galaxy Z Fold cellphone launched – 4 years in the past – Samsung has loved primarily zero competitors within the West.

Huawei has launched a string of book-style foldables that no-one will purchase as a result of they don’t run Google; Oppo, Vivo, and Xiaomi have pushed their fashions in China however nowhere else; and weird gamers together with Pablo Escobar’s brother have run a string of small choices (and typically scams) to construct out {the marketplace}.

Lastly although, that adjustments. Honor is formally bringing its Magic Vs foldable to markets worldwide (besides North America), and for a value designed to undercut its huge Samsung rival.

With a hinge that closes absolutely flat, a reasonably highly effective triple rear digicam, and an exceptionally slim physique, the Magic Vs undoubtedly has the {hardware} to place Samsung as an alternative. 

There’s a predictable lack of polish that holds the software program expertise again although – and some luxurious options I’d need to see at this value – that make the Z Fold 4 a greater purchase for many. However what a aid to see Honor giving Samsung a run for its cash.

Design & construct

• Hinge that closes absolutely flat
• Exceptionally skinny for a foldable
• No IP ranking

Probably the most attention-grabbing selection that Honor made in designing the Magic Vs is to construct it as a cellphone first, and a foldable second.

By that I imply that it’s designed to work in addition to potential when closed, providing you with one thing fairly near a conventional smartphone.

Henry Burrell / Foundry

To that finish, the Magic Vs is skinny – simply 12.9mm thick when shut, making it solely a bit of heftier than the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. Don’t get me improper, it’s nonetheless chunkier than mainly any commonplace slab cellphone, however not a lot that it feels bothersome. 

Importantly, Honor has additionally made certain that when the cellphone closes, it closes flat. Samsung’s newest foldables nonetheless shut right into a wedge form, with a slight hole between the 2 halves of the show. 

In contrast the Magic Vs seals shut, feeling stable and safe when closed. If something it’s a bit of too cosy – it’s inconceivable to open with one hand, and even with each typically it feels such as you’ve bought a battle in your fingers to unfold the cellphone.

That solidity in all probability helps the haptics, which have a reassuring heft to their buzzes, and are one a part of why the cellphone feels so premium within the hand.

Henry Burrell / Foundry

Honor is boastful of how a lot it simplified the hinge for the Vs – down to only 4 elements, supposedly – however a part of the value for that’s that it’s not as succesful because the Z Fold 4 at sitting open at varied angles, with a bent for the display screen to slowly wobble open when you attempt to prop it up.

It’s not helped by the chunky, lopsided digicam module. I just like the look of this – a barely curved rectange set towards the cyan or black physique of the cellphone – but it surely protrudes sufficient to make the cellphone exceptionally wobbly when mendacity down, and its weight imbalances issues additional when the display screen is partially open.

There’s one closing draw back to the design right here: whereas Samsung has managed to waterproof its newest foldables, there’s no IP rating in any respect on the Magic Vs, and Honor has stated little to recommend you possibly can safely get this cellphone moist. It’s survived some gentle rain throughout testing, however I wouldn’t belief it with far more than that.

Henry Burrell / Foundry

As all the time, a caveat for foldables: sturdiness is tough to foretell, and even Samsung units have routine points. Solely purchase one among these when you can afford for it to interrupt down, and ideally be sure you’ll be coated by good insurance coverage. That is an additional edge for Samsung, which has extra widespread restore amenities you possibly can fall again on if wanted.

Screens & audio system

• Glorious, tall 120Hz AMOLED outer show
• Sq.-ish 90Hz internal show
• Respectable, however quiet, audio system

As I stated earlier than, Honor determined to deal with optimising the Magic Vs to work nicely when it’s closed. With that in thoughts, the corporate really put a greater panel on the cellphone’s outdoors than on its inside.

Henry Burrell / Foundry

The outside cowl show here’s a 6.45in 120Hz AMOLED panel with a decision of 1080×2560. It has a sooner refresh fee and better decision than the internal display screen, and runs brighter, with specs that mainly match most flagship cellphone panels, apart from missing LTPO tech for a dynamic refresh fee.

I’ve discovered myself utilizing this outer show far more than the cellphone’s internal one – as appears to be supposed – and it’s by no means felt like a compromise from every other cellphone I overview. It’s a fine condition, comfy dimension, and appears incredible.

That stated, the interior show is barely extra restricted. The massive one is the drop to a 90Hz refresh fee, but it surely’s additionally a contact dimmer and fewer vibrant than the opposite display screen. It’s definitely not a unhealthy show, however you’ll discover the distinction.

Henry Burrell / Foundry

As with all foldable cellphone there’s a crease within the center. It’s exhausting to identify head-on, however simply seen from an angle, and deep sufficient to note as you swipe over it. If you’d like the direct comparability, I’d say the crease right here is on a par with the one you’ll discover on Samsung’s Fold, and extra noticeable than on the likes of Oppo’s China-only Find N2.

The audio system are one of many cellphone’s slight disappointments. I normally don’t care a lot both manner about cellphone audio system, however the ones listed below are quieter and tinnier than I’d anticipated from a cellphone this dimension. Honor has additionally put each on the entrance half of the cellphone, that means they’re on the identical aspect when it opens up, ruining the stereo impact.

Specs & efficiency

• Flagship-level Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip
• 12GB RAM and 512GB storage

One factor Honor hasn’t skimped is on energy. The Magic Vs is provided with the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 – not fairly the newest flagship chip from Qualcomm, however nonetheless latest, and highly effective sufficient to maintain up with essentially the most demanding stuff you are able to do on a smartphone.

For the worldwide launch, Honor has additionally determined to maintain issues easy, with only one model accessible, geared up with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. That’s greater than Samsung presents by default, another excuse the Honor could look compelling primarily based on value alone.

Taking a look at benchmarking apps, the Magic Vs lags behind among the newest slab flagships, however is an in depth match to the Z Fold 4 on pure efficiency.

Be aware that in terms of graphical efficiency, there’s a distinction between the cellphone’s two shows. Whereas the outer display screen has increased pixel density, the bigger internal display screen has extra pixels general. Which means it hits decrease body charges on the GFXBench graphics checks, and also will run video games barely slower. That’s true for any ebook foldable after all, however value allowing for.

Elsewhere, 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, and NFC make up the cellphone’s networking capabilities – all par for the course.

As for biometrics, as is typical for foldables there’s no in-display fingerprint scanner, however as a substitute one is constructed into the facility button, and works nicely. Face unlock is an choice too.

Digital camera & video

• Spectacular triple rear digicam
• Versatile setup
• Two similar selfie cameras

Most foldables compromise on cameras to some extent. That’s true right here too actually – Honor’s finest digicam is in its Magic 5 Pro flagship, not the Magic Vs – however I’ve been impressed with how succesful the providing right here is.

Let’s begin with the rear cameras, the place you discover a trio of choices: a 54Mp, f/1.9 predominant digicam, a 50Mp ultrawide, and an 8Mp telephoto with 3x optical zoom.

Henry Burrell / Foundry

As you’d anticipate from any cellphone this value, the primary digicam impresses. Pictures are crisp and detailed, even in decrease gentle, with first rate dynamic vary. Colors positively skew in the direction of the intense, punchy, and over-saturated, however hardly ever go thus far in that path as to look completely unnatural.

Nighttime and low gentle efficiency isn’t up there with one of the best of one of the best, however the cellphone is greater than able to taking detailed pictures of a nighttime cityscape, solely often tripping up on learn how to deal with brilliant lights inside an in any other case darkish body – an issue even the iPhone 14 Pro Max struggles with, so the Magic Vs is in good firm.

The 50Mp ultrawide doesn’t impress as a lot. Regardless of the same sensor decision there’s a definite drop intimately if you swap to this lens, which is exacerbated by dimmer lighting. Dynamic vary suffers too, and colors typically appear darker and flatter than the primary digicam. 

It’s removed from a foul digicam, and stays choice to have for group pictures or panoramic vistas, however don’t be fooled by the megapixel rely into pondering that is on a par with the first lens.

Fortuitously the telephoto is healthier. It’s a 3x zoom optical lens, with a digicam app shortcut for 10x, and an choice to go so far as 30x by pinching in. 

Images taken at 3x zoom look good, with little noise, a great deal of element, and color match for the primary shooter. Even that 10x choice marks a pointy drop in high quality although, handing over pictures with that mushy watercolour impact even in good lighting, so I wouldn’t need to push this zoom too far. Listed here are just a few comparability pictures on the 3x and 10x settings:

You get two selfie cameras, one on every show, providing you with choices for each pictures or video calls. To maintain issues easy, Honor has geared up every show with the very same 16Mp, f/2.4 digicam, so there’s no motive to favor one over the opposite in terms of picture high quality.

Selfies come out nice from each cameras, with oodles of element and pure pores and skin tones. The algorithmic portrait mode impresses too, with a variety of bokeh choices and glorious edge detection that handles the wispy ends of my hair nicely, with solely a few stray strands caught within the blur.

See when you can spot the distinction between the 2 lenses in these pictures (with the internal digicam first in every pairing):

Video recording goes as much as 4K@60 from the rear lenses, or 1080p@60 for both selfie shooter, and is typical for Android (which is to say: it’s good, however no iPhone). The principle draw back is that with no optical picture stabilisation on the primary rear digicam, you gained’t be capable to get particularly steady footage when you’re taking pictures on the go. 

Battery & charging

• Large battery that runs all day
• Quick wired charging
• No wi-fi charging

Regardless of making a thinner foldable than Samsung, Honor has in some way managed to squeeze in an even bigger battery.

The 5000mAh capability right here is among the many finest you’ll discover in any flagship cellphone, and even with two shows to fret about it makes the Magic Vs an all-day cellphone.

The truth is, I examined it whereas overlaying the MWC 2023 commerce present the place it was given its worldwide launch. Which means heavy utilization, with roaming knowledge, hot-spotting my laptop computer, and taking loads of pictures. By all that, I nonetheless normally had 30% of the battery left by the point I hit my lodge mattress.

Charging is quick too, with 66W wired charging over USB-C. I discovered that would restore 40% of the battery in simply quarter-hour, and 77% in half an hour – quick sufficient for nearly anybody.

The one actual draw back is that there’s no wi-fi charging help, which is the trade-off to get these sooner wired speeds.

Software program & updates

• Ships with Android 13 and MagicOS 7.1
• Foldable implementation is imperfect
• Three OS upgrades and 5 years of safety patches

The software program is the only largest motive to skip the Magic Vs and purchase Samsung’s foldable as a substitute.

The Vs ships with Android 13, operating Honor’s MagicOS 7.1 pores and skin on high. MagicOS is way from my favorite Android pores and skin at one of the best of occasions, and isn’t helped right here by a half-hearted integration of foldable options – even omitting many which are constructed into Android itself.

Henry Burrell / Foundry

Not one of the additions discovered within the foldable-focussed Android 12L are included right here, such because the taskbar or Google’s personal tackle multi-tasking.

The software program model I’m operating doesn’t even embrace an app drawer – a basic and fundamental a part of the Android OS – although I’ve been assured that’s on the best way within the subsequent replace, so must be included by the point the cellphone is on sale.

Honor does provide its personal vertical split-screen choice for operating two apps, and it really works fairly nicely, however there’s extra versatility in Samsung and different rivals’ units.

Simply as irritating is the truth that each different time you open and shut the cellphone a pop-up warns that some apps gained’t show correctly and suggests you re-open them. For what it’s value, solely 1Password and Slack have really struggled to adapt to the altering facet ratio, and I’d in all probability somewhat simply put up with these edge instances than be warned each time.

Henry Burrell / Foundry

The opposite software program annoyance isn’t actually Honor’s fault: too many Android apps merely can’t deal with the massive, sq. internal show nicely. Some apps open in narrower home windows and letterbox the show. Some open absolutely however enlarge content material so hardly something suits within the show anyway. Video calls routinely crop awkwardly, chopping off half the feed.

It’s been years since foldables began rolling out and app help nonetheless doesn’t really feel a lot better, even from main gamers like Instagram, Twitter, and WhatsApp. Hopefully elevated competitors from Honor and others will velocity up progress, however for now be able to compromise.

Lastly, in a welcome contact Honor has introduced that it’ll ship three years of Android model updates to the Magic Vs, with 5 years of safety patches. That doesn’t fairly match Samsung’s four-year software program promise, but it surely’s a serious enchancment from earlier Honor handsets, and means the Magic Vs ought to final you just a few years of use.

Worth & availability

The Honor Magic Vs is launching within the UK on 19 Might, with a launch rolling out throughout Europe and Asia too. It prices £1,399/€1,599 for a mannequin with 12GB of RAM and 512GB storage, however when you buy it from the Honor store by 26 Might and subscribe to its publication it can save you £200 on that.

At full value it’s round £250/€200 cheaper than the Galaxy Z Fold 4, and contains double that cellphone’s default storage, with a good greater value hole from the Google Pixel Fold.

Nonetheless, contemplating the Samsung presents slicker software program, S Pen help, waterproofing, wi-fi charging, and higher restore choices, it stays the higher purchase for most individuals. In any case, when you can afford to purchase a cellphone this costly, you possibly can in all probability afford to spend a bit of extra.

Try our full information to the best Android phones for extra choices, or the best Honor phones for extra from the model.

Verdict

The Honor Magic Vs is a formidable foldable cellphone, and a notable step up in high quality from the first-gen Magic V.

The {hardware} is slick, with a slim physique and safe hinge design, and this base feel and appear positively trumps Samsung’s providing. Quicker charging and extra highly effective rear cameras give the Magic Vs an additional edge.

However in a cellphone at this value level, the shortage of software program polish is a serious downside – and options like waterproofing and wi-fi charging appear like unacceptable omissions.

Honor hasn’t fairly crushed Samsung at its personal sport – but it surely will get kudos for being the one firm courageous sufficient to attempt.

Specs

• Android 13 (MagicOS 7.1)
• 7.9in 90Hz foldable OLED, 2272 x 1984
• 6.45in 120Hz exterior OLED, 2560 x 1080p
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset
• 12GB RAM
• 512GB storage
• Digital camera:
  • 54Mp predominant digicam (f/1.9)
  • 50Mp ultrawide & macro digicam (f/2.0)
  • 8Mp 3x optical zoom digicam (f/2.4)
  • 16Mp entrance digicam (f/2.45)
• Facet-mounted fingerprint sensor
• WiFi 6
• Bluetooth 5.2
• NFC
• 5G
• 4900mAh battery
• 66W wired charging
• Twin-SIM
• Peak
• Width
  • Unfolded: 141.5mm, folded: 72.6mm
• Depth
  • Unfolded: 6.1mm, folded: 12.9mm