HONOR Magic V5 Review: The Thinnest Foldable With the Biggest Battery Yet

HONOR isn’t just playing the foldable game; they’re rewriting the rules. Remember the Magic V3? Last year, it snatched the "world’s thinnest" crown, only to have OPPO steal its thunder with the Find N5. But HONOR doesn’t do defeat. Enter the Magic V5: a defiant return, shaving off precious millimeters in a relentless pursuit of foldable perfection. Thin, thinner, HONOR.

Forget the specs war for a second. While whispers claim it’s neck-and-neck with the Find N5 and a hypothetical Galaxy Z Fold 7 in the thinness department, let’s cut to the chase: This foldable is impressively slender. Okay, thewhiteversion is apparently the true featherweight champion, and sadly, we don’t have that one. So, no record-breaking bragging rights here. We’re rocking the 4.2mm model. But honestly, who cares? This thing isthin. Seriously thin. Especially when you remember the massive 5,820mAh battery crammed inside. That’s right, it’s packing more power than many flagshipslabphones. Think about that for a moment.

One month in, and this phone has been our constant companion. Has it earned a permanent spot in our pocket? Dive into our full review to discover its strengths, its quirks, and whether it truly delivers.

HONOR Magic V5 Specs

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HONOR Magic V5 Review: Design and Build Quality

HONOR’s legacy of impeccable craftsmanship, inherited from its Huawei lineage, is undeniable. Though now independent, a whisper of that DNA still resonates within their designs. However, with the Magic V5, a subtle dissonance arises. Dare I say, it lacks the almost jewel-like solidity of its predecessor, the Magic V3. The V5, while competent, feels like a hesitant echo instead of a bold new verse.

While the phone’s frame retains its signature premium feel, the Dawn Gold back raises a brow. The finish, while visually striking with its gradient shift from inky black at the top to a rich gold at the base, unfortunately, feels less luxurious than it looks – a tad too plasticky to the touch. The color gradient itself is a head-turner, a unique visual signature.

Even with its impossibly thin profile, the Magic V5 flaunts a substantial camera bump – a necessary evil, perhaps, considering the impressive photography it enables. Yet, unlike the Galaxy Z Fold 7, the V5 refuses to lie flat. Blame its centered camera module, a design choice echoing many other Chinese smartphones, for this frustrating wobble on any tabletop.

The phone’s face boasts impressively slim bezels, a near-edge-to-edge experience that rivals many, but doesn’t quite match the sleekest slabs. Framing the display is a striking gold band, a luxurious accent that pops against the inky black of the bezels. The right side houses the familiar power button and volume rocker, while the bottom edge presents the SIM card tray alongside a modern USB-C port.

The phone feels fantastic in hand, a genuine pleasure to hold. My only niggle? The plastic back lends a slightly cheap feel, and the frame’s slickness makes it a touch precarious. Thankfully, HONOR anticipates this, including a case that banishes both issues.

HONOR Magic V5 Review: Display

Forget squinting. The Magic V5’s cover display is a sun-slaying 6.43-inch portal to clarity. Boasting a razor-sharp 2376×1060 resolution and a buttery-smooth 120Hz LTPO panel, this screen isn’t just good it’s radiant. We’re talking a blinding 5,000 nits of peak brightness. Think direct sunlight is the enemy? Think again. I’ve been using it under the harshest glare without a single visibility hiccup. This display doesn’t just cope; it conquers.

The 7.95-inch display shines with a crisp 2352 x 2172 resolution. While the plastic screen is slightly more reflective than glass, HONOR’s Super Armored Inner Screen technology means you can breathe easy; it shrugs off scratches up to a Mohs level 4.

Beyond serviceable, the displays impress with vibrant color accuracy. While Samsung remains the gold standard – a natural advantage given their panel manufacturing prowess – HONOR stakes a claim to the silver medal, boasting arguably the second-best foldable display experience available.

HONOR Magic V5 Review: Performance

The Snapdragon 8 Elite is no stranger to us. We’ve seen it flex its muscles in powerhouses like the OPPO Find N5 and the fabled Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7. Yet, this marks the debut of thevanillaSnapdragon 8 Elite in a foldable – a surprising twist considering OPPO’s 7-core variant and Samsung’s overclocked beast. The verdict? It gets the job done, nothing more, nothing less.

The Snapdragon 8 Elite doesn’t just perform; it absolutelyflies. Battery life? Exceptional. It’s like this chipset is savoring every drop of power. With 16GB of RAM under the hood, slowdowns and lag are simply banished. Demanding games? They purr like kittens. Predictable? Perhaps. Impressive? Undeniably. This chip delivers exactly what you crave, without a single hiccup.

Benchmarks

We don’t just test gadgets; we push them to their breaking point. We unleash a torrent of benchmarks on every device, dissecting its performance from processor prowess to thermal resilience. Our mission: to expose not only raw power but also the hidden nemesis of throttling.

Let’s unleash the HONOR Magic V5 on Geekbench! This benchmark will reveal the raw power of its processor and graphics, but more importantly, it’ll show how seamlessly hardware and software unite to deliver a blazing-fast experience.

| Device | Geekbench CPU Single-Core | Geekbench CPU Multi-Core | Geekbench GPU | | — | — | — | — | | HONOR Magic V5 | 3054 | 9,180 | 19,986 | | OPPO Find N5 | 2790 | 8,285 | 21,502 | | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 | 3009 | 9,385 | 18.294 |

Performance results are a mixed bag, defying expectations. Despite sharing the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, varying configurations yield inconsistent scores. What’s truly intriguing is the OPPO Find N5, unexpectedly claiming the top spot for GPU performance.

"AnTuTu benchmark: the ultimate stress test. It throws everything at a device, scrutinizing the CPU, RAM, and every nook and cranny of performance. Shockingly, the HONOR Magic V5 stumbled, posting a score that left us scratching our heads."

| Device | AnTuTu | | — | — | | HONOR Magic V5 | 1581783 | | OPPO Find N5 | 2552179 | | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 | 2060275 |

Smartphones are now video editing powerhouses, especially for short-form content. To put them to the test, we created a standard benchmark: exporting a 60-second video at 4K60 in CapCut. The Honor Magic V5 blazed through the export in just over 6 seconds – seriously impressive. For comparison, most Snapdragon 8 Gen 2-equipped devices take between 6 and 8 seconds to complete the same task.

Thermals

Let’s crank up the heat! We don’t just glance at thermals; we put devices through a gauntlet. First up: the 3DMark Wildlife Extreme Stress Test. This beast of a benchmark isn’t playing around – it’s designed to send temperatures soaring and reveal exactly what each device is made of under intense pressure.

| Device | 3D Mark Wildlife Extreme Stress Test | | — | — | | HONOR Magic V5 | 109.7°F | | OPPO Find N5 | 109.9°| | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 | 110.1°|

Let’s crank Genshin Impact to eleven! One hour, max settings, blinding brightness – can this device survive a deep dive into Teyvat without melting down?

| Device | Genshin Impact Test | | — | — | | HONOR Magic V5 | 94.5°F | | OPPO Find N5 | 95.6°| | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 | 101.2°|

To truly test its mettle, we subjected the camera to a 4K60 stress test: a continuous 10-minute recording. We didn’t just let it run; we charted its thermal response, taking temperature readings at the 5- and 10-minute marks. The goal? To discover if this device could keep its cool under pressure, or if the heat would become its undoing.

| Device | 4K60 Video Recording (5m) | 4K60 Video Recording (10m) | | — | — | — | | HONOR Magic V5 | 93.4°F | 95.4°F | | OPPO Find N5 | 92.8°| 95.7°| | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 | 95.7°| 99.8°|

The Magic V5’s thermal performance is a pleasant surprise, edging out the vapor-chamber-less Galaxy Z Fold 7. However, the slightly thicker OPPO Find N5 still reigns supreme in heat management, thanks to its own vapor chamber advantage, leaving the Magic V5 in a respectable, but second-best, position.

HONOR Magic V5 Review: Battery and Charging

HONOR boasts the current foldable battery king with a massive 5,820mAh cell. Squeezing that much power into such a slender design is a marvel. While the battery life comfortably lasts a full day, it hasn’t yet dethroned the OPPO Find N5 in my personal experience. I’ve squeezed nearly two days of life out of the OPPO, a feat the HONOR, despite its impressive capacity, hasn’t quite matched. HONOR needs to work on optimization.

Power up in a flash! The phone boasts blazing-fast 66W wired charging and 50W wireless refueling. Drained battery? Go from zero to full in a blink.

Benchmarks

Forget marathon movie nights. The HONOR Magic V5 stumbles when the lights dim. We put it through the wringer: charged to full, display at a consistent 200 nits, and a relentless YouTube video looping. The result? A mere 13 hours and 9 minutes before sputtering out. Let’s be blunt: that’s disappointing. It screams of video playback optimization issues, especially when rivals like the OPPO Find N5 and Galaxy Z Fold 7 practically doubled that time. Looks like this foldable needs a serious energy boost.

Juicing up the Magic V5 is surprisingly swift. Using the bundled charger (or any that supports its maximum charging speed – a lifesaver for those charger-less devices!), we clocked a full 1% to 100% recharge in just 47 minutes. Considering the battery’s substantial size, that’s seriously impressive.

HONOR Magic V5 Review: Software

The HONOR Magic V5 arrives with a twist: a flagship folding phone powered by a slightly seasoned OS. While boasting MagicOS 9.0.3 atop Android 15, a few eyebrows are raised, especially with Android 16 already hitting the scene – even gracing the Galaxy Z Fold 7 months prior. The good news? HONOR isn’t standing still. MagicOS 10, fueled by Android 16, is already in beta, promising a swift update. But here’s the kicker: prepare for longevity. The Magic V5 mirrors Samsung and Google by pledging seven years of OS and security updates. This foldable is in for the long haul.

The Honor Magic V5 doesn’t just dabble in AI; it’s drowning in it. Honor seemingly emptied an AI laboratory directly into this phone. Forget fiddling with cropping and resizing – the phone anticipates your needs. The video editor? Surprisingly potent. It auto-assembles slick social clips and eye-catching collages, rivaling dedicated apps. Sure, CapCut’s an option, but integrated convenience wins points. The real showstopper? AI Image-to-Video. Breathe life into static photos, transforming them into fleeting five-second clips. Three free attempts, then, temptation whispers toward a subscription.

Forget passwords; the future of security is spotting a fake smile. Honor’s Magic V5 isn’t just folding; it’s fighting future fraud with real-time AI deepfake detection. Imagine a world where video calls can be trusted again. This phone scans incoming video, sniffing out digital deception before it fools you. Honor’s not just predicting the future; they’re building a bulwark against the coming wave of digital trickery. In a world drowning in disinformation, this could be the life raft we desperately need.

Samsung S Pen holdouts, rejoice! While the Galaxy Z Fold 7 might have left you pen-less, Honor throws a lifeline with the Magic Pen. This isn’t just any stylus; it’s your gateway to creative freedom on both the expansive inner screen and the cover display. Imagine sketching with pinpoint accuracy thanks to 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity, tilting for artistic shading, and resting your palm without a stray mark appearing. The catch? This Bluetooth-powered pen needs charging, and prepare for an extra splurge – it’s a near-$100 add-on, not included in the box.

The HONOR Magic V5’s software? It’s not winning any awards, but it’s a serviceable co-pilot on your digital journey.

HONOR Magic V5 Review: Camera

HONOR’s Magic V5 packs a serious punch in the camera department, defying its ultra-slim foldable design. We’re talking a triple threat of photographic prowess: a 50MP main lens capturing stunning detail, a 50MP ultrawide for sweeping vistas, and a 64MP periscope telephoto boasting 3x optical zoom to bring distant subjects into sharp focus. Sure, the camera bump might raise an eyebrow, but with sensors this impressive squeezed into such a svelte device, it’s a compromise worth considering.

The primary camera delivers admirable results, as anticipated. During a recent New York City excursion, I captured a series of stunning images. Even in dim environments, the camera impressively preserved detail, skillfully managing highlights without overexposure – a truly remarkable feat.

Switching to the telephoto lens, prepare to be impressed – especially when the light is on your side. The natural bokeh it produces is gorgeous. I snapped a shot of my Peak Design backpack at 70mm (that’s 3x zoom), and the background melted away in this creamy, dreamlike blur. Honestly, it looked like something out of a professional portrait session.

Zooming in, things get a little dicey. HONOR, employing a common Chinese phone trick (think OPPO and OnePlus), digitally crops its 3x sensor to achieve that 6x zoom. Surprisingly, the results are decent. Beyond 6x, however, you’re venturing into AI-assisted digital zoom territory. I found the quality holds up respectably to around 10x-15x. Anything beyond that? Purely for desperate measures when that distant objectabsolutelyneeds to be seen.

For my needs, zooming beyond 6x on most cameras is rare. The 10x option might get occasional use, but even that’s pushing it. Overall, the camera system performs admirably. The larger sensor size gives HONOR a real edge, particularly against Samsung. If a foldable phone with a top-tier camera setup is what you’re after, this should definitely be on your radar.

Should you buy the HONOR Magic V5?

The burning question: Should you drop your cash on the HONOR Magic V5? Truthfully, the initial buzz left me cold. After months of hype following its China launch, I expected fireworks. But stepping back, viewing it through the eyes of an everyday user, something clicked. It’sgood. Not groundbreaking, mind you – no foldable currently reigns supreme across the board. But if you’re in a market where the Magic V5 is an option, it’s definitely worth a serious look.

"Folding fatigue setting in? If you’re already rocking a 2024-era foldable, especially a Magic V3, hold your horses. The upgrade itch might not be worth scratching. BUT, if you’re still on the sidelines, gazing longingly at the foldable revolution, now might just be the perfect moment to dive in and experience the future of mobile."

You should buy the HONOR Magic V5 if:

You want the thinnest foldable with the largest capacity battery.
You want a foldable with a pretty good camera performance.

You should not buy the HONOR Magic V5 if:

You live in the US (while many bands do work, it’s not supported 100% and quite expensive to import).
You want good multi-tasking software on a foldable to take full advantage of that larger display.

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