The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is Samsung’s thinnest and lightest book-style foldable yet, but it’s not as thin or light as the Honor Magic V3. How do these two compare?
Whenever you think of foldable phones, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 will likely be one of the first on your mind. Samsung’s sixth-generation foldable is slimmer and lighter than previous generations, but it mostly sticks to a tried-and-tested strategy of incremental upgrades that will be familiar to previous Fold users.
Samsung doesn’t have much competition in the U.S., though the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold and OnePlus Open aim to dethrone Samsung. Outside the U.S., however, there’s a big fight brewing, and Samsung has serious competition that is slimmer, thinner, and claims to offer better cameras, bigger displays, and better performance.
One of Samsung’s biggest competitors in Western Europe is Honor. Last year, the Magic V2 was one of the thinnest foldables, but it’s now been surpassed by the Honor Magic V3. It’s thinner and lighter on paper, and many of the specs are better, but is it better? Let’s see how it compares to the Galaxy Z Fold 6.Honor Magic V3 vs. Galaxy Z Fold 6: specsHonor Magic V3 vs. Galaxy Z Fold 6: design
The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is a solid choice for many reasons, including that it’s a fantastic device when moving, but there’s no denying that the Magic V3 makes it look and feel bulky. The Magic V3 measures 4.35mm at its thinnest point when unfolded and 9.3mm when folded, and it is noticeably thinner than the Galaxy Z Fold 6 at 5.6mm and 12.1mm, respectively.
A difference of 1.3mm may not seem that big, but it makes a huge difference in daily usage. The Magic V3 feels like a regular smartphone in your pocket, whereas the Galaxy Z Fold 6 feels like a foldable phone. The Magic V3 is roughly 13 grams lighter than the Galaxy Z Fold 6, enhancing the feeling that it’s not a foldable phone.
The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is more symmetrical, and the Armor Aluminum frame feels slightly more premium than that of the Magic V3. The design of the Magic V3 and its focus on making it as thin as possible also means you can’t fix the display at any angle. The thin design also means it won’t stand upright when unfolded, whereas the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is ideally suited for these use cases.
The Galaxy Z Fold 6 feels fantastic in the hand, and the hinge allows it to be used at different angles. The Honor Magic V3 also feels great in the hand and is impossibly thin, making it ideal for more people. Honor was also able to troll Samsung with an inscription on the phone, which is just the icing on the cake. It’s a slim win, but a win nonetheless.
Winner: Honor Magic V3Honor Magic V3 vs. Galaxy Z Fold 6: display
Both phones have gorgeous displays, but Samsung is renowned for outstanding screens and is widely regarded as having the best smartphone displays.
The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is no exception and features a stunning 6.3-inch Dynamic AMOLED cover display that unfolds to a 7.6-inch display of the same caliber. Both screens support up to 2600 nits peak brightness and a variable refresh rate of 1Hz to 120Hz, while the cover display also features Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection.
The Galaxy Z Fold 6 display is slightly shorter and wider than the Galaxy Z Fold 5. This creates a more traditional smartphone-like experience while solving one of the biggest complaints about previous Samsung foldables.
The Honor Magic V3 has a 6.43-inch OLED cover display that’s slightly wider than that of the Galaxy Z Fold 6, but is the same height. This makes it more ergonomically friendly for many people and closer to the design of phones like the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. It unfolds to form a 7.92-inch AMOLED display with a variable 1Hz to 120Hz refresh rate, 1800 nits peak brightness, and Dolby Vision support.
The Magic V3 does feature a few nifty software features to improve eye comfort and overall ocular health. The industry’s first AI defocus display is designed to help reduce transient myopia by 13 degrees after 25 minutes of screen time. Deliberate software features also help improve eye comfort and filter out blue light for a more pleasant viewing experience.
The Magic V3 has an impressive display, but Samsung displays are the best on any smartphone, and the Galaxy Z Fold 6 continues this trend. That said, Honor’s eye tech is quite interesting and could benefit those with vision problems.
