After all of the foldable Android phone entries we’ve seen throughout the year, the Magic V3 from honor still stands out for one major reason — how insanely thin it is.
This year saw the launch of a few notable foldable phones from brands like Samsung and Google, though it hasn’t seemed to carry the same punch that other years have offered. For instance, the Galaxy Z Fold 6, while still an objectively fantastic device, did not wow users as much as its successor did. It simply carried refinements rather than groundbreaking improvements.
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold, save for its cumbersome moniker, was received with slightly wider arms. Google’s second-gen foldable brought a much slimmer design with a complete size overhaul that better fits the needs of a wider base of users, though some might miss the square take of the original Pixel Fold. This offering brought better specs and a bigger generational jump than Samsung’s lineup did.
There is one issue that still stands with the majority of devices on the market, though. Most foldable are still too thick. The only major release to truly oppose that trend was the Honor Magic V3, which carries a folded thickness of 9.22mm. That spec alone positions this phone as the best foldable for people who don’t want something thicker than the everyday slab device in their pocket.
Of course, the Magic V3 has a lot to offer beyond its profile, though there’s a lot to appreciate about it. In releasing the phone globally, Honor set an impressive standard that OEMs like Samsung are not able to meet just yet. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold comes close at 10.5mm, but it’s over 1mm thicker than what Honor brings to the table.
In hand, the Magic V3 feels fantastic to hold. There is an obvious break in the material when the two halves meet, but the overall depth of the material is still minimal. It feels just like a slab phone. That does something special; it shows that foldables can indeed entirely replace slab devices at some point. There is little need for phones under 8mm because then the device is uncomfortable to hold, so Honor is really just inching — or, I guess, “millimetering” — to profile perfection.
Honor also did a wonderful job in developing a hinge that is genuinely satisfying to use. The Magic V3 opens with a confident “thud” that terminates in an opened foldable that feels absolutely solid. Further, the 4.35mm thick phone is just bonkers to hold open.
The fact that Honor could fit a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC with 12GB of RAM and a 120Hz AMOLED panel on the inside is just impressive.
Of course, Android phones are the sum of its parts. That includes MagicOS 8, which isn’t terrible, but it does bring a lot of quirks that I don’t love in a device. For instance, the Control Center is tough to use in a pinch and makes the user swipe between notifications and the Quick Settings panel. On the flip side, MagicOS 8 offers a gorgeous AOD that showcases your wallpaper at all times, which I absolutely love.
In addition, I’ve found the camera array to be completely competent. Honor is employing a lot of AI to do heavy lifting on this device, and that extends to the camera. The 50MP main sensor is completely adequate for everyday use, and I have little to complain about when it comes to the pictures it takes.
In reality, there isn’t a lot that the Magic V3 does wrong. Yes, MagicOS could be better at certain quality-of-life functions, but the way Honor has delivered impressive hardware with really good performance has been wonderful. The Magic V3 is a device that breaks the rules and presents the idea of a book-style foldable in a way that would make more people want to make the switch.
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