Honor Magic V5 Review
Honor Magic V5 pros and cons
Sleek, attractive foldable form factor.
Solid improvements to battery life.
Impressive camera capabilities.
Hefty camera bump.
MagicOS needs further refinement for ease of use.
Firmly premium headline price - softened with incentives.
Foldable phones have had a lot to live up to, being seen as both the proof-point in a promise of greater smartphone productivity, as well as the one of the few sparks of innovation that has captured the public imagination in years.
We’ve swiftly moved through heavy, awkward and experimental initial iterations, each giving a closer glimpse of an exciting future, but with the reality not yet matching up.
Honor’s Magic V5 does feel like a milestone release on this journey, coming at a very opportune time.
With (up to) a ridiculously slim 8.8mm profile, improvements to battery performance and major refinements to the user experience courtesy of AI innovations throughout, this foldable really feels ready for prime time.
With the Chinese manufacturer’s new phone making such a clear statement, does this mark a new era for foldable devices? Check out what we think in our Honor Magic V5 review.
Design and specifications
Taking the elephant in the room head-on, the Magic V5 isn’t the only new super-slim foldable on the block in 2025.
Samsung launched their Z Fold 7 mere weeks earlier (review here), which was critically well-received due to marked improvements on all fronts.
With Honor’s angle of touting the Magic V5 as being the world’s thinnest foldable smartphone, it immediately launches an opening salvo directly at Samsung’s latest, and the results are…complicated.
The Magic V5 arrives in three colourways of a stately Black, pearlescent Ivory White (exclusively available directly from Honor’s webstore), whilst their marketing efforts lead with a show-stopping Dawn Gold.
However, it’s only the Ivory White model - when measured from the absolute narrowest point on the centre of the closed device - that measures up at 8.8mm, with the other variants adding a nearly invisible 0.2mm to be 9mm thick (therefore a tad more than the Fold 7's 8.9mm).
So - depending on which colour you’re looking at, which way the wind is blowing and where the stars are in the night sky - the Honor Magic V5 takes the title of world’s thinnest, but talk about winning on a technicality!
When open, all models flatten to an incredible 4.1mm (barely the width of the USB port itself never fails to amaze), with weight also making a difference on the Ivory White model - tipping the scales at a spritely 217g vs. the 222g of the Gold and Black models.
The Dawn Gold model (reviewed) stands out immediately in terms of being the most visually engaging vision of the Magic V5. Rather than one solid colour, the rear shifts in tone depending on how the light hits, as well as being covered in a criss-cross of smooth curved lines.
Under soft lighting it appears muted and elegant, glowing with richer gold accents when in sunlight. The finish is graduated to become darker at the top of the device, lending the device a great bit of personality without becoming garish or overbearing - not the easiest line to straddle.
Admittedly it’s likely to remain the most divisive amongst the three variants, but it’s undeniably distinctive.
The hinge design on this gold model adds yet further distinction - bevelled in an array of interlocking glossy and matte triangles, and shaped to create a visual break along the spine of the device, versus the colour-matched centre of the other models.
It gives the impression of texture, especially in angled light, but the surface itself is smooth and continuous with the rest of the rear panel, with no raised ridges or physical texture to it, despite looks to the contrary.
Mechanically, the hinge performs smoothly - still incredibly firm after a solid month of use ahead of launch, opening evenly and leaves no visible gap when unfurled.
The choice of underlying carbon fibre across the hinge, bolstered with Super Steel reinforcement has threaded the needle of adding structural strength without increasing heft.
IP58 and IP59 ratings are welcome and ensure the Magic V5 holds its own against dust ingress and water splashes respectively, a far cry from the incredibly frail earlier iterations of foldables - including Honor’s own - which barely seemed usable outside of lab conditions.
One visual element that does feel out of place - and once again is common to many devices in this category - is the incredibly large camera bump. It protrudes noticeably, and causes the top end of the phone to rock noticably when laid flat if there’s any attempt at us, but is at least centred on the device (unlike the Fold 7’s array).
It’s also an awesome piece of engineering, with a genuinely textured full circle around the camera ring in front of the clearly Audemars Royal Oak-inspired octagonal bezel that initially appeared on the Magic V3.
To mimic the stylings of a high-end timepiece is a smart thing to do, and this combination of bleeding edge tech with fashion and elegance found throughout the Magic V5’s design turns it into a proper statement, much like the watches it evokes.
While some will appreciate the bold look, it breaks up the smooth symmetry elsewhere on the rear and can feel like a compromise on an otherwise cohesive design.
Regardless of colour, the Magic V5 is little short of a technical marvel. It's lighter and more slender than most wallets, as well as being a showcase of the pace of innovation - and beauty - in this contentious arena.
Display and audio
The Magic V5 boasts a pair of OLED displays - a more traditional outer smartphone screen and an expandable internal one - which come together to deliver the full foldable experience.
The outer screen measures 6.4 inches with a resolution of 2376 x 1060 and a 20:9 viewing aspect ratio. It is bright, fast and responsive, with a peak brightness of 2,500 nits and support for 120Hz refresh rates.
Whether replying to messages, watching movies or browsing the web, the front panel is sharp and spacious enough to be used on its own for extended periods.
The most important point is that it feels like a proper main display, rather than any kind of fallback or half measure in terms of using the Magic V5.
The foldable nature of the device can remain entirely in 'stealth mode' all day, yet you don’t feel any kind of compromise in terms of features or functionality as a consequence.
The internal screen is where the ‘magic’ comes into play. Measuring an expansive 7.95 inches, this 2352 x 2172 pixel effort opens into an almost-square canvas that feels incredibly immersive for reading, multitasking and streaming.
Brightness ramps up to as much as 5,000 nits under HDR conditions, with vivid colours and crisp contrast, with the panel supporting HDR10+, Dolby Vision and 120Hz adaptive refresh rates - no compromises here to offer some of the best screen tech available on the market.
As for the crease? We’re pleased to report that it’s minimal. It can still be seen from off-angles under strong light, as well as felt when swiping directly across the centre, but in everyday use it almost entirely fades away.
Content plays across it cleanly, text is uninterrupted and scrolling feels consistent. Compared with the near-canyon seen and felt in earlier foldables, this is significantly shallower, and when married to the fact that the full extension of the hinge sees the phone sit flush when fully open, there’s no gap or misalignment drawing your eye.
Touch response is equally excellent. The display keeps up with gestures, window resizing and rapid taps with no lag. Thanks to 4320Hz PWM dimming, flicker is reduced even at low brightness, which helps during long sessions.
The panel also includes adaptive tone matching based on ambient light, plus a Natural Defocus mode designed to simulate how your eyes naturally perceive distance - all great features to add to a device which inherently makes it some much easier to use for extended periods of productivity and play alike.
The display is not flawless, however. Fingerprints collect faster than on traditional glass, and reflections are slightly more pronounced - resulting in repeated cleaning. Also despite our best efforts - and further claims of carbon fibre reinforcement - we’ve got a single minor indentation on one of the the displays, almost imperceptible, but we know it’s there…
However, these are minor points in a pair of displays which are bright, colour-rich, fast and comfortable for extended use. Together, they offer a comprehensive smartphone experience whether the Magic V5 is open or closed.
When it comes to sound, the Honor Magic V5 delivers stereo confidently through its dual speaker setup, although it’s interesting to note that the audio isn’t symmetrical when rotating the phone for a full entertainment experience, with the left speaker at the bottom of the lower screen and the right at the top of the upper, as opposed to flanking the same position.
Audio is nonetheless full-bodied and well balanced, with noticeable stereo separation of sources when watching content in landscape mode. Volume reaches high levels without distortion, and dialogue remains clear even in busy scenes, and music faring equally as well from the diminutive grilles on the device.
While there is no 3.5 mm headphone jack, Bluetooth audio support is present and correct, with support for LDAC and aptX HD for higher quality wireless streaming. There is no spatial audio gimmickry here, but the result is dependable and satisfying for video, music and calls alike.
Camera capabilities
Another common area where previous foldables have drawn criticism has been the camera - chalked up as a necessary compromise due to the form factor.
Once again, innovation reigns supreme as we’ve not only seen the Fold 7 inherit the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s primary lens (although there’s still daylight between the quality of the others), the Magic V5 arrives equipped with a triple-lens rear setup of a 50-megapixel main sensor, a 50-megapixel ultra-wide lens and a 64-megapixel periscope zoom.
A duo of selfie cameras - both on the outer and taking up a small portion of the inner display - are 20-megapixel affairs, boasting equally strong video and image capturing credentials.
With the hardware holding up pretty favourably in all the scenarios we threw at it, it’s definitely a bit of a watershed moment to no longer have to settle for a sub-optimal camera in the pursuit of foldable happiness.
In daylight, the main camera captures bright, detailed images with good dynamic range. Colours are vibrant but not overdone, and textures hold up well even in shadow.
Skin tones are natural and highlights are rarely blown out. Indoors, detail remains clear and noise is kept in check, even under artificial lighting.
Distant shots of objects when on a Cornish beach were amazing (above), where distant hazy blobs became crisp captures of ships on the coastline, and even the historic Saint Michael's Mount was crisp from kilometres away - due in no small part to AI trickery (mobile data permitting) firming up the images on the fly.
They can also be enhanced after the fact, but the effect is far less pronounced if done at the time of shooting.
Close up subjects seem vivid and clear, picking up plenty of detail perhaps even missed in the moment. The droplets of water on the flowers and even the flecks in the paint on the bevy of Bugattis (below) were impressive when viewed in detail.
Night shots benefit from the wide f/1.6 aperture. The camera gathers enough light to keep subjects visible without heavy blur. Low-light noise does appear, but never dominates. Night mode helps stabilise results, and even handheld shots stay usable.
Attempts to capture shots from a Blackpink concert drew mixed results - the same AI effects for distant objects were often applied to people regardless of whether the setting was on, creating for a few less-than-stellar images of Jennie and the crew.
Shots of the wider stadium lights, screens and fireworks were impressive despite the low-light setting, and video from a distance fared much better with directional audio picking up every note.
Zoom performance is strong. At 3x optical, the periscope lens produces detailed results with solid contrast. At 10x hybrid, there is some softening, but clarity remains. Beyond that, at 30x or 100x digital zoom, image quality drops noticeably, but the option is there if needed.
The ultra-wide camera delivers a 122-degree field of view. Results are bright and punchy, though edge detail can suffer and colour tuning does not always match the main lens. For group shots and wide landscapes, it adds versatility.
Video recording is solid across the board. The device supports 4K at 60 fps on the rear lenses, with strong stabilisation and minimal lag between lens transitions. Focus tracking works well, and colours remain consistent between different lighting conditions.
AI features enhance the experience without getting in the way. Portrait mode applies gentle blur with good edge detection, whilst AI Eraser and Cutout tools work reliably in the Gallery app.
These extras - which we expanded upon in our Honor 400 Pro review - make editing on-device quick and useful without relying on third-party apps.
Overall, the camera system on the Magic V5 feels both capable and dependable - really upping the stakes across both still and moving images, as well as the ability to capture distant objects and expansive vistas alike.
It may not knock down boundaries, and AI is definitely doing a bit of the heavy lifting to deliver the quality we seek, but it capably handles the majority of use cases with both ease and confidence.
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Performance and software
Under the bonnet, the Magic V5 runs on Qualcomm's top-tier Snapdragon 8 Elite mobile chipset, delivering buttery smooth performance across the board.
Apps open quickly, multitasking feels effortless and animations never stutter. The Magic V5’s additional Oryon CPU horsepower handles everything from photo editing to graphics-intensive games without slowing down.
Storage comes only in one flavour - 16GB of RAM paired with 512GB of internal memory - with no support for expandable storage via SD cards.
Frame rates hold steady and thermal management keeps the device from becoming too warm. The larger inner screen definitely enhances the experience and gives more real estate for touchscreen prodding, especially in strategy titles like Rise of Kingdoms or the arresting animated visuals of Acecraft.
HONOR’s MagicOS 9.0 sits on top of Android and brings a range of features - but it does take some time to get accustomed to, even for those coming from rival Android devices. Once familiar, however, there is plenty of power here.
Multi-Flex multitasking allows three apps on-screen at once on the unfolded internal display, really bringing the capabilities of the form factor to the fore.
Windows can be resized and snapped around the layout to suit your workflow - giving potential for a fourth floating window for the power users. Magic Portal enables content like addresses, links or text to be dragged between apps or dropped into messages, which streamlines what might usually be rather fiddly tasks and truly the large display becomes ever more purposeful.
Google Gemini is also integrated, accessible via a rear double-tap as well as transcriptions to summarising notes or translating live speech, complimenting Honor’s own AI assistance available for scheduling, reminders and smart replies.
MagicOS is ambitious, but a little busy in execution. Menus are layered, notification settings can be inconsistent and some background app behaviour is overly aggressive. These quirks are manageable but noticeable, especially for those used to simpler Android interfaces.
Some can be down to the additional functionality that a foldable provides, but the years of chasing Apple’s elegant and intuitive UI does mean that competing foldables do steal the edge a little when it comes to that overall slickness, even at a time when there’s little in it - any many which forge ahead - from a hardware perspective.
More positive news is that Honor has pledged a whopping seven years of software and security updates for the Magic V5, much needed reassurance on the longevity given that steep initial outlay for the device.
Battery life and charging
The Magic V5 features a 5,820 mAh silicon-carbon battery, the largest fitted to a foldable so far, and has been consistently wowing us during the review period.
Even on busy typical day in Central London with navigation, streaming music on the commute and a flurry of emails and video meetings throughout, the phone easily lasts until evening with over 30% remaining.
Lighter usage in terms of dynamic screen resolution settings and capping the refresh rate to 60Hz can stretch the Magic V5 well into two days of use - bold claims on the specs sheet, but heartening to see them largely matched in real life.
That combination of display efficiency, power management and the larger battery capacity come together to make the Magic V5 a compelling device for productivity.
Charging is quick too, with support for 66W wired charging (through a dedicated charger, ours was delivering 45W supercharging in most instances), reaching 50 percent from zero in just over 15 minutes, with a full top-up taking less than an hour - with a tip of opening the device enabling even more efficient charging, likely due to more effective heat distribution.
One point to note was that under fast charging, the phone was never particularly hot to the touch after a stint of rapid charging. The natural feeling was there, but never to the point of discomfort.
Wireless charging is supported at 50W, making it convenient to drop onto a charger or into your compatible car during the day.
Wireless reverse charging support is welcome in a pinch,
In summation, the battery setup on the Magic V5 is groundbreaking in removing one of the final pain points from foldables, offering reliable, long-lasting performance with fast top-ups and good heat management, without having to compromise on size or performance.
Honor Magic V5 UK pricing and availability
The HONOR Magic V5 launched in the UK in August 2025 at a retail price of £1,699.99 at the time of writing, and is available in Dawn Gold, Black and the Honor Store-exclusive Ivory White.
Buying directly from Honor does also bring extra value - with a launch voucher code (AV5UK300 for those eager beavers) reducing the price by £300 to a more palatable £1,399.99.
Not only that, but a launch gift bundle also throws in £100 worth of freebies including an Honor Magic-Pen - both displays do have stylus support - and a 66 W SuperCharge plug (very welcome, as there’s not one included by default).
Lastly, and screen protection one service in the initial twelve months through their Care+ Benefits portal.
These incentives do dull the sting of the Magic V5 as a serious alternative to other foldables in the premium space, giving value, benefits and eye-catching looks as much as a superb hardware experience, as well as more RAM and double the storage of its biggest rival at a lower - albeit slightly - official price point.
Final verdict
The Honor Magic V5 is the most complete encapsulation of the foldable smartphone experience to date - slim and pocketable, with reliable battery life and truly refined yet practical displays.
Cameras are finally more-than-capable, performance is rock-solid and features like AI multitasking and drag-and-drop tools help the unique form to shine.
That being said, there are still areas which would benefit from that same level of polish - the camera bump is a necessary design concession, but the complexity of MagicOS and the firmly premium price will keep it out of striking distance to certain buyers.
Yet none of these things undermine the device’s core appeal as a beacon of the potential of cutting edge smartphone technology.
The Honor Magic V5 emerges victorious as proof that foldables can be refined, practical and desirable in the same breath. It is no longer simply a hardware showcase or glorified concept as it really can deliver - and go further - as a daily driver.
In that sense, it really makes the Honor Magic V5 - provided you can tame its quirks - a foldable which is the smarter flagship phone choice, rather than a precarious one.
