HONOR Magic V2 is the thinnest foldable smartphone on the market, but apart from being super thin, is it worth $1,999?

Just a few years ago, foldable smartphones were presented as a prototype that tech companies made us dream of; but today we are spoiled for choice across the various brands vying for our top dollar. Foldables are not cheap; but they come with larger screens and the same high-end specs that flagship phones offer. And in these past few weeks among major smartphone announcements, HONOR throws their hat in the ring with the Magic V2, the world’s thinnest and lightest inward foldable smartphone. It improves on the brand’s first version, HONOR Magic V (which was announced at the beginning of 2022), with upgrades in the form factor, battery life, display, and user experience.

Above: The Honor Magic V2 is the world’s thinnest and lightest foldable smartphone.

When folded, the HONOR Magic V2 measures just 9.9mm in thickness — and this is where the device really shines. It’s thin, light (weighing 231g), and the black version that features a vegan leather back feels premium and comfortable to hold in the hand.

Above: The Honor Magic V2 features a foldable oled ltpo display, and has what the brand calls “human-centric innovation”. this includes dynamic dimming that mimics natural light rhythm, and a Circadian Night Display that adjusts the colours of the screen to warmer tones so you get better sleep at night.

The phone operates MagicOS 7.2 based on Android 13, and it’s a straightforward, easy-to-use system. It has all the necessary pre-installed apps you’d expect from an Android, and you can easily install the others that you need. As for the smartphone’s camera, there’s a triple rear camera setup that includes the following lenses:
— 50MP Main Camera (f/1.9)
— 50MP Ultra-Wide Camera (f/2.0)
— 20MP Telephoto Camera (f/2.4)

You can shoot with the phone opened or closed, depending on what’s best for the situation. Here, I wanted to see as much of the landscape as possible, and get full manual controls from the camera app.

Above: taking photos with The Honor Magic V2 screen opened.

Here are some photos I took in Da Nang, Vietnam with the HONOR Magic V2:

Above: the clear, blue waters of my khe beach in da nang. The blues and its various layers stand out, and there’s no visible colour noise in the water’s gradient.

Above: the camera system did a good job capturing the layers of this landscape and freezing the plane in the sky.

Above: This was taken during sunset. the mountains and clouds are clear in the background, while the tourists create a nice shadowy silhouette in front.

Above: The various shades of green are beautifully represented in this photo taken at the famous linh ung pagoda in da nang.

The HONOR Magic V2 certainly has a decent camera, and will be excellent for most users. But when it comes down to it, how does it stack up against other foldables? At the time of writing, it’s the most affordable foldable at $1,999 (the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 starts from $2,232, while the OPPO Find N3 is priced at $2,399), plus it’s the thinnest and lightest of the lot. For Samsung users, choosing the Galaxy Z Fold5 makes sense because it’ll fit into your entire eco-system of Samsung products; as for the OPPO Find N3, photographers will willingly pay the premium for its tie-up with Hasselblad; but if all you want is a large foldable screen that’s pocketable, then the HONOR Magic V2 is an attractive choice based on its price and specs.

The HONOR Magic V2 is available in three colours — Purple, Black, and Black PU featuring a vegan leather back, priced at $1,999. For more details, visit the HONOR Singapore website at WWW.HIHONOR.COM/SG/.