Honor formalizes the Magic V, its first foldable smartphone

Honor now joins the list of manufacturers who have a foldable smartphone in their catalog. The company today presented the Magic V, a model that has a design quite similar to that of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3, for the moment intended for the Chinese market. Like its South Korean competitor, the Magic V offers a very high-end technical sheet.

With its dimensions of 160.4 x 72.7 x 14.3 mm when folded, the smartphone is a little thinner than the Galaxy Z Fold 3 (16 mm thick). Good news, given that this is one of the most disabling aspects of this type of model. Unfolded, it has proportions of 160.4 x 141.1 x 6.7 mm.

Screens full of promise

The Honor Magic V features a 6.45-inch curved (44 °) external OLED display on one side, displaying 2560 x 1080 pixels and refreshed up to 120 Hz. It sports a 21: 9 aspect ratio, which sets it apart from its competitors, and occupies 90% of the front panel.

Honor seems to have thought of its closed model as a full-fledged smartphone, well aware that its open use will not be systematic. The brand announces a peak in brightness reaching 1000 nits and a resolution of 431 ppi.

Once unfolded, we are entitled to a 7.9-inch (2272 x 1984 pixels) panel in 10: 9 format with a refresh rate of up to 90 Hz. This lower rate probably saves energy. daily. The light peak here reaches 800 nits and 381 ppi resolution. It is also compatible with HDR10 + and has received IMAX Enhanced certification. The DCI-P3 color space is completely covered by the two panels.

George Zhao, the CEO of the firm, says the Magic V could be opened (and closed) up to 200,000 times, which equates to ten years of use at 50 openings per day. Despite the use of a “Alloy of titanium, liquid zirconium metals and high strength carbon fibers” suggesting a mobile lighter than its competitors, Honor did not specify its weight.

Snapdragon 8 Gen on the program

Under the hood, we are entitled to a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC coupled with 12 GB of RAM and 256/512 GB of storage. The chip in question should offer 30% more performance in the game. We can therefore expect a fluidity foolproof. The set will run on Android 12 and the new Magic UI 6.0 overlay. A homemade cooling system should keep the overall heat below 40 ° C over half an hour of play.

For the photo, the firm chose a triple 50 Mpx sensor with a wide-angle (f / 1.9), an ultra-wide-angle (f / 2.2), but also an “improved spectrum” module ( f / 2.0). The brand was not poured out more than that on the last, simply specifying that its use allowed to obtain better results, even in the event of different exposures or fog. An 8×8 dToF sensor, designed to manage depth, completes the package.

The Magic V is also equipped with two 42MP front photo sensors for selfies. The first is on the top of the external display, the second is on the left side of the unfolded display. Honor praises its quality, especially at night or against the light.

Endurance and safety

The autonomy is ensured by a battery of 4750 mAh, compatible with a fast charge to 66 W. A very interesting fact, because these models sometimes suffer from a lack of endurance. The brand announces that it is possible to recharge it to 50% in 15 minutes.

Honor also insists on data security, specifying that the smartphone is equipped with an independent security chip. Even stolen and rooted, it will require knowing the password of the Honor account to which it is linked to grant full access to the user.

The Honor Magic V will be available in three colors: black, white and orange. Its price will be communicated “In the next few days” in China, but it is not known whether a European release is to be expected. It is therefore a serious competitor to Samsung, but also to Oppo, which seems to have succeeded in creating emulation around its next Find N.