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The Honor Magic V3 is set to launch globally after first arriving in the Chinese markets — much sooner than we all expected.
Honor has confirmed its attendance at this year’s IFA Berlin 2024, where it will introduce the Honor Magic V3 foldable smartphone globally, alongside the Honor MagicPad 2 and the Honor MagicBook Art 14.
The Honor Magic V3’s features and specs are already known, courtesy of its early release in China. The phone sets a new record for the thinnest foldable flagship, with a folded thickness of 9.2mm, and its weight is considered lighter than many foldable flagships.
Here is an early look at the Honor Magic V3 Fold and when a global release could happen.
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What is the Honor Magic V3?
Next-gen Flagship Foldable Smartphone From Honor
The Honor Magic V3 is a flagship foldable smartphone from the Chinese consumer electronics brand Honor. The smartphone was released in China in July and is on course to launch globally to replace the Magic V2 at the top of Honor’s foldable lineup.
When is the Honor Magic V3 Coming Out?
Release Date: September 5, 2024
The Honor Magic V3 global release date will be September 5, just before the commencement of the IFA 2024 in Germany. In addition to the Honor Magic V3, we expect the arrival of the Honor MagicPad 2 and Honor MagicBook Art 14 on the same day.
Don't just imagine the future. Be there when it unfolds.
Witness the debut of #HONORMagicV3 #HONORMagicPad2 #HONORMagicBookArt14 on Sep 5, at IFA 2024.#UnfoldYourMagic #HONORIFA2024
See more: https://t.co/Phx1coo60C pic.twitter.com/gGB59Bn3kk
— HONOR (@Honorglobal) August 19, 2024
Honor Magic V3 Specs
Slimmer Design, Stronger Performance, Silicon-carbon Battery, 50MP Wide Camera
Just like the “slim” buzz that came with the Honor Magic V2 upon launch last year, the Honor Magic V3 Fold also sets a new record for the thinnest foldable flagship with a folded thickness of 9.2mm. Honor slimmed down this foldable phone by using an upgraded hinge mechanism, which is just 2.84mm thick.
Honor V3 Magic is lighter than even many bar-shaped smartphones. It is made from 7-series aluminum alloy and weighs just 226g.
That’s about 13g less than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and about the same weight as the Magic6 Pro.
The company also introduced the IPX8 water resistance rating in the Magic V3, the first for Honor foldables. The Magic V3 has a high-capacity battery of 5150mAh with 66W wired and 50W wireless charging capability. The battery is based on the brand’s newly upgraded third-generation silicon-carbon battery technology.
Magic V3 has a 6.4-inch LTPO cover screen with FHD+ resolution and a 1-120Hz refresh rate. The phone’s camera is a 50MP Wide Camera with an f/1.6 aperture, which is one of the largest among foldable phones. Despite the phone’s thin and light body, its periscope telephoto camera achieves up to 3.5x optical and 100x digital zoom.
Honor Magic V3’s processor is based on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, configurable with up to 16GB LPDDR5X RAM and 1TB UFS 4.0 storage. Android-based MagicOS 8.0.1 powers the Magic V3 software, and this update brings many artificial intelligence features to the phone Circle to Search. The privacy feature of Honor Parallel Space is also included.
Honor Magic V3 Colors
Black, Green, Red, and White
Honor increased its color palette in Magic V3 to include black, green, red, and white.
However, after launching four colors in China, Honor only released two colors when it launched the Magic V2 in the global market.
So we can’t rule out a more limited range of colors at launch, but expect black and white options at the minimum.
Honor Magic V2 vs. Magic V3
| Specs | Honor Magic V2 | Honor Magic V3 |
|---|---|---|
| System on Chip (SoC) | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 |
| GPU | Adreno 740 | Adreno 750 |
| Camera | 50MP Wide, 50MP Ultra Wide, and 20MP Telephoto Cameras | 50MP Wide, 40MP Ultra Wide, and 50MP Periscope Telephoto Cameras |
| Weight | 231g | 226g |
| IP rating | None | IPX8 water resistance |
| Operating System (OS) | MagicOS 7.2 (Based on Android 13) | MagicOS 8.0.1(Based on Android 14) |
| Memory/Storage | 16GB+256GB; 16GB+512GB; 16GB+1TB | 12GB+256GB; 16GB+512GB; 16GB+1TB |
| Battery | 5000 mAh | 5150 mAh |
| Display | 7.92 inches inner display | 7.92 inches inner display |
| Global Launch Date | January 26, 2024 | Expected September 5, 2024 |
| Price | Global version started at €2,000 (about $2,240) | Global version may likely start above €2,000 |
Honor Magic V3 Features
In addition to being ultra-thin, the Magic V3 has many usability features, including proximity and fingerprint sensors, a gyroscope, and a compass.
Magic V3 has Eye Protection Technology that includes a Circadian Night Display, Natural Tone Display, Dynamic Dimming, PWM Dimming, and Hardware-level Low Blue Light Technology, all of which are geared toward comprehensive eye care.
The Magic V3 also supports FlexMode, Foldable UI, Dual-View Apps, LTPO OLED Display, and Stylus, rounding out the list.
Why Honor Magic V3 Matters in the Foldable Market
It is unclear how the Honor Magic V3 will perform alongside the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and the latest Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Still, the Magic V3 holds an advantage over its direct rivals as the thinnest foldable device available at just 9.2mm when closed, compared to Galaxy Z Fold 6’s 12.2mm and Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s 12.8mm.
This remarkable design enhances portability and addresses the common concern of bulkiness associated with foldable phones.
In addition to being the world’s thinnest foldable smartphone, the Magic V3 integrates cutting-edge technology. It features a pol-less display (which reduces thickness while increasing visibility and brightness) and a third-generation Qinghai Lake battery that delivers a 5150mAh capacity without sacrificing sleekness.
Nonetheless, being the thinnest foldable phone is one thing; delivering peak performance is another. Only time will tell if Honor Magic V3 is the cleverly-worded “Next Big Thin” as Honor claimed in a tweet.
Evolution doesn’t wait. Catch up with the future at #IFA2024. #HONORMagicV3 #UnfoldYourMagic #HONORIFA2024
See more: https://t.co/Phx1coo60C pic.twitter.com/kEv2TVeCyS
— HONOR (@Honorglobal) August 20, 2024
Honor Magic V3 Price
Estimated Launch Price: $2,240 / €2,000
The Honor Magic V3 price is expected to be above $2,240.
Honor started selling the base Magic V3 in China at CNY8,999 ($1,240), the 16GB RAM model with 512GB at CNY9,999 ($1,378), and the 16GB RAM variant with 1TB at CNY10,999 ($1,516).
While these prices sound cheap, we expect the Honor Magic V3 to start with a premium outside the country.
Only the 16GB+512GB variant made it globally the last time and given the premium features baked into the Honor Magic V3, the price is likely to be high.
The Magic V2 started at around €2,000 or $2,240 for the 16GB + 512 GB globally, and w expect history to repeat itself here.
Honor Magic V3 Reviews & First Impressions
According to one user on Reddit who recently acquired the Honor Magic V3, the device feels “very premium inside and out” and comes with a high-quality two-part case that offers good protection. The phone’s excellent screen quality and software performance have been praised, but the speakers have been called “mediocre.”
Other reviews in the wild highlight the phone’s impressive thinness, measuring just 9.2mm when folded. This is achieved through innovative design choices like the new hinge mechanism and a redesigned carbon battery.
The Bottom Line
While Honor Magic phone brands are relatively new, the Honor Magic V3 compares well against some leading brands in the foldable smartphone market.
Its slim and lightweight design is ideal for those looking for an ultra-thin foldable smartphone.
Aside from its lightweight, the Magic V3 also has other improvements over its predecessor, including an IPX8 water resistance rating, an upgraded Qualcomm processor, a 50MP Wide Camera with f/1.6 aperture, a better battery, and an updated OS.
As the record for the thinnest foldable isn’t guaranteed to last forever, we will wait to see how technology and design improvements could lead to more innovative designs of foldable phones in the future.
