HONOR Magic V2

The HONOR Magic V2 is a book-style foldable phone whose main argument is thinness: HONOR states 9.9 mm when folded and 4.7 mm when open for the black PU-leather version. Inside that body sit a 7.92-inch inner screen, a 6.43-inch cover screen, a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, 16GB of RAM, a triple rear camera and a 5000 mAh silicon-carbon battery. This page is based on the published specifications and manufacturer information from HONOR's product and specification pages. It explains where the phone sits in HONOR's foldable line, what the hardware offers, and which compromises come with it.

Place in the Magic V lineup

The Magic V2 is the second generation of HONOR's Magic V book-style foldables and the one that made HONOR's slim-body approach visible, in a segment where Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold line is the usual reference. HONOR's own site now points visitors to newer devices, and the line has continued with the HONOR Magic V3, the HONOR Magic V5 and the HONOR Magic V6. Anyone looking at the V2 today should treat it as an earlier-generation foldable and compare it with what the successors changed.

The UK product page does not state a launch date or a price, and no US list price is given on the pages used here, so none is included in the specification list. We list 26 January 2024 as the release date for the European market, which should be treated as approximate. HONOR sells the phone in 16GB RAM versions with 256GB or 512GB of storage and in several finishes: purple, gold, black with a PU (vegan leather) back, and a glass-back version. A Porsche Design edition, the Magic V2 RSR, is mentioned separately on the page.

Design, hinge and displays

The thickness figures come with a clear footnote: 9.9 mm folded and 4.7 mm unfolded apply to the PU version, and the glass version is 10.1 mm folded and 4.8 mm unfolded, in both cases excluding screen protectors and the raised part of the camera. The weight is about 231g for the PU version and about 237g for the glass version, including the battery. When folded the phone measures 156.7 mm tall and 74.0 mm wide; opened it is 145.4 mm wide. These are low numbers for a phone with a 5000 mAh battery and two screens, and they are the main reason the Magic V2 attracted attention.

Behind the slimness is a hinge that HONOR calls super-light and titanium. The company states that only the shaft cover of the hinge is made of titanium alloy, that the part is 150 percent stronger than an aluminium-alloy shaft of the same size (a laboratory figure) and that the hinge is SGS certified for reliability. HONOR also says that the phone can hover at angles between 60 and 110 degrees after being folded for 12 hours, which supports hands-free use in a tent-style position for some apps.

The inner screen is a 7.92-inch foldable OLED with a resolution of 2344 x 2156 pixels and a nearly square 9.78:9 ratio, with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz and LTPO technology. The cover screen is a 6.43-inch OLED at 2376 x 1060 pixels in 20:9, also up to 120Hz. HONOR lists 1.07 billion colours, DCI-P3 coverage, 3840Hz PWM dimming with TÜV Rheinland flicker-free certification, and a peak brightness of 2500 nits for the cover screen. These are manufacturer figures, and actual outdoor visibility depends on conditions. Diagonals are measured with the rounded corners treated as a rectangle, so the visible area is a little smaller. Support for the HONOR Magic-Pen, sold separately, is a feature on both screens.

Performance and software

The chip is the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, a 2023 flagship processor with one Cortex-X3 core at 3.19GHz, two Cortex-A715 at 2.8GHz, two Cortex-A710 at 2.8GHz and three Cortex-A510 at 2.0GHz, plus an Adreno 740 GPU. Combined with 16GB of RAM, it is more than enough for multitasking in split-screen, which is the main reason to buy a foldable. HONOR also states that a vapour chamber only 0.22 mm thick helps with cooling, with a total heat dissipation area of 29000 mm squared, but those are laboratory figures and the thin body inevitably limits sustained performance in long gaming sessions compared with a thicker bar phone.

The specification page lists MagicOS 7.2 based on Android 13. HONOR's page also mentions MagicOS 8.0, so newer software was announced for the device. HONOR describes several foldable-specific features: free hovering, dual-screen handwriting, an AI Privacy Call mode that adapts the call volume to ambient noise to reduce sound leakage, and a Parallel Space function that its notes say needs a further OTA update. Connectivity includes 5G, Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be, which HONOR says requires an OTA upgrade and a Wi-Fi 7 router), Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, USB-C with USB 3.1 Gen 1 and dual nano SIM. Audio is stereo with DTS:X Ultra. No IP rating is listed, and HONOR's notes ask users to keep the phone away from liquids and sand.

Camera

The rear system is built from three cameras: a 50MP main camera (f/1.9) with optical stabilisation, a 50MP ultrawide camera (f/2.0) and a 20MP telephoto camera (f/2.4) with optical stabilisation. HONOR advertises a zoom scale running from 1x to 2.5x, 10x and up to 40x digital zoom, adds an 8x8 dToF laser focusing system and a flicker and colour-temperature sensor, and lists 4K video with EIS plus OIS stabilisation. A rear LED flash is included. The telephoto lens has lower resolution than the other two sensors, which is worth noting because telephoto detail is a common weak spot on foldables.

The front side uses a dual front camera setup with a 16MP wide camera (f/2.2) for selfies and video calls. The free-hovering hinge also allows hands-free shooting with the phone standing half-open, which HONOR ties to its motion-sensing capture. HONOR also promotes an AI Motion Sensing Capture function for sports scenes, pets and smiles, which selects the best frame from the second before and after the shutter press. These are claims by the manufacturer.

Battery and charging

The battery has a typical capacity of 5000 mAh and a rated capacity of 4900 mAh, which HONOR attributes to its silicon-carbon design. Charging is 66W with the original SuperCharge charger, using up to 11V/6A. HONOR's notes warn that battery life depends on usage and that the actual charging power adapts to the situation. Wireless charging is not listed in the specifications we used. A 5000 mAh cell in a 9.9 mm foldable is a notable figure, and it is one of the strongest points of the specification. Real endurance with two high-refresh OLED screens will depend heavily on how often the inner screen is used.

Who it is for

The Magic V2 suits people who want a foldable that feels close to a normal phone when closed, who like reading, working with two apps side by side and watching video on a near-square screen, and who value a large battery and a flagship chip. Compared with other foldables, the slim body and light weight are real advantages. If you are weighing it against Samsung's current book-style model, see our comparison HONOR Magic V2 vs Galaxy Z Fold7, and for an alternative foldable from a different maker look at the OPPO Find N5. More options are collected in our rankings.

Compromises

• Older chip and software. Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and MagicOS 7.2 on Android 13 as listed, with newer foldables available.
• Foldable trade-offs. The inner screen is a flexible panel, and HONOR warns against sharp objects and removing the factory protector.
• No stated IP rating. There is no listed water or dust resistance.
• Telephoto resolution. The 20MP telephoto camera is lower resolution than the main and ultrawide sensors.
• Wi-Fi 7 needs an update. HONOR notes that 802.11be requires an OTA upgrade.
• Thin body limits. Sustained gaming and heavy charging will generate heat in a body this thin.
• Price and availability. No US price is stated, and availability depends on the region.

Overall, the Magic V2 shows how far a foldable can be pushed towards the size and weight of a normal flagship, and it remains a useful reference point for the later models in the series.