News

HONOR Magic V3 is 2024’s slimmest foldable

Launched alongside the Magic Vs3

Published

July 13, 2024

Vincenz

Just days after Samsung’s grandeur Galaxy Unpacked 2024 event in Paris, France (together with the all-new Galaxy Z Fold6), HONOR abruptly steals the spotlight with the revelation of the newest Magic V3 and Vs3 foldables in China.

Slimmest fold of 2024

HONOR has challenged their own record and managed to beat the Magic V2’s already impressive 9.9mm chassis with an impossibly thinner 9.2mm thin design. Mind you, we’re talking about the foldable in its folded state.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Moreover, it’s expected to become lighter as well. The HONOR Magic V3 now weighs at just 226 grams — 11 grams lighter than its predecessor. Still, vivo holds the record for having the lightest foldable of ’em all with the X Fold3 at 219 grams.

HONOR has achieved this breakthrough thanks to their Luban Hinge Architecture. If you remember, it’s also found on the company’s first flip, the Magic V Flip.

It’s the company’s second-generation self-developed shield steel that’s ultra high in strength yet light as well. It delivers a smooth folding and unfolding experience and can withstand up to 2100MPa of pressure.

And to make the HONOR Magic V3 durable than ever, it employs a new back material called Aerospace Special Fiber. This promises up to 40x stronger protection than conventional glass. A stronger 7 Series Aluminum Alloy frame is present as well.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Finally, the Magic V3 now features an IP certification. IPX8 rating makes the foldable withstand depths of water down to 2.5 meters. Using it with wet hands won’t ruin your device either.

Mighty like a V3 Engine

The madness doesn’t stop there! Under the hood, the HONOR Magic V3 runs the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC with Adreno 750 graphics.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

You can either have it in 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB storage options. Onboard memory starts at 12GB and maxes out at 16GB. However, last year’s Magic V2 was only offered in a loner but bigger 16GB RAM.

Worried about cooling in such a thin chassis? Well, the Chinese company spotlights its Cicada Wing Titanium VC (Vapor Cooling) Chamber and manages to provide enough cooling while being so slim at 0.22mm.

As evident as it looks in the new bigger camera island, the Magic V3 features improved cameras across the board: 50MP f/1.6 main (wide) sensor, another 50MP f/3.0 telephoto shooter with a farther 3.5x optical zoom (from 2.5x). Lastly, a 40MP f/2.2 ultra-wide angle lens with 112-degree FoV (Field of View).

For outer and inner selfie cameras, HONOR has also slightly tweaked ’em: 20MP f/2.0 with 90-degree FoV (from Magic V2’s 16MP f/2.2).

Keeping What’s Already Impressive

The HONOR Magic V3 still keeps the already impressive 6.43-inch outer and 7.92-inch inner LTPO OLED displays of its predecessor.

Those also mean great stuff remain like its 1~120Hz adaptive refresh rate, 4320Hz PWM Dimming, DCI-P3 wide color gamut and support for 1.07 Billion Colors plus Dolby Vision.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

The displays are both protected by King Kong Giant Rhino (external) and King Kong Flexible Armor (internal). Albeit, some improvements in brightness like 1800 nits in peak and up to 5000 nits in HBM (High Brightness Mode).

Fast charging speed remains the same (66W SuperCharge) but capacity has slightly been boosted from 5000mAh to 5150mAh — still with Si/C (Silicon/Carbon) battery tech. Additionally, it’s worthy to point out though that it finally supports 50W wireless charging.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Not that we are complaining but vivo also holds the record for having the biggest battery and fastest charging in a book-style foldable so far — 5700mAh paired with 100W wired FlashCharge on the vivo X Fold3 Pro.

The Love Child of Magic V2 and V3?

Already on HONOR’s third “Vs” iteration, the Magic Vs3 is evidently the underpowered Magic V3. But unlike past generations, the Magic Vs3 doesn’t use the same design as its full counterpart with its less attractive looks (subjective).

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Other than its 9.8mm chassis (0.1mm slimmer than the Magic V2), it also shares last year’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip found on previous foldable flagship.

More key features remain the same: 6.43-inch cover + 7.92-inch foldable LTPO OLED adaptive 120Hz displays, 16MP f/2.2 selfie shooters, and a 50MP f/1.9 main rear camera like the V2.

But some changes include Magic V3’s 40MP 112-degree f/2.2 UWA lens and a smaller 8MP f/3.4 telephoto unit — yet with the farthest 5x optical zoom of the bunch.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Base memory still starts at 12GB but continues to be the selection even when you opt for the 512GB storage option. While it also has the same 5000mAh battery as the V2, the Magic Vs3 sticks with the conventional Li-Po (Lithium-Polymer) battery tech instead of Si/C (Silicon/Carbon).

On a good note, it also supports 50W wireless charging like the Magic V3.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

It’s quite the love child of Magic V2 and V3 — or like a Magic V2 on a new skin with some tweaks. Both of these Magical foldables run on a newer MagicOS 8.0 software based on Android 14.

AI features should already be expected much like every new Android flagship out there. However, satellite connectivity is limited to the Magic V3 only.

Pricing and Availability

The HONOR Magic V3 and Vs3 are available in these nature-inspired colorways: Qilian Snow, Tundra Green, and Velvet Black. Additionally, the Silk Road Dunhuang color choice is exclusive to the Magic V3.

Pricing and configuration of each foldable are as follows:

Magic V3

12+256GB = CNY 8999 (US$ 1237 / EUR 1143 / GBP 966 / SG$ 1669 / PhP 72,115 / INR 103,287)
16+512GB = CNY 9999 (US$ 1374 / EUR 1270 / GBP 1073 / SG$ 1854 / PhP 80,129 / INR 114,765)
16+1TB = CNY 10,999 (US$ 1512 / EUR 1396 / GBP 1180 / SG$ 2040 / PhP 88,142 / INR 126,243)

Magic Vs3

12+256GB = CNY 6999 (US$ 962 / EUR 888 / GBP 751 / SG$ 1298 / PhP 56,088 / INR 80,332)
12+512GB = CNY 7699 (US$ 1058 / EUR 977 / GBP 826 / SG$ 1428 / PhP 61,697 / INR 88,367)
16+1TB = CNY 8699 (US$ 1196 / EUR 1104 / GBP 933 / SG$ 1613 / PhP 69,710 / INR 99,844)

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Global availability was never mentioned but we are expecting HONOR will at least sell the Magic V3 in international shelves soon much like its predecessor.

News

Samsung teases anti-shoulder surfing privacy feature

A “new layer of privacy” coming to Galaxy phones soon

Published

January 28, 2026

GadgetMatch

Samsung has teased a “new layer of privacy” to shield users’ phones primarily from shoulder surfing.

Although there haven’t been any specifics yet, this “new layer” could be quite literal, as in an added display technology on Samsung devices.

Samsung says users can customize it to raise their guard with specific apps, or when entering access details for more private areas of their phones.

Moreover, there are multiple settings for adjusting visibility. This way, users can limit what others can see based on the level of privacy protection they need.

They can likewise choose to protect specific parts of the experience, such as notification pop-ups. In a way, it’s a tailored approach that lets users fine-tune or switch off entirely, rather than a blanket one.

It also eliminates the need to go through apps one by one and adjust settings, as in the case of notifications.

Samsung adds that the process took five years of engineering, testing, and refining, hence the careful and deliberate roll-out instead of a sudden one.

This process included studying how individuals use their phones, what they consider private, and how security should feel in everyday life.

The result, Samsung says, is a fusion of hardware and software expertly calibrated to protect users while on their phones.

This latest development is part of a series of Galaxy innovations to keep users safe. Samsung has been introducing topnotch mobile protection with Knox Vault, Knox Matrix, and more features.

News

Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold reveals US$ 2,899 price tag

It’s still cheaper than the Huawei Mate XT.

Published

January 28, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Late last year, Samsung finally revealed the Galaxy Z TriFold, its official entry into the three-paneled market. Even only from its initial announcement, the Galaxy Z TriFold already looks mighty good, more so than its Android-less counterpart from Huawei. But, as with everything, it still depends on the price. How much will Samsung’s trifold phone cost? Now, we have an idea.

Today in the United States, Samsung has announced that the Galaxy Z TriFold will already be available in the country starting this week. From January 30, users can start trying out the phone for themselves in Samsung Experience Stores. They can also grab the device through Samsung.com.

Because the phone is already available, the price tag is out as well. In the United States, the Galaxy Z TriFold will set you back by at least US$ 2,899.

Despite how eye-watering that price is, it’s still a step below the Huawei Mate XT when that launched last year. (For reference, the Android-less Mate XT launched for a miserable EUR 3,499.)

Still, spending almost three thousand dollars on a phone might not be the most appealing decision for a lot of people. This price is also almost a full thousand dollars more than the Galaxy Z Fold7, which starts at US$ 1,999. On the bright side, the Galaxy Z TriFold is taking a big step in “democratizing” the trifold market before it takes over the industry.

If you’re interested in adding this to your cart, the Galaxy Z TriFold has a huge 10-inch screen, a custom Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, 16GB of RAM, and up to 1TB of storage. It also has a 200-megapixel main camera and a 5600mAh battery.

All that in mind, is US$ 2,899 a justifiable price for the Galaxy Z TriFold?

Entertainment

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie trailer shows first look at Yoshi

The premiere was also moved up by a few days.

Published

January 27, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

As a fan of the Super Mario games, I’m still waiting patiently for the next 3D Mario title. In the meantime, we’ve got Mario in 3D to stave off the hunger. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie will premiere on April 1, and it just got a new trailer.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie was announced quite some time ago, if the first film’s stinger wasn’t enough of a confirmation for you. As in that post-credits scene, Yoshi is set to make his debut. Now, the new trailer reveals the green dinosaur for the first time.

In the trailer, Mario and Luigi head to the Sand Kingdom to investigate a strange disturbance inside a pyramid. The disturbance turns out to be a scared Yoshi. What follows is a short montage of scenes from the movie but doesn’t reveal much of the connection between Yoshi and the movie’s story.

From the previous trailer, Bowser Jr. wants to claim the throne as the universe’s big baddie. It’s still unknown how Yoshi (and even Rosalina) connects to the overall plot.

Still, the trailer has a bunch of Easter eggs for fans of the franchise. For one, the Sand Kingdom is an area from the latest 3D Mario game, Super Mario Odyssey. Heading into the pyramid, you might also hear a subdued version of the “Underground Theme”. Then, when Yoshi finally appears, you’ll hear Super Mario World’s “Overworld Theme”.

The trailer also shows a peek at Birdo.

From the new trailer, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie will premiere a few days earlier on April 1. Previously, it was set to premiere on April 3.