HONOR Magic V3 launched globally: The thinnest foldable phone, period

The HONOR Magic V3 is the thinnest foldable phone in the world, but it’s only been available in China. Fortunately, that changes today as HONOR has just launched the device globally at IFA 2024.

The Magic V3’s design is its biggest selling point, as the Black variant is just 9.2mm thick and weighs 226 grams. Other variants measure a still svelte 9.3mm thin and weigh 230 grams. By contrast, the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold measures 10.5mm thick and weighs 257 grams, while the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 measures 12.1mm and weighs 239 grams.

HONOR’s new foldable phone isn’t too shabby on the durability front, either. Expect an IPX8 rating for water resistance down to 2.5 meters, which is a major improvement over the Magic V2’s complete lack of ingress protection. Otherwise, HONOR says the foldable’s hinge is rated for 500,000 folds.

The Magic V3 also has a 6.43-inch cover screen (2,376 x 1,060) with a 20:9 screen ratio that’s identical to many conventional smartphones. So, you aren’t getting a tall and narrow smartphone display like the Galaxy Z Fold series. Unfold the smartphone and you’ve got a 7.92-inch folding panel (2,344 x 2,156, 9.78:9 aspect ratio). Both screens bring a 120Hz refresh rate and stylus support. Interestingly, HONOR says it’s using an “impact-resistant” silicon gel material to protect the inner screen, ostensibly in lieu of ultra-thin glass.

HONOR Magic V3: More than just a thin foldable?

C. Scott Brown / Android Authority

As for the core specs, the Magic V3 ticks plenty of boxes for even a conventional flagship Android phone. Expect a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, a 5,150mAh battery, and 66W wired charging. Last year’s phone lacked wireless charging support, but the V3 indeed brings 50W wireless charging.

The new foldable phone has a respectable rear camera system, featuring a 50MP main camera (IMX906, f/1.6, 1/1.56-inch), a 40MP ultrawide camera, and a 50MP 3.5x periscope lens (f/3.0). The Magic V3 also brings the Harcourt Portrait option which debuted earlier this year. Otherwise, HONOR packs a 20MP camera on each screen for selfies and video calls.

HONOR’s new foldable phone runs the Magic OS 8.0.1 skin, and the big difference between the global software and the Chinese software is the addition of Google AI features. These features include object erasing, a translation feature akin to the Pixel Fold’s Interpreter Mode, voice-to-text functionality, and live translation. Otherwise, you’ve still got the Magic Portal feature seen on previous Magic phones, allowing you to drag and drop content between 150+ supported apps instead of using the sharing menu. These supported apps include YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook.

HONOR is also offering four major OS updates and five security patches. That’s not on par with Google and Samsung’s top devices, but it’s still a very respectable update policy.

In any event, we’re glad HONOR isn’t wasting much time bringing this device to global markets after the Chinese release. So we’re keen to see how the foldable fares against globally available devices from Samsung, Google, OnePlus, and others.

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