Honor’s Magic V5 Foldable Almost Feels Too Thin

As soon arsenic I picked up Honor’s Magic V5, I was a small concerned astir its durability. The 4th generation of Honor’s Android foldable whitethorn not beryllium massively thinner than its predecessor, but it judge feels for illustration it. Yes, it’s built pinch aerospace-grade materials to make it sturdy contempt its svelteness, but it’s besides nan first foldable I’d insist connected buying a lawsuit for because goodness me, it’s thin.

If you recall, the past handset successful this bid was nan Magic V3 and no, you haven’t fallen dormant and missed a year. The number 4 tin correspond bad luck successful Chinese civilization arsenic its Cantonese shape (sei) sounds almost identical to nan connection for decease (séi). Consequently, we’ve skipped a exemplary number.

The V5 is truthful svelte it’ll hardly make an belief connected your pants pocket, measuring 8.8mm folded and 4.1mm open. That’s not a large quality to nan V3’s 9.2mm / 4.35mm, but it surely feels for illustration a rubicon has been crossed. It’s worthy noting Honor is marking its ain homework pinch 1 oculus closed here, since it tin only scope that thickness pinch nan achromatic V5. The different colorways (black, reddish and gold) stack up astatine 9mm / 4.2mm, which is almost nan aforesaid arsenic Samsung’s Z Fold 7.

Naturally, a premium foldable deserves premium internals, and nan V5 packs a Snapdragon 8 Elite pinch 16GB RAM and 512GB storage. There’s a 5,820mAh silicon c artillery that, erstwhile paired pinch nan company’s accustomed AI power-management tools, promises astir 50 hours of life connected a charge. I won’t remark connected that declare but I tin opportunity this is nan snappiest and fastest Honor foldable I’ve laid my eyes and hands on. There’s nary lag aliases hold erstwhile switching displays, and everything feels for illustration it’s already served up seconds earlier you’ve moreover asked for it.

But successful nan aforesaid measurement nary modern smartphone is simply a melodramatic departure from what went before, nan remainder of nan communicative present is nips and tucks. The Magic V5 has nan aforesaid 6.43-inch screen show arsenic nan V3, and nan main surface has grown only slightly, from 7.92 inches to 7.95 inches. The only useful tweak is support for Honor’s MagicPen stylus connected some screens, but it’s nan aforesaid size arsenic an Apple Pencil, truthful you’ll request to find a spot to shop it.

It’s a akin communicative of humble changes connected nan imaging beforehand arsenic nan V5 is equipped pinch a 50-megapixel f/1.6 superior camera pinch OIS. That's paired pinch a 64-megapixel, f/2.5 periscope telephoto (also pinch OIS) and a 50-megapixel f/2.0 ultra-wide. Overall, that’s an betterment connected nan erstwhile model, but some selfie cameras (in nan screen and superior display) are nan aforesaid 20-megapixel shooter recovered successful nan V3. Of course, capacity is bolstered by nan accustomed AI features that whitethorn aliases whitethorn not beryllium useful.

Honor has announced European pricing for nan V5, pinch it costing €1,999 (around $2,317) successful nan EU and £1,699 (around $2,283) successful nan UK. That puts it successful nan aforesaid unsmooth bracket arsenic nan Z Fold 7, though there's truthful galore deals and discounts these days you tin ever prevention money if you look. I'm still not judge if Honor isn't trading itself short by not undercutting its rivals much aggressively, but it must consciousness it tin compete, and win, against Samsung and nan for illustration connected an moreover playing field.