Foldable Phone Face-Off: Honor Magic V2 vs. Galaxy Z Fold 5 vs. Pixel Fold
Here's how Honor's Magic V2 stacks up against its rivals foldable phones: Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 5, Google's Pixel Fold and the OnePlus Open.
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What watching a video on the Magic V2 can look like.
Honor recently broadened the global release of its latest foldable. The Magic V2, which reigns supreme as the lightest and thinnest book-style phone, went on sale in the UK and parts of the EU last week following its release in its native China. It starts at £1,700 (converts to roughly $2,160 or AU$3,280) or 1,999 euros. This is a lower starting price in the UK than the £1,749 Galaxy Z Fold 5 ($1,800, AU$2,559), but the Z Fold 5 costs 1,899 euros.
Read more: Best Foldables of 2024
The Magic V2 arrives internationally in the wake of a string of book-style foldable phone releases, including the OnePlus Open, Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Google's Pixel Fold. Foldable phones still make up a small fraction of the overall smartphone market, but that share of the pie is growing.
Key differences
The Honor Magic V2 set up as an alarm clock.
As mentioned earlier, the Magic V2 is the thinnest and lightest foldable phone on the market right now. For this reason, it leads in terms of portability with a weight and width comparable to nonfolding phones. In fact, it's actually lighter than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra. Google's Pixel Fold is the heaviest of the pack, weighing more than 280 grams.
The Magic V2 comes second, at least on paper, to the OnePlus Open for wired charging speed. The former supports 66 watts, while the latter can do 67 watts. However, it's worth pointing out that Honor removed the bundled charging adapter in select markets including the UK and Europe. If you're buying the device in China, a charging brick is included as part of the package. The OnePlus Open is the only one of these foldable phones that comes with a charging adapter inside the box.
The Magic V2 in its open position becomes a mini tablet.
Other key differences to consider are these phones' software upgrade policies, official IP rating and wireless charging support. The Magic V2, Galaxy Z Fold 5 and OnePlus Open lead with four years of software upgrades pledged along with five years of security updates. The Pixel Fold is receiving three years of software upgrades and five years of security updates.
The Magic V2 is the only one without an official IP rating for water and dust resistance. The Z Fold 5, by comparison, is rated IPX8 for water-resistance and can be immersed under 1.5 meters of freshwater for up to 30 minutes. Nearly all foldables lack dust-resistance apart from the IP52-rated Motorola Razr Plus, which offers some resistance against dust and water splashes.
Honor says there are currently no plans for a release in the US. And that's another differentiator worth considering. All of its major rivals received a rollout stateside.
For a more granular comparison between the Magic V2 and its rivals, take a look at CNET's specs chart below.
Honor Magic V2 specs vs. OnePlus Open, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, Google Pixel Fold
| Honor Magic V2 | OnePlus Open | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 | Google Pixel Fold | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cover display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate | Cover screen: 6.4-inch, (2,376x1,060 pixels), up to 120Hz variable refresh rate | Cover screen: 6.31-inch OLED (2,484x1,116 pixels), 10-120Hz variable refresh rate | Cover screen: 6.2-inch AMOLED (2,316 x 904 pixels), 1-120Hz variable refresh rate | Cover screen: 5.8 inches, (2,092x1,080 pixels), 60-120 Hz variable refresh rate |
| Internal display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate | Internal screen: 7.92-inch OLED, (2,344x2,156 pixels), up to 120 Hz variable refresh rate | Internal screen: 7.82-inch OLED (2,440x2,268 pixels), 1-120Hz variable refresh rate | Internal screen: 7.6-inch AMOLED (2,176x1,812 pixels), 1-120Hz variable refresh rate | Internal screen: 7.6-inch OLED, (2,208x1,840 pixels), 60-120 Hz variable refresh rate |
| Pixel density | Cover: 402 ppi, internal: 402 ppi | Cover: 431 ppi, internal: 426 ppi | Cover: 402 ppi, internal: 374 ppi | Cover: 408 ppi, internal: 380 ppi |
| Dimensions (inches) | Open: 6.2 x 5.72 x 0.39 in; closed: 6.2 x 2.9 x 0.39 in | Open: 6.04 x 5.63 x 0.23 in; Closed: 6.04 x 2.89 x 0.47 in | Open: 6.1 x 5.11 x 0.24 in; Closed: 6.1 x 2.64 x 0.53 in | Open: 5.5 x 6.2 x 0.2 in; Closed: 5.5 x 3.1 x 0.5 in |
| Dimensions (millimeters) | Open: 156.7 x 145.4 x 9.9 mm; Closed: 156.7 x 74 x 9.9 mm | Open: 153.4 x 143.1 x 5.9 mm ; Closed 153.4 x 73.3 x 11.9 mm | Open: 154.94 x 129.79 x 6.1 mm; closed: 154.94 x 67.06 x 13.46 mm | Open: 139.7 x 158.7 x 5.8 mm; Closed: 139.7 x 79.5 x 12.1 mm |
| Weight (grams, ounces) | 231 g (8.15 oz) | Voyager black: 239 g (8.43 oz ); emerald green: 245 g (8.64 oz) | 253 g (8.92 oz) | 283 g (9.98 oz) |
| Mobile software | Android 13 | Android 13 | Android 13 | Android 13 |
| Camera | 50-megapixel (main), 50-megapixel (ultrawide), 20-megapixel (telephoto) | 48-megapixel (main), 48-megapixel (ultrawide), 64-megapixel (telephoto) | 50-megapixel (main), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (telephoto) | 48-megapixel (main), 10.8-megapixel (ultrawide), 10.8-megapixel (telephoto) |
| Front-facing camera | 16-megapixel (under inner screen); 16-megapixel (cover screen) | 20-megapixel (inner screen); 32-megapixel (cover screen) | 4-megapixel (under inner screen); 10-megapixel (cover screen) | 8-megapixel (inner screen); 9.5-megapixel (cover screen) |
| Video capture | 8K | 4K | 8K | 4K |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 | Tensor G2 |
| RAM/storage | 16GB + 256GB, 512GB, 1TB | 16GB + 512GB | 12GB + 256GB, 512GB, 1TB | 12GB + 256GB, 512GB (US, UK, Germany) |
| Expandable storage | None | None | None | None |
| Battery | 5,500 mAh | 4,805 mAh | 4,400 mAh (dual 2,200-mAh battery) | 4,821 mAh |
| Fingerprint sensor | Side | Side | Side | Side |
| Connector | USB-C | USB-C | USB-C | USB-C |
| Headphone jack | None | None | None | None |
| Special features | 2,500-nit peak brightness (cover screen); 1,600-nit peak brightness (inner screen); support for Honor Magic Pen (both cover and internal screens); 66W wired charging; 5W reverse wired; 16-megapixel under-display camera (inner screen) | 5G (sub-6 only), alert slider, IPX4 rating, IR blaster, 67W fast wired charging with charger included in the box | 5G-enabled, IPX8 water resistance, S Pen support, 25W wired charging, wireless charging, wireless power share, triple SIM | 5G (mmw/Sub6), IPX8 rating, 5x optical zoom, dual SIM, estimated 24-33 hours battery life, 7.5 wireless charging support |
| US price starts at | Converts to $2,160 (256GB) | $1,700 (512GB) | $1800 (256GB) | $1,799 (256GB) |
| UK price starts at | £1,700 (256GB) | £1,599 (512GB) | £1,749 (256) | £1,749 (256GB) |
| Australia price starts at | Converts to AU$3,280 (256GB) | Converts to AU$2,689 (512GB) | AU$2,559 (256GB) | Converts to AU$3,340 (256GB) |