Samsung has been the leader in the foldable smartphone market for a while, with its Galaxy Z Fold series offering a phone-tablet hybrid design able to transform from a compact device to a larger screened tablet. However, Honor, the former sub-brand of Huawei, has recently launched its own foldable phone in China and soon will launch the Honor Magic Vs internationally, which challenges Samsung’s dominance with a similar but improved design.
The Honor Magic Vs was announced in November 2022, and it will make its international debut on February 27 at MWC in Barcelona. The phone features a 6.45-inch 120hz OLED display on the front, and an 7.9-inch 90hz OLED display on the inside. It is powered by the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset, with 12GB of RAM and 256GB or 512GB of storage. It has a quad-camera setup on the back, with a 54MP main sensor, a 8MP telephoto lens, and a 50MP ultra-wide-angle lens. It also has a 16MP selfie camera on the external display and internal displays. It packs a 5,000mAh battery that supports 66W wired charging and no wireless charging.
In a new teardown video, JerryRigEverything shows off the hinge and internal components of the phone, which shows the advanced design Honor is using on the Magic Vs.
The Magic Vs is not perfect, though. It lacks an official water-resistance rating, which the Galaxy Z Fold 4 has. It also does not have an under-display camera on the inner display, which the Z Fold 4 boasts. It also has a lower-resolution telephoto lens and a smaller inner display.
The Honor Magic Vs seems to have a few advantages over the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, which is the closest competitor in terms of specs and design.
The most notable one is the hinge mechanism, which allows the phone to fold completely without leaving a gap between the two halves. This makes the phone more compact and durable, as well as preventing dust and debris from entering the hinge. The Honor foldable also has a wider front display, which makes it more usable as a regular phone, unlike the narrow and tall display of the Galaxy Z Fold 4. The Magic Vs also has a larger battery capacity, a higher-resolution main camera, and a faster charging speed than the Galaxy Z Fold 4.
The Honor Magic Vs is a compelling foldable phone that offers what might be considered a better version of the fold-style phone that Samsung has been known for. It has a similar hinge to the Galaxy Z Fold 4, but with less gap in the phone and a wider front screen, making it more usable. It also has some impressive specs and features that make it a worthy contender in the foldable smartphone market.
However, it also has some drawbacks that might make some users prefer the Galaxy Z Fold 4 such as the water resistance, under-display camera, and wireless charging.
The Honor Magic Vs is expected to cost around $1,200, significantly cheaper than the Galaxy Z Fold 4 which starts at $1,800. That said, the price might vary depending on the region and the availability. We’ll hear more about the Honor Magic Vs and Honor Magic 5 series at Honor’s launch event at MWC on February 27th.
More on Honor:
- Honor teases global launch of its ‘Magic Vs’ foldable
- Honor Magic Vs foldable launches w/ Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, $1,050 start price
- Honor Magic V is a thinner, slightly bigger Galaxy Z Fold 3 with no global launch plans
Author: Max Weinbach
Source: 9TO5Google
