summary
- HONOR has launched the Magic V3 foldable smartphone in China.
- The new foldable smartphone is just 9.2mm thick and weighs 226 grams, about the same as a conventional smartphone.
- Pricing for the Magic V3 in the US will start at $1,240.
The HONOR Magic V2 made waves last year with its ultra-slim design for a foldable phone, measuring just 9.9mm. Not content to rest on its laurels, the Chinese manufacturer has now unveiled the Magic V3.
HONOR claims its new foldable smartphone is just 9.2mm thin. In comparison, Samsung is advertising the Galaxy Z Fold 6 as its thinnest foldable smartphone ever, at 12.1mm. The device also weighs 226 grams, less than the Z Fold 6’s 239 grams, which means it’s lighter than the Galaxy S24 Ultra (232 grams). However, these figures apply to the Velvet Black model; the other models are still slim at 9.3mm thick and weigh 230 grams.
HONOR also claims that the hinge is its thinnest yet at 2.84mm. The company adds that the hinge can fold up to 500,000 times, but the folding screen itself is unclear. We can also expect an IPX8 rating, which is a much-needed upgrade, as the Magic V2 had no IP rating at all. In fact, the brand claims that it’s rated for a depth of up to 2.5 meters (8.2 feet).
We’re expecting a 7.92-inch foldable display (2,344 x 2,156, 9.78:9 aspect ratio) and a 6.43-inch cover screen (2,376 x 1,060, 20:9). HONOR claims a peak brightness of 5,000 nits for HDR content, while the global peak brightness is also impressive at 1,800 nits. It’s unclear if these figures apply to both screens or just the cover display. Speaking of the screen, the manufacturer claims the display is abrasion-resistant and impact-resistant.
Peeking under the hood, we find the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset. The manufacturer is also touting a larger vapor chamber cooling system, which should bode well for sustained workloads. The company has also managed to pack a 5,150mAh silicon-based battery into a slim form factor. We can expect 66W wired charging and 50W wireless charging, the latter being a notable addition this year given that the Magic V2 omitted the wireless charging feature.
The HONOR Magic V3 also comes equipped with a flexible triple rear camera system consisting of a 50MP main camera (f/1.6), a 40MP ultra-wide-angle camera (f/2.2, autofocus, 112-degree field of view) and a 50MP 3.5x periscope lens (f/3.0). Each screen’s 20MP camera is capable of taking selfies and video calling.
The 12GB/256GB model is expected to start at 8,999 yuan (roughly $1,240), while the 16GB/1TB model will be priced at 10,999 yuan (roughly $1,515). HONOR previously said Android Authority However, this launch event is for China, but I sincerely hope that there won’t be a big difference between the Chinese and global launches, as happened with the Magic V2.