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MagyarHonor Magic Vs smartphone review: A relatively inexpensive and enduring foldable
The top dog, the Galaxy Z Fold4, sits alone on the European foldable market. It faces barely any competition because most manufacturers launch their foldable smartphones only on markets in the Far East. But something happened last year: Devices such as the Huawei Mate Xs 2 or Microsoft's Surface Duo 2 also tested the waters in Europe.
Nevertheless, for those who are too shy to import from China and still want to purchase a foldable phone in Europe, the alternatives to Samsung's device are far and few in between. Honor is now seeking to change that. The former Huawei subsidiary made a name for itself in the West last year with its first standalone devices.
But this year, the time has come: The successor, the Honor Vs, has been officially announced for Europe and, in light of attractive features such as ample storage and an innovative hinge, is competitively priced at EUR 1,599. Let's take a closer look at what Honor's advance against Korean top dog Samsung can achieve.
Possible Competitors in Comparison
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Drive | Size | Resolution | Best Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 87.2 % | 03/2023 | Honor Magic Vs SD 8+ Gen 1, Adreno 730 | 261 g | 512 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 7.90" | 2272x1984 | |
| 89.8 % | 10/2022 | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 5G SD 8+ Gen 1, Adreno 730 | 263 g | 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 7.60" | 2176x1812 | |
| 86.3 % | 12/2022 | Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 SD 8+ Gen 1, Adreno 730 | 262 g | 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 8.02" | 2160x1914 | |
| 84.1 % | 09/2022 | Huawei Mate Xs 2 SD 888 4G, Adreno 660 | 255 g | 512 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 7.80" | 2480x2220 | |
| 91.1 % | 03/2023 | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra SD 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, Adreno 740 | 233 g | 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash | 6.80" | 3080x1440 |
Case - Innovative materials
Unfolded, the Honor Magic Vs is a veritable mini tablet with a screen diameter of 7.9 inches and an almost square screen. With a thickness of 6.1 millimeters when open, it is slightly thinner than its competitor from Samsung. Even when folded, it is not too bulky at 12.9 millimeters.
Modern materials are used for the smartphone, such as a magnesium alloy for the frame of the external display and a titanium alloy for the frame of the inner screen, both of which are intended to cut back on weight. In fact, this seems to work quite well because the Honor Magic Vs weighs just as much as most of its competitors despite its significantly stronger battery.
The back is made of glass and is available in either black or cyan blue. It has a high-gloss finish and is thus quite susceptible to fingerprints. We like the stability and workmanship of the case; the Honor Magic Vs looks very robust and can hardly be twisted.
The redesigned hinge is said to have far fewer components, making it less vulnerable to gradual breakdown. The hinge itself is very smooth. However, the crease in the middle of the screen that is caused by the folding is clearly visible and noticeable. Honor promises 400,000 folding cycles of durability.
Equipment - Plenty of memory for Europe
Our test device comes with 12 GB RAM and 512 GB of mass storage. It is reportedly the only variant coming to the European market, but a smaller storage option with 8 GB RAM and 256 GB is also available internationally. Honor is asking EUR 1,599 ex-works in Europe, which makes the Magic Vs reasonably priced for a foldable phone.
The USB port transfers data at up to 5 Gbit/s, and other high-end smartphones are currently no faster. Of course, you can use NFC to pay with your smartphone, and there is also an infrared port so that it can be used as a remote control for a television if required.
2 SIM cards can be installed in the smartphone at the same time, along with the possibility of an eSIM. However, a microSD reader is lacking, so the opportunity for storage expansion is absent.
Software – Android 13 in disguise
MagicOS 7.1 is the name of Honor's user interface, which is based on Android 13. Anyone who has previously owned a Huawei or Honor smartphone will find the software familiar – despite the spin-off, MagicOS is still reminiscent of HarmonyOS.
Honor also preinstalls many of its own apps, some of which duplicate functions already covered by Google's apps. So if you want to tidy up, you should see which apps you wish to use and, if possible, delete the counterpart.
Honor will provide the smartphone with new software versions for 3 years and security updates for 5 years, i.e. until 2028. At the time of review, the security patch was from February 2023 and thus still quite up to date.
Communication and GNSS - Fast WLAN on the Honor smartphone
The Honor Magic Vs supports WiFi 6E, which means it can also make use of the sparsely utlized 6 GHz network, but our test device was only able to connect to the 5 GHz band of our Asus ROG Rapture AXE11000 reference router. This did not affect transmission speeds, as 160 MHz of bandwidth per channel was available, which allowed for up to 1.5 GBit/s in the receive direction and 1.4 GBit/s in the send direction. The data rates were also relatively stable.
The Wi-Fi reception is also satisfactory: full signal strength is available close to the router. At a distance of 10 meters and through 3 walls, it is still 50% and a somewhat slower page load is visible.
In mobile communications, 5G and 4G support is on board, along with a wide range of frequencies, so you can use the smartphone anywhere in the world. Here, too, we also subjected the smartphone's signal quality to random tests. The Honor Vs is reliable and provides strong antenna power so that it can keep up with other high-end smartphones in most cases.
| Networking | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | |
| Honor Magic Vs | |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 5G | |
| Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 | |
| Huawei Mate Xs 2 | |
| Average of class Smartphone (34.8 - 1875, n=211, last 2 years) | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | |
| Honor Magic Vs | |
| Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 5G | |
| Huawei Mate Xs 2 | |
| Average of class Smartphone (40.5 - 1810, n=212, last 2 years) | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz | |
| Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | |
| Average of class Smartphone (229 - 1894, n=61, last 2 years) | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz | |
| Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | |
| Average of class Smartphone (598 - 1840, n=61, last 2 years) | |
The positioning system of the Honor Magic Vs supports all major satellite systems, but SBAS for even higher accuracy is lacking. Indoors, our position was frequently pinpointed at an accuracy of up to 5 meters. Outdoors, it takes a short moment before the smartphone achieves a good accuracy of up to 3 meters.
We also took the Honor Magic Vs on our bike ride for real-world tesing of the smartphone's localization capabilities. The Garmin Venu 2 smartwatch served as our comparison device.
The foldable smartphone displays hardly any weaknesses here, providing very precise tracking data. Minimal imperfections aside, we can recommend the smartphone to people for whom location accuracy is paramount.
Telephony and Voice Quality - Rare dropouts
Honor installs its own phone app. This works perfectly, but can also be easily replaced with Google's standard app or another phone app from the Play Store if so desired.
The earpiece is located above the external display, but you can also hear the conversation partner inside the smartphone, so that you can hold the unfolded smartphone to your ear and make calls. The only thing to keep in mind here is that other individuals in the immediate vicinity can hear what the other person is saying quite clearly.
Our conversation partner can be understood well and the sound is not overloaded, even at maximum volume. At most, the earphones are occasionally a little too quiet for noisy environments. Our voice is also transmitted clearly and distinctly via the microphone, but we experienced very rare dropouts during our tests, regardless of whether we were using the mobile network or WLAN telephony.
The other party is also very well understood via loudspeaker and the voice is transmitted clearly. However, the hands-free microphone makes our voice sound a little tinny and does not capture softer sounds optimally.
Cameras - Top range setup
Sony's IMX800 sensor with 54 megapixels is used for the main camera. It was installed in high-end smartphones for the first time two years ago and is still used today in high-quality mid-range phones such as the Honor 70. Taking appealing photos is thus certainly possible, as our test images reveal.
Colors are very vivid and the sensor produces nice bokeh effects for close-up objects, but details in the main subject are clearly lost compared to photos from the iPhone 14, for example.
The Honor Magic Vs shows somewhat less sharpness in environmental photos than, for example, the Honor Magic4 Pro, but is otherwise able to keep up in terms of imaging performance. Compared to the iPhone, however, the sharpness drops visibly.
The main camera manages to take fairly sharp photos in low light and high contrasts, but dark parts of the photo aren't brightened up so well.
A 50-megapixel camera is used for both wide-angle and macro shots. Unfortunately, it reveals chromatic aberrations at the edges in the form of colored edges around objects. Otherwise, we like the wide-angle photos, but they could also offer more dynamics and detail.
A 3x zoom camera is also part of the setup, resulting in a hybrid zoom of 0.5x to 30x. If necessary, the individual lenses all take images that are merged into one via AI so that all areas are as sharp as possible.
8K videos can be recorded with the camera setup, but at a maximum of 30 fps. 60 fps is also possible in 4K.
Image Comparison
Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.
Main camera - plantMain camera - environmentMain camera - low lightWide angle camera
Selfies are quite decent with the 16-megapixel front camera, which is available both on the inner display as well as on the outer screen. However, we would have liked more sharpness and brightness in enlarged images.
In the lab, the main camera is very sharp under full lighting; only very fine structures are not so sharply rendered. Colors are displayed vividly. At only 1 lux illumination, the image is still easily recognizable, but edges become slightly unclean and black text in front of dark colours lacks contrast.
Accessories and Warranty - Quick charger included free of charge
The Honor Magic Vs comes with a 66-watt charger, including a USB cable, a SIM tool, and a protective cover for the back of the smartphone, which can be attached to the hinge side using a reusable adhesive film.
A matching power adapter can be bought in Honor's online shop for EUR 30.
The manufacturer offers a 24-month warranty for the device in the EU. This may differ in other regions, so buyers should double check before purchasing.
Input Devices & Operation - Precise biometrics
The large touchscreen on the inside has a maximum refresh rate of 90 Hz, while the outer display is capable of up to 120 Hz. However, we didn't notice any real difference in responsiveness here: scrolling is very smooth on both screens.
A foldable phone is a little difficult for small hands to use, and the Honor Magic Vs is hardly an exception. It's a pity that the one-handed mode doesn't work when the display is unfolded. The crease in the middle of the inner screen is clearly visible and sometimes annoying during operation.
The fingerprint scanner is located on the right edge of the case in the standby button. When the screen is open, it is best to register the thumb of the right hand, which usually rests in this position. The scanner recognizes our finger very reliably and unlocks the device without delay.
Facial recognition is also possible and works without issue in everyday life. However, unlike the Honor Magic4 Pro, there is no additional hardware, so this method is not quite as secure.
Display - Bright displays with slight color deviations
The Honor Magic Vs comes with two OLED screens. On the outside, there is a slim and long display in 21:9 format. This is ideal for cinema formats, but fairly wide black stripes are visible on the right and left in conventional 16:9 videos. The resolution corresponds to FullHD.
The 120 Hz display is very smooth to use. Honor chooses a fairly cold color representation ex works, but you can choose from predefined settings or change the white balance manually in a color wheel. The image quality of the external display is vivid and sharp.
The real star is of course the foldable display, which is almost square at 10:9. This is not ideal for 16:9 videos, which cannot be screened any larger than on a conventional mobile phone display. But it is perfect for working with texts or running two apps side by side.
The inner display is not quite as bright and only offers a 90 Hz frame rate, but only professional gamers are likely to see a real difference to the responsiveness of the external display. We would have liked less luminosity at the minimum level for dark surroundings.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 91 %
Center on Battery: 1207 cd/m²
Contrast: 219:1 (Black: 5.5 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 2.03 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 3.3 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
99.6% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.27
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 97 %
Center on Battery: 803 cd/m²
Contrast: ∞:1 (Black: 0 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 2.27 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 3.9 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
98.8% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.25
| Honor Magic Vs OLED, 2272x1984, 7.90 | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 5G Dynamic AMOLED, 2176x1812, 7.60 | Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 OLED, 2160x1914, 8.02 | Huawei Mate Xs 2 OLED, 2480x2220, 7.80 | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Dynamic AMOLED 2x, 3080x1440, 6.80 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | 26% | 27% | -7% | 26% | |
| Brightness middle | 803 | 913 14% | 1015 26% | 763 -5% | 1117 39% |
| Brightness | 809 | 929 15% | 1022 26% | 769 -5% | 1133 40% |
| Brightness Distribution | 97 | 96 -1% | 98 1% | 95 -2% | 97 0% |
| Black Level * | |||||
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 2.27 | 1.7 25% | 1.6 30% | 2.8 -23% | 2.2 3% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 5.99 | 3.6 40% | 3.4 43% | 5.9 2% | 3.9 35% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 3.9 | 1.5 62% | 2.6 33% | 4.3 -10% | 2.3 41% |
| Gamma | 2.25 98% | 2.16 102% | 2.22 99% | 2.24 98% | 2.37 93% |
| CCT | 6234 104% | 6515 100% | 6506 100% | 6457 101% | 6572 99% |
* ... smaller is better
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 60 Hz |  | |
The display backlight flickers at 60 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) . The frequency of 60 Hz is very low, so the flickering may cause eyestrain and headaches after extended use. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 17903 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. | |||
Series of measurements at a fixed zoom level and different brightness settings
In our measurements with the spectrophotometer and CalMan software, the color profile "normal" and a warm white balance were used. However, some color tones are not displayed accurately, especially brown and light blue on both panels.
Honor promises DC dimming at over 1,500 Hz, so sensitive users shouldn't experience any problems with the screens. The oscilloscope also only shows us the refresh rate of the screens. The response times are sufficient for fast action games.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 0.7 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 0.7 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 4 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21.5 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 1.5 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 0.8 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 0.7 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 4 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (33.7 ms). | ||
Both displays have no difficulty handling bright days, and the inner display is not quite as reflective as conventional displays, which is another advantage in bright light.
Thanks to OLED technology, the viewing angles are without complaint. So two people can easily view the screen from different angles.
Performance - Snapdragon can't quite unleash its power
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen1 is a high-end SoC from last year. Meanwhile there is already a successor, which is used in the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, for example.
In the Honor Magic Vs, it is unable to fully exploit its power in our benchmarks. This may be due to the not-fully ripened software and unoptimized drivers, but other devices with the same SoC deliver significantly more performance in some cases.
On the other hand, this difference is hardly noticeable in everyday use, as the Honor phone is also very fast and powerful enough for most applications. Only with very demanding apps or several complex apps in split screen does the phone break a sweat.
| UL Procyon AI Inference for Android - Overall Score NNAPI | |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 5G | |
| Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (3291 - 84787, n=19) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (207 - 84787, n=150, last 2 years) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | |
| Honor Magic Vs | |
| AImark - Score v3.x | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (887 - 128240, n=9) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (298 - 245629, n=105, last 2 years) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | |
| Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 | |
| Honor Magic Vs | |
The Adreno 730 is also a very powerful graphics unit that easily handles the most complex games and graphics applications. In graphics calculations, the Honor Magic Vs is also fast and on par with similar devices.
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7: T-Rex Onscreen | 1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen
GFXBench 3.0: on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL | 1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen
GFXBench 3.1: on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen | 1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen
GFXBench: on screen Car Chase Onscreen | 1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen | on screen Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen | 2560x1440 Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen | on screen Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen | 1920x1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen
| 3DMark / Wild Life Extreme Unlimited | |
| Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 5G | |
| Honor Magic Vs | |
| Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 | |
| Huawei Mate Xs 2 | |
| 3DMark / Wild Life Extreme | |
| Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | |
| Honor Magic Vs | |
| Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 5G | |
| Huawei Mate Xs 2 | |
| 3DMark / Wild Life Unlimited Score | |
| Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 5G | |
| Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 | |
| Honor Magic Vs | |
| Huawei Mate Xs 2 | |
| 3DMark / Wild Life Score | |
| Honor Magic Vs | |
| Huawei Mate Xs 2 | |
| GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 / T-Rex Onscreen | |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | |
| Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 | |
| Huawei Mate Xs 2 | |
| Honor Magic Vs | |
| GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 / T-Rex Offscreen | |
| Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | |
| Honor Magic Vs | |
| Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 5G | |
| Huawei Mate Xs 2 | |
| GFXBench 3.0 / Manhattan Onscreen OGL | |
| Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 5G | |
| Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 | |
| Honor Magic Vs | |
| Huawei Mate Xs 2 | |
| GFXBench 3.0 / 1080p Manhattan Offscreen | |
| Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | |
| Honor Magic Vs | |
| Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 5G | |
| Huawei Mate Xs 2 | |
| GFXBench 3.1 / Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen | |
| Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 5G | |
| Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 | |
| Honor Magic Vs | |
| Huawei Mate Xs 2 | |
| GFXBench 3.1 / Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen | |
| Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | |
| Honor Magic Vs | |
| Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 5G | |
| Huawei Mate Xs 2 | |
| GFXBench / Car Chase Onscreen | |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | |
| Honor Magic Vs | |
| Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 | |
| Huawei Mate Xs 2 | |
| GFXBench / Car Chase Offscreen | |
| Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | |
| Honor Magic Vs | |
| Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 5G | |
| Huawei Mate Xs 2 | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen | |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | |
| Honor Magic Vs | |
| Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 | |
| Huawei Mate Xs 2 | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen | |
| Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | |
| Honor Magic Vs | |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 5G | |
| Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 | |
| Huawei Mate Xs 2 | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen | |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | |
| Honor Magic Vs | |
| Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 | |
| Huawei Mate Xs 2 | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen | |
| Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | |
| Honor Magic Vs | |
| Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 5G | |
| Huawei Mate Xs 2 | |
In web surfing, the performance values of the Honor Magic Vs are rather mixed in the benchmarks.
Nevertheless, websites load very quickly in everyday use and can be scrolled through quite smoothly, except for occasional small stutters.
| Jetstream 2 - Total Score | |
| Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (Chrome 109) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 5G (Chrome 105) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (76.2 - 178.5, n=21) | |
| Honor Magic Vs (Chrome 111) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (13.8 - 351, n=173, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 (MiUI-Browser 14.7) | |
| Speedometer 2.0 - Result | |
| Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (Chrome 109) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 5G (Chrome 105) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (69.1 - 167, n=16) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (14.9 - 445, n=157, last 2 years) | |
| Honor Magic Vs (Chome 111) | |
| WebXPRT 4 - Overall | |
| Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (Chrome 110) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 5G (Chrome 105) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (69 - 159, n=19) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (22 - 202, n=160, last 2 years) | |
| Honor Magic Vs (Chrome 111) | |
| Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 | |
| WebXPRT 3 - Overall | |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 5G (Chrome 105) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (106 - 224, n=14) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (39 - 304, n=122, last 2 years) | |
| Honor Magic Vs (Chrome 111) | |
| Octane V2 - Total Score | |
| Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (Chrome 109) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 5G (Chrome 105) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (17622 - 55611, n=22) | |
| Honor Magic Vs (Chrome 111) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (2228 - 89112, n=214, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 (MiUI-Browser 14.7) | |
| Huawei Mate Xs 2 (Huawei Browser 12.1) | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total | |
| Average of class Smartphone (388 - 9999, n=173, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 (MiUI-Browser 14.7) | |
| Honor Magic Vs (Chrome 111) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (729 - 1707, n=20) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 5G (Chrome 105) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (Chrome 109) | |
* ... smaller is better
The Honor Magic Vs delivers relatively short loading times and fast data transfers with UFS 3.1 storage.
In 2023, however, the new UFS 4.0 flash will be state of the art. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, for example, demonstrates that chunks of data can be moved much more quickly.
| Honor Magic Vs | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 5G | Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 | Huawei Mate Xs 2 | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | Average 512 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | 4% | 31% | -10% | 32% | 4% | -11% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB | 1695.2 | 1854.98 9% | 1882.11 11% | 1850.72 9% | 3426.56 102% | 1877 ? 11% | 1508 ? -11% |
| Sequential Write 256KB | 1296.5 | 1251.57 -3% | 1783.27 38% | 739.83 -43% | 1389.84 7% | 1156 ? -11% | 1118 ? -14% |
| Random Read 4KB | 270.2 | 321.87 19% | 342.67 27% | 260.49 -4% | 449.77 66% | 281 ? 4% | 247 ? -9% |
| Random Write 4KB | 300.1 | 265.9 -11% | 446.48 49% | 301.38 0% | 152.92 -49% | 333 ? 11% | 272 ? -9% |
Gaming - Stable frame rates on the foldable smartphone
Gaming is quite good on the large display, although the almost square format of the screen naturally restricts the overview to the left and right, which can be problematic in shooters. Here the external screen may be more suitable.
Performance wise, there is no cause for complaint: PUBG Mobile runs at almost 40 frames in UltraHD, Diablo: Immortal consistently at 60 fps. Frame rates were measured using our GameBench tool.
A gaming overlay is also available, which displays the system load and offers a few optional settings, although these only have a minimal impact on performance at best. Nevertheless, it offers some useful quick settings, such as preventing notifications or a screenshot tool.
Control via the touchscreen and position sensor functions flawlessly.
Emissions - Considerable heat under load
Temperature
Under prolonged load, the smartphone can get quite hot, especially in the area around the camera module. Here we measured a maximum of 46.9 °C at room temperature. This may be even more problematic in hot environments.
This strong waste heat makes itself felt in the performance values after prolonged load: We measured almost 70% after 20 runs of 3DMark Wild Life, so a good portion of performance is sacrificed.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 46.9 °C / 116 F, compared to the average of 35 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 56 °C for the class Smartphone.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 43.5 °C / 110 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 25.3 °C / 78 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.
3DMark Wild Life Stress Test
| 3DMark | |
| Wild Life Stress Test Stability | |
| Honor Magic Vs | |
| Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | |
| Huawei Mate Xs 2 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 5G | |
| Wild Life Extreme Stress Test | |
| Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 | |
| Honor Magic Vs | |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | |
| Huawei Mate Xs 2 | |
Speakers
The Honor Magic Vs has a speaker at the top and bottom of the case with the external display. This makes stereo effects possible if you hold the smartphone correctly. However, they are barely audible due to the small width of the speakers.
Moreover, the speakers are not so powerful: even at maximum volume, only 75.3 dB(A) is possible. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, for example, is significantly louder at over 90 dB(A).
The sound is somewhat treble-heavy at the maximum setting. Voices sound very clear, but are somewhat overemphasized, especially when it comes to singing. If you lower the volume, the sound becomes more compact and the voice blends in better with background music.
A number of codecs are available for wireless sound transmission, namely BLE, SBC, AAC, LDAC, aptX and aptX HD. The connection of external audio devices, whether via USB-C or Bluetooth, works without issue.
Honor Magic Vs audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (75.3 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 18% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.5% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 6.3% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (9.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (21.5% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 36% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 56% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 55% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 37% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (91.8 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 19.4% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (5.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 5.1% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (4.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 6.2% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (2.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (15.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 2% of all tested devices in this class were better, 3% similar, 95% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 19% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 77% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Battery Life - lasts a long time... for a foldable smartphone
Power Consumption
Of course, a screen as large as that of the Honor Magic Vs requires a little more energy, but the Honor smartphone is quite energy-hungry compared to other foldable smartphones. A maximum of 10.1 watts is required for operation and at least 1.3 watts for minimum load.
You can recharge the smartphone with a maximum of 66 watts and a corresponding charger is included in the package. A full charge takes a little more than an hour, but you regain a few percentage points of battery life after just a few minutes of charging. Wireless charging is not possible.
| Off / Standby |   0.1 / 0.2 Watt |
| Idle |  1.3 / 1.7 / 2 Watt |
| Load |
7 / 10.1 Watt |
    
| |
| Honor Magic Vs 5000 mAh | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 5G 4400 mAh | Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 4500 mAh | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra 5000 mAh | Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | 38% | 29% | 36% | 9% | 21% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 1.3 | 0.89 32% | 0.97 25% | 0.9 31% | 1.015 ? 22% | 0.897 ? 31% |
| Idle Average * | 1.7 | 0.96 44% | 1.37 19% | 1.05 38% | 1.869 ? -10% | 1.452 ? 15% |
| Idle Maximum * | 2 | 1.13 43% | 1.48 26% | 1.1 45% | 2.02 ? -1% | 1.629 ? 19% |
| Load Average * | 7 | 4.32 38% | 3.98 43% | 3.99 43% | 5.69 ? 19% | 5.55 ? 21% |
| Load Maximum * | 10.1 | 6.56 35% | 6.83 32% | 7.82 23% | 8.55 ? 15% | 8.31 ? 18% |
* ... smaller is better
Power Consumption: Geekbench (150 cd/m²)
Power Consumption: GFXBench (150 cd/m²)
Battery Life
Despite high power requirements, the Honor Magic Vs proves to be quite durable in our battery tests, at least for a foldable smartphone. 12.36 hours in our WLAN test tells us that you are likely to get through a working day. The powerful 5,000 mAh battery certainly plays its role here.
Overall, the runtimes are suitable for everyday use. But for those who are primarily after stamina, the Magic Vs, like most foldables, is hardly an alternative to classic smartphones.
| Honor Magic Vs 5000 mAh | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 5G 4400 mAh | Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 4500 mAh | Huawei Mate Xs 2 4600 mAh | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra 5000 mAh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | -7% | -25% | -40% | 46% | |
| Reader / Idle | 1435 | 1276 -11% | 2139 49% | ||
| H.264 | 1089 | 1153 6% | 1543 42% | ||
| WiFi v1.3 | 756 | 663 -12% | 567 -25% | 454 -40% | 1100 46% |
| Load | 271 | 238 -12% | 400 48% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict - Good flip phone at a fair price
At EUR 1,599.00, the Honor Magic Vs is relatively inexpensive for a foldable phone and offers top-range features which, however, cannot quite keep up with this year's high-end smartphones. For example, there is no WiFi 7, no super-fast UFS 4.0 storage and the camera, although decent, does not have the best sensors.
The foldability aspect is still fascinating: having a folded 7.9-inch tablet in your pocket is a great thing. However, the square screen is more conducive to working with multiple apps or text; the display does not confer any size advantages over conventional smartphones for films in widescreen format.
The crease between the screens is clearly visible and tangible, but the case of the Honor Magic Vs is still impressive. The smooth-running hinge is made to last, according to the manufacturer. The use of high-tech materials push the weight down and make room for a very strong battery. However, you have to make certain compromises in terms of battery life in view of the huge screen.
CPU performance is not completely convincing, the wide-angle camera shows color fringes around objects, and dust and water protection is still lacking in foldable smartphones. On the other hand, Honor promises long software support, the positioning capabilities are convincing and recharging is very quick.
The Honor Magic Vs is a fairly priced foldable smartphone with good runtimes. It fascinates, but is unable to solve all the problems of its product class.
Meanwhile, the price of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 has fallen considerably, so it can be found on amazon.de for just over EUR 1,300. Incidentally, Samsung's foldable smartphone also supports a stylus. There is also the Huawei Mate Xs 2, for just over EUR 1,300.
Note: We received a production model for our review, but it came with incomplete or not-fully optimized software. Performance values or the camera display may thus improve in the final model.
Price and Availability
At the time of review, the Honor Vs was not yet available on the global market outside China, but is set to be rolled out in the second quarter, according to the manufacturer.
Honor is asking EUR 1,599 for the Honor Magic Vs, making it EUR 200 less than the Galaxy Z Fold4 at market launch.
Honor Magic Vs
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03/18/2023 v7
Florian Schmitt
Transparency
The present review sample was made available to the author as a loan by the manufacturer or a shop for the purposes of review. The lender had no influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review.
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