Honor Magic V5 Review: The Thinnest Foldable Smartphone Yet

by reviewzinsight.com · 30 August 2025

Honor continues to shake the foldable smartphone market with the launch of the Honor Magic V5, a device that combines cutting-edge engineering, bold design, and strong hardware. The company already made a name for itself with earlier Magic V series devices, but the V5 shows how far foldables have come in terms of practicality. Honor highlights two key aspects with this model: extreme thinness and long-lasting performance. Unlike early foldables that looked experimental, the Magic V5 feels like a polished flagship designed for everyday use.

Design and Build

Honor engineers pursued thinness aggressively, and they succeeded. When unfolded, the phone measures just 4.1 millimeters in thickness in the white variant. When folded, it sits at 8.8 millimeters, slimmer than most standard bar-style flagships. This makes the Magic V5 the world’s thinnest foldable phone.

The phone weighs only 217 grams in its lightest finish, which makes it lighter than some conventional slab smartphones. That difference becomes very noticeable when you carry it around daily. You can slip the Magic V5 into a pocket without the bulk usually associated with foldables.

Honor reinforced the hinge with Super Steel technology and added carbon fiber around the structure. These choices give the phone rigidity while keeping it light. The hinge feels smooth, and Honor claims it endures hundreds of thousands of folds. The Magic V5 also carries IP58 and IP59 protection, which means it resists both dust and water. Foldables rarely reach this level of durability, so this feature elevates the V5’s reliability.

One controversial design element comes from the large circular camera bump at the back. Because Honor had to balance thinness with large camera sensors, the module protrudes more than most users prefer. The bump spoils the sleekness slightly, but the slim profile of the phone overall offsets this drawback.

Display Quality and Stylus Support

Honor fits two AMOLED panels in the Magic V5.

The external screen measures 6.43 inches with a resolution of 2376×1060. It supports LTPO technology for adaptive refresh rates up to 120 Hz. The brightness reaches an incredible 5000 nits, which makes outdoor visibility flawless.
The internal foldable display stretches across 7.95 inches with a resolution of 2352×2172. It also uses LTPO AMOLED technology and refreshes at 120 Hz. The inner screen produces colors that look rich and accurate, while the crease almost disappears under normal lighting.

Honor adds compatibility with the Magic Pen stylus, which supports 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity and tilt detection. Unlike some rivals, the stylus works on both the inner and outer displays. Artists, note-takers, and professionals who need digital handwriting tools can rely on this feature without compromise.

Performance and Software

At the heart of the Honor Magic V5 lies the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, Qualcomm’s latest and most powerful flagship chip. Honor pairs it with up to 16 GB of RAM and storage configurations that stretch up to 1 TB. In benchmark testing, the Magic V5 performs on par with or better than other 2025 Android flagships. Heavy multitasking, gaming, and content creation all run flawlessly.

Honor ships the phone with Android 15 layered with MagicOS 9.0. The software brings advanced multitasking tools such as three-app split screen, floating windows, and drag-and-drop functionality between apps. Honor also integrates AI translation features, live transcription powered by advanced models, and several personalization options.

The company commits to seven years of software updates, which gives the Honor Magic V5 strong long-term value. Despite these positives, the user interface still feels less polished compared to Samsung’s One UI or Google’s Pixel software. Some reviewers noticed clunky transitions and awkward app resizing when using split-screen modes. Honor must refine MagicOS further to match the elegance of its hardware.

Battery and Charging

Battery life defines the Honor Magic V5 as much as its thinness. The phone carries a 5820 mAh battery in the global model and a 6100 mAh battery in the Chinese version thanks to silicon-carbon battery technology. This chemistry allows Honor to store more energy in a smaller space.

Users consistently report that the Magic V5 lasts longer than any other foldable on the market. Even heavy users reach a full day and a half of endurance, while moderate users often see two days. No other foldable offers that level of stamina.

Charging speeds impress as well. With 66 W wired charging, the phone reaches around 80 percent in just half an hour and completes a full charge in under 50 minutes. Honor also includes 50 W wireless charging, a feature that remains rare in foldables. Together, these features eliminate the anxiety of foldable battery life that plagued earlier models.

Camera Performance

Honor equips the Magic V5 with a versatile triple-camera system:

50-megapixel main camera with optical stabilization
50-megapixel ultrawide camera
64-megapixel telephoto periscope camera with 3× optical zoom and up to 100× digital zoom

In daylight, the phone captures images with excellent sharpness, rich colors, and strong dynamic range. The ultrawide lens produces consistent results, while the periscope zoom handles medium ranges very well. At extreme zoom levels, stabilization becomes challenging, so results depend heavily on steady hands.

In low light, the main sensor performs reliably, though some images show oversharpening. The camera software occasionally struggles with highlights in night scenes, but overall the Magic V5 captures photos that rival many bar-style flagships. Video quality follows the same pattern: strong in daylight, slightly less consistent in challenging conditions.

Although the Magic V5 does not reach the photographic excellence of the Galaxy S25 Ultra or the Pixel 10 Pro, it stands as one of the best foldable cameras available today.

Market Position and Comparisons

The Honor Magic V5 competes directly with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold. Against Samsung, Honor wins on thinness, weight, and battery performance. Samsung still holds an advantage in software polish and global brand trust. Against Google, Honor offers superior hardware and design, while Google leads in AI integration and camera consistency.

Honor prices the Magic V5 aggressively at around €1999 in Europe and £1699 in the UK, which makes it slightly cheaper than Samsung’s competing foldable models. With promotions and bundles, the value becomes even stronger.

Availability remains limited, though. Honor launched the Magic V5 in China, Malaysia, and parts of Europe, but the phone has no official release in the United States. Importing remains the only option for American users, and that comes with compatibility risks. In India, Honor continues to test market interest before announcing official sales, but the device already attracts tech enthusiasts through gray-market channels.

Strengths

Record-breaking thinness without sacrificing strength
Lightweight build that feels like a normal flagship
Superb foldable and cover displays with peak brightness over 5000 nits
Reliable stylus support across both screens
Class-leading battery life thanks to silicon-carbon technology
Fast wired and wireless charging
Flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite performance with abundant RAM and storage
Long software support commitment of seven years

Weaknesses

MagicOS still lacks polish compared to rivals
Large camera bump disrupts the otherwise elegant design
Availability issues in major markets such as the U.S. and India
Camera performance falls short of the very best flagship phones
Long-term durability of silicon-carbon batteries still needs validation

Conclusion

The Honor Magic V5 sets a new standard for foldable smartphones. It proves that foldables no longer need to feel bulky or compromised. Honor achieved an engineering marvel with a profile slimmer than many standard phones, while still fitting a large battery, powerful cameras, and top-tier performance.

The Honor Magic V5 appeals strongly to professionals, creatives, and early adopters who want the best balance between portability and productivity. The stylus compatibility, bright displays, and long battery life make it a versatile work and entertainment device.

The phone’s flaws lie mostly in software polish and regional availability, not in its hardware execution. If Honor expands its reach and continues refining MagicOS, the Magic V5 could easily rival Samsung and Google foldables at the top of the market.

For now, it stands as the slimmest, lightest, and longest-lasting foldable phone you can buy in 2025. Anyone who values design innovation and practicality will find the Honor Magic V5 a game-changer in the foldable landscape.