by Mark Shephard
Everyone has been hyping the Oppo Find N5 as the foldable of the moment — biggest screen, fastest chip, and all the influencers singing its praises. So why did I skip it and buy the Honor Magic V3 instead? And more importantly… did I make a big mistake?
Short answer after weeks of use: absolutely not — and here’s why.
Specs Are One Thing… Real Life Is Another
Yes, on paper the Find N5 is an absolute monster — Snapdragon 8 Elite, huge 8.12″ inner screen, blazing 80W wired / 50W wireless charging, and a surprisingly lightweight 229 g body. No question, it’s a spec-sheet king.
But I passed on it because specs aren’t everything. Not when you live in the U.S., have to import it at over $2,000, and then accept downgraded cameras and unproven U.S. network support.
So I bought the Honor Magic V3 instead — pre-owned — for about half the cost. And let me tell you… it instantly became my daily driver.
Why I Chose the Magic V3 (and Don’t Regret It)
- Lighter in the hand: 226 g vs Oppo’s 229 g.
- Surprisingly thin: 4.35 mm unfolded vs Oppo’s 4.2 mm — a difference you can’t even see.
- Brighter outer display: up to 5,000 nits (insanely good outdoors).
- Better cameras: Especially if you care about sharpness, color, & telephoto (huge for me as a creator).
- Kickstand case included: Simple little perk… but one I use every day.
- Cost was HALF what I would’ve paid for the N5.
Does it have the newer Snapdragon Elite chip? No — it runs the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. But in day-to-day use, I literally can’t tell the difference in speed, and I’ve tested all of these for a living.
Software & Updates: MagicOS vs ColorOS
MagicOS on the Honor Magic V3 has honestly impressed me — it’s snappy, intuitive, and loaded with thoughtful features like floating message windows and some of the best multitasking tools I’ve used on a foldable so far.
As far as long-term update promises go, Oppo’s ColorOS technically advertises better support on paper — but when you’re paying twice as much to import a Find N5 versus grabbing a lightly used Magic V3 for half the cost, I’d rather keep my money and enjoy what MagicOS offers right now.
Bottom Line – Did I Buy the Wrong Phone?
Nope. Not even close.
Unless you need the absolute biggest screen and fastest charging numbers at all costs, the Honor Magic V3 delivers better cameras, better value, rave-worthy brightness, and enough “thin & light” to hang with anything on today’s foldable market.
Sometimes the hype machine forgets to mention when a phone makes compromises — especially in cameras — and that’s just not something I was willing to pay extra for.
In my video below, I put these two head-to-head with real-world camera samples, charging speed demos, and hands-on multitasking to help you figure out which one you should buy — especially if you’re afraid of choosing wrong like I might have.
