We’ve spent some quality time with the Honor Magic V5 over the last few weeks, and among rather massive launches surrounding its release in Europe and the UK, the Magic V5 is a well-built device that stands against giants. So how does it hold up?
To be frank, the Honor Magic V5’s only weakness is going to be software. It launches on Android 15, not Android 16 like the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Pixel 10 Pro Fold. MagicOS, in general, provides an incredibly different experience to those OEMs and the interpretations of Android that follow.
Build
The Magic V5’s hardware is absolutely wonderful in hand. Honor took a few major liberties in design, and the overall build is just as good as the Magic V3, if not better.
The hinge has been newly designed and upgraded, which does a couple of things. It makes the device slimmer, and it offers more durability. The phone has an IP58 and IP59 rating while coming in at 9mm for most colorways except Ivory White, which is a ridiculous 8.8mm thick. The Galaxy Fold 7, for comparison, sits in between those dimensions.
The camera bump is actually bigger than in years past, and it sticks out quite a bit. Other than being a talking point, it acts as a nice finger rest when holding the phone. It still fits in pockets plenty well.
Overall, the thickness of the phone is balanced well with screen size. The outer display comes in at 6.43 inches, while the internal display reaches 7.95 inches from corner to corner. That seems to be a sweet spot. The phone doesn’t feel cramped when folded, and it feelswell-sized for big-screen content when unfolded.
The action of opening and closing it is really nice, too. It sort of snaps open, which is something I wish Google’s foldable lineup would do.
What I found really funny is that using the Magic V5 while open sort of teeters on being uncomfortable. I think it strikes a good balance, but if it were to drop a few more millimeters, I don’t think it would be an enjoyable experience.
And that is where Honor needs to pick up the pace.
Software and performance
Chinese OEMs always offer a different experience when it comes to OS, and Honor’s MagicOS certainly has a heavy skin over base Android. It works, but it’s a lot to get used to when you’re accustomed to One UI or Google’s base build.
That, and Honor adds a lot of first-party apps with and without AI to flesh out the experience, and those can feel a little overwhelming in place of apps found on the Google Play Store across devices. Still, those apps are actually well-built and have proven useful on multiple occasions. In my personal use case, I prefer to use third-party or Google-built apps as they sync across everything. That may not be a priority for everyone, though.
Still, the Magic V5 implements features that Android doesn’t even have, like motion sickness reduction and eye fatigue reduction.
By default, MagicOS also implements the split notifications and control panel feature that requires a swipe across the top to switch between the two. That doesn’t work well for me, even though I’ve tried to get accustomed to it, and it’s a bit of a pain to use in MagicOS. I had the same hesitations with the Magic V4, and that means it isn’t a device issue, it’s a software setback.
I’ve also noticed some interesting issues with the Magic V5’s variable refresh rate. Even though it’s set to reach 120Hz, I’ve noticed lag throughout some apps. The screen jitters and jumps, giving the impression that the Snadragon 8 Elite can’t handle it, which I’m sure is not the case for basic webpages.
In my opinion, Honor’s MagicOS offers a lot of useful features, but it needs to be cleaned up a bit. Offer something that’s a little more intuitive to use, without the heavy-handed focus on AI. At least Honor is backing it up with 7 years of OS and security updates.
Beyond that, I’ve been shocked at how competent the battery in this phone is. After a few days of calibration, I can get the phone to reach two days of use comfortably, maybe even more. In idle, it has no issue going a week or beyond without a charge. That’s due to the 5,820mAh battery, and its 15% silicon content makes the silicon-carbon battery effectively a small generator.
This is the one phone where I can take overnight flights from day one to day two without charging the phone, and expecting it to last me until the next pit stop. That changes for everyone, though, and using the inner display more than the outer screen will have an effect, as will video playback and other intensive tasks. The point is, it’s plenty capable of lasting days on end without hyperbole.
The camera performance is also rather good. The Magic V5 uses a 64MP main sensor using the company’s Falcon AI imaging system. The post-processing has been pretty nice, and some of the images I’m able to take, even at a tight zoom, come out really good. I’ve been pretty happy with this camera, and I guess that means I can’t fault it too much for being absolutely massive.
Final thoughts
Honor’s Magic V5 is a great device, and if the UI were cleaner, it could potentially be a top-seller globally, including in the US. That is, if Honor ever brings the phone to market there.
The build is great, and it doesn’t feel cheapened or barely barely thought out in any way. So is the camera and overall performance, beyond a few jitters here and there.
The phone costs €1,999 in Europe and £1,699 in the UK. It’s certainly expensive, and that’s something to consider against options from Samsung and Google.
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