Honor Magic V5 Review: Who Has the Best Foldable?

Honor Magic V5 design and build quality

Visually, the Honor Magic V5 remains true to its predecessor — and for good reason. The Magic V3 impressed with its excellent workmanship and handling. The new model also fits in seamlessly into this tradition: The size and thickness of the folded device are reminiscent of a classic smartphone, making it a natural choice for everyday use without any restrictions.

When closed, several magnets and the reimagined hinge held both halves of the device together reliably. As with all foldables following this design, both hands are required to open it — but this is not a problem, as the foldable is more reminiscent of a tablet when opened and was designed to be used with two hands.

One small but noteworthy point: the hinge only opens to an angle of 178 degrees as standard. As a result, the display remains slightly curved, which can only be corrected by applying a little more pressure. However, this peculiarity is hardly noticeable after a short period of familiarization — just like the visible crease in the middle of the display. Although it is noticeable when your finger dances over it, it becomes the norm after just a few days.

Honor Magic V5 display

As usual, when it comes to foldables, the Honor Magic V5 boasts two displays: a 6.43-inch external display and a foldable primary display with a 7.95-inch measurement across diagonally. The external display offers a classic aspect ratio and is equipped with a specially developed protective glass that was designed to shield against scratches and cracks effectively. The inner display has an almost 1:1 ratio, and is therefore ideal for running two applications simultaneously side-by-side.

Honor promises peak brightness of up to 5,000 nits for both panels — a theoretical maximum value that is only achieved in very tiny areas of the display. Our review showed a more realistic picture: the external display achieved up to 1,350 nits, while the foldable inner display achieved up to 1,100 nits. Both values are excellent and ensure that the content remains easy to read even when one is under direct sunlight. Although the displays are not twice as bright as their predecessor or Samsung's Galaxy Fold7 based on the maximum theoretical values, both displays are still extremely bright.

Honor Magic V5 software

The Honor Magic V5 is powered by Android 15 and the in-house MagicOS 9 skin at launch. According to the manufacturer, an update to Android 16 and MagicOS 10 is already in the test phase and will be released soon. Just like Samsung, Honor also now offers a seven-year update guarantee for the very first time.

In the review, the software proved to be well thought out and optimized. The multitasking functions were particularly impressive: almost every app can be used either in full screen, split screen, or in a freely scalable window — and not only when it is fully opened, but also on the external display in smartphone format.

The decision to include pre-installed third-party apps such as Facebook, TikTok, or Aliexpress on a premium device is nothing short of disappointing. While such bloatware can be considered a legitimate price reduction strategy for more affordable models, it seems out of place in a high-end smartphone. Doing so detracts from the otherwise initial high-quality impression and results in a point deduction in the final rating.

Honor Magic V5 performance

The Honor Magic V5 may not be a technical revolution — but that is not necessary. Like its predecessor, the new model relies on proven high-end components that define the current flagship standard. These include the most powerful Android processor currently available, a whopping 16 GB of RAM, and a generous 512 GB of internal memory.

However, Honor does not offer the option of memory expansion — neither via a model with additional storage space nor via a microSD card. This could be a limiting factor for users with particularly high storage requirements.

In everyday use, the hardware showed its best side always: the system ran smoothly throughout the review, apps were launched at lightning speed, and even demanding games or multitasking scenarios did not cause the device to break a sweat. The software also appeared to be stable and well-tuned to the hardware.

Honor Magic V5 camera

The camera module of the Honor Magic V5 cannot be ignored: It protrudes so far out of the chassis that it actually exceeds the device's depth. However, the centrally positioned "hump" serves a practical purpose — it provides an intuitive support for the finger when holding the smartphone,  thus improving its ergonomics in everyday use.

Technically, the setup is better equipped than any other foldable smartphone and is comparable to "regular" flagship smartphones. As it is a foldable, the main camera can also be used for selfies, allowing you to use all three cameras for higher quality selfies. In addition, separate front cameras are integrated in both displays, making them useful for video calls or quick snapshots.

In the review, the Honor Magic V5 delivered consistently good results. The photos were impressive with a high degree of sharpness, realistic colors, and a balanced contrast, under the bright sun as well as in cloudy conditions. The strength of the light-sensitive sensors was particularly evident in night shots: Compared to its predecessor, it produces even more detailed and clearer images.

The zoom was also impressive: the 3x optical zoom proved to be more practical in everyday use than the frequently installed 5x variant. The digital zoom can be increased up to 100x, although the image quality naturally deteriorates by a considerable amount at the maximum zoom level. On a positive note, there were no visible differences in quality between the main camera and the zoom camera — both delivered consistent results and come equipped with optical image stabilization.

Honor Magic V5 battery

As it is an established fact that batteries cannot be folded, Honor opted for a dual-battery solution as usual — one cell per half of the chassis. Together, this resulted in an impressive capacity of 5,820 mAh, which is currently a record in the foldable smartphone segment. This was made possible by silicon-carbon batteries, which allow around 20 percent more capacity with the same size.

Compared to its predecessor, the battery is significantly larger, and the Magic V5 also clearly stood out when compared with the Galaxy Fold7 that sports a 4,400 mAh battery. In the benchmark, the device achieved a battery life of around 11 hours when fully opened. This would be below average for a classic smartphone, but a top value for a foldable.

In everyday life, however, the device was not used exclusively in tablet mode. When closed, the Magic V5 achieved a runtime of around 17 hours, and around 14 hours in mixed mode — good value for a premium smartphone. In the review, the device proved to be consistently long-lasting: even with intensive use, it could last for an entire day without needing to search for a power outlet.

Honor Magic V5 - where to buy?

With a price of 1,999 euros, the Honor Magic V5 is 100 euros cheaper than the Galaxy Fold7 from Samsung. Honor also regularly reduces the price of its smartphones, meaning that the regular price is rarely charged. The Honor Magic V5 is also now available to buy at launch for just 1,699 euros.