- The Honor Magic V5 offers lightweight and slim durability at a premium price
- The massive battery allows fabulous gaming performance for hours on end
- Heavy focus on AI photography and a few misses in QOL features might take a chunk off its score for you
Given how every manufacturer seems to be boasting the superlative in one form or another these days, it's hard not to doubt Honor's claim that the V5 is the "World’s Thinnest Foldable". The battle of the foldables might as well be the battle of the decimals, after all, but at 8.8mm and weighing a mere 217g, the Honor Magic V5 is as lightweight as you'd expect.
That alone scores top marks for me, especially with my never-ending quest to discover just why my purse keeps getting heavier and heavier despite my trying my hardest to unload its contents. But is the V5 worth shelling out all your hard-earned moolah for, not just in form but in function?
Table of contents:
Honor Magic V5 design and hardware
It's really not hard to see just how gorgeous this foldable is. I kept running my fingers through the smooth backing and somehow couldn't get any nasty fingerprints to stay on - but even that isn't a problem with the included leather case and its folded stand concealed around the camera.
The crease itself on the 7.95-inch inner screen - which often stands out in foldables, as you might expect - is barely noticeable this time around. This means you can happily marvel at the brilliant display unhindered, which is really the point of wanting to have a foldable screen.
That said, while you might think all this beauty means it's as fragile as can be, the V5 can definitely take a beating with its robust Super Steel Hinge. It's a godsend for clumsy ol' me, especially with the IP58 and IP59 rating - something I greatly appreciate when I'm out and about. I wouldn't want to worry about destroying something so pricey with a little bit of weather, after all. Plus, it's also easier to pry open now with its proper edges.
Demanding adventures aside, the V5 can also do pretty well even when I'm just going about my day-to-day routine, which definitely includes slipping my phone in and out of my aforementioned Impossible Purse and squishing it in there along with all my other unnecessary necessities.
I've always worried about scratches and dents on my phone, hence having to use really thick cases that defeat the purpose of lightweight slimness. With the V5, however, the Anti-Scratch NanoCrystal Shield is protection enough, even more so with the Carbon Fibre Reinforced Inner Display Panel on the inner screen.
In fact, Honor suggests "rubbing it onto quartz sandpaper" - and while I won't be purposely trying to damage my screen anytime soon around quartz or sandpaper, it's safe to say it can withstand the daily rigours of my Impossible Purse.
Gaming experience and performance
Of course, all that form would go to waste if it fell short on function, but the Honor Magic V5 - not surprisingly - excels at all the nuts and bolts churning underneath, too. There's the Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile Platform and the 16GB+512GB RAM and ROM, and if you're wary about the OS, the MagicOS 9.0.1 is powered by Android 15. All this is headlined by the massive 5820mAh silicon-carbon battery, which supports 66W wired charging and 50W wireless.All these numbers and specs simply mean you can game all day without worrying about losing power in the middle of a heated match, and with the Honor Eye Comfort Display, your eyesight won't have to suffer as a consequence of topping the leaderboards, either.
Honestly, I still find it hard to believe all this tech is powering such a thin device - I mean, the USB-C charging port is barely there when unfolded, so much so that the humongous camera is actually thicker than the unfolded phone itself (more on this later). The V5 has somehow made the bright chaos of Kingdom Rush Battles brighter, the flashy skills of Iron Shadow flashier, and the cute cat-astrophes of Neko Atsume 2 even cuter - all presented on a huge screen enhanced by Dolby Vision.
I don't know what kind of magic the R&D folks are weaving over at Honor, but they've managed to surpass what I thought was already peak gaming performance with the previous model - so I'd say they deserve a raise.
What's The Verdict?
I suppose the minor gripes I have are all on usability, though, rather than on gaming performance, which is still a major thing if you're planning on having one phone to rule them all. I keep accidentally tapping on the three navigation buttons at the bottom of the screen while I'm typing, for instance, and there's still that odd tiny vibration when it's charging.
It's also pretty annoying that I have to hold both the Volume Up and Power buttons at the same time to turn it off. Plus, there are way too many AI features for me to handle, most of which I don't even have a proper use for in my daily life.
And while the phone, when laid flat on the table, is now less wobbly than before, the camera is huge - so huge that it gets in the way sometimes when you're playing in landscape mode. I don't particularly feel comfortable having my sweaty fingers clamped all over the camera when I'm button-mashing, but I suppose that's the tradeoff when you've got a 64MP Ultra Sensing Periscope Telephoto Camera with 3X Optical Zoom, along with a 50MP Ultra Light Sensitive Falcon Main Camera (plus 50MP Ultra-Wide Camera).
Suffice it to say that you'll have a hard time finding telescopic controllers that can fit the V5, too, so if you're not a fan of touchscreen controls, Bluetooth is your best bet here.
When it comes to quality of life, the multitasking options here are the stars of the show - and rightly so, since having a foldable inner screen means being able to toggle multiple windows at the same time. Dubbed the new Multi-Flex feature, this lets you mess around with three apps all at once, which definitely comes in handy when comparing and copying items or referencing guides on Pocket Gamer (as you should be).
What's particularly interesting with Honor's latest foldable is that it now supports iOS transfers to make switching brands even more seamless. We all know what it's like (and how painful it can be) to transfer files between Android and iOS, let alone switch to a new device completely. But Honor is eliminating all those barriers to entry into its wonderful world of Guinness World Records-breaking foldables with its ability to clone your iOS device.
Apparently, there has been a rising number of iOS users migrating to Honor - at least according to the media pre-brief I attended - which is why this cross-platform connectivity was born.
And it's a welcome one too, I'd imagine, because while I myself have always been an Android user through and through, my husband has always been on iOS. And while there have been plenty of times he wished he could switch over, he always ends up sticking to iOS simply because of the hassle of transferring everything and starting from scratch.
With Honor's new connectivity options, however, the hubby - and plenty of other iOS fans - might just be able to make the jump once and for all.
Now, Honor has announced seven years of Android OS and security updates, but so far, this has only been confirmed for the EU and the UK. It'll hopefully be a global thing, though, because with a device this powerful (and expensive), it'll be a shame for it to go to waste after a few years due to lack of OS updates.
Overall, the Honor Magic V5 has once again outdone itself by building on its predecessors with steady improvements while still keeping its strong points intact. A few quality-of-life features keep me from giving it top marks, but gaming-wise, it's hard to find fault in its stellar battery life and stunning display.
And with its easy iOS connectivity, grabbing it is basically a no-brainer - if you can stomach the hefty £1,699.99 price tag, that is.
Honor Magic V5 review - "Another masterpiece re-enters the literal fold"
The Honor Magic V5 is a thin and lightweight powerhouse of a foldable that excels in its battery life and its gaming performance. It still has a few misses when it comes to daily use and quality of life, which might make it difficult to justify its hefty price tag. But if you're in the market for the best in its class, there's no need to look elsewhere.
Catherine Dellosa
Catherine plays video games for a living and writes because she’s in love with words. Her Young Adult contemporary novel, For The Win: The Not-So-Epic Quest Of A Non-Playable Character, is her third book published by Penguin Random House SEA - a poignant love letter to gamer geeks, mythological creatures, teenage heartbreak, and everything in between.
She one day hopes to soar the skies as a superhero, but for now, she strongly believes in saving lives through her works in fiction. Check out her books at bit.ly/catherinedellosabooks, or follow her on FB/IG/Twitter at @thenoobwife.