The Honor Magic V2 is one of the newest folding phones to hit the scene. And it has one big advantage over other foldables.
Honor took its sweet time to bring the Magic V2 out of China – six months, to be precise. Given the amazing hardware, it’s been a long wait.
I’ve had a test unit since July 2023, which didn’t have the software and cameras ready until earlier this month. After using it as my primary device for a few weeks, I can confidently say that the Honor Magic V2 is the most comfortable foldable phone I’ve used to date.Perfectly bridging the gap between a regular and foldable phone
For a long time, my major issue with using foldable phones has been how they feel in the hand. It started with the Galaxy Z Fold (and still remains the same with the Galaxy Z Fold 5), which feels like holding two regular candy phones together. We got closer to a slab phone-like form factor on a foldable with the OnePlus Open, but it’s still thick. The Honor Magic V2 solves this problem with a thinner, lighter, and better form factor than ever.
Starting with thickness, at 10.1mm, the Magic V2 brings the foldable phone form factor closer to a slab phone experience than ever. The Ultimate variant with a vegan leather back is even thinner at 9.9mm.
For reference, mainstream foldable like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, Google Pixel Fold, and the OnePlus Open measure 13.46mm, 12.1mm, and 11.7mm in thickness, respectively. While slab phones like the new Galaxy S24 Ultra and Google Pixel 8 Pro are 8.7mm and 8.8mm in thickness, respectively. The Magic V2 lies in the middle of these.
Secondly, the Magic V2 weighs 237 grams, which is eight grams lighter than the current best foldable phone, the OnePlus Open. The Samsung and Google foldables weigh way more at 253 grams (Galaxy Z Fold 5) and 283 grams (Pixel Fold), while the Galaxy S24 Ultra weighs 233 grams. The thin and light design makes it comparable to slab phones, which is a big feat for the foldable segment.
Honor made this possible by working on the material, hinge, and battery. First, it uses proprietary steel that is said to be 25% thinner and 20% stronger than the Honor Magic Vs. Second, the hinge is made out of titanium, which is 42% lighter than before. Third, the company made a slimmer silicon-carbon battery and doesn’t use a lithium-ion cell like other folding phones.
Another aspect that gives it a slab phone-like form factor is a 21:9 aspect ratio cover display. On flagship phones like the Galaxy S24 Ultra or iPhone 15 Pro Max, you get an aspect ratio that is closer to 20:9. But on foldables, this is all over the place — from the tall Galaxy Z Fold 5 to the wide Pixel Fold.
