Samsung will host its big Unpacked press conference of the summer, where the significantly thinner and lighter Galaxy Z Fold 7 will be unveiled. Rumors say the Fold 7 will be just 8.9 mm thin, which would make it the thinnest Samsung Fold device ever made. But it’s not enough for the Fold 7 to be the world’s thinnest foldable.
That title goes to the brand-new Magic V5 foldable, which Honor just announced in China. The handset measures 8.8 mm when folded, just enough to beat all of its rivals, including the unreleased Galaxy Z Fold 7.
There are a few important caveats here, though, especially as Honor and other brands continue to focus on shrinking the thickness of foldable phones.
The white Magic V5 is thinner than the others
Ivory White, Black, Dawn Gold, and Reddish Brown are the Magic V5’s four color options. Chinese smartphone buyers can choose any version, with prices starting at 8,999 yuan ($1,257). But if they want the absolute thinnest Magic V5, they have to go with the white version.
Here’s how Honor chose to explain that detail in a footnote:
Data from HONOR labs. 8.88 mm refers to the thickness of the Ivory White model in folded state. The overall thickness does not include the inner and outer screen protective films and the raised part of the camera.
Wait a second, 8.88 mm?
Honor’s explanation above implies that three of the four Magic V5 versions are thicker than 8.88 mm. So if the Galaxy Z Fold 7 does measure 8.9 mm when folded, it’ll be about the same size as the Magic V5.
The more annoying part is how Honor rounds up the measurement. 8.88 mm is closer to 8.9 mm than 8.8 mm. This is a marketing move meant to claim the Magic V5 as the world’s thinnest foldable phone, even if it stretches the truth a bit.
That title doesn’t hold as much weight now that most smartphone makers can produce ultra-thin foldables. It mattered more when the Magic V2 and Magic V3 were way thinner than anything else. (There’s no Magic V4 by design — Honor just skipped “4” in this series.)
The camera bump
I explained just the other day that the Nothing Phone 3’s ugly camera design gives that phone its own identity. The camera bump is a compromise we’ve learned to accept.
With foldables, vendors like Honor don’t include the camera bump in thickness measurements, even though it’s pretty noticeable. Then again, all ultra-thin foldables come with big camera bumps on the back.
The Magic V5 features a triple-lens main camera, including two 50-megapixel lenses (wide and ultra-wide) and a 64-megapixel periscope zoom camera.
Focus on the specs
The Honor Magic V5’s thickness shouldn’t be the reason you buy it. The specs matter more, and the good news is the Magic V5 packs some seriously impressive hardware into its thin frame.
It has a 7.95-inch foldable display and a 6.43-inch cover screen. Inside, there’s a carbon fiber layer and an Honor Super Steel Hinge that keeps the phone protected and foldable.
The Snapdragon 8 Elite, the chip powering many 2025 Android flagships, runs the show. That means you’re getting fast performance, support for AI features, and better energy efficiency.
Then there’s the “industry’s first 6100mAh” silicon-carbon battery inside the 1TB model. This is one of the Magic V5’s most exciting features, and it’s the kind of battery tech other smartphone makers will need to follow. Honor says it’s “the world’s first mass-produced high-silicon design, delivering an impressive 25% silicon content and achieving the highest energy density of 901Wh/L.”
The ultra-thin foldable supports 66W wired charging and 50W wireless charging.
The ultra-thin foldable to buy
All of that makes the Magic V5 sound like an incredible flagship. But there’s one catch: availability. The Magic V5 is up for preorder in China, but there’s no clear timeline for an international release.
Honor says it’ll bring the Magic V5 to global markets later this year, without sharing any specific dates.
In other words, the ultra-thin foldable to buy this year might be the Galaxy Z Fold 7. Samsung is already offering a $50 preorder registration deal ahead of Unpacked. The Fold 7 will then be available for preorder in every market where Samsung operates, and will hit stores a couple of weeks after launch.
