Honor Magic Vs Review

Four years ago, Samsung launched the Galaxy Z Fold phone and it has had to deal with absolutely zero competition in the West since then. The good news is that this is about to change, as Honor is officially launching its Magic Vs foldable all over the world and for a price that is bound to give Samsung some real competition. With a powerful and impressive triple rear camera, a hinge that can close fully flat and a surprisingly slim body, there is no doubt that the Magic Vs can give Samsung a run for its money.

Design and build

In terms of design, Honor has taken a very interesting approach. It has developed the Magic Vs first as a phone and second as a foldable. This means that it has been designed to work just as well, both when it is open and closed. The device is just 12.9mm thick when it is closed, which means it is exceptionally slim. Plus, when you close the phone, it is flat, while Samsung devices still seem to have a slight gap between the display’s two halves.

Therefore, the Magic Vs feels secure and solid when it is closed. This also helps with the haptics and make the phone feel very premium. The hinge has also been simplified significantly, as it has just four components. The camera module may appear a bit chunky and lopsided, as it protrudes a tad too much, which makes the phone feel wobbly.

Screen and speakers

The exterior display of the Magic Vs is 6.45 inches and an AMOLED panel that has a 120Hz refresh rate and a resolution of 1080×2560. The refresh rate and resolution is better than the inner screen and can compete with most flagship panels. The size is comfortable, shape is good and it appears fantastic. The internal display has a 90Hz refresh rate and is just a tad dimmer.

There is a crease in the middle like other foldable phones. The speakers of the Magic Vs are a bit disappointing because they are tinnier and quieter than what you would expect from a phone of this size.

Specs and performance

Power is something that Honor has focused on, as the Magic Vs comes with the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 that can keep up with everything you want to do on your smartphone. The phone comes with 12GB RAM and storage of 512GB, a lot more compelling than what Samsung offers. The networking capabilities of the phone are also quite strong and as for gaming performance, the outside delivers much better than the inside. The power button has a fingerprint scanner built in, or you can also use face unlock.

Cameras

Most foldables make comprises on cameras and Magic Vs has also done this, but it is still quite good. When it comes to rear cameras, the main one is 54Mp f/1.9, then a 50Mp ultrawideand an 8Mp telephoto that has 3x optical zoom. The main camera gives detailed and crisp shots and colors are also bright and punchy. Nighttime performance may not be the best, but it is still decent. The ultrawide is nothing impressive, but the telephoto is significantly better. There are also two selfie cameras, one for each display.