The Honor Magic V2 launched in China in July 2023, it was announced for Europe in September 2023, and it's taken almost four months to get a Europe and UK release date complete with pricing and availability.
Since its Chinese and global announcements, rival smartphone maker, OnePlus announced the OnePlus Open – which is currently our number one foldable camera phone – and there's also fierce competition from the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Google Pixel Fold.
OnePlus may have the best camera of the foldable bunch, but Honor's phone is the slimmest on the block, measuring just 9.9mm when folded, so the Magic V2 still packs plenty of appeal.
While Honor may have taken its time launching the Magic V2 in Europe, it's doing so in style, with a second device also headed to global markets – the Porsche Design Magic V2 RSR – a specced out version of the V2 with refreshed style.
Honor Magic V2 price and availability
The Honor Magic V2 will be available to buy from February 2024 for an eye-watering £1,699 (roughly $2,160). This might seem exorbitant, but foldables are always pricey, so for context, that's £100 more than the OnePlus Open and £50 less than the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Pixel Fold.
If you pre-order the phone, Honor promises to bundle it with over £600 worth of freebies, including a pricey pair of B&O headphones. For anyone who likes the idea of monthly instalments, Three UK has already confirmed it's ranging the thin foldable too.
As for the special edition, Porsche Design Magic V2 RSR, we don't have availability information just yet, though you can bank on it being incredibly expensive.
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Honor Magic V2 cameras and features
The Honor Magic V2’s triple camera setup has been specced-up compared to the Magic Vs we tested. The 50MP primary camera with an f/1.9 lens now benefits from OIS, and there's a 50MP ultra-wide camera with an f/2.0 lens, and a 20MP 3x zoom telephoto camera with an f/2.4 lens and OIS.
There are two punch-hole selfie cameras, one on the cover screen and the other on the large main display. These sport 16MP resolution sensors and f/2.2 aperture lenses.
Honor's proven it can get cameras very right with the five-star Magic 5 Pro capturing fantastic quality photos despite undercutting much of the flagship competition. While it misses out on a periscope camera when compared to the OnePlus Open, we're still expecting great results from its latest foldable.
The Honor Magic V2 may be thin and light, but its screens are big. In the flesh, the lack of front bezel on the cover screen stood out for us – it looks stunning – especially set against cramped cover screens like the Galaxy Z Fold 5's. Measuring 6.43 inches, it's comfortable to use and responsive, and when you need a little more space, it unfolds to reveal a large, almost square 7.92-inch main display.
While the Honor Magic Vs had different specs across its screens, the V2 enjoys the same 120Hz refresh rate across both and identical pixel densities – 402 pixels-per-inch (PPI). Both screens also shine brightly: 1600 nits from the main display and 2500 nits from the cover screen.
In addition to 3840Hz PWM dimming for improved eye comfort at low brightness, the Honor Magic V2 has passed the VICO visual comfort test with an A+ rating and is TÜV Rheinland circadian-friendly certified.
Powered by the mighty Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset matched with a massive 16GB RAM, the Honor Magic V2 may have a previous generation processor, but it's still the best available on a foldable, and with 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB, will offer plenty of storage options.
Honor's latest foldable misses out on wireless charging but does get the same 66W fast charging as the original Magic Vs, so despite its large 5000mAh battery, topping it up shouldn’t leave you waiting around.
Thanks to its thin, lightweight design, when closed the Honor Magic V2 feels more like a traditional phone than a foldable. We'd even go so far as to say that, on first impressions, it is the best folding phone if pocketability is your priority.
While we're yet to get our hands on the Porsche Design Magic V2 RSR, we do have a vanilla V2 in for review, so check back to see whether it doesn't just claim the title of best folding phone – but also best Android phone.
