• HONOR has launched is next-generation foldable today – the HONOR Magic Vs.
• The device will serve as another rival to Samsung’s Z Flip and Z Fold devices currently dominating the market.
• The HONOR Magic Vs runs on the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor, features a 50MP ultra-wide camera and its latest Android 13 reskin Magic OS 7.0.

Shenzhen, China’s publicly-owned smartphone manufacturer has revealed its latest foldable device, an inward folding affair called the HONOR Magic Vs.

It represents the next iteration of HONOR’s foldables, which began with the Magic V, launched earlier this year in March. The devices represent a rival to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold and Flip smartphones, but not a formidable one.

According to a report from DSCC, Samsung is absolutely dominating worldwide sales of foldables as of Q4 2021 with 2.22 million units sold, followed closest by Huawei’s P50, and Mate X2 series phones.

HONOR’s sales figures weren’t even highlighted in the report, but it looks like the brand represents less than 1 percent in terms of market share of total foldable sales.

And yet the manufacturer has rumbled along with the launch of its latest device held today.

HONOR says that the Magic Vs will have a 6.45-inch 120Hz external OLED display and a 7.9-inch 90Hz folding tablet screen capable of 2K+ resolution. The device will also come with stylus support mirroring Samsung’s own foldables like the Z Fold3 and 4, albeit without a slot to hold the stylus (called the Magic Pen).

In terms of silicon, the Magic Vs runs on a flagship Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip, and battery wise it is powered by 5 000mAh cells usually seen in similar Chinese smartphones.

No wireless charging is being offered by HONOR in this outing, but the device is capable of 66W wired fast charging (0 to 100 percent in 46 minutes according to the company). In terms of camera setup, a 54MP main camera will be bolstered by a 50MP ultra-wide camera and an 8MP 3x tele lens.

For selfies, the Vs comes with a 16MP front camera. So nothing too innovative here, but the 50MP ultra-wide could be interesting for people with big families. AI noise reduction for audio and video calls will also make big family gatherings a bit easier in terms of talking on the phone.

In terms of OS, the device comes with HONOR’s latest proprietary Android 13 skin Magic OS 7.0.

It seems the Magic Vs will have a retail price of around ~$1 049, so it definitely won’t be an affordable foldable, but it could be cheaper than Samsung’s latest Z Flip devices. The Magic Vs comes in two modes, one with 8GB RAM a 256GB storage or with 12GB RAM and 256/512GB storage.

Unfortunately, HONOR’s range of available devices in the South African market are quite limited compared to worldwide offerings despite an active release schedule. The previous Magic V foldable wasn’t released in South Africa, and it seems the next-generation Vs device will only come to Europe as of time of writing.

But a more global launch could be in the cards, and analysts are looking to the upcoming CES for a wider launch.

[Image – HONOR]