After joining the 200-megapixel club with the international launch of the Honor 90 smartphone, former Huawei sub-brand Honor is keeping up the momentum with the release in China of what's billed as the thinnest and lightest book-style foldable smartphone to date.
"We are thrilled to introduce the Honor Magic V2, which achieves a new level of sophistication with thin and lightweight packages that were previously thought impossible," said company CEO, George Zhao.
Dealing with the headline claims first, the new foldable handset measures just 9.9 mm (0.389 in) when folded – a good deal thinner than Samsung's Galaxy Fold4 (which measures 15.8-14.2 mm), slimmer than Google's Pixel Fold (at 12.1 mm) and even beats Xiaomi's Mix Fold 2 (11.2 mm).
It tips the scales at 231 g (8.15 oz), which makes it a much more portable option than the 263-g Fold4, the Pixel Fold at 283 g and the 262-g Mix Fold 2.
The handset sports a 6.43-inch outer OLED display at 2,376 x 1,060 pixels and a 7.92-inch inner OLED screen at 2,344 x 2,156 pixels. The displays each boast a refresh rate of up to 120 Hz, support the wide DCI-P3 color gamut and feature powerful dimming technology for long-haul eye comfort.
Enabling the fold is a new titanium and steel hinge that's been designed to withstand more than 400,000 folds (or up to 10 years at 100 folds per day), earning it a durability certification from SGS.
Inside, Honor rolls with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 mobile platform with octa-core processing and Adreno graphics, with support from 16 GB of RAM and up to 1 TB of storage. Connectivity shapes up as USB-C, 5G mobile internet, Wi-Fi 7, and Bluetooth 5.3 with support for LDAC and aptX HD codecs, as well as AAC.
The rear camera array comprises a 50-MP F1.9 main with optical image stabilization, a 50-MP ultra-wide and a 20-MP telephoto, also with OIS. Up to 40x digital zoom is also on tap, and 4K UHD video recording is possible. Completing the included video/photo capabilities are two 16-MP selfiecams.
The Magic V2 runs the Android-based MagicOS 7.2 platform, which includes a new feature to keep work and personal apps separate to help ensure user privacy and security. And it comes with two thin Li-Po batteries for a total capacity of 5,000 mAh, plus there's support for 66-W fast charging.
The Honor Magic V2 is up for pre-order in China now, starting at RMB 8,999 (about US$1,250). There's no word at present on international availability.
Product page: Magic V2
