Honor Magic V2 Review: Slimline Sophistication

The Honor Magic V2 launched in China in the summertime of 2023, and made a splash because the slimmest book-style foldable thus far. The worldwide launch took its candy time, although, with the cellphone not available for purchase in Europe till January 2024.

The Magic V2 launched with cutting-edge specs, however issues transfer rapidly on the earth of smartphones, and which means the processor is barely outdated on the time of the European launch. Most flagships are transport with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, whereas the Magic V2 runs the older Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. 

In observe, it’s not likely a problem, it’s nonetheless a really quick processor and no different flagship foldable is providing a more moderen chip. The OnePlus Open and Galaxy Z Fold 5 additionally run on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, for instance. However it received’t keep that approach for lengthy.

The Magic V2 prices £1699 within the UK, and that’s a hefty sum for a cellphone with ageing {hardware}, however with a slick, light-weight design and promising specs elsewhere, it might nonetheless show worthwhile. I used to be excited to see the way it stacks up towards the competitors, and after spending every week utilizing it as my important machine, right here’s my verdict.

Design & Construct

• Tremendous slim and light-weight
• Titanium hinge
• No IP ranking

I’m testing the particular version Porsche Design Magic V2 RSR, however for the needs of this evaluate, I’ll be speaking concerning the Magic V2 basically. Except for the appears to be like, the 2 telephones provide similar specs and options. 

Luke Baker

That stated, when you do go for the Porsche Design version, you’re in for a visible deal with. The rear has a stunning Agate Gray end, with an aerodynamic ridge down the centre and a glossy sweeping curve over the digicam array. It’s designed to resemble the strains of a high-end sportscar (like a Porsche, funnily sufficient) and it simply appears to be like luxurious.

Comparatively, the usual Magic V2 is rather less putting, with a principally flat rear panel and comfy curved edges. There are two choices to select from there – Black and Purple – with the previous that includes a vegan leather-based rear panel and the latter comprised of glass.

The very first thing you’ll discover concerning the Magic V2 is simply how slim it’s. At simply 9.9mm when closed, it’s actually fairly a exceptional achievement. A weight of 231g means it’s lighter than the Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely, and it’s thinner than some non-foldable telephones, together with the Vivo X100 Professional (when you consider its gigantic digicam bump).

Luke Baker

I’ve beforehand shied away from utilizing a foldable long-term, as I all the time felt they have been too cumbersome and heavy, however that’s not the case right here in any respect. I might simply see myself residing with the Magic V2 in my pocket.

The quantity rocker and lock button are positioned on the right-hand facet when the cellphone is folded, however they’re every on completely different sides of the interior show. This implies they’re staggered by a number of millimetres. It’s simple to get used to, however it may possibly make multi-button presses, like taking a screenshot, really feel very unusual at first. The fingerprint reader is constructed into the lock button and works very reliably.

The usual Magic V2 comes with an aramid fibre case with built-in kickstand, which is fairly good.

Nonetheless, when you go for the Porsche Design version, you’ll get one of many nicest instances I’ve ever used. It has a PU leather-based end that looks like a automotive inside, and has stitching to matches the strains of the rear panel. It appears to be like and feels nice, and it extends to guard the titanium hinge, which is one thing that’s lacking on most foldable case designs.

Luke Baker

The Porsche Design bundle additionally comes with the Honor Magic Pen energetic stylus, in addition to a presentation field to maintain it secure. That is an adjunct that’s bought individually in some areas, but it surely’s not but out there for standalone buy within the UK.

The stylus works properly on each the interior and exterior shows, which provides it a leg up over Samsung, because the S Pen solely works on the folding show of the Z Fold 5. There was a little bit extra latency than I would really like, however the pen tracks properly, and registers strain reliably, too.

I’d watch out with that inner show, although, as I can simply picture it getting scratched by some enthusiastic doodling. 

Luke Baker

There’s no official IP ranking on this cellphone, both, however Honor assures us that it’ll be nice with splashes of water. You’ll must be extra cautious of mud, however that’s true of all foldables.

Display screen & Audio system

• 6.43-inch and seven.92-inch OLED shows
• 120Hz LTPO, 3840Hz PWM dimming
• Stereo audio system

The shows on the Magic V2 are every spectacular in their very own proper. Each the 6.43-inch cowl and seven.92-inch inner screens are OLED, with assist as much as 120Hz refresh charges and PWM dimming charges of as much as 3840Hz. This is among the highest dimming speeds that I’ve ever come throughout, so when you undergo eye pressure from display screen flicker, this may very well be the foldable for you.

LTPO shows imply the refresh charge also can drop all the way in which all the way down to 1Hz mechanically, serving to to avoid wasting battery life.

In relation to brightness output, the exterior display screen boasts a whopping 2500 nits at peak, whereas the interior show maxes out at 1600 nits. They’re each vibrant, and completely usable outside, however the outer show can be your finest guess in harsh daylight. That’s true basically, anyway, because the versatile panel attracts extra undesirable reflections than the sleek glass of the outer display screen.

Luke Baker

The outer show has dimensions that match most non-foldable smartphones, and that’s one in all my favorite issues concerning the Magic V2’s design. You’ll be able to simply mistake it for the standard smartphone, and I typically did, by selecting up the fallacious cellphone from my desk. I’ve by no means had that occur with a foldable earlier than, and the result’s that it feels extraordinarily pure, whether or not within the hand or the pocket.

Once you open up the Magic V2, you’re greeted by one of many largest panels of any foldable, and one of many shallowest creases, too. It’s not fully invisible, and you’ll nonetheless really feel it if you run your finger throughout the display screen, but it surely’s a lot better than the dip you get with Samsung or Google. You’ll solely actually discover it when it catches the sunshine, and in dim circumstances, it basically vanishes.

Luke Baker

Each panels are high-resolution and produce vivid and correct colors. I particularly loved catching up on Netflix exhibits on the big inner display screen, which all the time regarded their finest due to Dolby Imaginative and prescient and HDR10 assist. Gaming on the interior display screen may be very enjoyable, too. Not all video games just like the square-ish facet ratio, however Genshin Influence works properly, and that’s my favorite time-sink recently.

The audio system are positioned on the highest and backside of the Magic V2 whereas folded, or on the left and proper unfolded, relying on the way you maintain it. You get some stable stereo separation and extra bass than most telephones, however they’re not the loudest round. They all the time sound nice and there’s little to no distortion, so so long as you’re not listening subsequent to a building website, you’re in for a very good time.

Luke Baker

Specs & Efficiency

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
• 16GB RAM
• 512GB/1TB storage

As I discussed within the introduction, the Magic V2 runs on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. It was Qualcomm’s flagship chip when the cellphone launched in China, however after a protracted anticipate the worldwide launch, it’s now barely outdated. 

Nonetheless, if we ignore different flagship telephones and strictly deal with foldables, the Magic V2 it matches its important competitors when it comes to efficiency, and in some methods, it beats them. It has extra RAM than the Z Fold 5, and the Porsche Design version provides double the storage of the OnePlus Open, for instance. The one downside is, correct 2024 foldables are on the horizon (on the time of writing), they usually’re assured to pack newer processors than this. 

Luke Baker

That stated, I by no means discovered that this chip held me again in use. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 remains to be extraordinarily highly effective and the Magic V2 feels constantly quick and responsive. I used to be capable of totally max out the settings in Genshin Influence, operating it on the big folding show at 60fps, and I by no means observed any stuttering or slowdowns.

Honor has additionally labored with Asphalt 9: Legends makers Gameloft to make sure that the sport runs easily on the full 120fps.

The cellphone will get a bit toasty when you’re taking part in for some time, however by no means to the purpose of concern. It’s spectacular stuff contemplating how slim this cellphone is, as there’s not a lot room for cooling, however no matter Honor has accomplished internally works wonders.

The Magic V2 multitasks properly, too, doubtless owing to the beneficiant 12GB of RAM. It had no downside operating a number of apps on the interior show, whether or not in split-screen mode or as floating home windows.

You can even select between 512GB and 1TB of quick UFS 4.0 storage. There’s no assist for expandable storage, however just about no-one will want it.

Luke Baker

Honor Magic V2 benchmarks

Right here’s how the Magic V2 compares to a number of the finest book-style folding telephones round, together with its predecessor:

Cameras

• 50Mp important sensor
• 50Mp ultrawide
• 20Mp 2.5x telephoto
• Twin 16Mp selfie cameras

The Magic V2 packs in a number of cameras, as most foldables do. Across the again, there are three lenses: a 50Mp f/1.9 important digicam, a 50Mp f/2.0 ultrawide (that doubles up as a macro lens) and a 20Mp f/2.4 2.5x telephoto. These are joined by twin 16Mp punch-hole selfie cameras on every show, and you may also take selfies with the rear cameras utilizing the duvet show as a preview.

This digicam system is able to taking some nice photos. There’s loads of element from the entire rear cameras, and on the entire, the photographs look sharp and vibrant.

The color processing is a bit more aggressive than I’m used to, with blues and greens tending to be a barely oversaturated, but it surely makes for some eye-catching pictures.

Luke Baker

In the event you choose a extra pure look, the Professional mode provides you some extra management over the ultimate picture, and you’ll even shoot RAW within the native digicam app in order for you full management.

The primary sensor is essentially the most spectacular, as traditional, however the supporting lenses are stable, too. The ultrawide is the least sharp, but it surely’s a helpful focal size, and the high-resolution sensor ensures that element is retained. The two.5x telephoto is nice within the daylight, too, but it surely struggles a little bit extra when the sunshine will get low.

After residing with flagship telephones that provide 5x (or related) telephoto cameras, I couldn’t assist however want for extra attain with this digicam system. The two.5x is good, but it surely feels much less versatile than an extended zoom. The digicam app provides you a 10x zoom possibility, but it surely’s finest averted, as the photographs come out trying muddy and missing element. It’s simply an excessive amount of of a digital crop for the two.5x lens to deal with.

Portrait mode works very properly, and the Magic V2 was capable of reliably separate my topics from the background in a wide range of lighting circumstances. Night time mode is nice, too, however you’ll wish to persist with the primary lens at night time, because the smaller sensors of the ultrawide and telephoto give much less detailed photographs in these circumstances.

The rear cameras can all shoot video at as much as 4K60 and the front-facing cameras assist 4K30. Outcomes are first rate, however the stabilisation lags behind a number of the competitors. There are many choices within the app for video shooters, although, together with the power to use LUTs (look-up tables) and even a LOG profile.

Battery Life & Charging

• 5000mAh battery
• 66W charging assist
• Energy adapter solely included with Porsche Design version

The battery lifetime of the Magic V2 is sensible, and that is all thanks to an enormous 5000 mAh battery that has one way or the other been squeezed into the slim chassis. It’s the biggest battery among the many present foldable crowd, and the truth that it’s within the slimmest mannequin should have taken some critical engineering.

I used to be utilizing the cellphone fairly closely throughout my testing interval, steadily watching YouTube movies on the big inner show, capturing tonnes of pictures and multitasking. Even with all of that, the Magic V2 by no means did not see me by the day, and I normally went to mattress with loads of battery to spare.

Luke Baker

You’ll be able to fairly simply obtain a day and a half on a cost, and when it does run out, you received’t be ready lengthy. It helps as much as 66W wired charging, which is sufficient to take you from totally drained to 100% in lower than an hour.

The usual mannequin solely comes with a USB-C cable, and no wall adapter, similar to the Z Fold 5. Nonetheless, when you go for the Porsche Design version, you get not one however two 66W chargers within the field within the UK, with EU and UK plugs each included.

Software program & Apps

• MagicOS 7.2
• Based mostly on Android 13
• Some bloatware to take care of

The Magic V2 runs Magic OS 7.2 which is Honor’s skinned model of Android 13. The Porsche Design mannequin has a number of further gildings within the software program, together with a themed wallpaper and a few black and gold app icons, however you possibly can simply change again to a extra conventional look. The Porsche Design theme wasn’t fairly to my style, in order that’s precisely what I selected to do.

Luke Baker

Most flagship telephones at the moment are transport with Android 14, so it’s a little bit disappointing to see Android 13 right here. It doesn’t make a lot of a distinction to the usability or the function set, but it surely implies that the Magic V2 will doubtless find yourself a model behind the competitors.

Honor guarantees three main OS upgrades and 5 years of safety patches, so it ought to get to Android 16 in the long term. The Z Fold 5 and OnePlus Open additionally ship with Android 13, however they get 4 OS upgrades, so when you plan on preserving the cellphone for a really very long time, these fashions will keep related for longer. On the safety facet, Honor matches Samsung, and provides an additional 12 months in comparison with OnePlus.

The software program ran very easily all through my testing. Animations are stutter-free and there are some helpful additions, like enlarged folders that mean you can entry as much as eight apps with out having to open the folder first. There’s loads of customisation, however it will be good to see assist for lock display screen widgets, as Honor’s OS is a little bit restricted on that entrance.

Luke Baker

In relation to multitasking, you have got the choice of splitting the show in two, to show apps side-by-side, or you should use floating home windows for a extra free-form method. It’s simple sufficient to make use of, but it surely’s not fairly as strong or intuitive as Open Canvas mode on the OnePlus Open. Nonetheless, for my wants, it was adequate.

There’s numerous bloatware pre-installed on the Magic V2, which is disappointing to see. Many of the purposes are Honor’s proprietary apps, however the likes of Reserving.com, TikTok and Fb are additionally put in by default. It’s not exhausting to delete these or tuck them away within the app drawer, but it surely’s a problem that you just don’t need if you’re spending this a lot on a smartphone.

Luke Baker

Value & Availability

The Honor Magic V2 is offered now to buy within the UK and Europe, however as with all different Honor telephones, it’s impossible to make its option to the US.

It’s solely out there with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage in European markets, and in both a black vegan leather-based end, or a purple glass-backed model. All variants retail for £1,699.99/€1999.90.

You should buy one from the Honor web site and Amazon within the UK, the place you’ll get a free pair of Bang and Olufsen headphones (price £459) on the time of writing.

If you would like the flamboyant Porsche Design version pictured on this evaluate, then you definately’ll be paying extra, however Honor hasn’t revealed the European pricing but. The announcement will come at MWC as a part of Honor’s keynote presentation. 

It’s positive to price extra, however for the extra payment, you get a storage increase to 1TB, a slick design, and a few extraordinarily high-quality equipment.

Nonetheless, neither mannequin is anticipated to be out there on contract. Your finest various can be to purchase it outright and pair with a SIM-only deal.

The Magic V2 may be very costly machine, albeit not extortionate by book-style foldable cellphone requirements. It’s cheaper than key rivals within the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 (from $1,799.99/£1,748) and Google Pixel Fold (from $1,799/£1,749), within the UK although the OnePlus Open ($1,699/£1,599) is barely extra inexpensive.

Do you have to purchase the Honor Magic V2?

The Honor Magic V2 addresses my two greatest points with foldable smartphones. It has a normal-sized and natural-feeling outer show, and it’s as slim and light-weight as many different non-foldable flagship telephones. I’ve liked residing with it – the design is superb and has only a few compromises.

After all, it’s not excellent. The software program might use some refinement and the older chipset sours the deal, particularly with such premium pricing. Alternatively, this chip performs completely properly in 2024, and I actually wasn’t left wanting for efficiency.

In the event you like the concept of a book-style foldable, however aren’t eager on the majority or uncommon cowl show dimensions, then the Magic V2 may very well be the way in which to go. The OnePlus Open is a compelling various, with higher software program implementation, however the battery received’t final fairly as lengthy.

Specs

• MagicOS 7.2, based mostly on Android 13
• Outer show: 6.43-inch 2376×1060, OLED, 120Hz
• Internal show: 7.92-inch, 2344×2156, OLED, 120Hz
• Energy button fingerprint sensor
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
• 16GB RAM
• 512GB / 1TB storage
• Cameras:
  • 50Mp, f/1.9 important digicam
  • 50Mp f/2.0 ultra-wide digicam
  • 20Mp f/2.4 2.5x telephoto
  • Twin 16Mp front-facing cameras
• Stereo audio system
• Twin-SIM
• Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be
• Bluetooth 5.3
• 5000mAh battery
• 66W charging (no charger in field)
• 156.7 x 74 x 9.9 mm (folded)
• No IP certification
• 231g-237g
• Launch colors: Black, Purple, Agate Gray (Porsche Design)