It’s been more than five years since foldables came out. From being fragile, bulky, gimmicky phones, they have become more durable, portable, and can actually improve the productivity of the people who own them. That level of maturity is seen in the new HONOR Magic V2.
Apart from its high-end specs and features, HONOR‘s latest foldable is considered the thinnest in the world, which makes it a great daily driver as it’s almost as thin as regular, brick smartphones. So, without further ado, let’s begin our HONOR Magic V2 Review.
HONOR Magic V2 Specs
- Android 13, MagicOS 7.2
- Dual SIM, Dual standby
- 7.92-inch LTPO OLED display, 2344 x 2156 pixel resolution, 402ppi
- HDR10+, IMAX Enhanced, 1600-nits peak brightness
- 6.43-inch LTPO OLED display, 2376 x 1060 pixel resolution, 402ppi, HDR10+, 120Hz refresh rate
- 3.36GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 octa-core processor
- 16GB RAM
- Adreno 740 GPU
- 512GB internal storage, non-expandable
- 16-megapixel front camera
- 50-megapixel (f/1.9, OIS) + 50-megapixel (ultra-wide) + 20-megapixel (2.5x optical zoom, OIS) rear cameras, LED flash
- Side-mounted fingerprint scanner, Face unlock
- Stereo speakers
- No headphone jack
- HSPA+, 4G LTE, 5G
- WiFi 6e, dual-band
- Bluetooth 5.3
- dual-band GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS, BDS
- NFC
- IR blaster
- USB Type-C
- Dimensions: 156.7 x 145.4 x 4.7mm (unfolded) | 156.7 x 74.1 x 9.9mm (folded)
- Weight: 231g
- Colors: Gold, Silk Purple, Silk Black, Black
- 5,000mAh non-removable battery, 66W wired charging
Design and Build Quality
When we first saw the thinness and lightness of the OPPO Find N3 we thought that was it — it’s the most portable book-style foldable. But not until we got our hands on the HONOR Magic V2.


HONOR’s offering is only 4.7mm thin when unfolded, while OPPO’s foldable is 5.8mm. When folded, the Magic V2 is only 10.1mm (Find N3 is 11.7mm) which is only about 1mm thicker than a regular brick phone.

Plus, the 6.43-inch cover display of that Magic V2 has just the right size and aspect ratio to make it usable like a normal phone, unlike other foldables (like the Pixel Fold and Galaxy Z Fold5) that either have a too-wide or too-tall cover screen.

The HONOR Magic V2 fits perfectly in the hands and the pocket, just like a normal brick phone, so it’s not intimidating and bulky to carry around daily.
It also feels robust and sleek at the same time, far from the fragile feel that most foldable phones have. HONOR even included a sleek carbon fiber case with a kickstand that lets you prop the screen in any orientation — folded or unfolded.

The stand also works like a ring holder so you can hold the device securely. But more impressively, it can be rotated by up to a 90-degrees. That may look nothing, but the angle as to where it’s positioned can dramatically change the angle of how the smartphone stands.

We also like how thin the case is, making it almost unnoticeable. However, it is only attached to the rear, nothing on the front. The case can protect the back panel from accidental scratches and drops, but the front is left without protection. There’s probably no way around it — it’s the price of being as thin possible.

While it’s thinner than most foldable phones, it lacks an official IP rating for dust and water resistance like most of the competition. However, we did notice a rubber gasket seal in the SIM tray, which means it has some level of water protection.

We’re a fan of HONOR’s gearless titanium hinge that feels well made. It doesn’t feel too stiff or too loose when being opened or closed.

Like most foldable phones, the main display still has a crease in the middle. Thankfully, it’s barely noticeable to the eyes, unless you’re really looking for it or staring off angle. You can feel it in your fingers, but it’s easy to get used to. Only time will tell if the crease will get worse.

The design is kinda similar to other HONOR phones we’ve seen. It looks more elegant and cleaner than other foldables, with a lot of attention to detail.
What we have here is the Purple colorway, with shimmering glitters when you look closely. It’s in a darker shade with a lighter purple as light reflects.

Different textures of purple were also used on the frame, the hinge, and the glass surrounding the camera island. Speaking of, the camera island’s shape is reminiscent of a curved brick phone, with a gold-painted ring surrounding it that adds to the sophistication to the design.

Now let’s take a look at all the sides with the devices folded. On the front, we have the 6.43-inch OLED cover display with a 20:9 aspect ratio, a punch-hole for a selfie camera, and ultra-thin bezels resulting in an impressive screen-to-body ratio.

The left side has the hinge that looks cleaner than everyone else. It has a matte texture — no fancy textures or branding.
On the right side, there are the volume controls, and above it is the lock/power/fingerprint scanner. The physical buttons are one of the best we’ve tested in the past few months as they are very tactile and convenient to press.

At the top, we have the secondary microphone and speakers, as well as the IR blaster.

The bottom has the SIM tray for two nano SIMs (no microSD card slot), a USB-C port, and the primary microphone and speakers. The frame is just a bit bigger than the Type-C port itself.
Without a doubt, the HONOR Magic V2 is one of a kind as it managed to make foldables look and feel just like a normal smartphone. It also doesn’t look too intimidating — which is one of the hindrances why most people are hesitant to get one.
Display and Sound Quality
Obviously, the key feature of a foldable like the HONOR Magic V2 is the screen. First, we have the large 7.92-inch foldable panel that has a 2344 x 2156 pixel resolution, and a 9.78:9 aspect ratio. Next, there’s the 6.43-inch cover screen with a 2376 x 1060 resolution.

The goal of having two screens is to give you the flexibility between utility and portability — with no compromise over quality. This is why both panels use similar LTPO AMOLED panels with a high 120Hz refresh rate, 3840Hz PWM dimming, and 1.07 billion colors. Both forms even have a similar 90%+ screen-to-body ratio thanks to the ultra thin bezels.


Like in a lot of modern HONOR phones, the display settings include Eye Comfort & Sleep which can intelligently adjust the display color before you go to bed, so you can get a good night’s sleep. This is also where the high PWM dimming is for as it reduces flicker for better eye comfort.
You can also mess with the Color Mode & Temperature settings, enable Smart Resolution for better power efficiency, adjust the screen refresh rate, and use the Video Enhancer on select apps that support it.

As said earlier, the outer display is one of the best cover screens we’ve tested on a foldable phone. The right size and aspect ratio made us feel at home — like we’re using a traditional brick phone that we’re all used to. It may not big as the main one, but watching content on this one is still very satisfying.
Sometimes it’s actually better to watch content on the outer displays as its aspect ratio means that there wouldn’t be unused, black bars unlike on the main display. It could probably save a little bit of battery juice, too.

Meanwhile, the bigger screen is more useful for multitasking as you can easily use two or more apps simultaneously, side-by-side.
Display quality from both panels is good with all the right colors and contrast with deep blacks. Screen brightness is also ample for outdoor use. Dolby Vision and HD streaming is also supported.

We also have the two speakers, which are located on the top and bottom of the cover screen area. The sound quality is average and nothing to brag about. It gets comfortably loud with nice treble and bass. We just wish sound clarity is better.
Hardware and Performance
The HONOR Magic V2 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor. It’s the most powerful Qualcomm chip when the device first came out last year, but it has been overtaken by the newer Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip this 2024. Despite that, it’s still very capable to provide the high-end performance power users require.
HONOR Magic V2 Benchmark Scores



(Solar Bay Stress Test)

Made for multitasking, it has a large 16GB of physical RAM with an additional 7GB through HONOR RAM Turbo, which borrows space from the actual storage when needed.
Speaking of storage, it has a spacious 512GB of internal storage as well. No microSD card slot for storage expansion, though, but you can always plug in an external drive through the USB-C port if you need to backup files and free up storage space.

It may not have the latest CPU, but the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is still one of the most powerful chips around and provides snappy performance in handling any task we throw at it: from running apps side by side, switching between screens with an app open, listening to music while scrolling on social media, and more.






As expected, the gaming experience was superb. Even with the bigger main display, we could play most games on high graphics quality and frame rate. Genshin Impact’s settings were set to Medium and it ran smoothly even after hours of gaming. High works great as well.
We also didn’t notice any overheating issues on all of the games we’ve played, which is impressive considering how thin it is.
Game | Graphics Settings |
Call of Duty: Mobile | • Graphics Quality: Very High • Frame Rate: Max |
Farlight84 | • Graphics Quality: HDR • Frame Rate: Very High • Resolution: Medium |
PUBG Mobile | • Graphics Quality: HD • Frame Rate: High |
Genshin Impact | • Graphics Quality: Medium (Default) |
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang | • Graphics Quality: Ultra • Frame Rate: High • HD Mode: On |
Asphalt 9: Legends | • Visual Quality: Performance • Frame Rate: 60fps |
Software and User Interface
One of the benefits of having a large foldable display is the improved user experience, especially for heavy multitaskers. The MagicOS 7.2 on the HONOR Magic V2 does take advantage of its massive display, albeit there’s not much foldable-focused software features yet.
While HONOR’s software is one of the best, it’s quite disappointing that a high-end device like this still runs on the old Android 13 operating system when most are already on Android 14.

Multitasking on this device is great. Thanks to its tall and wide aspect ratio that looks like two phones stitched together, you use two apps side by side seamlessly. In fact, we were able to run up to four apps at once: two apps on each side and two in floating mode.
We just wish Google Chrome supported two web pages displayed at the same time, so we don’t have to resort to using multiple browser apps. It’s more of an Android limitation than HONOR, though.

Floating apps can be minimized into a tiny bubble on the side of the screen, so you can quickly access them again when you need to and start where you left off. This is the kind of multitasking prowess enabled by the large screen, backed by 16GB RAM.
Better multitasking features like an easily accessible taskbar would’ve really made this feel more like a work machine. We hope HONOR could copy OPPO Find N3/OnePlus Open’s multitasking implementation so we can be more productive with the Magic V2.

Transitioning from the main display to the cover screen is very seamless. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to work on Facebook and a few other apps as the page would refresh when switching between screens. Other apps like YouTube work well though, so it’s most likely a bug that will get patched up soon.

You can also fold the device by 90 degrees to enable special UI in select apps. Doing this on the Camera app will have the viewfinder on top, and the camera controls and gallery preview at the bottom. This can be handy for hands-free selfies and TikToks.

Speaking of the camera app, you can use the rear display as an extra viewfinder so your subject can see the shot before you take it. You can also use the rear display entirely to take better selfies by using the rear cameras.


The HONOR Magic V2 uses Microsoft Swiftkey. It uses the traditional “Full” layout by default, which we find finicky to use on a large foldable phone. Fortunately, there’s an accessible setting that instantly switches to “Thumb” mode, which adds a gap in the middle so your thumbs can easily reach the buttons. It’s a weird layout but we were able to get used to it easily.
Sadly, the settings don’t automatically switch back when folded. You have to switch back to the Full Mode when typing on the smaller cover screen, as typing on a separated keyboard on a narrow screen is not convenient. As a quick fix, simply use Google Keyboard as it has better support for foldable keyboards without the issues of Swiftkey.

Another thing we like is the Standby on Hover feature, which shows an elegant clock and date when the screen is opened halfway. It looks cool and reminiscent of a desk clock. We just wish there were other designs to choose from as this is the only one available right now.
Overall, we appreciate everything this version of MagicOS did to take advantage of the unique form factor. We just wish it had more fold-specific features and, more importantly, that it shipped on a newer version of Android. But since this is a flagship device, the Android 14 software update is probably coming soon.
Camera
The HONOR Magic V2 has five cameras. It features a 50-megapixel main shooter on the back with an f/1.9 aperture and optical image stabilization (OIS), a 50-megapixel ultra-wide, and a 20-megapixel telephoto with OIS. There’s also 16-megapixel selfie cameras for each of the two displays.

You can record up to 4K @ 60fps videos with the rear and front cameras. The rear cameras also have Electronic and Optical Image Stabilization (EIS+OIS). Plus, up to 40X zoom via the telephoto lens.
Daylight shots from the 50-megapixel main camera are stunning with an almost artistic color rendition that doesn’t look over-filtered but is well-groomed to catch people’s attention. Contrast is also expressive, dynamic range is clean, and sharpness is great.






Low-light shots from the main camera are equally impressive, especially with the Night Mode enabled. They may not be as sharp, but they still look very detailed. We’re even noticing a shallow depth of field even without the Portrait Mode.






Next stop, we have the 20-megapixel lens with a 2.5x telephoto zoom, which is mostly for taking portraits. It takes well-detailed shots in good lighting as well as low light. Color rendition is also as impressive as the main camera.
While it’s great for portraits, you can also use it for zooming on really faraway subjects. The buttons on the camera app start with the 1x, which uses the main camera. You can access the telephoto lens by pressing 2.5x. Next is the 10x that digitally crops the image from the telephoto lens. You can slide the 10x button to magnify up to 40x. Image quality under 40x is fine on our tests, but it will still depend on how far your subject is.




The ultra-wide uses a 50-megapixel sensor. As expected, it takes great photos and selfies. Thanks to the cover display, you can open the device and use it to take selfies using the rear cameras, especially the ultra-wide, which is great for group shots.
It shows similar color quality as the other cameras. Sharpness is on point and low-light shots are clean, aided by the Night Mode. Edge distortion was handled fine, but could be better.






The 16-megapixel cameras take well-detailed selfies, both in well-lit and low light environments. It uses a great sensor and software that makes images still look sharp even with the face beauty modes enabled. Portrait Mode also created a clean background blur to remove distractions and create a professional look.




Overall, the impressive cameras on the HONOR Magic V2 proves that you don’t have to settle for less quality even if it’s a foldable.
Battery and Charging
The HONOR Magic V2 has a 5,000mAh battery with HONOR’s Silicon-Carbon technology which promises up to 12.8% higher energy density. In layman’s terms, it makes the device thinner despite having a huge battery capacity.

We ran the PCMark battery loop test on each screen. On the bigger display, it only lasted for 8 hours and 22 minutes before dropping from 100% to 20%. That’s unsurprisingly low considering how large the screen is.
Meanwhile, the main display lasted for 13 hours and 32 minutes, which is close to the average 14 hours we get on this test. In real-world use, we got good longevity and don’t need to recharge in the middle of the day. Unless you’re watching videos or gaming for hours, there’s no need to worry about battery life on the Magic V2. And in case you need to top it up, it can charge pretty quickly.

It has a 66W HONOR SuperCharge adapter (sadly, no wireless charging). Not the fastest fastest charging out there, but still respectable. A quick 15-minute charge from 0% took us to 39%. A full charge took less than an hour. See our full test below:
- 15-minute charge: 0-39%
- 30-minute charge: 69%
- 45-minute charge: 93%
- 55-minute charge: FULL
Verdict
The HONOR Magic V2 is proof that foldables have matured, far from the early days this form factor. It offers a no-compromise set of specs and features inside an ultra-portable body that makes it less inconvenient than what foldables used to be.
Aside from being the thinnest foldable in the market, the HONOR Magic V2 boasts flagship performance, great cameras, good displays, and even a sleek carbon fiber case with a usable kickstand.

But as a device originally from 2023 (only launched in PH now), it disappointingly still ships with Android 13 instead of Android 14. While all the hardware is great, we wish it had better foldable software features – like at least a persistent taskbar — for a better multitasking experience.

Considering the price, the HONOR Magic V2 is without a doubt the best foldable smartphone you can get in the Philippines. There’s also the Galaxy Z Fold 5, but only if you’re willing to swallow its higher price tag, thicker build, and a few other inferior specs.
HONOR Magic V2 price and availability in the Philippines
The HONOR Magic V2 has a price of Php79,999 in the Philippines. You can pre-order it from February 21 to March 1, 2024, to get Php28,000 worth of freebies that include a HONOR Watch GS 3 and Harmon Kardon Aura Studio 4 HiFi speaker.
Pros
- Thinnest foldable in the market
- More usable cover screen and aspect ratio than the competition
- Flagship performance
- Good cameras
- Long battery life
- Sleek kickstand case
Cons
- No official IP rating for dust, water protection
- Needs better foldable software features
- Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 instead of Gen 3 for 2024
- Still on Android 13