HONOR Magic V3 Review: The World's Thinnest Foldable Phone Packs Quite A Punch
What lies behind this thin frame?
By Anne Nunis — 04 Oct 2024, 05:12 PM
Foldable and flip phones have been all the rage this past year or so. BUT with great bendable screens come the inevitable bulky build of one's device.
Which is why the HONOR Magic V3 was a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one.
Touted as the world's thinnest and lightest foldable phone, the HONOR Magic V3 weighs 226g, and when folded, it's only 9.2mm thick (the previous record was 9.9mm, held by its predecessor, the Magic V2).
Priced at RM6,999 for a 12GB+512 GB unit, the Magic V3 comes in three very classy colours: mossy green, silk brown, and classic black.
Having tried it out, here's what we think of the phone:
The first impression of the phone was "Woah, this is a fancy phone", and after a week of testing it out, the sentiment still remains the same. We got our hands on the mossy green variant, and the colour is almost too good to cover up (though its phone case does come in the same colour).
When unfolded, the device itself is only 4.35mm thick, and with a thin device like that, a major concern would be the durability of the screen.
However, the screens themselves are said to be very durable, with the external screen being made of the scratch and drop resistant HONOR Anti-scratch NanoCrystal Shield.
The inner screens are made with HONOR Super Armored Inner Screens, and it features a specially engineered silicone gel material that solidifies within seconds when the internal display is dropped to reduce any impact damage.
Other safeguard features include an IPX8 rating for water resistance, an impact-resistant back cover, and hinges that can be folded up to 500,000 times.
This phone has a vibrant display that makes even the most mundane thing on your screen pop
Featuring a stunning 7.92-inch OLED interior display and a dynamic refresh rate of 120Hz, the Magic V3 makes viewing videos and gaming a vibrant and responsive experience.
The display is big, so you can put the phone far away and still see everything very clearly. If you're like me and tend to subconsciously squint at your phone, this is a helpful way to break the habit.
A feature worth mentioning is HONOR's AI Defocus Display, a feature that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to relieve eye strain by simulating the effects of myopia (nearsightedness) glasses.
Gaming on the Magic V3 is a highlight all on its own
Thanks to the display, the games I previously played looked so much clearer and colourful, and I found myself in awe of the graphics rather than focusing on actually playing the game.
Naturally, a long gaming session ate up some battery, but the Magic V3, equipped with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, barely broke a sweat handling it and thankfully, did not heat up.
Speaking of battery, HONOR managed to fit a 5,150mAh third generation silicon carbon battery in the phone's thin frame, and it was able to last two days before needing a charge.
It can charge wirelessly at up to 50W, or plugged in at up to 66W, which took approximately 50 minutes to get a full charge.
While the unavoidable crease in every foldable phone can still be seen at certain angles, it's barely noticeable when you're using it completely unfolded, making the phone feel like a convenient tablet you can keep in your pocket.
Even when folded, the external screen works just as well — and feels just as light — as a slab phone, so there's no loss there. Due to its slim design, it's nice to switch from normal to wide display without worrying too much about the heft of the device.
Camera-wise, the Magic V3 has cameras befitting a flagship device
The phone comes with a triple rear camera, including a 50MP main camera, a 40MP ultra-wide lens, and a 50MP periscope telephoto lens. The camera produced high-resolution photos with ease, especially when they were taken in natural light. Here are some examples:
New to the Magic V devices, the periscope telephoto lens is capable of 3.5X optical zoom and up to 100X digital zoom. While pictures at the maximum digital zoom appear blurry the higher you go, you can still get really clear zoomed in pictures without going that high.
Like these fruits that were way up high in a tree :)
There are also two front-facing cameras on the external and inner screens. These are 20MP cameras that suffice for video calls and selfies. They also support 4K video and 90° wide angle shots.
You can opt to use the main camera for selfies by unfolding the device completely and flipping it around; the display will just shift to the external screen. We found this produced better pictures — just be sure to set the timer before posing, so you don't have to fumble trying to click the button while balancing the massive screen.
The Magic V3 also comes with AI tools designed to make tasks easier
One such tool from HONOR AI is the AI Magic Portal, a handy tool that lets you search, share, or shop anything you see on your screen by long pressing on it and simply dropping it into another app.
There are also AI features powered by Google Cloud: AI Face to Face Translation, AI HONOR Notes for transcribing and recording, and AI Eraser for quick photo editing.
Overall, the HONOR Magic V3 is not one to be missed if you're on the lookout for a foldable phone and don't mind splurging on one
It runs smoothly, features a crisp and vibrant display, and has most of the up-and-coming features that are becoming more commonplace in most flagship phones.
The main thing that makes the Magic V3 stand out from the rest is, of course, how incredibly thin it is. A large screen encased in a small frame, it's convenient to carry around, and it doesn't hurt to hold onto for too long (a plus if you're a mobile gamer).
Could we be seeing an era of super slim foldable phones? Only time will tell, but you won't find me complaining about it if it happens.
