C. Scott Brown / Android Authority
TL;DR
- HONOR CEO George Zhao has claimed that there’s no real foldable competition to the HONOR Magic V3.
- The comment comes after HONOR compared the Magic V3 foldable to the iPhone during its IFA 2024 event.
HONOR just launched the Magic V3 globally in Berlin today as part of IFA 2024, and it’s the thinnest foldable phone in the world. The company spent its launch event comparing the new device to Apple’s iPhones instead of other foldable phones. And it turns out there’s a reason why the Chinese manufacturer was making this comparison.
HONOR CEO George Zhao told journalists that the company only compared the Magic V3 to the iPhone during its launch event because there was “no real competitor” when it came to foldable phones.
To be frank, today I don’t find any foldable phone can compete with the HONOR Magic V3. There’s no real competitor in the foldable category. So we are looking for our main competitor in the bar phone category. So I think the best bar phones are the Samsung Galaxy S and the iPhone. So we want to remind iPhone users to check the reviews of the HONOR Magic V3, and maybe they can find a new choice.
That’s a strong statement from HONOR, and it’s hard to argue when you look at hardware alone. Last year’s Magic V2 was still thinner than newly released foldable phones like the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6. The Magic V3 has an even thinner design than its rivals while offering faster wired/wireless charging, a bigger battery, more base storage, and better camera hardware.
Do you think the HONOR Magic V3 has no real competition?
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This argument does fall apart somewhat when we actually use the Magic V3. Colleague C Scott Brown reviewed the Magic V3 and criticized the phone for its poor battery life (although this can likely be addressed with an update), “mediocre” software, and tacked-on AI features. By contrast, Samsung and Google’s foldables are frequently praised for their software and variety of polished AI features. Samsung and Google also offer lengthier update policies for their devices. So, the HONOR Magic V3 lags behind its rivals in at least three categories.
Scott also criticized the Magic V3’s availability, and this is another point worth noting. HONOR’s foldable is indeed widely available but crucially (and unsurprisingly) misses out on the US. That means the Magic V3 is effectively no competition for devices like the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, and OnePlus Open in the region.
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