Honor MAGIC Vs review – Unfolding the next-gen smartphone experience

This device brings together a ground-breaking design, a revolutionary dual-display setup, and unrivalled performance, raising the bar for what consumers can expect from a foldable device.

The Magic Vs packs innovations with exceptional user experience into an elegant and stylish design.

Unique design and display

The Honor Magic Vs redefines portability and usability in the realm of foldable smartphones. Weighing in at just 261g and exhibiting a sleek profile of 12.9mm when folded, this device is remarkably slim, lightweight, and incredibly easy to handle.

The phone’s aesthetic appeal is unmistakable. Its symmetrical, seamless design adds a touch of premium elegance, while its pioneering hinge technology, made from robust aerospace-grade materials, ensures durability. Impressively, this hinge can withstand over 400,000 folds, suggesting a lifespan of more than ten years, even with 100 daily folds.

The display on the Honor Magic Vs is nothing short of impressive. Unlike many foldable phones that have long, narrow external screens, this device flaunts a 6.45-inch display with a 21:9 aspect ratio and a 90% screen-to-body ratio when folded. This thoughtful design enables users to comfortably view content and type on the go. Unfolded, the device presents an expansive 7.9-inch internal display, providing a tablet-like experience that is perfect for multitasking enthusiasts or content buffs who value more screen real estate.

The display of the Honor Magic Vs doesn’t compromise on colour accuracy and vibrancy. It supports a 100 per cent DCI-P3 colour gamut and can exhibit up to 1.07 billion colours, enabling users to enjoy visually stunning and lifelike colours. Its 120Hz screen refresh rate ensures smooth scrolling and seamless visuals, making it ideal for movie-watching, web browsing, or gaming.

Catering to the growing concern over screen-induced eye strain, Honor has integrated professional eye comfort solutions into the Magic Vs. One such feature is Dynamic Dimming, which intelligently adjusts screen brightness, reducing eye fatigue from prolonged use. Another noteworthy feature is the Circadian Night Display. This innovative feature minimizes blue light exposure, assisting users in improving sleep quality and promoting daily productivity and energy levels. And with 1920Hz PWM Dimming technology in both screens, screen flickering is minimized, providing a comfortable viewing experience even in low-light settings.

The Honor Magic Vs pushes boundaries in foldable smartphone design. It perfectly blends portability, functionality, and aesthetics, while keeping user comfort in mind. This device is a testament to Honor’s commitment to innovative and user-friendly design.

A camera for everyone

During our time with the Magic Vs, we were deeply impressed by the phone’s camera capabilities.

Its 54MP main sensor, 50MP ultra-wide, and 8MP telephoto lens work in harmony to deliver incredible results, excelling in both daylight and low-light conditions. The phone’s primary camera sensor proved reliable in capturing vivid, accurate colours that made each shot stand out. It managed to tease out nuances of colour in scenes where other smartphones might stumble.

The level of detail this device can capture is simply astonishing. You can appreciate fine details in shots that speak to the quality of the Magic Vs’s camera hardware. Moreover, when it comes to portrait photography, Magic Vs shines. Even without the artificial bokeh effect, photos display a pleasing amount of natural depth of field. However, when you do activate the portrait mode, the distinction between the subject and the background becomes sharper, adding an extra level of depth and clarity to the image.

The video recording on the Magic Vs deserves a special mention as well. The phone captures vibrant colours and delivers strong video performance under ideal conditions. But what truly set the Magic Vs apart in our book was its stabilisation feature. It’s exceptionally good, delivering smooth, shake-free footage that enhances the overall videography experience.

Whether you’re a seasoned photographer or a casual user, the Magic Vs delivers a robust, comprehensive camera experience.

Battery

One major reservation with foldable phones is their battery life due to the demand of powering two screens. But Honor has tackled this concern masterfully with the Magic Vs. Encased within the sleek exterior lies a hefty 5000mAh battery, which doesn’t merely endure a full day’s use; it could potentially last for two, depending on your usage.

It’s hard not to credit the impressive battery optimisation and the sheer size of the battery for this commendable performance. Even under substantial strain, the Honor Magic Vs doesn’t falter and continues to power through the day.

As for charging, with the 66W fast charging block, the Magic Vs can be brought back to full power for around 45 minutes on a single charge.

Performance

With a foldable phone, it performs differently than a regular smartphone, so the demands are naturally higher, and the Magic Vs delivers exceptionally on that front.

Standout apps like YouTube and Google Chrome have taken advantage of the unique form factor, with features like video playback in folded mode and multi-window browsing being particularly impressive.

Driving the Magic Vs is the ultra-responsive Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 processor, delivering swift and smooth performance all around. The responsiveness extends to the device’s biometric features as well, with the fingerprint sensor registering inputs with impressive speed and accuracy.

When it comes to entertainment and gaming, the Magic Vs doesn’t disappoint. Whether you’re catching the latest film, scrolling through social media feeds, or immersing yourself in an intense gaming session, this device’s large display and robust battery life ensure you have an uninterrupted experience. Its stellar performance and expansive screen real estate elevate the gaming experience.

Verdict

The Honor Magic Vs makes an impressive statement in the realm of foldable smartphones with its stunning design and sizeable screens. This makes a very good case as to why there’s value in investing in foldable tech.

It balances form and function, demonstrating that the future of smartphones could indeed be in the foldable format. It’s not just about having a flexible screen; it’s about what the added versatility can bring to the user experience, and in this, the Magic Vs excels beautifully.

The Honor Magic Vs is set to debut in two amazing shades – the vibrant Cyan and the classic Black and is priced at Dh6499 and comes with 512GB of storage and 12GB RAM and 8GB RAM and 256GB storage configurations. Making it an excellent value proposition compared to other foldable smartphone devices that have been released thus far.

Pre-orders will be available in the Honor Online Store, Emax, Jumbo, Sharaf DG, and Etisalat by e&.

As part of a special promotion, each pre-order is accompanied by an ensemble of gifts worth Dh2497.

This includes the advanced Honor Watch GS3, an essential screen protection package for both inner and outer screens valid for six months, an extended warranty providing coverage for a total of 24 months, and a stylish Aramid Case.