HONOR Magic V5 Review – Slim, Smart, and Ready to Challenge

Foldable smartphones have come a long way in the past five years. What started as chunky, experimental devices with fragile screens has matured into a category that’s genuinely competing with traditional flagships. For Singapore, a market where early adopters and premium tech buyers are always looking for the next step up, the arrival of the HONOR Magic V5 is well-timed.

This is not just another foldable; it’s being positioned as the world’s thinnest and lightest book-style foldable, measuring 8.8 mm folded and just 4.1 mm when opened, while weighing only 217 g. That makes it lighter than some non-folding flagships, immediately removing one of the biggest complaints about foldables: bulk.

On paper, it’s stacked with flagship credentials: a Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, up to 16 GB of RAM, 1 TB of storage, a triple-lens camera system with telephoto zoom, and a 5,820 mAh silicon–carbon battery that HONOR claims can last well beyond a typical day of use. What sets it apart, though, is the software story. Running on MagicOS 9 with Android 15, the Magic V5 integrates Google Gemini AI across multitasking, note-taking, photography, and productivity features, aiming to make the foldable experience not just novel but genuinely more useful.

Design & Display

Design is where HONOR is clearly flexing its engineering muscle. Foldables have traditionally been associated with heft, but the HONOR Magic V5 is a different story. At 8.8 mm folded and 4.1 mm unfolded, it rivals the thickness of many regular phones, making it far easier to slip into a jeans pocket or carry in a handbag. The weight of 217 g is another notable highlight: lighter than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and even lighter than some slab flagships, such as the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

The build feels premium: a shield-grade steel hinge tested for 500,000 folds ensures durability, while the IP58 rating provides water and dust resistance that rivals Samsung’s long-held advantage in this space. The hinge action itself is smooth yet firm, allowing you to open the phone to any angle for hands-free use — whether it’s propping it on a desk for video calls or watching content without a stand.

Then there are the displays, and this is where HONOR has gone all out. The 7.95-inch LTPO OLED inner screen and 6.43-inch OLED cover display both support 120 Hz refresh rates and reach a peak brightness of up to 5,000 nits. That means outdoor visibility, even under Singapore’s blazing midday sun, is not an issue. Colours pop, blacks are deep, and the overall impression is one of sharpness and fluidity. More importantly, the crease is hardly noticeable

Another standout is stylus support for both screens. Unlike Samsung’s Fold series, which restricts stylus use to the inner display, the HONOR Magic V5 lets you jot notes, sketch, or annotate directly on the cover screen as well. For students, designers, or professionals who often need to capture quick thoughts or sketches, this is a real productivity win.

Performance, Battery & Everyday Use

Foldables are no longer just about design flair; they need to perform like the flagships they replace. The HONOR Magic V5 ticks those boxes with the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, paired with up to 16 GB RAM and 1 TB of storage. In real-world testing, this translates to smooth multitasking, lightning-fast app launches, and sustained performance, even during gaming.

For users, performance also means practical use: gaming during transit, switching between productivity apps for work, or streaming HD content without hiccups. The HONOR Magic V5 handles all of that with ease. Early impressions suggest minimal throttling under load, but like any powerful device, it may warm up during extended gaming or charging sessions.

The 5,820 mAh silicon–carbon battery deserves special mention. Foldables have traditionally struggled with endurance, often requiring a top-up by late afternoon. HONOR’s battery is not only larger than most rivals (Samsung’s Z Fold 7 sits at 4,400 mAh), but also uses next-gen silicon–carbon chemistry to increase energy density. HONOR claims over 37 hours of mixed use, which is more than a day and a half for most people.

Having used the HONOR Magic V5 as my go-to device during coverage of Gamescom 2025, I was suitably impressed. A heavy day of photo and videography, note-taking, audio recordings, and general use still left the foldable with plenty of juice at around 40%, providing ample room for after-show activities without the need to scramble for a charger.

Charging is equally impressive: 66 W wired charging fills more than half the battery in under 30 minutes, while 50 W wireless charging puts it on par with some wired systems. For context, Samsung’s Fold 7 maxes out at 25 W wired, a fraction of HONOR’s speed.

Cameras & AI Features

Camera systems are often where foldables compromise, but HONOR hasn’t held back here. The HONOR Magic V5 packs a 50 MP wide camera, a 50 MP ultrawide, and a 64 MP periscope telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. The telephoto in particular gives it an edge over Samsung’s Z Fold 7, which still leans on weaker zoom performance. Daylight shots are sharp and full of detail, while low-light results benefit from HONOR’s AI-enhanced Night Mode.

Selfies can be taken either with the outer display’s punch-hole camera or, more impressively, using the main cameras with the cover screen as a viewfinder — a trick that foldables are uniquely suited for. Images taken are clear, sharp, and with plenty of contrast. While theoretically, you can take photos with 100x zoom, the results are not exactly flattering, so make of that what you will.

But the cameras are only half the story. The real differentiator here is AI integration. Running MagicOS 9 on Android 15, the HONOR Magic V5 builds in Google Gemini AI throughout the experience:

• Smart multitasking: Open apps seamlessly on the cover screen and continue on the inner display. AI adjusts window sizes automatically, making multi-app workflows less clunky.
• AI writing and translation: Useful for multilingual users. Messages, documents, or notes can be translated or drafted with Gemini assistance.
• Camera AI: Features like semantic editing allow you to remove unwanted objects, while portrait lighting enhancements give photos a polished look without third-party apps.
• Productivity AI: Note-taking is smarter with live transcription, real-time summarisation, and even meeting minutes generated directly in HONOR’s native apps.

This is an area where Samsung has also been leaning heavily, but HONOR’s approach feels more tightly integrated with Gemini, offering a glimpse into how foldables could genuinely become productivity-first devices.

Our Verdict on the HONOR Magic V5

The HONOR Magic V5 is one of the most complete foldables to date. By solving two of the category’s biggest pain points — thickness and battery life — while layering in AI-driven software features and stylus support on both screens, it positions itself as a serious rival in the space.

It’s not perfect. HONOR’s MagicOS is less polished than Samsung’s One UI, which has years of foldable refinement behind it. The camera bump is huge, and the support ecosystem is still relatively young, comparatively.

But taken as a package, the HONOR Magic V5 offers an exciting alternative. For S$2,149, you get cutting-edge hardware, flagship cameras, fast charging, and a strong promise of 7 years of updates. If you’re looking for a foldable that feels like a regular phone in your pocket, yet expands into a powerful productivity and entertainment machine, the Magic V5 is the best attempt yet.

Specs Table

The HONOR Magic V5 is available now via the official website or the HONOR Experience Stores at Causeway Point, NEX, Tiong Bahru Plaza and Plaza Singapura. Other avenues to get the smartphone are Lazada, Shopee, TikTok Shop, and authorised retailers such as Harvey Norman, Gain City, Best Denki, Courts, Challenger, KrisShop, and Popular.