Honor ready to shake up the folding smartphone market with its Magic V

Unveiled on January 10, 2022 during an online event, the Honor Magic V is the first folding smartphone from the Chinese manufacturer. Powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen1 SoC
, it is ready to shake up the established order in the folding smartphone market.

Honor obviously insisted on the increased performance of its Magic V compared to its direct competitor, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3, but also compared to the iPhone 13, which is currently the best-selling smartphone in China.

Honor: how did it come to folding smartphones?

It was in 2013 that Honor was founded, with the ambition of competing with mid-range smartphone brands that operate entirely online. Indeed, by selling their products only on the internet, in particular via partner sites, manufacturers can reduce their costs and therefore offer their models at a reduced price.

When Honor breaks free from its parent company

The impossibility of using hardware and software components from the United States, due to the blockade imposed by the Trump administration on its parent company, became problematic for the brand and impacted its growth. The brand was therefore sold in November 2020 to a consortium consisting of a state-owned company in Shenzhen, China, and a group of brand retailers.

Honor has thus become a full-fledged manufacturer by recovering, at the same time, its factories and all the infrastructure previously affiliated with the brand. Totally emancipated, Honor therefore returns with full Google Services and the ability to use made in the USA applications such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or even Netflix.

Android license recovery

Buoyed by its newfound independence, Honor has joined the club of Chinese manufacturers like Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo, which operate without US restrictions. Honor can therefore use the Android operating system with Google services, and therefore continue its activities in the smartphone and cellphone markets. wearables.

A smartphone that has nothing to be ashamed of in the face of market leaders

Honor has taken its time to enter the folding smartphone market. But the brand has especially listened to and exploited the criticisms suffered by the models of competing manufacturers. With this background, Honor was able to offer a better designed smartphone that is in line with the real uses of consumers.

Careful design

Prior to the design of its first folding flagship, Honor carried out several studies. The result is the finding of crucial importance relating to the user experience via the external screen, that is to say when the smartphone is closed.

Indeed, for their classic use, ie calling, reading, sending messages or even scrolling on their favorite social networks, users naturally favor the external screen.

But for emails, note taking or the use of certain professional applications, the internal screen is largely preferred since it offers a more pleasant and intuitive work surface.

It is for these reasons that the manufacturer has opted for an aspect ratio of 21:9 for the external screen of 6.45 inches (2560 x 1080 pixels) and 10:9 for the internal screen of 7.90. inches (2272 x 1984 pixels). The remaining objective is to offer the best possible comfort of use.

A lightweight and balanced folding smartphone

Honor has designed the thinnest folding smartphone on the market when closed: for classic uses, the smartphone, although quite thick, fits well in the hand. And it is particularly light: 288g or 293g depending on the color. A featherweight linked to its chassis made of a titanium alloy, zirconium liquid metals and carbon fibers.

Together, these heavy-duty materials reduce the density of the device. Proper weight distribution between the two halves of the device, when open, was also crucial for Honor. To achieve this objective, the manufacturer opted for a dual battery, with a total capacity of 4750 mAh.

Thus, the Honor Magic V is pleasant in hand: when it is deployed, one side is not heavier than the other. The set measures 160.4 x 72.7 x 14.3mm when closed, and expands to a width of 141.1mm and a thickness of 6.7mm when opened.

However, the photo island on the back of the device protrudes quite far from the device. It is composed of three 50 Mpx sensors: a wide-angle (f / 1.9), an ultra wide-angle (f / 2.2) and a Spectrum Enhanced (f/2.0). Both the external screen and the internal screen are equipped with a 42MP (f/2.4) selfie sensor.

For the durability of the internal screen, a major concern of consumers, Honor opted for a teardrop-shaped hinge capable of withstanding 200,000 openings and closings of the folding smartphone.

According to the Chinese manufacturer, this amounts to a lifespan of 10 years, at the rate of 50 daily openings and closings. And of course, the internal screen is covered with a protective film against dust, scratches and nasty fingerprints.

First folding smartphone equipped with a Snapdragon 8 Gen1

In addition to offering a lightweight and balanced folding smartphone to meet consumer requirements, Honor has also taken care of the technical data sheet of its Magic V. This features a high-end SoC from Qualcomm, the Snapdragon 8 Gen1.

Performance at the rendezvous

The Honor Magic V thus offers a performance increase of around 20% on the CPU side and 30% on the GPU side. It is also noted that the product is 30% less energy intensive than the previous generation.

Let’s go back to the screens for a moment to clarify that the external OLED offers a refresh rate of 120 Hz. For comparison, the internal OLED screen is satisfied with “only” 90 Hz, and the Galaxy Z Fold 3 offers a rate of 120Hz refresh throughout.

Nevertheless, we can point out that the Honor Magic V offers a better screen definition with a higher aspect ratio. This screen ratio is also greater thanks to thinner borders, and the pixel density as well, whether for the external screen as for the internal screen.

For moviegoers, the Honor Magic V holds the certification IMAX Enhanced. This guarantees an immersive experience, like in the cinema, thanks to its large screen and its dual stereo speakers.

A personalized experience by Magic UI 6.0

Since its creation in 2016, the artificial intelligence developed by Honor has evolved a lot. A leap forward which now tends, through the Magic UI 6.0 overlay, to make the smartphone proactive.

Indeed, the AI ​​learns from the habits of the user and gradually adapts in order to improve its user experience. The latter can in particular benefit from increasingly personalized recommendations. For example, it can launch applications according to the day and time, whether it is work or rest time.

If the user has to fly, the Honor Magic V will offer him a suitable route, based on his schedule. What to avoid him any delay or allow him to eat on the spot before his departure, if it is his habit. And when geolocated in the airport, the AI ​​displays the updated list of departures and arrivals.

In short, with Magic UI 6.0, the Honor Magic V supports its user like a real personal assistant, by conforming to their habits and preferences, to ultimately offer them a completely personalized OS.