Hands-On

HONOR Magic Vs Hands-on: Disruptor in the making

Looks like Samsung is about to have a decent rival

Published

December 21, 2022

MJ Jucutan

Foldable smartphones aren’t going away. In fact, more and more smartphone brands are coming up with unique form factors that they can brag about.

While I’m never the target market of a foldable smartphone, it doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate a good design when I see one.

Such is the case for the Honor Magic Vs, which was launched last November 2022.

Cracked the code

At a glance, the Honor Magic Vs looks inconspicuously familiar. The rear design looks like your tall, boxy slate. You wouldn’t realize it’s a foldable smartphone unless you’ve taken a peek on the side or if you’ve seen someone unfold it.

When folded, it doesn’t look thick since it’s eerily familiar to most bulky smartphones. The fingerprint scanner sits below the volume rockers, although both features are placed on different edges when opened.

Unfolded, the fingerprint scanner will remain on the right while the volume rockers are accessible on the left side. On its top, you can find its speaker grilles and mic. Meanwhile, the bottom side houses the SIM tray and a USB-C port. Here you’ll also find another set of speaker grilles.

Unfolding the device feels smooth. I didn’t feel any resistance on its hinge yet it still felt durable enough. It also didn’t feel heavy on the hand when unfolded. The Honor Magic Vs weighs 261g, almost the same as the Galaxy Z Fold4 at 263g, yet it feels significantly lighter whether folded or unfolded.

And despite all the thin and lightweight feel, the Magic Vs felt it had a robust build, thanks to its magnesium alloy frame. It still looks delicate, though. All foldable phones do.

What’s different?

What sets the Magic Vs apart is how it really looks like a regular smartphone when folded. The cover display comes with a 6.45-inch OLED screen capable of 120Hz refresh rate, support for HDR10+, and reaches a maximum brightness of up to 1200 nits.

Since Honor’s independence from Huawei, the Magic Vs runs Magic UI 7 based on Android 12 and comes with Google Mobile Services. It really does look like your average slate, except it can still unfold and look bigger.

It extends its screen to 7.9 inches when unfolded, although the performance is a bit toned-down with only 90Hz refresh rate capability and a maximum brightness of up to 800 nits.

In a way, the Honor Magic Vs cracked the code when it comes to foldable design. It found a sweet spot that works with average users, not just tech-savvy individuals who want cutting-edge technology at their disposal.

A noteworthy rival?

Back in 2019, Samsung and Huawei went toe-to-toe in producing the best foldable smartphone. Samsung took the crown when Huawei lost Google Mobile Services due to former President Trump’s meltdown against the Chinese company.

Huawei continued to showcase its excellence in robust engineering and innovative design through its foldable lineup. However, it still struggled in marketing its devices due to the inaccessibility of Google Mobile Services.

Meanwhile, Honor’s foldable lineup seems to be unbothered — taking notes from the refinement of Huawei’s devices while following in the steps of Samsung’s legacy.

The Honor Magic Vs runs on Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 with a 4nm chip and an Adreno 730 GPU. On paper alone, the foldable lineup promises a flagship performance that might even rival the Galaxy Z Fold4.

However, let’s save that conversation for next time. For now, let’s see how the Honor Magic Vs fares against the current leading foldable smartphone.

Up front, the Galaxy Z Fold4 has a narrower cover display which we’ve mentioned a couple of times already in our previous stories and videos. The Honor Magic Vs looks similar to your average smartphone, which provides plenty of screen real estate apt for scrolling, watching videos, and playing games.

On the rear, the Galaxy Z Fold4 has a smooth, subtle design with graceful curves. Meanwhile, the Honor Magic Vs comes with a frosted and textured finish. Aside from their sizes, the differences in camera islands are easily distinguishable.

The Honor Magic Vs obviously comes with an insanely large camera bump. It houses a 54-megapixel main shooter, an 8-megapixel telephoto lens, and a 50-megapixel ultrawide camera.

Design-wise, surely, the Honor Magic Vs is winning. It’s thinner, easier to hold, and looks like your familiar slab phone even though it’s foldable. However, there are more things to consider especially in how Samsung still holds the crown in terms of software and display.

Nevertheless, the Honor Magic Vs’ entrance should make Samsung feel its presence. They can’t afford to be complacent when a dark horse is just around the corner, ready to run the course.

Camera modes

Just like the Galaxy Z Fold4 and even the Huawei Mate Xs 2, the Honor Magic Vs comes with different camera modes that suits any user’s preference and shooting style.

The Honor Magic Vs carries a punch-hole camera for its selfie shooter, as seen on its cover display and even when unfolded.

The front camera uses a 16-megapixel wide lens that’s appropriate for selfies.

On its rear, as mentioned before, carries a triple camera system inside a humongous camera bump.

It’s apt for shooting in different modes — suitable for mobile photographers since they’ll have a versatile set of cameras at their disposal.

The cover screen is also accessible so that your subject can have a preview of themselves when you’re taking their photos.

However, I’ve been using it differently. Using gestures, you can flip the foldable when unfolded, and have the rear cameras take your photos instead for a crisper and more vibrant shot.

Is this your GadgetMatch?

It’s too early to tell whether the Honor Magic Vs can be your GadgetMatch. With an RMB 7,499 price tag in China and its availability still coming to more regions before 2022 ends and in the 1st quarter of 2023, the asking price is still steep when converted.

However, it’s much cheaper when compared to other flagship foldable smartphones that retail at USD 2,000. If you’re still part of the crowd who love having cutting-edge technology and first-generation products, the Honor Magic Vs might be worth checking out.

For what it’s worth, the Honor Magic Vs offers a presence that Samsung should never take lightly. It has the potential to shake the foldable category if it continues to improve.

It continues Huawei’s legacy in terms of hardware, with Honor’s proprietary software features that take after Huawei and EMUI serving a smooth and seamless experience, combined with an elegant blend of engineering, technology, and design.

It’s like a dark horse waiting for its moment to take the crown. Eventually, we’ll be witness to it.

Related Topics:featured Honor HONOR Magic Vs

First Look

Match Pulse: TECNO SPARK 50 5G

Does it SPARK joy?

Published

April 2, 2026

Vincenz

In a modern world dominated by flagships and midrangers, budget smartphones are often undervalued just because of the mere value they bring to the table.

But, let’s be real. Not everyone chases specs. There are users who simply need a phone they can afford without all the best-in-class bells and whistles often glorified but spec-obsessed nerds.

Well, the TECNO SPARK 50 5G might just be that handy-dandy everyday companion you need.

First Look

Right off the bat, the TECNO SPARK 50 5G will instantly remind you of Google’s recent Pixel phones. That camera bar is very reminiscent of the Pixel 9 and 10’s camera “visor.”

This isn’t a complaint. SPARK 50 5G’s camera island looks cleaner than that overly-used, left-justified square camera cutout popularized by Apple during the reign of their iPhone Pro series.

More so, it avoids joining the bandwagon of phones imitating the all-new “camera plateau” of the iPhone 17 Pro series.

Coincidental or not, it even reminds me of Apple’s pill-shaped Dynamic Island — or that interactive area around the punch-hole cutout that’s found among newer iPhones.

And now that we’re at it, let’s flip the SPARK 50 5G to its front.

The moment you power on the device, you’d be welcomed by its large 6.78-inch punch-hole display. However, bigger doesn’t always mean better.

Not-so-thin bezels and that awfully-thicc bottom chin aside, I’m more concerned about its display quality.

I’m not trying to be very nit-picky but, my clear eyes can easily distinguish that its 720p screen resolution is quite a stretch for a screen this big.

Ain’t even expecting a class-leading OLED display (this is an IPS LCD type, BTW). However, a 1080p Full HD would have been more plausible.

Don’t even get me started with that subpar max brightness, backlight bleeding, alongside poor viewing angles and legibility.

And, even if it features a 120Hz refresh rate that smoothens day-to-day scrolling and switching, it doesn’t totally override the fact that the display is not up to par.

Still, the choice of punch-hole is heaps better than other phone makers continuously making phones with teardrop notches — which is turning almost a decade next year.

I’m just glad TECNO halted (if not completely stopped) putting it among their recent budget offerings.

First Date

While I have strong feelings against its display, the overall feel of the SPARK 50 5G is of the opposite. Holding the phone for the first time barely looked and felt cheap at all.

Setting the bar high, TECNO’s SPARK 50 5G is made from aviation-grade aluminum — which some other plasticky budget phones can only dream of.

With that durability talk, it’s also worth noting it’s also IP64-rated as well as MIL-STD-810H certified.

Personally, I love the classy and luxe Champagne Gold colorway that I’ve dated.

There are bolder colors too such as Mint Green and Fantasy Purple. More so, the subdued Titanium Grey and Ink Black options.

After setting everything up, the phone greets you with TECNO’s latest HiOS 16 based on Android 16.

Despite its price point, TECNO didn’t leave out all the usable AI feats originally announced in the recent CAMON 50 series.

Not only it includes the usual AI Tools and Ella (or its smart AI Assistant), the newer AI FlashMemo as well as AI MindHub are ever-present as well. These intelligently discern content you consume or whatever you’re curious about.

I’m not a total h-AI-ter as I believe that AI, when used responsibly, gives much leverage to users. It balances an individual’s time so s/he can work and focus more on things that need to be prioritized.

Still, I blame AI for the sharp price rise of components among all consumer devices imaginable.

Now that I’ve mentioned it, TECNO’s SPARK 50 5G comes in either 128 or 256GB of storage and memory choices between 4/8/12/16GB (region-dependent).

At its core lies MediaTek’s Dimensity 6400 SoC. For the market it tries to lure, this is a chipset capable of handling most tasks.

It’s a better option if you’re someone like me who relies on 5G connectivity most of the time. Its Helio G200 counterpart, while speedy and reliant, has 4G as its biggest drawback.

Gaming? Well, it’s obviously not built for that.

Still, it’s playable for the not-so-demanding-games: 60fps in PUBG while 90fps with the widely popular Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB).

Even with just a chassis of 8.18mm, TECNO has managed to put in a 6500mAh single-cell battery (or a lesser 6150mAh dual-cell variant that I have with me).

Still, the TECNO SPARK 50 5G has outlasted me more — way past midnight after that full-day first date.

If you’re already in a pinch, the phone can be charged through its 45W fast-charging adapter bundled in its box. ICYMI, last year’s SPARK 40 5G relied on a painfully-slow 18W charging.

And, before I forget, I just missed the novelty of side-mounted fingerprint scanner. I still consider it better than the optical ones.

Lastly, despite that elongated camera bar at its rear, the SPARK 50 5G is only equipped with a lone 50MP camera.

Although AI FlashSnap exists, the camera app being somewhat sluggish evades the purpose of that camera feature per se.

While cameras have never been the strong point of the SPARK series, it should be enough for users who just want a functioning rear camera not just for document-scanning, but for life moments as well.

Its 8MP shooter can still capture selfies — or just be used for those unavoidable school and/or work video calls.

First Impressions

With a starting price (4+128GB base config) of INR 16,999 (approx. US$ 180 / EUR 160 / GBP 135 / SG$ 235 / MYR 735 / PhP 10,995), the TECNO SPARK 50 5G isn’t the most well-rounded budget smartphone around.

Still, this phone will satisfy the general, non-tech-savvy population. That sophisticated design, solid build quality, ginormous battery with reliable fast charging, smart AI-powered OS. Even 5G-capable chipset in this price range?

Did I even mention that it still rocks the almost obsolete microSD card slot and 3.5mm audio jack?

Obviously, I’m not the target user of this phone. Especially as a creative guy who values display and cameras a lot.

However, technophobes might get the hang of this phone when they take it out on a lovely, more intimate date more than twice. The phone is as straightforward as it can get. Sans, exploring the more complex AI tools within.

Still, this is a phone suitable for a wider range of user base consisting of kids, young students, the elderly, or even everyday workers who just need a reliable phone that they can bring around without sacrificing too much of their hard-earned savings — especially in an economy we live in right now.

Hands-On

OPPO Reno15 F 5G hands-on

More question marks than exclamation points?

Published

March 6, 2026

Manila Connoisseur

The OPPO Reno15 Series 5G made its way to the Philippines last month, and reception has been pretty great so far.

With a powerful camera package, AI, and a slew of upgrades, there’s a lot to love and not much negative to say. But that’s with both the standard and Pro models.

On the other hand, with the Reno15 F 5G — the series’ supposed budget-friendly “lite” variant —there were more question marks than exclamation points.

I attack this piece once more from a consumer standpoint: shelling out PhP 23,000 to PhP 26,000 for a midrange smartphone that feels and performs like it’s a few notches below its segment doesn’t sound too pleasant.

Performance

With a Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 processor, the OPPO Reno15 F performs pretty much like any sub PhP 20,000 mid-ranger. It’s acceptable, but does not punch above its weight as expected.

No major hiccups for light and casual usage. But performance struggles a lot for demanding video games.

It also heats up significantly just 10 minutes into a title like Honkai: Star Rail. This is a stark contrast to the marketed 25℃ and up to 10 hours straight of smooth gameplay.

Although, the experience was still enjoyable with several wins and MVP runs in Call of Duty Mobile. It only means the F variant remains a more camera-centric phone rather than an a hard-hitting all-arounder.

As with other devices, the 7000mAh battery with 80W SUPERVOOC is a strong suit. You’re fueled from dawn ’til dusk, with much to spare. Recharging takes a breeze, too.

Display

The OPPO Reno15 F has a 6.57-inch 120Hz display, with a 92.8% screen-to-body ratio. At least, that allows you to focus on content on the screen.

Content leans more towards the cooler tone, so you’ll have to adjust it manually if you want a warmer or more vivid look.

The 397ppi pixel density is fine to ensure sharper visuals, while the 1400 nits peak brightness is helpful outdoors.

Camera

The device’s 50MP main camera captures decent quality. The color science leans on being natural anew, without being too dull nor washed out. You can pull off smooth portraits too.

I hardly used the phone for stills as I focused on videos, but here are some samples, on the occasions I was able to take the handset with me:

The 50MP front camera is an intriguing add-on, as it is capable of up to 4K video and a wide 100° field of view.

What this does is it essentially removes the need to flip your phone for the popular “0.5” shots. And the quality doesn’t get compromised given the pixel count.

Here are some selfies from different focal lengths:

To its credit, filming with the back camera at 60fps does look and feel smooth, although it can be improved.

Same with the front camera; and the zoom range can be switched from 0.6 to 2x without cutting the recording.

Although, it’s still best to use a selfie stick or small tripod if you’re just after talking head videos.

Speaking of which, here are a few I’ve made with just this device:

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But for travel and on-the-go captures, as OPPO markets for the series in general, even the Reno15 F can cover a lot of background along with your or your groups’ faces.

Make no mistake, there are some useful AI editing features here. In particular, AI Portrait Glow gives your raw capture an effect to make it look it was taken with flash.

I do not recall the device heating up as well when taking many photos or videos, so you can say it’s more optimized for that task rather than gaming.

Connectivity issues

Meanwhile, AI LinkBoost 3.0, as in the case of the OPPO A6 Pro, doesn’t seem to punch above its weight either.

Once, I also played Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and the session opened to a jittery start despite being on Wi-Fi and having a stable connection. I don’t know what triggered this.

Design, feel

We got the Aurora Blue variant which does kind of resemble the northern lights when you tilt the phone a certain way and when light hits its back panel.

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The cursive “Reno” on the large, protruding camera island gives it more style.

However, it’s all just aesthetics. On the downside, the phone is all sorts of slippery.

I couldn’t hold it properly without think of it slipping away from my hands; nor could I put it on my lap with confidence.

So I guess it’s good that it has structural integrity and waterproofing, because you’ll need that.

oplus_16

The 6.57-inch body does have a good balance between being too compact and too large, like ultras and pro maxes.

It has a squarish body and has already adapted to the premium, aluminum frame look from the sides.

Is this your GadgetMatch?

Sadly, the OPPO Reno15 F 5G is a Swipe Left unlike its bigger, more capable siblings. There are plenty of plus points for the camera package but take that away, and I don’t see much difference between the Reno15 F and something like the A6 Pro.

Granted, the asking price of this phone will drop significantly in a few months. But throw in a little more, and you’ve got a legitimate mid-ranger that’s more on the premium side rather than the cheap end of the spectrum.