Review HONOR Magic V5

Key Concepts

• Honor Magic V5: A foldable smartphone.
• Foldable Phone Design: Focus on thinness and lightness.
• Camera Module Design: Thick and prominent.
• Weight Distribution: Heavier towards the camera module.
• Screen Bezels: Front screen bezels could be thinner; inner screen bezels are a bit thick.
• Outer Screen Aspect Ratio: Similar to traditional smartphones, suitable for typing.
• Inner Screen: Larger than previous models, uses flexible OLED.
• Anti-glare Coating: Present on the inner screen, but less effective than Oppo Find N5.
• Crease: Minimal and not significantly impacting user experience.
• App Optimization for Foldables: Varies across apps; YouTube is not optimized.
• Camera Performance: Good for everyday use, especially for portraits.
• Autofocus: Lacking on the front-facing camera.
• Performance: Powered by Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (implied by "Snapdragon 8 Elite" and context of flagship chips), handles daily tasks and moderate gaming well.
• Battery: 5820 mAh silicon-carbon battery, the largest among officially sold foldable phones in Vietnam.
• Battery Life: Comfortable for a full day of use, with a mix of inner and outer screen usage.

Honor Magic V5 Review

Design and Build

The Honor Magic V5, along with other recent foldable phones like the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Oppo Find N5, aims for a thin and light design. The Honor Magic V5 maintains Honor's distinctive foldable design language, evident in the camera module, overall body, and subtle internal patterns, making it easily recognizable as an Honor product.

While the overall design is considered acceptable, the reviewer expresses a personal dislike for the overly thick camera module, understanding that it houses numerous components. A thinner camera module would be preferred. Additionally, the reviewer is not fond of the beveled edges around the camera, preferring a rounded finish, though this is acknowledged as a personal preference.

A key highlight of the Honor Magic V5 is its thinness, a characteristic Honor has emphasized since the Magic V3. The Magic V5 retains this focus on a slim profile. Interestingly, the thickness varies slightly across different color variants, with the white version being the thinnest and lightest. The yellow version, as held by the reviewer, is a few grams heavier and marginally thicker, though the difference is not significantly noticeable. The reviewer advises choosing based on color preference rather than minor variations in thickness or weight.

When comparing specifications, the Honor Magic V5's weight is not drastically different from the Galaxy Z Fold 7 or Oppo Find N5. However, in hand, it feels heavier due to the weight distribution, which is concentrated towards the camera module. This emphasizes the importance of physically holding a device to assess its ergonomics, as specifications alone do not tell the whole story. The thinness of the Honor Magic V5 is particularly appreciated when using the inner, unfolded screen, providing a comfortable and immersive experience.

Areas for improvement in the design include thinner bezels on the front screen and a reduction in the thickness of the inner screen bezels, which are slightly thicker than those on the Galaxy Z Fold 7. Thinner bezels would contribute to a more "sexy" overall aesthetic.

Displays

The Honor Magic V5 features two displays: an outer and an inner screen.

Outer Screen: The outer screen boasts an aspect ratio very similar to traditional smartphones, which is a crucial factor for foldable phones. This aspect ratio ensures sufficient width for comfortable and accurate typing, addressing a common issue in earlier generations of foldable phones (e.g., Galaxy Z Fold 6 and prior). The Honor Magic V5 avoids these issues, offering an experience comparable to standard phones in terms of app display, keyboard input speed, and accuracy. The screen itself is described as visually appealing, with low reflectivity, high contrast, and a high refresh rate, meeting all the requirements of a good smartphone display. The reviewer emphasizes that the outer screen is as important as the inner screen, as it is used for a significant portion of the time (estimated 60-70%).

Inner Screen: The inner screen is slightly larger than that of the Honor Magic V3, offering a greater display area. It utilizes a flexible OLED panel. Honor has applied an anti-glare coating to the inner screen, but the reviewer finds Oppo Find N5's coating to be more effective at reducing reflections of surrounding objects. While the Honor Magic V5's anti-glare performance is acceptable in most everyday situations, there is room for improvement by adopting Oppo's approach.

The crease on the inner screen of the Honor Magic V5 is shallow and difficult to see, and swiping across it is smooth. The reviewer notes that by 2025, the crease is no longer a significant issue for foldable phones like the Honor Magic V5, Oppo Find N5, and Galaxy Z Fold 7, as it does not negatively impact the user experience.

Software and App Optimization

The inner foldable screen on the Honor Magic V5 generally performs well with most apps. Many applications can display in a tablet or optimized foldable format. For instance, the reviewer's own app and Microsoft Outlook are shown to function well in foldable modes. Outlook, in particular, is highlighted for its dual-panel display on the foldable screen, allowing for simultaneous viewing of email lists and content, which is highly convenient.

However, two software-related issues are identified:

1. YouTube App: When opened on the inner screen of the Honor Magic V5, the YouTube app displays as a zoomed-in phone app without any optimization. In contrast, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Oppo Find N5 display YouTube in a two-column format, maximizing content visibility and utilizing the foldable screen more effectively. This is a recurring issue from the Honor Magic V3, and the reviewer believes Honor can fix it through software updates.
2. App Layout with Camera Cutout: Some apps, like Outlook, Netflix, and Notion, display full-screen without issues. However, other apps, such as the reviewer's own app, Spotify, and TikTok, shrink slightly when the screen is rotated, leaving a blank space on the left side. This is likely an attempt by Honor to prevent content from being obscured by the inner camera. The reviewer suggests an option to adjust this behavior or a more consistent approach across all apps. While the Outlook app also has some overlap with the camera area, its full-screen display is considered more balanced and preferable. This issue, while not severely impacting usability, indicates room for refinement.

Camera Performance

The camera system is a strong point for the Honor Magic V5. The main camera produces beautiful colors, particularly in portraits, which appear more vibrant and lively than in real life. While some users might prefer a more true-to-life skin tone representation, the reviewer finds these enhanced colors appealing. The reviewer notes that many Chinese manufacturers (Honor, Vivo, Xiaomi, OnePlus, Oppo) use algorithms to make images more visually pleasing, which is often well-received by a wider audience. Each brand has its unique optimization for color science, and personal preference plays a role.

The ultra-wide and telephoto cameras also perform adequately for everyday use. While the Honor Magic V5's camera cannot compete with dedicated camera phones or flagship camera-focused devices like the Oppo Find X9 or Vivo X300 Pro, it is considered sufficient for a foldable phone. The reviewer acknowledges that for professional photography or specific needs like long-range shots or concert filming, they would opt for a dedicated camera or an iPhone. However, for general daily photography, the Honor Magic V5 is capable.

A notable omission is the lack of autofocus on the front-facing camera, which the reviewer finds inconvenient for selfies and selfie video calls.

Performance

The Honor Magic V5 is equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (implied by "Snapdragon 8 Elite" and its flagship status), a high-end processor. The reviewer has experienced no performance issues in daily use, including playing Call of Duty Mobile. The device also maintains normal temperatures during these activities, as the apps used are not excessively demanding. For more intensive gaming like Genshin Impact, the reviewer suggests consulting other tech channels that focus on gaming performance. For standard office tasks and everyday smartphone usage, the Honor Magic V5 performs exceptionally well.

Battery Life

A significant talking point for the Honor Magic V5 is its battery. It features a 5820 mAh silicon-carbon battery, the largest capacity among foldable phones officially sold in Vietnam. This substantial capacity provides comfortable all-day usage, with the reviewer achieving around 6 hours of screen-on time. This usage pattern typically involves 60-70% on the outer screen and 40% on the inner screen.

Compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 7, the Honor Magic V5 offers considerably better battery life, instilling more confidence for users, especially those who are frequently on the go and require extended battery performance.

Conclusion and Key Takeaways

In summary, foldable phones are becoming increasingly similar, with each offering its own set of strengths and weaknesses. The Honor Magic V5 leaves a strong impression with its:

• Battery Life: The 5820 mAh battery is a standout feature.
• Design: Its luxurious and distinctive aesthetic is a key differentiator.
• Camera: The camera performance, especially for portraits and general video recording, is commendable for a foldable.

The main drawbacks identified by the reviewer are:

• Screen Bezels: The bezels on both the front and inner screens could be thinner.
• YouTube App Optimization: The lack of optimization for the YouTube app on the inner screen is a significant software issue that Honor should address.

The Honor Magic V5 is recommended for those looking to purchase a foldable phone. The reviewer also mentions a separate video comparing the Honor Magic V5, Oppo Find N5, and Galaxy Z Fold 7 for those undecided between these three models.