I recently got my hands on the Honor Magic V5, and I’m still trying to wrap my head around how something so impossibly thin can be so surprisingly durable. At just 4.1mm unfolded and 8.8mm folded, this device is officially the world’s thinnest folding phone—comparable to many standard slab phones in thickness.
When I first held this device, it felt like science fiction had become reality. The thinness is genuinely shocking, especially when you consider what’s packed inside. But the question on everyone’s mind is obvious: can something this thin actually be durable?
Putting Durability to the Test
Honor claims this phone is tough—tough enough that they hung 200 pounds from it in their testing. Skeptical? So was I. That’s why I tried it myself with a 50-pound weight on a pulley system, pulling directly on the hinge.
The result? The Magic V5 handled it without issue. I wouldn’t recommend trying this at home, but it demonstrates that thinness doesn’t necessarily mean fragility. The hinge even extends slightly beyond flat when fully opened, which initially concerned me but appears to be an intentional design feature that doesn’t affect performance.
When closed, the two halves sandwich together with barely any gap—a testament to the precision engineering behind this device. This tight fit is something many other folding phones still struggle to achieve.
Redefining the Folding Experience
What makes the Magic V5 special isn’t just its thinness—it’s how that thinness transforms the user experience. When using it folded, your brain actually forgets you’re holding a folding phone. It feels like a normal phone until you need that tablet experience, at which point you unfold it and suddenly have a 7.95-inch display at your disposal.
The crease, that persistent bugbear of folding phones, has diminished significantly. Looking at the screen straight-on with a bright image displayed, it practically vanishes. You can still find it if you tilt the device at certain angles, but who actually uses their phone that way?
Impressive Specs in a Thin Package
Despite its slim profile, Honor hasn’t skimped on specifications:
- 5820 mAh silicon-carbon battery
- 66W wired and 50W wireless charging
- Snapdragon 8 Elite processor
- 16GB RAM and 512GB storage
- 7.95-inch inner display (2352 × 2172, 120Hz, 5000 nits)
- 6.43-inch outer display (2376 × 1060, 5000 nits)
The Magic V5 is also currently the only folding phone with stylus support, making it particularly appealing for note-takers and digital artists. And with IP58 and IP59 ratings, it offers decent protection against dust and water.
Camera System That Leverages the Form Factor
The camera system is surprisingly versatile, with the large camera array on the back providing genuine optical versatility rather than digital crops. From ultra-wide to portrait to close-up shots, I could capture a wide range of perspectives without moving from my spot.
The folding form factor enhances the photography experience—reviewing photos on the large inner display gives you a much better sense of what you’ve captured than a standard phone screen.
How does it get thinner than that? What are we holding on to? Sheet of paper.
Honor has also included some interesting AI features for photo enhancement and editing. The “magic retouch” tool can remove unwanted elements from photos with a simple circle gesture, complete with a fancy animation effect.
Practical Innovations
The Magic V5 includes cross-platform connectivity through the Honor Share app, enabling file transfers between Android and iOS devices, including iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Windows PCs. Its “Multiflex” feature allows up to three apps to run simultaneously, taking full advantage of the large unfolded display.
I’m not suggesting folding phones will ever feel exactly like slab phones in terms of perceived durability. There are more moving parts, which naturally leads to different handling considerations. But the Magic V5 represents a significant step forward in addressing the thickness and durability concerns that have held folding phones back.
The question isn’t whether folding phones will replace traditional designs—it’s whether they can offer enough unique benefits to justify their existence. With the Magic V5, Honor makes a compelling case that they can. When a folding phone becomes thin enough to feel like a regular phone in your pocket but can transform into a tablet-like experience when needed, the value proposition becomes much clearer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How thin is the Honor Magic V5 compared to regular smartphones?
The Honor Magic V5 measures just 8.8mm when folded, making it comparable to many standard smartphones. When unfolded, it’s an astonishingly thin 4.1mm (for the white version) or 4.2mm (for other colors).
Q: Does the Honor Magic V5 have a visible crease on the screen?
The crease has been significantly reduced compared to earlier folding phones. When viewing content straight-on with a bright image displayed, the crease is barely noticeable. It becomes visible only when viewing the screen at certain angles.
Q: What makes the Honor Magic V5’s hinge different from other folding phones?
The hinge on the Magic V5 is engineered to be both extremely thin and surprisingly strong. It can support significant weight (tested with up to 50 pounds), closes with virtually no gap between the halves, and can even extend slightly beyond flat when fully opened without damaging the device.
Q: Does the Honor Magic V5 support stylus input?
Yes, the Magic V5 is currently the only folding phone that supports stylus input, making it particularly useful for note-taking, drawing, and precise interactions with the large inner display.
Q: How does the battery life compare to standard smartphones despite its thin design?
Despite its thin profile, the Magic V5 houses a substantial 5820 mAh silicon-carbon battery. It also supports fast charging at 66W wired and 50W wireless, which helps compensate for the power demands of its large displays.
