Two Asian tech giants kicked off the present pattern for book-style folding telephones, however just one is a real drive within the West.
Samsung continues to dominate the market, with the Galaxy Z Fold 7 launch quickly approaching, whereas rival Huawei’s software program points and subsequent restricted international presence have hampered its affect.
It’s allowed Samsung to take a extra relaxed method, providing nothing greater than incremental enhancements lately. Nonetheless, competitors is beginning to warmth up, with the likes of OnePlus, Oppo and Google all getting into the market.
Nonetheless, it’s Honor that’s pushing the boundaries greater than some other firm. The Honor Magic V3 was 9.2mm thick and 226g, versus 12.1mm and 239g on the Z Fold 6.
Whereas the Z Fold 7 is anticipated to surpass that, Honor goes one step additional. Its new Magic V5 is 8.8mm when folded, 4.1mm when unfolded, and weighs 217g. That’s not solely setting a typical for folding telephones, but it surely’s additionally difficult common candybar telephones.
Chris Corridor / Foundry
Having spent a while with the brand new Honor Magic V5, I can’t assist feeling that that is the cellphone for folks critical about {hardware}. Honor has taken most of the finest components of the Magic V3 and simply made them higher, providing a great deal of upgrades.
The Magic V5 is barely 0.3mm thicker than the Pixel 9 Professional XL I’ve in my pocket, but it surely’s lighter. Slipping a folding cellphone into your pocket is now not the compromise it as soon as was.
Slipping a folding cellphone into your pocket is now not the compromise it as soon as was
This bodily design is boosted by enhanced sturdiness, too. There’s an IP58 and IP59 score, so it gives sturdy safety in opposition to water and a few safety in opposition to mud. Given the complicated hinge design, attending to the IP68 we see on many high-end telephones could be very troublesome.
True flagship-level cameras?
I’m completely satisfied to just accept that Honor’s 8.8mm thickness determine doesn’t embody that massive bump on the again of the cellphone, because it makes up for it with a powerful set of digital camera specs.
Honor advised me that the choice to incorporate such a pronounced digital camera housing is as a result of prospects don’t need to compromise on cameras or battery, so the Magic V5 was constructed to cater to their wants.
There’s a three-camera system on the Magic V5, with a 64Mp, 3x optical telephoto digital camera, 50Mp predominant lens and 50Mp ultrawide. I took a few take a look at pictures, however the cellphone I used to be utilizing wasn’t on the ultimate software program, so I couldn’t decide something concerning the high quality of those cameras.
Chris Corridor / Foundry
That’s additionally been a criticism of Samsung’s Z Fold fashions previously: it’s a flagship system, however lacks the flagship digital camera expertise many count on.
Apparently, Honor has switched from a 3.5x optical zoom on the Magic V3 to 3x right here, whereas boosting the decision with a brand new sensor. That’s going to be one thing to discover once we overview the cellphone.
Will or not it’s trumped by the rumoured 200Mp digital camera on the Galaxy Z Fold 7? Time will inform.
Chris Corridor / Foundry
Severe energy, folding cellphone or not
Past that, Honor has given the Magic V5 some critical credentials. Due to using silicon-carbon for the battery, it’s rated at 5820mAh – extra capacious than most common telephones – whereas additionally supporting 66W wired charging.
That’s seemingly to supply nice stamina for this system, whereas the Samsung Z Fold 7 is rumoured to maintain the identical 4400mAh battery (with 25W charging) as its predecessor. That’s doubtlessly going to result in a gulf within the consumer expertise between these two units.
Powering Honor’s cellphone is the Snapdragon 8 Elite, so it’s flagship-grade {hardware}, repeating the place of the earlier cellphone and making this one of the crucial highly effective folding telephones out there.
The exterior show feels very very similar to one on an everyday cellphone. Even when folded, you aren’t giving up on a premium expertise
Dynamic shows
The Honor Magic V5 incorporates a 7.95-inch show, providing 5000 nits peak brightness and Dolby Imaginative and prescient HDR help. This LTPO AMOLED panel gives variable refresh charges from 1-120Hz.
Based mostly on my first impressions, this show is actually glorious. It’s shiny and vibrant, whereas the 2352 x 2172 decision gives glorious element. There’s nonetheless one thing of a crease, but it surely feels good and secure throughout the centre of the cellphone, so the folding part is effectively supported.
Those that have used folding telephones will know the crease makes little actual distinction while you’re utilizing the system. I’ve spent hours watching motion pictures on folding telephones with out worrying concerning the crease and even noticing that it’s there.
At 6.45 inches, the exterior show feels very very similar to one on an everyday cellphone. Even when folded, you aren’t giving up on a premium expertise.
Software program is prone to make or break it
There’s little to say concerning the software program expertise at this level. Honor didn’t say a lot about it and with the main target being initially on the launch in China, I’m not shocked: the software program expertise constructed round Google and providing AI options will come sooner or later.
I wouldn’t count on it to differ an excessive amount of from the kind of factor we’ve seen on the Honor Magic 7 Pro or the Honor 400 Pro, though.
But for now I’m happy to put the software to one side. It’s Honor’s hardware that shines and this is going to be a powerful folding phone, which is slim, lightweight and potentially offering great battery life.
The ball now falls into Samsung’s court, while we’re expecting to hear more about the Honor Magic V5’s global launch later in the summer. Currently there’s no price on the Honor Magic V5, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it keeps the £1,699.99 asking price.