The foldable smartphone market has seen significant growth in recent years, with manufacturers vying to offer innovative and compelling devices. Honor has made a notable entry with its Magic V3. This flagship foldable aims to redefine the user experience with its impressive design, powerful performance, and cutting-edge features. In this review, we’ll delve into the Honor Magic V3’s strengths and weaknesses, exploring its design, display, camera, performance, battery life, software, and overall value proposition.

The HONOR Magic V3 impresses with its ultra-slim and lightweight design. When folded, it is just 9.2mm thick, and when unfolded, it measures only 4.35mm, making it the thinnest book-style folding phone available.

Weighing a mere 226 grams, it feels comfortable in the hand and is highly portable. This makes it an ideal choice for users seeking a sleek, portable device without sacrificing screen size.

Design and Build Quality

The Honor Magic V3 boasts a sleek and sophisticated design that sets it apart from its competitors. The device features a book-style folding mechanism, allowing it to seamlessly transition between a compact smartphone and a tablet-like form factor. The exterior is crafted from premium materials, providing a sturdy and luxurious feel. The hinge mechanism is smooth and reliable, ensuring a satisfying folding experience.

One of the most impressive aspects of the Magic V3’s design is its remarkably thin profile when unfolded. This makes it easy to carry and use as a tablet without feeling bulky. The device also offers excellent grip and maneuverability, thanks to its well-rounded edges and comfortable weight distribution.

Display

The Honor Magic V3 features two high-quality OLED displays:

• Inner Display: 7.92 inches, 2344 x 2156 pixels, 120Hz refresh rate
• Outer Display: 6.43 inches, 2376 x 1060 pixels, 120Hz refresh rate

Both displays offer exceptional visual quality, with vivid colours, deep blacks, and excellent brightness. The inner display is ideal for consuming multimedia content and gaming. In contrast, the outer display provides a convenient way to interact with notifications and check messages without fully unfolding the device.

The Honor Magic V3 is available in the following colours:

• Reddish Brown
• Green
• Black

Camera

The Honor Magic V3 is equipped with a triple rear camera setup:

• Main Camera: 50MP, f/1.6 aperture, OIS
• Ultra-Wide Camera: 40MP, f/2.2 aperture
• Periscope Telephoto Camera: 50MP, f/3.0 aperture, 3.5x optical zoom, 100x digital zoom

The camera system captures impressive photos and videos, with excellent detail, dynamic range, and low-light performance. The device also offers a range of shooting modes and features, including portrait mode, night mode, and video stabilization.

Camera Samples

IMG 20240904 191939

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Key Specifications:

• Display: Main: 7.92-inch OLED (2344 x 2156), 120Hz adaptive; Cover: 6.43-inch OLED (2376 x 1060), 120Hz adaptive
• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 3.3GHz octa-core
• GPU: Adreno 750
• RAM: 12GB
• Storage: 512GB, non-expandable
• Camera (rear): 50MP f/1.6, OIS; 40MP f/2.2 (ultra-wide angle); 50MP f/3.0 (telephoto), OIS, 3.5x optical zoom
• Camera (front): Main screen: 20MP f/2.2; Cover screen: 20MP f/2.2
• Battery: 5,150mAh with 66W charging and 50w wireless
• Dimensions: Unfolded: 156.6 x 145.3 x 4.35 mm; Folded: 156.6 x 74 x 9.2 mm
• Weight: 226g
• OS: MagicOS 8.0.1 based on Android 14 (waiting for Android 15)

Hardware and Performance:

The Magic V3 boasts high-end flagship specs, including a powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, vibrant OLED displays, and a versatile triple camera system. Its IPX8 rating is a welcome addition, offering protection against water damage.

Performance

The Honor Magic V3 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, which delivers exceptional performance. The device handles demanding tasks with ease, from multitasking to running the latest mobile games. The ample RAM ensures smooth app switching and prevents lag.

Battery Life

The HONOR Magic V3  comes with a robust 5150mAh ultra-large battery, ensuring you can stay connected and productive throughout the day without the constant worry of recharging. This powerhouse is complemented by the innovative Power Enhanced Chip HONOR E1 and the advanced HONOR Power Management System, which work in harmony to optimize battery performance. When you need to charge the Honor Magic V3 is equipped with both 66W wired charging and 50W wireless charging capabilities.

Whether browsing the web, streaming your favourite shows, or engaging in intense gaming sessions, the HONOR Magic V3 delivers extended usage time, allowing you to immerse yourself in your phone’s features without interruption fully. With this combination of cutting-edge technology and substantial battery capacity, you can confidently enjoy all the capabilities of your device for longer periods.

Software

The Magic V3 runs on Honor’s Magic UI, which is based on Android at the time of writing Android 14. The software offers a clean and intuitive interface, focusing on customization and personalization. Honor has added several useful features and optimizations to Magic UI, enhancing the user experience.

Pricing

• Honor Official Store:
• Early Bird Offer: Order with code “AV3EB300” for £1399.99
• Pre-Order Gifts: HONOR Band 9, HONOR Earbuds X6, HONOR SuperCharge Power Adapter 66W (worth £115)
• HONOR Care+ Benefits: Screen Damage Protection Service 1 Time in 6 Months (worth £109)
• Extra Discount: Buy the New HONOR Magic V3, enjoy 40% off on the new HONOR MagicPad2
• Very: available from £1699
• Amazon UK:
• Sim-free 12GB+512GB model for £1699.99
• Three UK

Overall Value Proposition

The Honor Magic V3 is a compelling foldable smartphone that offers excellent value for money. It delivers impressive performance, a stunning display, a versatile camera system, and long-lasting battery life. The device’s sleek design and premium build quality further enhance its appeal.

Pros:

Slim and portable design: The Magic V3’s thin profile makes it easy to carry and use when folded.

Large and immersive display: The unfolded 7.92-inch screen is ideal for consuming content.

Excellent display quality: Both the main and cover screens offer vibrant colours, deep blacks, and smooth 120Hz refresh rates.

Adequate battery life: The 5,150mAh battery can provide all-day usage.

AI-powered features: The Magic V3 offers useful AI features like AI Eraser, Voice-to-Text, and Face-to-Face Translation.

Cons:

Limited offline translation: Face-to-face translation requires an internet connection.

Conclusion:

The HONOR Magic V3 is a solid choice for those seeking a high-quality foldable smartphone with a focus on design, performance, and versatility.

TNC Score

4.4/5.0

Honor supplied the loan unit for this review, Honor doesn’t see any part of this review until published.