A no compromise folding telephone

For many of 2022, Samsung was unchallenged within the foldable telephone market outdoors of China. That was – in fact – till the tip of the 12 months when different firms began including some warmth to the versatile smartphone phase.

Motorola launched the newest model of its Razr to compete with the Galaxy Z Flip 4, quickly adopted by Oppo’s personal tackle the flip kind in 2023, and now Honor has unveiled the Magic VS to compete with the Galaxy Z Fold 4. It isn’t out there in Europe simply but, however we have had our palms on an early pre-production unit and early indicators are very promising for when it will definitely lands on retailer cabinets.

Honor Magic Vs

Honor’s foldable flagship has highly effective internals and two huge, vibrant shows. It folds flush too, providing a really completely different expertise to the Galaxy Z Fold. 

Execs

• Large exterior show
• Stable, skinny magnesium alloy body
• Flagship specs and quick charging

Cons

• Software program not well-optimised for folding display screen
• Inside display screen not utterly flat

Design

• 160.3 x 141.5 x 6.1mm (unfolded)
• 160.3 x 72.6 x 12.9mm (folded)
• Glass back and front – magnesium alloy and titanium alloy body – 261g

What’s fascinating about Honor’s strategy to this book-style foldable is that the corporate has taken an strategy that is extra like its former guardian firm, Huawei’s, foldable than Samsung’s. That is to say it is bought fairly a giant show on the skin, and a bigger one inside, and meaning it is fairly a giant telephone. It is 5.5mm wider than the Z Fold 4 when shut, and greater than 11mm wider when open.

For a tool of this type, it is fairly slim although, and that basically helps the telephone really feel much less chunky than you would possibly anticipate. That is solely aided additional by the truth that the 2 halves of the show shut just about flush. There is no hole close to the hinge, and so there’s that sense that it is a good thickness throughout the complete telephone. It does not get wider on the backbone like Samsung’s.

It feels fairly sturdy too, due to the sturdy metallic framing across the edges, and a hinge constructed from titanium alloy which appears to open and shut easily on first impressions.

This specific mannequin contains a frosted glass rear, however Honor will probably be promoting vegan leather-based choices too, so one can find there is a slight distinction in weight and dimensions relying on whether or not you go glass or pretend leather-based.

What we do like is that it ships with a rear case/cowl that makes use of a light-weight adhesive down one aspect to stay it to the again of the telephone. It does not depart any residue when eliminated however has a grippy texture to make sure the telephone is very easy to carry and maintain maintain of when in use.

Honor’s hinge is just a little completely different to older folding telephones, in that Honor has utterly rethought the design to take out numerous the difficult small elements like gears, as a substitute casting a less complicated mechanism and one which feels good and clean throughout opening and shutting. It is going to maintain at numerous angles, though not as reliably and confidently as Samsung’s hinge. Nonetheless, it affords sufficient versatility that it’ll maintain in any respect probably the most helpful angles.

If there’s any unfavourable with the hinge, it is that it does not really feel as if it utterly ‘locks’ in place when absolutely open and so – in consequence – the show does not really feel or look completely flat. It has a slight angle on the left aspect of the display screen. It does not massively impression utilizing the telephone, fortunately, but it surely did depart us checking to verify we would opened the telephone absolutely greater than as soon as.

Show(s) and software program

• 7.9-inch folding OLED show – 2272 x 1984 decision – 90Hz refresh
• 6.45-inch exterior OLED show – 2560 x 1080 decision – 120Hz refresh
• 1.07 billion colors
• MagicOS 7.1 primarily based on Android 13

As show specs go there, the 2 screens on the Honor Magic VS ought to supply top-tier efficiency. A giant a part of the attraction of this telephone is the dimensions of them.

The entrance show affords a big 6.45-inch panel that is a lot nearer to an ordinary smartphone facet ratio than the lengthy, slender screens we have seen from Samsung. It isn’t fairly 18:9, however at 21.3:9 the dimensions and facet ratio will make it rather a lot much less cramped than the primary competitors.

It is far more helpful for doing on a regular basis duties than the Galaxy Z Fold’s. These instances when you do not want the large inner show, otherwise you’re in a rush and wish to reply to one thing shortly, really feel much less like a compromise on this display screen we predict.

As for the interior show, that measures almost 8 inches and affords a big floor space. It is coated with a particular anti-reflective coating to assist keep away from one of many largest issues with plastic-covered screens: reflections. After all, being fairly shiny, it’s going to nonetheless replicate mild, however the show does appear seen and comparatively clear even with mild directed at it. Plus, the hinge design means the crease in the midst of the display screen just isn’t too apparent when the display screen is on. You’ll be able to nonetheless inform it is there although, particularly in the event you run a thumb or finger throughout the center of the show throughout common use.

It is too early to present our full ideas on the display screen efficiency, however in our early testing to date, we have been fairly pleased with the display screen. It is vibrant, colour-rich and affords clean animations.There’s HDR10+ help, 90Hz refresh charges and a shiny, vibrant OLED panel. It is bought rather a lot going for it.

As for software program, on the worldwide variant, it is Honor’s MagicOS 7.1 working on high of Android 13. We have used it for a couple of days already, and we are able to see there seems to be one thing lacking from it. Most notably: there is no choice to activate an app drawer, so all your apps get splattered throughout the house screens and it’s a must to spend time organising them. Equally, Honor hasn’t completed a lot to optimise the person interface for when the display screen would possibly sit at an angle. There is no ‘Flex mode’ like Samsung and Oppo’s gadgets, which tweak the interface to make it usable when sat down with the display screen angled upwards.

Efficiency

• Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1
• 12GB/512GB
• 5000mAh battery – 66W wired charging

Internally, there’s the whole lot you have to get flagship efficiency. A minimum of, on paper. Which means the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor is working the present and – if it is like different telephones we have examined with that platform – it ought to imply actually quick and environment friendly efficiency. Early indicators are good, with all apps and video games we have examined to date loading shortly, and with out a lot in the best way of warmth felt after intervals of gameplay.

It is joined by 12GB RAM and 512GB storage. Once more, meaning loads of reminiscence for environment friendly efficiency and many space for storing for recordsdata, media and apps.

Once you add the 5000mAh battery to the image, it actually brings residence the truth that that is attempting to give you all you’d anticipate from a correct top-tier Android telephone, with none compromises. Our first few days have seen actually good battery life from the Magic VS, standby time, particularly, appears actually good, so it is best to relaxation assured that when your telephone is sitting doing nothing, it will not siphon off your battery juice. Add 66W wired quick charging to the image and the one factor you are actually lacking is wi-fi charging.

Cameras

• 50MP f/1.9 important digital camera (IMX800 sensor)
• 50MP f/2.0 ultrawide digital camera – macro mode
• 8MP f/2.4 telephoto zoom – 3x optical

We have not had time to totally check the cameras, however but once more, it is bought the whole lot that it wants – on paper. There is a main 50-megapixel digital camera with a giant Sony sensor for high-quality photos with numerous element, dynamic vary and color.

That important lens is joined by two others: an ultrawide which additionally doubles as a macro. Once more, that is 50 megapixels, so Honor hasn’t gone down the route of providing a ineffective low-resolution macro digital camera. Add a 3x optical zoom telephoto digital camera with an 8-megapixel sensor and meaning you get the variability and flexibility in focal lengths to swimsuit most situations.

First impressions

There is no doubt that Honor is setting this telephone as much as be a no-compromise flagship folding smartphone. It is powered by the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor, has a beefy 5000mAh battery and a powerful triple digital camera system with none low-resolution junk cameras.

We predict the large draw for this telephone would be the huge exterior display screen that gives an expertise similar to a standard smartphone. It isn’t skinny, slender and cramped like Samsungs, and the hinge design means the telephone shuts utterly flush too, delivering fairly a smooth footprint for a telephone which is fairly huge.

Though it misses wi-fi charging and an official waterproof ranking, the remainder of this telephone units it as much as be a powerful performer and – however with out the optimised software program – it might not be fairly able to be a real competitor to Samsung’s flagship foldable.