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.