TECH companies are flipping out over foldable phones.
But how many people do you actually see using one out and about?
6
6
6
The market share is still a tiny teeny 1.5 per, according to IDC estimates.
Samsung, Motorola, Google and Hauwei have all thrown their weight behind them in recent years, as well as Honor, who’s just launched a brand new Magic V5 handset.
Honor tends to do pretty well on the budget end – but this new skinny beast does not come cheap, even if there are some ways to get £300 off and bag free gifts worth more than £100 to sweeten the deal at the moment.
As The Sun’s Assistant Technology Editor and main Android smartphone reviewer, I’ve got hands on with a number of foldables now.
This year feels like firms are finally nailing it and the Magic V5 is up there among the best.
Find out why below…
Honor Magic V5: Look and feel
The Honor Magic V5 looks like an ordinary non-foldable smartphone at first, which is very much a good thing.
Early foldables felt bulky and clunky but we’re now at a stage where they feel like traditional mobiles with an added bonus of a big screen hidden in the middle.
However, now they’ve all had a jab of “digital Ozempic” and the Magic V5 is thinnest around at 8.8mm when folded (albeit only by 0.1mm compared to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 so most people won’t notice the difference).
The camera bump is quite extensive but Honor has tried to make it look as elegant.
Unfolded, it’s 4.1mm which is scarily thin but it doesn’t come across weak or easily broken.
Weight-wise it’s 222g which is around the same as many non-foldable phones too and it feels fine in my hands.
The colour I’m testing is Ivory White and it gives me a rich champagne vibe (there’s also Dawn Gold and Black).
It has a matte effect material on the back, perfect for people like me with clammy fingers as it makes smears far less visible.
When you have the Magic V5 open I’m shocked by how much you don’t notice the crease, it’s almost invisible.
The display is bright and glossy – and it’s become my ultimate travel gadget to replace a tablet, using it to watch movies on a recent flight.
6
Honor Magic V5: Performance and features
The Magic V5 is Android 15-based with Honor’s own skin on top called MagicOS 9.0.1.
MagicOS isn’t my preferred look, I usually like a pure Android design – at times it feels a bit iOS-esque.
However, it’s very easy to use and thankfully there are no signs of any annoying bloatware unlike other Honor phones I’ve tried previously.
The firm is pledging to offer seven years of Android version and security updates, which is great to keep it fresh with new features, as well as making your investment last longer.
Who offers free updates longest?
The longer you receive updates, the longer you can safely continue using your smartphone – with the latest features thrown in too for free.
Samsung
For the Galaxy S25 series, Samsung said it would provide at least seven generations of OS updates and seven years of security updates.
OnePlus
At the launch of the OnePlus 13, OnePlus committed to at least four years of Android updates and six years of security updates.
Xiaomi
Xiaomi offers four years off Android updates and five years security updates.
Google
For the Pixel 10 series, Google said that devices would receive at least seven years of support.
When unfolded, you get some of the best features on the Magic V5.
Firstly, it’s great for multitasking with the ability to have three apps running in a split screen at once.
They can even be pushed a bit off the screen, making it feel more like a computer experience.
There are a load of AI features too carried over from previous Honor phones, such as live translations.
All of this is made possible with the powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile chip inside which keeps things ticking over mega smoothly.
Honor Magic V5: Battery
Going thin usually means one big sacrifice – battery.
But not here.
Honor has managed to cram in a 5,820mAh unit, which is way above the average.
It means you can get through your day without power anxiety easily.
As for charging, you can get a full charge in just under an hour with support for 66W wired charging.
A 66W charging cable doesn’t come as standard – but it is one of the free gifts Honor is giving away for a limited time which is well worth grabbing.
Honor Magic V5: Camera
The Magic V5 can take some stunning shots thanks to the big camera arrangement.
We have a main 50-megapixel camera, alongside 50-megapixel ultra-wide and a 64-megapixel telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom.
These provide rich, detailed, very satisfying shots with some AI tools to boost your images if you like.
While you can zoom in quite a bit I found it trickier to perfect with any small movement – but the results were still pretty good.
6
6
Honor Magic V5: Price
The Magic V5 is cheaper than other foldables around but it’s still a hefty ask, starting at £1,699.99.
However, there is a discount available from Honor’s website that knocks £300 off to save some money, plus they’re giving away some free extras worth over £100 for a limited time.
This includes the Honor Magic Pen, Honor SuperCharge Power Adapter (Max 66W), and Honor Screen Protection for both the outside and inside.
Discount code AV5UK300 brings the price down to £1399.99.
Honor Magic V5: Verdict
The Honor Magic V5 is a great bit of kit that brings finesse to the foldable arena.
It’s beautifully thin and light without sacrificing on toughness.
So much so, I can do without a tablet on flights now and use this instead which is super handy.
However, the software doesn’t quite keep up with that premium feeling.
And the camera bump is just a bit too big for my liking – despite the best efforts to make it look elegant.
Offers to bring the price down are helpful but it’s still a huge ask for people to pay out this sort of money on a phone.
Rating: 4 / 5
All prices in this article were correct at the time of writing, but may have since changed.
Always do your own research before making any purchase.
