Honor Magic V5 Foldable Phone Review: Redefining Foldable Design and Power

Foldable smartphones have been a fascinating dance between ambition and compromise for years now. Most attempts have resulted in phones that feel chunky, fragile, or lacking the premium experience we expect from flagship devices. The category has been filled with “almosts” and “what-ifs,” leaving many wondering if the perfect foldable would ever arrive.

The Honor Magic V5 boldly claims to solve many of these persistent issues. As of August 2025, the Ivory White model stands as the thinnest inward-folding foldable smartphone available, measuring just 8.8mm when folded and 4.1mm when unfolded. But could this be the foldable that finally bridges the gap between innovation and practicality?

Designer: Honor

Aesthetics

The Honor Magic V5 doesn’t just look thin; it makes other foldables look positively chunky by comparison. The Ivory White variant achieves those record-breaking measurements with a frosted finish that feels genuinely premium. It’s the kind of surface that hides fingerprints beautifully while catching light in all the right ways.

You’ve got four colorways to choose from: Ivory White, Black, Dawn Gold, and Reddish Brown. The catch? Only the Ivory White hits those ultra-slim measurements. The other colors are marginally thicker at 9mm folded and 4.2mm unfolded, but honestly, we’re talking about fractions here that you’ll never notice in daily use.

What strikes you immediately is how intentional everything looks. The camera housing is prominent, sure, but it doesn’t scream “afterthought” like some foldables do. Instead, it creates this visual anchor that somehow makes the whole device look balanced and purposeful rather than experimental.

The materials story here is genuinely impressive. Honor has gone all-in with aerospace-grade aluminum for the frame, carbon fiber reinforcement for the inner display, and their new NanoCrystal Shield for the outer screen. These aren’t just buzzwords; they translate into a device that feels substantial without being heavy.

When you fold this thing, it maintains clean lines that would make any minimalist weep with joy. Unfold it, and you’re looking at something that resembles a premium tablet more than a phone that happens to bend. The transformation is genuinely striking every single time.

The hinge mechanism deserves its own paragraph because it’s that good. There’s this satisfying snap when it locks into the fully open position that makes you want to keep folding and unfolding just for the tactile pleasure. It’s the kind of engineering precision that you feel in your hands.

Ergonomics

At 217g for the Ivory White model, the Magic V5 pulls off something remarkable. It’s actually lighter than plenty of regular flagship phones, which is frankly absurd when you consider what’s packed inside. This translates into a device that feels comfortable in your pocket and hand rather than like a brick.

The portability factor is where this thing really shines. Folded, it slips into pockets with the same ease as any regular smartphone. Need that larger screen? Unfold it into a 7.95-inch canvas that’s perfect for everything from productivity work to binge-watching shows during your commute.

Honor calls their hinge mechanism the Super Steel Hinge, and it lives up to the dramatic name. With 2300MPa tensile strength, it feels rock-solid while maintaining smooth operation. The resistance is calibrated perfectly, staying put at any angle while opening smoothly with one hand when needed.

The large camera bump does have a significant impact when the phone is laid unfolded on a flat surface like a table. That is, it will never really lie flat, with one corner raised higher than the rest of the phone. It wouldn’t be much of a problem if you wrap the Honor Magic V5 in a case, but then you also lose the magic of its unobstructed majesty.

Performance

Under the hood sits Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite platform, built on that second-generation 3nm process that delivers serious performance and efficiency. Paired with 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 512GB of UFS 4.1 storage, this configuration handles whatever you throw at it without breaking a sweat. Honor added a titanium vapor chamber cooling system that keeps things running smoothly even during extended gaming sessions.

The dual OLED displays feature LTPO technology with adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz, automatically adjusting based on what you’re doing to save battery life. Both screens hit 5000 nits peak brightness, which means they stay perfectly readable even in direct sunlight. The 100% DCI-P3 color gamut and Dolby Vision support deliver genuinely stunning visuals, whether you’re watching movies or editing photos. The consistency between both displays is remarkable.

The Multi-Flex feature lets you run three apps simultaneously on that large inner screen. The window management feels intuitive rather than forced, letting you drag and drop content between apps like you’re working on a desktop computer. It’s the kind of multitasking that actually makes sense.

Both displays support stylus input, which opens up possibilities for creative work and detailed note-taking. The stylus experience feels natural and responsive across both screen sizes, adapting intelligently to whatever space you’re working with. It’s the kind of feature that transforms how you use the device.

The battery situation is where Honor really flexed their engineering muscles. That 5820mAh silicon-carbon battery is one of the largest you’ll find in any foldable smartphone. The 15% silicon content should help it maintain capacity better over time compared to traditional lithium batteries.

Charging speeds are genuinely impressive with 66W wired charging that fully juices the device in about 43 minutes. The 50W wireless charging provides convenient top-ups throughout the day. The Power Enhanced Chip HONOR E2 manages everything intelligently, adapting to your usage patterns and environmental conditions.

The camera system represents a genuine step forward for foldable photography. You get a 50MP main sensor with OIS, a 64MP periscope telephoto with 3x optical zoom, and a 50MP ultra-wide camera. Each lens offers distinct capabilities that cover most shooting scenarios you’ll encounter. With cameras like that, it’s easy to forgive that large bump on the phone’s back.

The Honor Magic V5’s triple camera system delivers results that genuinely compete with traditional flagship smartphones, which is pretty impressive for a foldable. The 50MP main sensor with OIS produces sharp, detailed images with excellent color reproduction across various lighting conditions. The 64MP periscope telephoto camera really stands out here, offering crisp 3x optical zoom shots that stay sharp even when pushed to higher digital zoom levels.

MagicOS 9.0 feels purpose-built for the foldable experience rather than adapted from a regular phone interface. Google Gemini integration is thoughtful, with a convenient double-tap gesture to launch the AI assistant. The AI Call Translation processes everything on-device for privacy, supporting six languages with real-time translation.

Additional AI features include deepfake detection during video calls, which adds security that’s becoming increasingly relevant. The Magic Portal feature uses gesture recognition to provide contextual actions, making interactions more intuitive across those large display surfaces. It’s the kind of software polish that makes the hardware shine.

Sustainability

Durability has always been the Achilles’ heel of foldable smartphones, but Honor took a comprehensive approach to solving this challenge. The Magic V5 carries IP58 and IP59 ratings, providing genuine protection against dust and water rather than the limited environmental protection many foldables offer.

The hinge mechanism is engineered to withstand 500,000 folding cycles, which translates to years of worry-free use, even if you’re the type who fidgets with folding mechanisms. The inner display benefits from carbon fiber reinforcement and a non-Newtonian fluid layer that hardens upon impact while staying flexible during normal use. It’s genuinely clever engineering.

That outer screen features NanoCrystal Shield, offering 15x improved scratch resistance compared to standard glass. This ensures the device maintains its pristine appearance even after extended daily use. The coating technology represents a genuine advancement in mobile display protection that you can actually feel.

Honor has committed to seven years of Android OS and security updates for the Magic V5 in the EU and UK markets. This ranks among the longest support commitments in the smartphone industry, demonstrating genuine confidence in the device’s long-term viability and user value.

Combined with silicon-carbon battery technology that should maintain capacity better over time, this creates a device designed for longevity. The AI-powered foreign object detection system adds another protection layer, alerting users if debris gets detected between screens before folding. It’s proactive rather than reactive protection.

The materials choices reflect a commitment to both immediate durability and long-term sustainability. From the aerospace-grade aluminum frame to the advanced display coatings, everything feels built to last rather than designed for planned obsolescence. It’s refreshing in a market often focused on annual upgrades.

Value

At £1,699.99/€1,999.99, the Honor Magic V5 positions itself firmly in premium foldable territory. This pricing reflects the advanced technology packed inside and the significant research investment required to achieve record-breaking thinness while maintaining durability and performance. The engineering achievement alone justifies considerable cost.

The Magic V5 offers something many foldables don’t: zero compromise on essentials. Battery life matches or exceeds traditional flagships, the camera system competes genuinely with the best available, and build quality inspires confidence rather than anxiety about durability.

That seven-year software support commitment adds significant value over time, essentially guaranteeing your investment stays current and secure well into the future. For design enthusiasts and early adopters, the Magic V5 represents the current pinnacle of foldable engineering achievement.

Compared to other premium foldables, the Magic V5 offers superior battery life, faster charging, and longer software support. The combination of the thinnest form factor available with flagship-level performance creates a unique value proposition that’s genuinely difficult to match in current market conditions.

Professionals needing large-screen productivity benefits in a portable package will definitely appreciate the engineering excellence. Creative individuals who appreciate cutting-edge design will find genuine appeal here, especially with support for a stylus on the outer cover screen. The unique combination of form factor innovation, premium materials, and thoughtful software integration creates a package that justifies its premium positioning.

While the price point limits mass-market appeal, the Magic V5 serves an important role in pushing the entire foldable category forward. Engineering achievements and design innovations pioneered here will inevitably trickle down to more affordable options in future generations. It’s advancing the entire category.

Verdict

The Honor Magic V5 represents a watershed moment in foldable smartphone development. By achieving the title of world’s thinnest foldable, Honor proved that thinness and durability can coexist beautifully. The Ivory White model’s remarkable 8.8mm folded and 4.1mm unfolded dimensions set a genuinely new standard for the category. What makes the Magic V5 special, however, goes beyond record-breaking dimensions.

This is a foldable that disappears into your pocket like a regular phone, yet unfolds into a productivity powerhouse when needed. The seven-year software support commitment, combined with advanced materials and engineering, suggests longevity rather than quick obsolescence. For those ready to embrace mobile computing’s future, the Honor Magic V5 offers a compelling glimpse of what that future looks like.

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