Have you heard of the brand Honor? As a subsidiary of Huawei, there was a time when Honor dominated the Indian smartphone market. However, fast forward to 2023, and many have forgotten about the Chinese smartphone manufacturer in the country. Nevertheless, Honor still produces phones for the global market, and in fact, the company maintains a strong presence in Europe. Recently, I had the opportunity to visit the Honor booth at the MWC in Barcelona, Spain, where I got to spend some hands-on time with the Honor Magic Vs, the company’s premium foldable smartphone. Here are my initial impressions of the device.
Honor Magic Vs: Hands-on impressions
As I held the Honor Magic Vs in my hand, I couldn’t help but realize what we’re missing out on in India. Currently, the only option for purchasing a foldable smartphone in our country is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold series. While other Chinese phone manufacturers, including Honor, produce their foldables for the Chinese and global markets, only Samsung sells its foldables in India. OPPO has recently entered the Indian foldable market, but they don’t offer their high-end Find N2. Instead, the company has brought the Find N2 Flip, which will compete with the Galaxy Z Flip 4 in India.
This brings me to the Honor Magic Vs, a foldable phone that was completely new to me. The first thing I noticed was the zero gap between the two displays when the phone is folded shut. This is similar to the OPPO Find N2 Flip, but experiencing it on a full-sized foldable smartphone was different. When folded, there is no gap between the screens, and when you unfold the phone, both displays become completely flat, as if there is no hinge at all. I also want to point out the minimal crease. While there is a crease, it’s to the point that you’ll forget about it once you start using it. In fact, it’s not even visible unless the light is directly shining on the surface.
While there are some drawbacks to the Honor Magic Vs, such as its limited hinge versatility and the lack of an under-display camera on the main screen, the phone is overall a pleasure to hold and use. Its lightweight and ergonomic design, combined with a 5,000mAh dual-cell battery and 66W fast charging, make it a formidable competitor in the high-end foldable smartphone market.
The device also boasts a 6.4-inch AMOLED cover display and a 7.9-inch AMOLED inner display, both of which are 10-bit panels with vibrant color reproduction. Powered by a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor and MagicOS on top of Android 13, the Honor Magic Vs is loaded with all the features you’d expect from a premium foldable smartphone. While the MagicOS skin may not be everyone’s cup of tea, the phone itself shows a lot of promise.
One standout feature of the Honor Magic Vs is its zero-gap hinge mechanism, which makes it feel like there’s no hinge at all when both displays are flat. However, the hinge is not as versatile as the one on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, and the Honor Magic Vs can only be positioned at a limited number of angles.
Overall, the Honor Magic Vs is a strong contender in the foldable smartphone market, and it offers an alternative to Samsung’s offerings. While it may not be available in India, the phone’s design and features make it a tempting choice for those looking for a high-end foldable. A direct comparison with Samsung’s foldables may not be possible anytime soon, but the Honor Magic Vs is definitely worth considering for those in the market for a foldable smartphone.
