Honor Announces Magic V5 Foldable Phone A Week Before Samsung Z Fold 7, Flip 7

Chinese hardware brand Honor announced a slimmer foldable phone, a bid to out-design Samsung days before it launches its own new foldable devices.

The phone, called the Magic V5, measures as thin as 8.8 millimeters when folded shut, making it one of the slimmest foldable devices to ever hit the market. (Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 6, announced last year, is 12.1 mm when folded.) With the latest models, the form-factor has nearly reached the thinness of conventional smartphones — even while offering a tablet-sized inner display for improved multitasking and more immersive video consumption.

The tech industry’s biggest players, including Alphabet Inc.’s Google and Huawei Technologies Co., have been experimenting with foldable designs for years, even though they have yet to gain traction among mainstream consumers. Samsung is planning to introduce the Galaxy Z Fold 7 on July 9, while Apple is planning to release its first folding iPhone as soon as 2026, Bloomberg has reported. The new Honor device will first roll out in China with a starting price of CNY 8,999 ($1,256). It will be available in some non-US markets as well.

The Chinese company said it expects Apple’s eventual entry to drive overall market growth and accelerate development of the category. “We welcome Apple’s participation and are not afraid to compete directly with them,” it said.

The Magic V5 comes in white, black, gold and brown, but the 8.8 millimeter thickness rating is only available on the white model. The rest of the colors come in at 9 millimeters when shut and 4.2 millimeters when open. (The slimmer white version comes in at 4.1 millimeters when opened up.) The other specifications are the same regardless of the color.

The external display used when the phone is closed measures 6.4 inches, while the inner display is 7.95 inches. Those are about the same sizes as the screens on the current Magic V3 model.

Both support a refresh rate as high as 120 hertz — a specification that has become requisite on premium devices. The crease in the display — a persistent design challenge for foldables — is more subtle here than on some other models, including Honor’s previous attempts. But it’s still visible when the display is turned off.

In designing the Magic V5, Honor had to overcome challenges related to battery size, hinge strength and water and dust resistance, a spokesperson said. The battery uses silicon carbon technology, which allowed the company to pack greater energy density into a battery module that measures 2.3 mm thick. Honor also said its AI-assisted manufacturing process helped make assembly more efficient, and that the Magic V5's steel hinge allows "for a tighter body."

The Magic V5 otherwise has high-end hardware features, including Qualcomm Inc.’s Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, a triple-lens rear camera system and more robust dust and water resistance compared with rival offerings. The phone is also quick to recharge, supporting 66-watt wired charging and 50-watt wireless speeds. A model for China with 1 terabyte of storage will have a larger, 6,100 mAh battery pack compared to the 5,820 mAh system offered in other markets like the UK. (Those versions will have half a terabyte of space.)

Samsung is also likely to tout engineering improvements in the face of design challenges. The Galaxy Z Fold series has typically had narrow proportions that make the screen feel cramped for people with large hands. But similar to Google’s Pixel 9 Pro Fold, Samsung’s next foldable should offer a user experience when closed that’s more akin to using a regular phone. But it’s possible that even with Samsung’s design enhancements, Honor’s Magic V5 could hold onto the world’s thinnest foldable claim.