IFA 2023: Honor Unveils Magic V2 to Rival Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 5

The global consumer electronics trade show, IFA, has officially started in Berlin today. The event will continue until September 5th, featuring exciting product announcements from various brands. Among them, Honor, a Chinese brand, introduced two devices: the Magic V2 foldable phone and the V Purse fashion-centric concept phone. While the former was initially launched in the company’s domestic market, it is now being released globally to compete with the Galaxy Z Fold 5. The specifications of the global variant remain unchanged from its Chinese counterpart.

The Honor Magic V2 is being marketed as the thinnest foldable phone, measuring 4.7mm when folded and 9.9mm when opened. It is also claimed to be lighter than the iPhone 14 Pro Max, weighing only 237 grams. Honor asserts that the foldable phone features a lightweight titanium hinge and their own proprietary hinge, capable of enduring over 400,000 folds, equivalent to 10 years of usage with 100 folds per day. The hinge also enables users to use the device at various angles. Additionally, there is a side-mounted fingerprint scanner integrated into the power button.

The Honor Magic V2 comes with a 6.43-inch primary outer display, boasting a resolution of 2,376×1,060 pixels. On the other hand, the interior screen measures 7.92 inches and features a resolution of 2,344×2,156 pixels. Both display panels are OLED panels provided by BOE and offer a smooth 120Hz LTPO refresh rate. They also employ high-frequency PWM dimming technology to reduce eye fatigue.

Beneath its sleek exterior, the Honor Magic V2 houses an overclocked version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, which can also be found in the Samsung Galaxy S23 series and Red Magic 8S Pro. This foldable phone boasts an impressive 16GB of RAM and is available in three storage configurations: 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB.

On the rear, the Honor Magic V2 showcases a rectangular camera module, housing a 50MP primary sensor, a 50MP ultra-wide-angle lens, and a 20MP telephoto unit capable of supporting up to 40x zoom. For selfies, both the inner and outer screens are equipped with 16MP sensors. Powering this device is a robust 5,000mAh battery that supports 66W charging.

Currently, Honor has not yet revealed the pricing specifics for the international markets. It is expected that the price will differ based on the region. However, we can anticipate the device to be available for purchase no later than the first quarter of 2024, with a six-month interval between the Chinese and global launches.