Honor magic v2

Honor retained the same camera interface as last time, but you now get the ability to split the viewfinder and controls between the two halves of the folding screen, and this results in much better versatility. The feature is identical to what you get on Samsung phones (Flex Mode), and it lets you shoot photos and videos in unique angles.

Honor Magic V2 review: a benchmark-setting beauty

last updated 6 February 2024

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(Image: © Future / Axel Metz)

TechRadar Verdict

The Honor Magic V2 raises the bar for foldable phone design. It’s thinner and lighter than its comparatively priced rivals, and borrows enough high-spec features from Honor’s premium candy bar devices to warrant plaudits beyond its impressive form factor. That said, you’ll pay handsomely for the privilege of owning one, and have to settle for middling software and no water resistance.

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Pros

• + Unparalleled foldable design
• + Vivid, eye-friendly display
• + Impressive battery life

Cons

• — No IP rating
• — No wireless charging
• — Software occasionally lacks polish

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Honor Magic V2 first look: Price and availability

There’s no price announced at the time of writing, but Honor laments how expensive foldables can be. For context, the Magic VS costs £1,400, which is £400 cheaper than the Galaxy Z Fold 5 or Google Pixel Fold. That gives us hope that Honor will keep the Magic V2 on the cheap side for a foldable too.

Also, Honor has yet to tell us if and when the Magic V2 will go on sale. It’s already available in China, but an IFA presentation suggests an upcoming global release. The Magic V2 remains unlikely to make it to the U.S. though, so apologies to those of you hoping for another Samsung and Google challenger.

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As with most Honor devices, future availability in the US and Australia is unlikely.

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Honor Magic V2: Displays

(Image credit: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)

The biggest differentiator for the Magic V2 is that it has a large cover screen that’s identical to what you get on a regular phone. The 6.43-inch outer OLED panel has a resolution of 2376 x 1080, and like most other phones, you get a 120Hz refresh with dynamic switching based on context. The best part is that it has HDR10+ and goes up to 2,500 nits, making it one of the brightest on a foldable yet.

(Image credit: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)

The inner screen is among the largest of any device, with the Magic V2 offering a 7.92-inch OLED display with a resolution of 2344 x 2156 and 120Hz refresh. You get HDR10+ here as well, and while it doesn’t get as bright as the outer screen — maxing out at 1,600 nits — it is still more than adequate in daily use. I had zero issues with screen visibility under harsh sunlight with either screen.

(Image credit: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)

Both panels also sport LTPO, dynamically adjusting the refresh according to the content on the screen, and this makes a difference on the battery side of things. Honor eschewed Corning’s Gorilla Glass and instead uses a custom alternative, and in the two times the foldable took a tumble from a height of five feet, it didn’t pick up any damage, so clearly the protective layer is doing its job.

(Image credit: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)

Chinese brands are leading the way when it comes to DC dimming, and the Magic V2 has 3,840Hz PWM dimming on both screens — this makes the foldable a great choice if you’re sensitive to PWM issues. You also get a standard night mode that switches the colors on the screen to warmer hues at night.

(Image credit: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)

Both the inner and outer screens have vibrant colors and a good amount of customizability, and as I said earlier, the size of the outer screen meant that I ended up using it a lot more than on other foldables. Honor nailed the brief in this area, and the outer screen is just as good as the tablet-sized inner panel.

(Image credit: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)

While the outer screen is great for mundane tasks, the inner screen is outstanding for playing gaming or streaming content. The non-standard ratio means there is some letterboxing, but it is still highly enjoyable — the sleek design really plays into Honor’s hands here. And if you need an absurdly costly clock, there’s a Standby mode that launches a clock when the screen is off and the inner screen is semi-folded — this is similar to Standby mode in iOS 17, but it’s designed to take advantage of the foldable panel, and I really like it.

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Honor Magic V2: Performance

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform SoC within the Magic V2 might not be the latest chipset on the block, but that doesn’t mean it’s suddenly lost all value when it comes to performance — especially when backed by a whopping 16GB of RAM. This is, after all, still the very same chip found in OnePlus’ Open, and the dreams of Motorola Razr (2023) owners the world over.

In my time with Honor’s foldable, I can’t say that performance was ever an issue. Smartphones are generally overpowered for what they need to do, so being a generation from the latest cutting edge isn’t all that much of an issue —- especially as developers tend to target the widest base possible with software releases.

It shows too, because even in demanding titles like “Call of Duty: Mobile,” “XCOM 2: Collection,” or “Player Unknown’s Battle Grounds” the Magic V2 remains completely unphased, even while making use of higher graphical settings and HD assets. That’s without even enabling the performance mode boost in the device’s battery settings, too.

(Image credit: Laptop Mag / Rael Hornby)

Look, here it is playing “EA Sports FC Mobile” flawlessly, a game about a sport that correctly delineates itself by name alone. Unlike the American version of football, which has less to do with the foot and more to do with human growth hormones and seeing how many traumatic brain injuries you can lay the foundations for while going human seal clubbing with your entire body as the cudgel of choice.

Not only do these demanding titles run flawlessly, but they also look incredible when engaged with the V2’s sizable internal display. The 7.92-inch screen allows games and apps more room the breathe and makes everything feel more comfortable. It also works great for the Play Store’s reintroduction of older titles through porting as “Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic” looked particularly cool and faithful in this near 1:1 aspect ratio.

After noticing a familiar chord progression in Sidewalks and Skeletons’ electronic bop “GOTH,” I could effortlessly use MixPad’s audio mixing and editing features to clip, chop, and arrange the vocals of Bloodhound Gang’s “Bad Touch” into proceedings.

That extra real estate helped me greatly in creating the audio mashup that no living soul ever asked for, and that no healthy mind would ever think up in the first place. It was a great win for tablet functionality in a smaller form factor, but potentially a great moment of shame for music as a whole.

Honor Magic V3, Honor Magic V2 Price In India (Expected)

The Honor Magic V3 foldable smartphone is likely to cost more than 1 lakh for the customers. It is one of the most affordable book-style foldable smartphones in India upon its release. Meanwhile, the Honor Magic V2 will be available for under Rs 1 lakh.

The phone is anticipated to come with the cutting-edge Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, offering exceptional performance for demanding tasks.

Its inner display is a 7.92-inch LTPO AMOLED screen, boasting a high resolution of 2156×2344 and a smooth 120Hz refresh rate. The outer display is a 6.43-inch LTPO OLED panel, with a resolution of 1060×2376 and a matching 120Hz refresh rate, ensuring a seamless viewing experience across both screens.

In the camera department, the main sensor is a 50MP lens with OIS, supported by a 40MP ultra-wide lens and a 50MP telephoto camera, also equipped with OIS for sharp, stable images.

For selfies and video chats, there is a 20MP shooter at the front. It is powered by a 5150mAh battery, supporting 66W wired charging and 50W wireless charging. It may run on Android 14 with MagicOS 8.0.1, the device also supports advanced connectivity options including 5G, Wi-Fi 7, and Bluetooth 5.3, delivering fast and reliable connections.

Honor Magic V2 review: Verdict

Even with its delayed launch, the Honor Magic V2 has a clear vision of how to keep developing the large-format foldable to be a leaner device with fewer compromises. Even if the Honor trips up in some areas all the same.

The Magic V2 is definitely a stand-out product when it comes to hardware, offering some great quality displays with sensible aspect ratios for practical use folded and unfolded. Its cameras certainly do a good job too, particularly if you like your images color-rich.

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)

But the combination of a higher than average price, and software that’s a step behind the competition, make the Magic V2 harder to justify. Plus, with its older chipset this phone’s going to look outdated in even shorter time than normal for a flagship device.

Unless you’re a multitasking fiend, I think most foldable buyers who can purchase an Honor Magic V2 in their region will be well served by it, even if the OnePlus Open remains the best all-round foldable. Just keep in mind the potential reward of waiting a few months for fresher foldables is larger than normal in this case.

Источники:

https://www.techradar.com/phones/honor-phones/honor-magic-v2-review&rut=a4c01d441e16e402c3b6f4fec5118f37627d6bb05864f97b73f5cab59e63e23d
https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/honor-magic-v2&rut=64495d9c806ddbb2e990d7aa5795dfd4ad46edf56d997fcac131fd39a64e83ec
https://www.techradar.com/phones/honor-phones/honor-magic-v2&rut=bda11f37fd73ea9212e7a07171bfa2d0720df1781f7d0328a01966b92f3fefa0
https://www.androidcentral.com/phones/honor-magic-v2-review&rut=68ac55a6f8e5eaef929cceaee39969fdd8a95a505fe5225cede997db6495c7cb
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honor_(brand)&rut=5d6f99776afd20f85d04c6b13227e41b5707f56ab71d7f1ec1e4986bacc2675f
https://www.laptopmag.com/reviews/honor-magic-v2-smartphone&rut=1249879585b803317a05c106f5ec03a42acdcb5e97ba1201033aa1c397132449
https://zeenews.india.com/technology/honor-magic-v3-honor-magic-v2-foldable-smartphones-likely-to-launch-in-india-reportedly-check-expected-specs-price-2803744.html&rut=7f08990bd787c33b919da56496bf030a2651e744bf568e92458ff9593e810d46
https://www.tomsguide.com/phones/android-phones/honor-magic-v2-review-a-good-foldable-thats-late-to-the-party&rut=217ff80b6ce96a8a8851dd66ae96b1fdba675a9d49855b1eba6a7f81e1b181d4