Honor Magic Vs Foldable Smartphone Review

Design & Build: Slim, Sleek and Solid

The Magic Vs sports a slim profile at just 12.9mm when folded, making it thinner and lighter than the Galaxy Z Fold 4. Its outer display boasts a more conventional 21:9 aspect ratio, giving it a familiar feel for users. The redesigned hinge allows the two halves to close seamlessly, eliminating any gap and providing a more regular smartphone experience. Constructed with a mix of metal and glass, the Magic Vs showcases a mirror-like finish on the frame and a textured matte on the rear, offering a less slippery grip.

The rear camera module protrudes slightly but has rounded edges to prevent snagging on pockets. The hinge mechanism is sturdy and smooth, rated for 400,000 folds or ten years of typical use. Although the inner screen’s crease remains visible at certain angles, it is less noticeable during daily use and does not affect the overall user experience.

Screens & Sound: Dual Displays with Vibrant Colors

The Magic Vs comes equipped with two displays: an outer 6.45-inch AMOLED display with a 21:9 aspect ratio and an inner 7.9-inch foldable AMOLED display with a 2272×1984 resolution. The outer display features a 90Hz refresh rate, while the inner display sports a 120Hz refresh rate, providing smooth scrolling and fluid transitions.

Both screens support HDR10+ videos, delivering clear highlights, deep shadows, and inky blacks from the OLED panels. The colours are punchy and vibrant, providing an immersive viewing experience. The phone also boasts stereo speakers that deliver loud and clear sound, further enhancing the multimedia experience.

Performance & Software: A Powerful Chipset with Room for Improvement

The Honor Magic Vs is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset, which, although not as powerful as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 found in some non-folding rivals, still provides smooth multitasking and gaming performance. The phone is available in multiple configurations, with up to 12GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage.

Running on Magic UI 6.0 based on Android 11, the software experience could use some refinement. Users may encounter an abundance of pre-installed apps, limited home screen customization options, and visual bugs in important areas like the camera app. However, these issues can be addressed through future software updates.

Battery Life: Size Matters for All-Day Performance

With a 5000mAh battery, the Honor Magic Vs offers a 10% increase in capacity compared to its predecessor, the Honor Magic V. This places the Magic Vs on par with traditional flagship phones when it comes to battery life. In a test where YouTube was played non-stop on the larger internal display, the device lasted between eight to ten hours before needing to recharge. However, this is not a typical use case for a foldable phone.

For everyday usage, which includes using the outer screen for social media scrolling, taking photos, making calls, and gaming, along with occasional video playback or web browsing on the inner display, the Magic Vs can easily last through the day. This puts it ahead of the Galaxy Z Fold 4, which might require power-saving mode to reach bedtime with some charge remaining. Although the Magic Vs lacks wireless charging, it compensates with speedy wired charging. The phone supports a maximum charging rate of 66W, and Honor includes a compatible power brick in the box. A full charge takes less than an hour, while a quick 20- minute charge typically provides at least 50% battery life.

Cameras: A Feature-Packed Setup with Room for Improvement

The Honor Magic Vs boasts an impressive camera setup, featuring a 50MP main sensor with an f/1.9 aperture lens and a large Sony sensor for capturing ample light. Additionally, it includes two supporting cameras: a 50MP f/2.0 ultra-wide lens with a 122-degree field of view and an 8MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom and an f/2.4 aperture. The ultra-wide lens offers a wider field of view compared to some competitors, fitting more into each shot. However, in some instances, it may be too wide, causing subjects to appear distant within the scene. Although the camera app allows for digital zoom between 0.5x and 1x, the lens struggles to preserve detail and maintain colour consistency with the main lens.

The 8MP telephoto lens delivers decent performance in good lighting conditions but lacks detail due to its lower pixel count. Images can appear overly smoothed, with noticeable digital processing. In daylight, the main lens captures well-exposed images with ample surface detail and minimal over-sharpening. However, it occasionally overcompensates with HDR in bright scenes, leading to less true-to-life photos. Upon closer inspection, the main lens doesn’t match the clarity of top-tier smartphones, but its natural-looking colours still make an impact. The Magic Vs falls short compared to Honor’s exceptional Magic 5 Pro, despite having a higher price tag.

In low-light situations, the lack of image stabilization on the main lens requires a steady hand to avoid camera shake and blurry elements. While exposure and colours are generally well- balanced, detail preservation can be inconsistent. The telephoto lens fares better due to built- in OIS but may struggle with brighter light sources. Colours appear convincing, but noise reduction software can result in over-processed images. The Magic Vs features two 16MP punch-hole selfie cameras, one on the outer screen and another on the inner display. These cameras perform adequately for video calls and selfies. Overall, the Honor Magic Vs offers respectable camera performance within the foldable smartphone category. However, it falls behind the best photography-centric phones in terms of image quality and consistency.

Conclusion: A Strong Contender with Potential

The Honor Magic Vs is a promising foldable smartphone that combines powerful hardware, sleek design, and versatile cameras in a thin and lightweight package. Although its software experience could use some improvements, the device still offers a solid user experience overall. With its competitive pricing, the Magic Vs may be an attractive option for those looking to try a foldable smartphone without breaking the bank.