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If you’ve been following the foldable phone space, you’ll know that manufacturers are locked in a “thinnest foldable” arms race. Every brand wants bragging rights over shaving off a fraction of a millimeter. Honor has now jumped to the front of that race with its Magic V5, which measures just 8.8 mm thick when folded and a mere 4.1 mm when open. On paper, it’s impressively slim—almost like carrying a regular slab phone that magically unfolds into a tablet. But there’s a catch: the giant camera bump.
A Slim Design That’s Almost Perfect
At first glance, the Magic V5 feels like a dream device. It’s sleek, lightweight for a foldable, and looks gorgeous in hand. But the camera module at the back is so chunky that it throws off the whole slim aesthetic. Holding the phone comfortably takes some adjusting—you’ll naturally want to grip the lower half of the device to avoid the bump. On a desk, the uneven bulge makes the unfolded phone wobble, which can get irritating if you’re trying to type or draw on the big screen.
That said, if you can forgive the bump, the phone feels futuristic. The 6.43-inch outer display and 7.95-inch inner display are stunning, with ultra-sharp resolution and peak brightness of 5,000 nits. Reading, browsing, or even doing a crossword feels great on the wide unfolded screen. Scrolling is smooth too, thanks to LTPO tech that dynamically shifts the refresh rate up to 120Hz.
Hardware and Everyday Use
Under the hood, Honor has packed in Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite, so performance is snappy no matter what you throw at it. Apps generally adapt well to the dual-screen setup, though some games, like Diablo Immortal, looked stretched on the big display and worked better on the cover screen.
Durability-wise, Honor has reinforced the hinge with its Super Steel mechanism and used carbon fiber in the inner panel for extra drop resistance. The phone even carries IP58/59 ratings, so it can handle dust and splashes better than many rivals.
Battery life is another highlight. The Magic V5 carries a massive 5,820 mAh cell that easily lasts a full day with heavy use. Wired charging at 66W and wireless charging at 50W keep things fast, though you’ll need Honor’s own chargers to take advantage. The included 66W charger fills the phone to 50% in around 15–20 minutes, which is great for quick top-ups.
Cameras and AI Tricks
Honor’s camera setup includes a 50MP main, a 50MP ultrawide, and a 64MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom, plus two selfie shooters for good measure. Photos are sharp, colorful, and generally reliable—though reds sometimes come out too saturated. The super macro mode is genuinely fun for close-up shots, but the AI-powered 100x zoom leaves mixed impressions. It can make text at a distance clearer but sometimes creates that “AI-generated” look when zooming on objects.
On the software side, the Magic V5 is stacked with AI tools. There’s an AI eraser for removing unwanted people or objects, a cutout tool for moving things around in your photos, and even AI outpainting. They’re fun to play with, but results vary—sometimes impressive, sometimes glitchy. Still, it’s clear Honor wants its camera suite to feel playful as much as professional.
Software and Extras
Running MagicOS 9 on top of Android 15, the interface is neat and responsive. There are a few preloaded Honor apps (like Health and myHonor) that feel unnecessary, but they don’t get in the way too much. File-sharing with Macs and Androids is smooth, and Honor’s new on-device call translation tool is a surprising gem. Supporting six languages, it translates in real-time without sending data to the cloud—ideal for privacy.
Price and Availability
Honor is positioning the Magic V5 as a more affordable alternative to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold series. Starting at £1,699.99/€1,999 for the 512GB version in Europe, it undercuts Samsung’s flagship by about £200. It’s still pricey, but it’s a step toward making foldables more accessible.
Final Thoughts
The Honor Magic V5 is an exciting foldable that nails slimness, display quality, and battery life. The only thing holding it back from greatness is that oversized camera bump, which spoils the otherwise elegant design. If you can live with that trade-off, you’ll get a foldable that’s fun to use, packed with AI features, and priced a little kinder than Samsung’s offering.
It’s not perfect, but Honor has shown that foldables don’t have to feel bulky anymore—just don’t expect the camera bump to shrink anytime soon.
