Honor Magic Vs Overview: Punching Up

Value When Reviewed

Not accessible within the US

Ever for the reason that first Galaxy Z Fold telephone launched – 4 years in the past – Samsung has loved primarily zero competitors within the West.

Huawei has launched a string of book-style foldables that no-one will purchase as a result of they don’t run Google; Oppo, Vivo, and Xiaomi have pushed their fashions in China however nowhere else; and strange gamers together with Pablo Escobar’s brother have run a string of small choices (and generally scams) to construct out {the marketplace}.

Lastly although, that adjustments. Honor is formally bringing its Magic Vs foldable to markets worldwide (besides North America), and for a value designed to undercut its huge Samsung rival.

With a hinge that closes totally flat, a fairly highly effective triple rear digicam, and an exceptionally slim physique, the Magic Vs undoubtedly has the {hardware} to place Samsung instead. 

There’s a predictable lack of polish that holds the software program expertise again although – and some luxurious options I’d wish to see at this value – that make the Z Fold 4 a greater purchase for many. However what a reduction to see Honor giving Samsung a run for its cash.

Design & construct

• Hinge that closes totally flat
• Exceptionally skinny for a foldable
• No IP score

Essentially the most fascinating alternative that Honor made in designing the Magic Vs is to construct it as a telephone first, and a foldable second.

By that I imply that it’s designed to work in addition to potential when closed, providing you with one thing fairly near a standard smartphone.

Henry Burrell / Foundry

To that finish, the Magic Vs is skinny – simply 12.9mm thick when shut, making it solely slightly heftier than the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Extremely. Don’t get me incorrect, it’s nonetheless chunkier than principally any commonplace slab telephone, however not a lot that it feels bothersome. 

Importantly, Honor has additionally made positive that when the telephone closes, it closes flat. Samsung’s newest foldables nonetheless shut right into a wedge form, with a slight hole between the 2 halves of the show. 

In contrast the Magic Vs seals shut, feeling strong and safe when closed. If something it’s slightly too comfortable – it’s unimaginable to open with one hand, and even with each generally it feels such as you’ve obtained a battle in your fingers to unfold the telephone.

That solidity most likely helps the haptics, which have a reassuring heft to their buzzes, and are one a part of why the telephone feels so premium within the hand.

Henry Burrell / Foundry

Honor is boastful of how a lot it simplified the hinge for the Vs – down to only 4 elements, supposedly – however a part of the value for that’s that it’s not as succesful because the Z Fold 4 at sitting open at numerous angles, with a bent for the display screen to slowly wobble open when you attempt to prop it up.

It’s not helped by the chunky, lopsided digicam module. I just like the look of this – a barely curved rectange set in opposition to the cyan or black physique of the telephone – nevertheless it protrudes sufficient to make the telephone exceptionally wobbly when mendacity down, and its weight imbalances issues additional when the display screen is partially open.

There’s one ultimate draw back to the design right here: whereas Samsung has managed to waterproof its newest foldables, there’s no IP score in any respect on the Magic Vs, and Honor has mentioned little to counsel you’ll be able to safely get this telephone moist. It’s survived some gentle rain throughout testing, however I wouldn’t belief it with way more than that.

Henry Burrell / Foundry

As at all times, a caveat for foldables: sturdiness is difficult to foretell, and even Samsung gadgets have routine points. Solely purchase certainly one of these when you can afford for it to interrupt down, and ideally be sure you’ll be lined by good insurance coverage. That is an additional edge for Samsung, which has extra widespread restore services you’ll be able to fall again on if wanted.

Screens & audio system

• Wonderful, tall 120Hz AMOLED outer show
• Sq.-ish 90Hz internal show
• Respectable, however quiet, audio system

As I mentioned earlier than, Honor determined to concentrate on optimising the Magic Vs to work nicely when it’s closed. With that in thoughts, the corporate truly put a greater panel on the telephone’s outdoors than on its inside.

Henry Burrell / Foundry

The outside cowl show here’s a 6.45in 120Hz AMOLED panel with a decision of 1080×2560. It has a sooner refresh charge and better decision than the internal display screen, and runs brighter, with specs that principally match most flagship telephone panels, excluding missing LTPO tech for a dynamic refresh charge.

I’ve discovered myself utilizing this outer show way more than the telephone’s internal one – as appears to be supposed – and it’s by no means felt like a compromise from every other telephone I evaluate. It’s a fine condition, comfy measurement, and appears implausible.

That mentioned, the inner show is barely extra restricted. The large one is the drop to a 90Hz refresh charge, nevertheless it’s additionally a contact dimmer and fewer vibrant than the opposite display screen. It’s definitely not a dangerous show, however you’ll discover the distinction.

Henry Burrell / Foundry

As with every foldable telephone there’s a crease within the center. It’s onerous to identify head-on, however simply seen from an angle, and deep sufficient to note as you swipe over it. In order for you the direct comparability, I’d say the crease right here is on a par with the one you’ll discover on Samsung’s Fold, and extra noticeable than on the likes of Oppo’s China-only Discover N2.

The audio system are one of many telephone’s slight disappointments. I normally don’t care a lot both means about telephone audio system, however the ones listed below are quieter and tinnier than I’d anticipated from a telephone this measurement. Honor has additionally put each on the entrance half of the telephone, that means they’re on the identical facet when it opens up, ruining the stereo impact.

Specs & efficiency

• Flagship-level Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip
• 12GB RAM and 512GB storage

One factor Honor hasn’t skimped is on energy. The Magic Vs is supplied with the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 – not fairly the most recent flagship chip from Qualcomm, however nonetheless current, and highly effective sufficient to maintain up with essentially the most demanding stuff you are able to do on a smartphone.

For the worldwide launch, Honor has additionally determined to maintain issues easy, with only one model accessible, geared up with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. That’s greater than Samsung provides by default, another excuse the Honor might look compelling based mostly on value alone.

benchmarking apps, the Magic Vs lags behind a few of the newest slab flagships, however is a detailed match to the Z Fold 4 on pure efficiency.

Be aware that relating to graphical efficiency, there’s a distinction between the telephone’s two shows. Whereas the outer display screen has greater pixel density, the bigger internal display screen has extra pixels total. Meaning it hits decrease body charges on the GFXBench graphics checks, and also will run video games barely slower. That’s true for any ebook foldable in fact, however value taking into account.

Elsewhere, 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, and NFC make up the telephone’s networking capabilities – all par for the course.

As for biometrics, as is typical for foldables there’s no in-display fingerprint scanner, however as an alternative one is constructed into the facility button, and works nicely. Face unlock is an possibility too.

Digicam & video

• Spectacular triple rear digicam
• Versatile setup
• Two equivalent selfie cameras

Most foldables compromise on cameras to some extent. That’s true right here too actually – Honor’s greatest digicam is in its Magic 5 Professional flagship, not the Magic Vs – however I’ve been impressed with how succesful the providing right here is.

Let’s begin with the rear cameras, the place you discover a trio of choices: a 54Mp, f/1.9 predominant digicam, a 50Mp ultrawide, and an 8Mp telephoto with 3x optical zoom.

Henry Burrell / Foundry

As you’d count on from any telephone this value, the primary digicam impresses. Photographs are crisp and detailed, even in decrease gentle, with first rate dynamic vary. Colors positively skew in the direction of the intense, punchy, and over-saturated, however hardly ever go thus far in that path as to look completely unnatural.

Nighttime and low gentle efficiency isn’t up there with one of the best of one of the best, however the telephone is greater than able to taking detailed photographs of a nighttime cityscape, solely often tripping up on deal with vivid lights inside an in any other case darkish body – an issue even the iPhone 14 Professional Max struggles with, so the Magic Vs is in good firm.

The 50Mp ultrawide doesn’t impress as a lot. Regardless of the same sensor decision there’s a definite drop intimately whenever you change to this lens, which is exacerbated by dimmer lighting. Dynamic vary suffers too, and hues usually appear darker and flatter than the primary digicam. 

It’s removed from a foul digicam, and stays a great choice to have for group images or panoramic vistas, however don’t be fooled by the megapixel rely into pondering that is on a par with the first lens.

Luckily the telephoto is healthier. It’s a 3x zoom optical lens, with a digicam app shortcut for 10x, and an choice to go so far as 30x by pinching in. 

Photographs taken at 3x zoom look good, with little noise, a great deal of element, and a great color match for the primary shooter. Even that 10x possibility marks a pointy drop in high quality although, handing over images with that delicate watercolour impact even in good lighting, so I wouldn’t wish to push this zoom too far. Listed here are just a few comparability photographs on the 3x and 10x settings:

You get two selfie cameras, one on every show, providing you with choices for each images or video calls. To maintain issues easy, Honor has geared up every show with the very same 16Mp, f/2.4 digicam, so there’s no purpose to choose one over the opposite relating to picture high quality.

Selfies come out nice from each cameras, with oodles of element and pure pores and skin tones. The algorithmic portrait mode impresses too, with a spread of bokeh choices and wonderful edge detection that handles the wispy ends of my hair nicely, with solely a few stray strands caught within the blur.

See when you can spot the distinction between the 2 lenses in these photographs (with the internal digicam first in every pairing):

Video recording goes as much as 4K@60 from the rear lenses, or 1080p@60 for both selfie shooter, and is typical for Android (which is to say: it’s good, however no iPhone). The primary draw back is that with no optical picture stabilisation on the primary rear digicam, you gained’t be capable of get particularly secure footage when you’re taking pictures on the go. 

Battery & charging

• Massive battery that runs all day
• Quick wired charging
• No wi-fi charging

Regardless of making a thinner foldable than Samsung, Honor has by some means managed to squeeze in a much bigger battery.

The 5000mAh capability right here is among the many greatest you’ll discover in any flagship telephone, and even with two shows to fret about it makes the Magic Vs an all-day telephone.

In actual fact, I examined it whereas protecting the MWC 2023 commerce present the place it was given its worldwide launch. Meaning heavy utilization, with roaming information, hot-spotting my laptop computer, and taking loads of images. Via all that, I nonetheless normally had 30% of the battery left by the point I hit my resort mattress.

Charging is quick too, with 66W wired charging over USB-C. I discovered that would restore 40% of the battery in simply quarter-hour, and 77% in half an hour – quick sufficient for nearly anybody.

The one actual draw back is that there’s no wi-fi charging help, which is the trade-off to get these sooner wired speeds.

Software program & updates

• Ships with Android 13 and MagicOS 7.1
• Foldable implementation is imperfect
• Three OS upgrades and 5 years of safety patches

The software program is the only greatest purpose to skip the Magic Vs and purchase Samsung’s foldable as an alternative.

The Vs ships with Android 13, working Honor’s MagicOS 7.1 pores and skin on prime. MagicOS is way from my favorite Android pores and skin at one of the best of instances, and isn’t helped right here by a half-hearted integration of foldable options – even omitting many which can be constructed into Android itself.

Henry Burrell / Foundry

Not one of the additions discovered within the foldable-focussed Android 12L are included right here, such because the taskbar or Google’s personal tackle multi-tasking.

The software program model I’m working doesn’t even embody an app drawer – a basic and fundamental a part of the Android OS – although I’ve been assured that’s on the best way within the subsequent replace, so must be included by the point the telephone is on sale.

Honor does provide its personal vertical split-screen possibility for working two apps, and it really works fairly nicely, however there’s extra versatility in Samsung and different rivals’ gadgets.

Simply as irritating is the truth that each different time you open and shut the telephone a pop-up warns that some apps gained’t show correctly and suggests you re-open them. For what it’s value, solely 1Password and Slack have truly struggled to adapt to the altering facet ratio, and I’d most likely slightly simply put up with these edge instances than be warned each time.

Henry Burrell / Foundry

The opposite software program annoyance isn’t actually Honor’s fault: too many Android apps merely can’t deal with the big, sq. internal show nicely. Some apps open in narrower home windows and letterbox the show. Some open totally however amplify content material so hardly something matches within the show anyway. Video calls routinely crop awkwardly, slicing off half the feed.

It’s been years since foldables began rolling out and app help nonetheless doesn’t really feel significantly better, even from main gamers like Instagram, Twitter, and WhatsApp. Hopefully elevated competitors from Honor and others will velocity up progress, however for now be able to compromise.

Lastly, in a welcome contact Honor has introduced that it’s going to ship three years of Android model updates to the Magic Vs, with 5 years of safety patches. That doesn’t fairly match Samsung’s four-year software program promise, nevertheless it’s a serious enchancment from earlier Honor handsets, and means the Magic Vs ought to final you just a few years of use.

Value & availability

The Honor Magic Vs is launching within the UK on 19 Could, with a launch rolling out throughout Europe and Asia too. It prices £1,399/€1,599 for a mannequin with 12GB of RAM and 512GB storage, however when you purchase it from the Honor retailer by 26 Could and subscribe to its publication it can save you £200 on that.

At full value it’s round £250/€200 cheaper than the Galaxy Z Fold 4, and contains double that telephone’s default storage, with a good larger value hole from the Google Pixel Fold.

Nonetheless, contemplating the Samsung provides slicker software program, S Pen help, waterproofing, wi-fi charging, and higher restore choices, it stays the higher purchase for most individuals. In spite of everything, when you can afford to purchase a telephone this costly, you’ll be able to most likely afford to spend slightly extra.

Take a look at our full information to the greatest Android telephones for extra choices, or the greatest Honor telephones for extra from the model.

Verdict

The Honor Magic Vs is a formidable foldable telephone, and a notable step up in high quality from the first-gen Magic V.

The {hardware} is slick, with a slim physique and safe hinge design, and this base appear and feel positively trumps Samsung’s providing. Quicker charging and extra highly effective rear cameras give the Magic Vs an additional edge.

However in a telephone at this value level, the shortage of software program polish is a serious downside – and options like waterproofing and wi-fi charging seem like unacceptable omissions.

Honor hasn’t fairly overwhelmed Samsung at its personal sport – nevertheless it will get kudos for being the one firm courageous sufficient to strive.

Specs

• Android 13 (MagicOS 7.1)
• 7.9in 90Hz foldable OLED, 2272 x 1984
• 6.45in 120Hz exterior OLED, 2560 x 1080p
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset
• 12GB RAM
• 512GB storage
• Digicam:
  • 54Mp predominant digicam (f/1.9)
  • 50Mp ultrawide & macro digicam (f/2.0)
  • 8Mp 3x optical zoom digicam (f/2.4)
  • 16Mp entrance digicam (f/2.45)
• Aspect-mounted fingerprint sensor
• WiFi 6
• Bluetooth 5.2
• NFC
• 5G
• 4900mAh battery
• 66W wired charging
• Twin-SIM
• Peak
• Width
  • Unfolded: 141.5mm, folded: 72.6mm
• Depth
  • Unfolded: 6.1mm, folded: 12.9mm