Honor launches Magic Vs, its new foldable with improved hinge and more affordable price

The year 2023 could truly be the “year of the foldable” as more and more companies start releasing new and improved models. Honor comes with its second foldable model, the Magic Vs, which benefits from a thinner and lighter construction, stylus compatibility, and a simpler, more durable hinge. The Honor Magic Vs could be the most exciting model of its kind yet, and also the cheapest.

Honor Magic Vs is a good competitor to the Galaxy Z Fold4

In terms of hardware configuration, the new Honor Magic Vs doesn’t integrate the latest and greatest processor, but it’s in line with other foldable models on the market. We get a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor, just like on the Galaxy Z Fold4, along with 8 or 12 GB of RAM and 256 or 512 GB of internal storage. There are three configurations, 8+256, 12+256 and 12+512 GB, and the base variant seems by far the most appealing, as the noticeable performance difference between 8 and 12 GB RAM is minor.

The exterior display is based on a 6.45″ OLED panel in 21:9 aspect ratio, with Full HD+ resolution (2560 x 1080 pixels) at 120 Hz, 10-bit colour and HDR compatibility. It seems to be in tune with other such solutions on the market, being more of a notification and quick activity screen. On the inside though, Honor has integrated a 7.9″ foldable OLED display with 2,272 x 1,984 pixel resolution. One drawback compared to other models on the market would be the 90 Hz refresh rate and 800 nits brightness. Basically, it’s the same screen from last year’s Honor Magic V.

One advantage over other models on the market, however, is that the new hinge, which is built from just four pieces instead of 92 for the previous generation, allows it to fold in a way that leaves no space between the two halves. This also ensures a fold that decreases the visibility of the centre crease almost completely, while providing greater strength over time. Honor boasts 100 folds per day for 10 years or over 400,000 trouble-free folds.

The inner screen is also compatible with the Magic Pen, a stylus that connects via Bluetooth to your phone. Unfortunately, this foldable phone model doesn’t integrate the stylus inside either, as it’s sold separately and requires a pouch with stand to hold it together.

Price is the main advantage

With a 5,000 mAh battery, the new phone should offer at least a day’s battery life under normal use, but charging at 66W makes this model significantly better at it than the competition. Fully charging in 46 minutes is a big advantage over Samsung’s Fold4, which charges at just 25W.

The cameras use 54 megapixel sensors (Sony IMX800) with f/1.9 aperture for the wide camera, the same on the Honor 70 Pro. We also have a 50 megapixel ultra wide with macro capabilities, as well as an 8 megapixel 3x optical zoom. The front camera has 16 megapixels and f/2.45 aperture.

But the most interesting aspect to the Honor Magic Vs is the price. The phone is already available for pre-order in China, priced at 7,499 yuan in the 8+256 GB (1,016 eur) variant. This is the lowest price for a fold phone so far. The higher variants cost 7,999 yuan and 8,999 yuan ( 1,084 / 1,220 eur) respectively. Deliveries will take place on November 30 in China, and Honor has confirmed that the new Magic Vs will also launch outside the country in the first quarter of 2023.