I’m quite literally new to the fold, but judging by the reactions I’ve had when using the HONOR Magic V5 in its full, open-book form, so are many others.
I wasn’t sure what the general perception would be, and I did fear I might look like a boomer taking photos on their iPad at tourist attractions. It’s a sorry sight, and must be like shooting fish in a barrel for the modern phone snatchers.
But, it turns out, that’s not the response I got at all. Instead, every time I reached for my HONOR, the sight triggered an astounded chorus of: “Is that your phone?! …That is SO COOL!”
I tried the new foldable for a month before it launched. Here’s how I got on.
HONOR Magic V5 key specs
Design
One of my biggest concerns was whether the screen would be safe from cracks, what with there being so much screen at potential risk (7.95-inch OLED to be precise), when encountering inevitable drops or rattling around in a bag or pocket. So far, so good, and the build quality, which includes a NanoCrystal Shield anti-scratch screen, offers confidence in its robustness.
The unfolded mode is much closer to the experience of typing on a computer. Texting is speedier once you get used to the XL layout. The majority of the time, whether a smaller screen size is more convenient or just down to a force of habit, I find myself using the phone in its more traditional, folded form.
Not to say that it is a bad thing: this is pretty much indistinguishable from a regular smartphone. The extreme slimness of the HONOR Magic V5 means that, even when folded, it is no thicker than any other phone I’ve used before, feeling streamlined in the hand.
It must be as thin as a folded phone can physically get, at depths of 4.1mm unfolded and 8.8mm folded. Any thinner, and you’d have to do away with the USB charging port altogether.
Functionality
Looking cool isn’t at the top of my requirements when tech shopping. I’m much more of a technical specs-functionality-reviews obsessive than a style merchant.
So, it may not surprise you to learn that my favourite thing to do with the foldable HONOR was... checking my many spreadsheets.
I am an unapologetic spreadsheetsman, whether for work, play, or just the sheer thrill. Whatever your love for the sheet, if you find yourself needing to access one on any phone, you’ll know it’s a cumbersome affair. By comparison, the HONOR really does excel when such a situation arises (spreadsheet puns mandatory, I’m afraid).
Tapping to copy or move data within a spreadsheet takes a little getting used to compared to using a mouse, but you’ll find it’s perfectly possible to do light spreadsheet work with this baby in your hands.
Cameras
Let’s be honest, snapping ability is up there for most people in the market for a new phone.
This HONOR is packing, with a 50MP Wide, 64MP Periscope Telephoto, and 50MP Ultra Wide on the back housed with a chunky, reinforced border. Meanwhile, the front camera is a dual 20MP.
Walking down Columbia Road, where the famous flower market takes place every Sunday, I tried the zoom out for size, shooting the road at the default setting, before standing still to engage the 20x zoom. As you can see from the image below, the detail of the flower baskets is clear with colours popping brightly on the screen against the inky black of the lampposts.
But what really blew me away was the maximum zoom. Shot on Broadway Market, you can clearly pick out details like street signs, shop fronts and licence plates, even though they are quite a distance away. The clarity is, frankly, stunning, and I look forward to seeing how the camera performs in the push and shove of my next gig.
Key benefits
Another benefit of the folded-out mode from a purely functional perspective is using maps. No constant pinching in and out to move around - everything is already in view. Admittedly, I did feel a little self-aware with my tablet-like maps on display out in the wild, worried I may attract the wrong sort of attention, but look - it can’t all be cool points and spreadsheets.
Some apps are also well-suited to a folding phone versus a slab. For example, WhatsApp allows you to see your contacts list and individual chat windows side-by-side. Similarly, Spotify shows the left pane you’d see on a computer screen, offering slicker navigation.
The Magic V5 also allows users to call up multiple apps in layers on the large inside screen, so you can run them simultaneously, a trick it calls Multi-Flex Mode. While I find it a bit much to have my camera, notes and calculator on at once, I can see how useful this might be to multitasking types who want to monitor different information in one greedy hit. It’s a nifty feature, albeit one that you must finesse by dragging the apps tab from the right edge of the screen (it takes some mastering).
Limitations
Perhaps the biggest assumption I had was that a bigger screen equals a bigger video window size. In reality, streaming a regular TV show or film will still be confined by its original screen ratio, so all you get is the same width as a regular phone full-screen on its side, sandwiched between a much bigger black letterbox at the top and bottom of the screen. The difference is that there is other content on the screen, such as YouTube comments, or scrolling down a web page with a video hovering on top, should you wish to split your focus on such things.
Other content is more suited to a square screen, most noticeably Instagram, which, as a viewing experience, is superior to using either a regular slab phone or computer.
I did unearth an irk while playing video content. The default is for the video to flip sideways on the main screen, and the audio sometimes becomes unsynced. I found it best to unfold before hitting play, rather than midway through a video. It’s a small niggle, but it requires a moment of thought that you don’t need with other foldables.
Cost - is it worth it price?
Using the HONOR Magic V5 as a regular phone folded, I’m a happy camper. The cameras are magnificent, apps run (mostly) smoothly, and the folding design is a party trick I can’t wait to show off (even more than I already have).
There’s so much more it can do, but as a simple man, I’m not sure how many uses I have for all the AI wizardry under its hood. So, for the price, this is a device best served in the company of die-hard foldable fans.
Honor Magic V5
Slimmer than Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold7 (but only just), HONOR's foldable raises the bar for streamlined foldables. With three cameras on the back (capable of extreme zoom) and one 20MP dual camera on the front, taking snaps has never been such a pleasure.
Like other luxury foldables of its ilk, it can run multiple apps at once on the main screen, so you can see everything in a single view. However, calling up these apps can be a bit hit-and-miss: it takes practice to drag open the apps bar from the edge of the screen.
Viewing spreadsheets and streaming content is much easier on this phone-tablet hybrid, even if some content remains confined to its original screen ratio.
Price-wise, it's about the same cost as Samsung's latest folding interation, so be in no doubt who its main competitor is.
Buy now £1399.99, Honor
