Several months ago, Honor unveiled the sleek and lightweight Magic V2 foldable, notable for its 9.9mm thickness and 231g weight. This announcement followed Google’s Pixel Fold and preceded Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Flip 5 launch. The Magic V2 boasts a thickness matching the iPhone 14 Pro and its successor, the iPhone 15 Pro.
Fast forward to mid-October, Honor introduced the Magic Vs2, an exceptionally thin and lightweight foldable priced at around $1,000. This positions it as a more affordable option compared to the Pixel Fold, Fold 5, and even undercutting the Galaxy Z Flip 5.
However, concerns arise regarding its durability due to its slim design and reduced weight. Additionally, its current availability is restricted to China, limiting accessibility elsewhere. Furthermore, the lower price suggests a trade-off, as it features an older processor compared to current flagship models.
Despite these considerations, it seems that Honor is actively driving the foldable market more aggressively than Samsung and Google. This could potentially inspire other manufacturers to develop similar foldable smartphones.
The rationale behind Honor’s decision to launch the Magic Vs2 at this particular time of the year remains unclear. According to the company’s announcement, the Magic V2 was the best-selling Fold-type foldable phone in China in the September quarter, as indicated by Counterpoint Research data. Perhaps Honor aims to capture more sales by introducing a more affordable version of that model.
It is evident from the outset that the Magic Vs2 is not an upgrade of the Magic V2. For more details on the latter model, you can refer to our Magic V2 review.
Nevertheless, the phone still achieves a new weight milestone, coming in at 229g, which is 2g lighter than the standard Magic V version. In terms of thickness, the handset measures 10.7mm when folded and 5.1mm when unfolded.
Honor asserts that the Magic Vs2 is crafted using aerospace-grade rare earth magnesium alloy, a less dense material covering 72% of the surface area beneath the foldable panel. Furthermore, the Super-light Titanium Hinge is produced using state-of-the-art 3D printing technology.
In terms of the camera setup, the Magic Vs2 incorporates a rear triple-lens module: a 50-megapixel wide camera, a 12-megapixel ultrawide lens, and a 20-megapixel telephoto camera.
Additionally, the Vs2 foldable boasts a 5,000 mAh battery equipped with 66W Honor SuperCharge fast charging technology.
In China, the phone is priced at 6,999 yuan ($958) for the 12GB/256GB variant and 7,699 yuan ($1,054) for the 16GB/512GB model. These specifications make the Magic Vs2 an appealing device, putting notable pressure on Samsung and Google. Unfortunately, there are no current plans for an international release of the Magic Vs2. The older Magic V2 will eventually reach international markets, although the exact launch date remains uncertain.
Given this situation, it will be interesting to observe the future developments from Samsung and Google in the foldable market, along with other Chinese manufacturers expanding their international foldable offerings. On a related note, the OnePlus Open is the next foldable to watch, as it is expected to become available in stores soon.