Honor’s New Foldable Phone Is Nearly as Thin as the iPhone 14

Honor’s newest foldable cellphone, the Magic V2, boasts the title of lightest and thinnest foldable cellphone to hit the market. Weighing simply 231 grams (8.15 ounces), it is lighter than some common candybar telephones, together with the iPhone 14 Pro Max. The Magic V2 will solely be launched in China at launch, because it comes on the heels of the worldwide arrival of its predecessor, the Magic VS. There it will be obtainable beginning at 8,999 yuan, which converts to roughly $1,250, £970 or AU$1,850, and is predicted to ship earlier than the tip of the month.The arrival of Honor’s newest foldable flagship additionally comes merely weeks forward of the rumored launch of Samsung’s subsequent era of foldable telephones, the Galaxy Z Fold 5. I had an opportunity to check the Magic V2 {hardware} forward of launch, though the software program continues to be in growth, so it isn’t the main focus right here. Apart from the svelte design, Honor has refined and upgraded its second-generation foldable. It’s utilizing an upgraded sort of battery know-how often known as silicon carbon, which helps it hold a big battery capability of 5,000 mAh regardless of the slim folding design. The crease on the interior display screen is much less seen and Honor’s added a stylus within the field for all variants. There’s no slot on the cellphone for the stylus, although. By comparability, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 has a slot for the stylus, but it surely’s offered individually. The Magic V2 folds like a guide. Sareena Dayaram/CNETThe Magic V2 additionally presents incremental upgrades similar to a quicker processor (Snapdragon 8 Gen 2), a extra superior digital camera setup (on paper at the very least) and the next refresh charge on the interior display screen.However, there’s nonetheless no official IP score for water- and dust-resistance. That characteristic is not frequent in foldable telephones but, however each the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Huawei Mate X3 have an IPX8 score for water-resistance, although not for mud.Honor is a former Huawei sub-brand, however in contrast to telephones from Huawei, Honor telephones carry the complete energy of Google cellular companies, which incorporates the Google Play Store, Google Maps and different important components of the Android ecosystem. The Magic V2 (left) is visibly thinner than the Magic VS, its predecessor. Sareena Dayaram/CNETThe Honor Magic V2 is lighter and slimmerAs quickly as I unboxed the Magic V2, I used to be struck by its light-weight design and ultraslim {hardware}. It’s visibly thinner and shorter than its predecessor, the Magic VS. When folded, the V2 is simply 9.9mm thick, which is simply 1.3mm greater than the usual iPhone 14. The Magic V2 can also be lighter and thinner than the Galaxy Z Fold 4, though I count on Samsung to improved on this in future generations of the Z Fold collection.Apart from that, I used to be impressed by the machine’s slick {hardware}, which allowed the 2 halves of the cellphone to fold flat in opposition to one another with out a hole. The Galaxy Z Fold 4, nonetheless has a wedge-shaped hole when closed. However, this design won’t essentially be higher than Samsung’s, as Google discovered the onerous method. The Pixel Fold’s shows fold flat in opposition to one another, which might be one of many the explanation why the screens on so many fashions have damaged. Ron Amadeo on ArsTechnica prompt that when the screens fold flat with grime or different issues caught between, it could actually trigger stress leading to breakage, particularly because the Pixel Fold’s display screen protector for the inner show would not cowl your complete OLED show beneath. That mentioned, the Magic V2’s predecessor did not have these points, so it appears unlikely to be an issue with this cellphone.For the primary time, I discover myself satisfied that book-style foldable telephones may have a spot in my future — supplied a cellphone comes with the best value and consumer expertise. (For full disclosure, I have not spent significant time with Samsung’s foldable providing or Google’s Pixel Fold.)  Watching Wimbledon outdoor on full brightness. Honor says the interior display screen of the Magic V2 can hit a peak of 1,600 nits. Sareena Dayaram/CNETThe Magic V2’s two showsThe Magic V2 is straightforward to make use of when it is folded, as its 6.43-inch cowl display screen is much like commonplace nonfolding telephones. It was straightforward to only use the duvet display screen with out even unfolding the machine to make use of the inner display screen. Its peak brightness of two,500 nits made it straightforward to observe movies in sunny environments, though not beneath direct daylight. Inside, you will discover a 7.92-inch interior show with a crease that is barely noticeable. I needed to maneuver the cellphone to particular angles to even see it. Although it was discernible to the contact, the crease did not intrude with my expertise. I used to be in a position to watch movies and browse the information seamlessly. This is an enormous enchancment over the older Magic VS, which had a clearly seen crease. The firm mentioned the hinge is made with titanium alloy that helps make it lighter and doubtlessly extra sturdy. Honor says the hinge can face up to as much as 400,000 folds. That theoretically means the hinge will present 10 years of use (assuming 100 folds per day), though whether or not the versatile display screen itself would final that lengthy stays to be seen. CNET hasn’t been in a position to independently confirm that declare.  My early pattern unit had restricted performance, so I have not been in a position to check the digital camera, battery, efficiency or consider the software program. I’ll replace this text as soon as I obtain a ultimate evaluation unit. Sareena Dayaram/CNETHonor Magic V2 vs. Magic VS vs. Galaxy Z Fold 4 Honor Magic VS 2Honor Magic VSGalaxy Z Fold 4 5G Display dimension, decision, refresh charge Internal: 7.92-inch OLED (2,344×2,156 pixels),120Hz, 1,600 nits; exterior: 6.43-inch OLED (2,376×1,060 pixels), 120Hz, 2500 nitsInternal: 7.9 inches, 90Hz (2,272×1,984 pixels); exterior: 6.45 inches, 120Hz (2,560×1,080 pixels)Internal: 7.6 inches (2,176×1,812 pixels); exterior: 6.2 inches (2,316×904 pixels)Pixel density Internal: 402 ppi External: 402ppiInternal: 381 ppi External: 431 ppiN/ADimensions (millimeters) Folded: 156.7×74.1×9.9mm; unfolded: 156.7×145.4×4.7mmFolded: 160.3×72.6×12. 9 mm; unfolded: 160.3×141.5×6.1 mmFolded: 67.1×155.1×15.8 mm (hinge) ~ 14.2mm (sagging); unfolded: 130.1×155.1×6.3 mmWeight (ounces, grams) 8.15 oz, 231g9.23 oz, 261g (orange); 9.42 oz, 267g (black and cyan)9.27 oz; 263gMobile software program Android 13Android 13Android 13Digicam 50-megapixel (most important), 50-megapixel (ultrawide), 20-megapixel (telephoto)54-megapixel (most important), 50-megapixel (ultrawide), 8-megapixel (telephoto with 3x optical zoom)50-megapixel (most important), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (telephoto)Front-facing digital camera 16-megapixel (inside) 16-megapixel (cowl)16-megapixel4-megapixel (beneath show), 10-megapixel (entrance cowl)Video seize 4K4K4KProcessor Snapdragon 8 Gen Plus 2Snapdragon 8 Gen Plus 1Snapdragon 8 Gen Plus 1Storage/RAM 16GB + 256GB / 512GB / 1TB12GB + 512GB12GB + 256GB / 512GB / 1TBExpandable storage noneNoneNoneBattery/Charger 5,000 mAh5,000 mAh4,400 mAhFingerprint sensor SideSideSideConnector USB-CUSB-CUSB-CHeadphone jack NoneNoneNoneSpecial options Stylus inside field for all fashions, 66-watt bundled quick charger3x optical zoom, 66-watt bundled fast-chargerFoldable cellphone, 30x optical, 30x area zoom, IPX8, 25-watt fast-charging (no in-box charger)Price 8,999 yuan, converts to $1,250, £970, AU$1,8501,599 euros (512GB), converts to $1,770, £1,370, AU$2,620$1,800 (256 GB); $2,000 (512GB), $2,160 (1TB)