Presented for the first time in Europe during IFA 2023. We had the chance to use it for over a month daily. Discover our full test.

He caused a sensation at the IFA in Berlin last September. The Magic V2, Honor’s first folding smartphone in booklet format, promised to revolutionize this format still shunned by the general public.

To meet consumer demands, Honor explained that it had corrected most of the obstacles to the adoption of these models capable of moving as a tablet: weight, size of the external screen, folding, autonomy and device photo.

In the meantime, OnePlus with its Open has demonstrated the full extent of its talent. After a convincing first handling of the Magic V2, we couldn’t wait to find out what it had in its belly. For a month, we used the Magic V2 daily. Is it the revolution promised by Honor? Or a sword in the water? Answer in our full test.

Finally a real folding smartphone!

Let’s start with what makes this Honor Magic V2 so charming: its design and conception. Honor presents it as “the thinnest folding smartphone in the world”. In fact, this is entirely correct. At 9.9 mm thick when closed, the Magic V2 has dimensions comparable to those of an iPhone 14 Pro Max. It even allows itself to be a bit lighter (231 g compared to 240 g), thus correcting the main criticism of “anti-folding”.

The Magic V2 can therefore be carried around as discreetly as any conventional large smartphone. Except that it unfolds to transform into a 5 mm thick tablet with a screen of more than 7 inches. For the first time, we are really using a smartphone capable of transforming into a tablet and not a tablet that folds up with an external advisory screen.

The design of the Honor Magic V2 means that it is used most of the time like a classic smartphone, with good weight distribution, good grip (made possible by the vegan leather back) and a balanced format.

The finishes are exemplary, as evidenced by the fold of the internal screen , quite simply invisible as long as you don’t look for it. The absence of any space between the two parts of the screen once closed is another sign of the care taken with the hinge of this Magic V2.

The whole thing exudes solidity. Never has a crack, a blockage or any other such inconvenience marred our experience over several weeks. Honor announces 400,000 opening/closing cycles before the hinge shows some signs of weakness. We do want to believe it.

The Honor Magic V2 therefore embodies, in our opinion, the almost perfect folding smartphone in its design. Almost, because Honor (like most manufacturers) has not yet succeeded in designing a waterproof and dust-resistant model. An engineering challenge that will have to be met in future iterations to be truly impeccable.

Exceptional multimedia experience

The whole point of the folding smartphone in booklet format lies in its ability to transform into a tablet to enjoy an incomparable multimedia experience. The Magic V2 is therefore adorned with two LTPO OLED panels.

The first, with a diagonal of 6.43”, is immediately visible since it is the external screen of the phone. Very bright (up to 2,500 nits in peak HDR), it can reproduce 1.07 billion shades, is HDR10+ certified and displays a refresh rate of 120 Hz.

The second, with a diagonal of 7.92”, can reach a maximum brightness (in HDR peak) of 1,600 nits, displays 1.07 billion colors and is also HDR10+ certified. Its refresh rate also reaches 120 Hz.

Reading these technical characteristics, you can guess that the Magic V2 screens are simply sublime. On both, the image produced is magnificent with excellent color rendition and almost dazzling brightness.

Of course, the multimedia experience comes into its own when the phone is open, with the fold being invisible when holding the phone from the front. Whether playing or viewing video content, everything takes on a grandiose dimension on such a screen.

An observation that we already make on other folding smartphones but which is all the more remarkable as the external screen is just as convincing here. Thanks to its display surface worthy of an ultra-premium smartphone, the folded phone would almost be enough for us.

Innovative battery, astonishing autonomy

To design such a thin smartphone, Honor engineers had to take up the challenge of autonomy. Since the space available under the hood is limited, it was essential to find innovative battery technology to provide the energy needed on a daily basis.

Honor has found a supplier (whose name he did not mention) capable of producing batteries as compact as a credit card but providing as much energy as a traditional lithium-ion battery.

The Magic V2 therefore has a 5,000 mAh battery (or 600 mAh more than Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold5) made of silicone and carbon and measuring just 2.72 mm thick. For comparison, the iPhone 14 Pro’s battery measures 4.96mm thick, matching that of the Magic V2 when unfolded. A technical feat that commands respect and above all allows you to enjoy the Magic V2 for hours on end.

Because unlike most folding smartphones, Honor’s lasted an average of 2 days with standard use and a day and a half with intensive use.

According to figures from 01Lab, the Magic V2 lasts more than 23 hours closed and more than 21 hours open in versatile autonomy. An excellent score which places it in the top 10 on the market, all smartphones combined.

These good results can be explained by two elements: the optimization work of engineers of course, and changes in usage habits.

 Magic V2 is used most of the time as a smartphone. It is therefore only opened for specific uses, which considerably reduces energy consumption.

On the charging side, the Magic V2 displays correct but not extraordinary performance. With a 66W charger, allow 1h29 for a full charge and 42 minutes to reach 50%.

The only disappointment: the charger enabling this performance is not provided in the box. A sting inspired by Samsung and Apple that Honor could have done without.

Software: (too) basic (too) simple

Beyond stratospheric pricing, the absence of optimized software remains an obstacle to the adoption of the folding format. “What’s the point of a folding smartphone?“ could be summed up in one sentence.

Samsung has tried to implement some well-known features here and there in its Z Fold. OnePlus/OPPO has gone even further, notably by making the multitasking experience more interesting than ever. And Honor in all this?

Considering the work done on the hardware, we could have hoped for a fine interface. This is not the case. In itself, the Android 13 and MagicOS 7.2 combo is quite successful. Simple, fluid, readable and highly customizable, the software is pleasant to use on a daily basis.

We would be satisfied with it without batting an eyelid if we used a simple smartphone. With a folding model, we hope to find features allowing us to make the most of this format. We clearly feel the desire of the engineers to propose something but the result is either useless or poorly executed.

For example, the “partial unfolding” mode allows you to adapt an application on the screen to fit the fold. In five words as in a thousand: it is useless.

The “Parallel Space” function allows you to create a more confidential work space. We then access another interface, secret, perfect for splitting productivity and leisure use for example. For once, everything is perfectly executed but there is nothing very innovative about it, Honor and others having already deployed this kind of functionality on old models.

The interface of the Honor Magic V2 therefore leaves us with a feeling of frustration. We like to use the phone in “smartphone” mode but switching to tablet mode is sorely lacking in features (particularly productivity-oriented) to give the folding format its full advantage.

Camera to review

To date, no manufacturer has really succeeded in providing a photographic experience worthy of market benchmarks on a folding model. Unfortunately, Honor is unable to reverse the trend. However, the manufacturer is not stingy with equipment. The Magic V2 includes:

• a wide-angle lens (f/1.9) with optical stabilization; 50 Mpxl sensor
• an ultra-wide-angle lens (f/2); 50 Mpxl sensor
• a telephoto lens (f/2.4) with 5x optical zoom; 20 Mpxl sensor
• two 16 Mpxl front sensors (internal and external) with wide-angle lens (f/2.2)

Despite a decent photographic module, the quality of the photos produced is far from what we expect from a smartphone sold for 2,000 euros. Some will say that we are not necessarily looking for the best photophone on the market when we turn to this type of device. It’s true.

However, we still have the right to expect a high level of service. Unfortunately, the Magic V2 turns out to be just average, the fault of image processing defects that are too crude for a phone in this category.

If the images produced in broad daylight by the main sensor are completely honest, the other optics prove mediocre. The ultra-wide angle produces photographs that lack sharpness and detail. The telephoto lens is just as average. As for low light photos, they are unworthy of a smartphone sold at this price.

Above all, the Magic V2 has enormous difficulty balancing white balance. Depending on the optics used, whites appear more or less blue (rather more). And this, for the same scene.

At first I thought I had missed a software update during my test. It is not so. Colorimetric aberrations are legion, which removes all interest from the exercise of photography.

We console ourselves with a convincing portrait mode and a successful Super macro mode. But it’s not much. Too few. The Honor Magic V2’s camera will be enough to immortalize the memories of everyday life but no more. Photography enthusiasts will have to look elsewhere.

Honor Magic V2 price and availability

This was the big unknown when we first got started: at what price would Honor be able to launch its Magic V2? While the VP Europe surreptitiously suggested a very aggressive price, the Honor Magic V2 was finally released at a price of 1,999 euros.

A small disappointment mitigated by an unexpected introductory offer. From January 26 to February 14, 2024, Honor is offering an unconditional reduction of 600 euros as well as a Marshall Stanmore III speaker worth 399 euros, for a total discount of 999 euros.

The Honor Magic V2 therefore costs 1,000 euros for first buyers, a price significantly lower than the latest Galaxy S24 Ultra and iPhone 15 Pro Max, to name a few.

Our opinion on the Honor Magic V2

Samsung has something to worry about. After the pleasant OnePlus Open surprise and a first handling of the Magic V2 at IFA, we couldn’t wait to test the “thinnest folding smartphone in the world” on a daily basis. We were not disappointed.

Apart from a photographic proposal to be reviewed, the Magic V2 meets all the expectations that one can have from a folding smartphone. Thin and light, it is above all a smartphone, with a comfortable, bright and exceptional quality external screen.

Once unfolded, it transforms into a tablet of more than 7 inches, designed for multimedia and productivity. Honor also manages to optimize energy consumption so that its Magic V2 displays autonomy worthy of benchmarks. And everything is compatible with very fast charging.

Certainly, the price of 2,000 euros requested by Honor reserves the Magic V2 for a certain segment of the population. But if you let yourself be tempted during the launch period, the bill can be considerably reduced, until it reaches the price of a “classic” premium smartphone.

With the accompanying weaknesses: no IP certification, no software optimized for the folding format and an average photographic experience. It’s up to everyone to see if the game is worth it. As far as we are concerned, we are won over.

WE LOVE

• Impeccable design
• Magnificent screens
• Excellent autonomy
• Fast charging
• Good performance

 WE LIKE LESS

• Average camera
• No wireless charging
• No waterproof certification
• No features optimized for folding format