by Mark Shephard
Samsung may have dominated the foldable market for years — but after watching Honor’s official (and completely Chinese-language) V5 reveal from beginning to end, translated the specs myself, and captured screenshots straight from the source… I can confidently say this: the foldable war just got real.
This isn’t a rumor roundup anymore — it’s Honor’s own words. And the Magic V5 doesn’t just aim to catch Samsung… it looks ready to overtake them where it hurts most: thinness, performance, battery size, and (most shockingly) cameras.
Ultra-Slim Design (Without the Usual Compromises)
Let’s start with the hardware — because Honor clearly did.
- 8.8 mm thin when folded — and just 4.1 mm unfolded, now officially the thinnest foldable in the world.
- 217 g, making it the lightest full-size book-style foldable on the market.
- 6.48″ outer display + 7.95″ inner screen (slightly smaller than Vivo and Samsung, but not enough to matter)
- Dolby Vision support and peak 5000-nit outer brightness
- Available in multiple colors (including that jaw-dropping gold), but note: vegan-leather finishes are slightly thicker/heavier than glass models — so choose wisely.
Stronger Titanium Hinge + Real IP Ratings
Honor re-engineered the hinge using titanium — not to shave weight, but to hold any angle and stand up to long-term wear. And unlike previous generations, this one’s IP58/59 rated, making it more water- and dust-resistant than any other book-style foldable you can buy today.
Performance & Battery — Full-Power Snapdragon + Massive Cell
Here’s where Honor stops playing games:
- Snapdragon 8 “Elite” chip (full 8-core version — no cores disabled)
- Completely redesigned 6,100 mAh silicon-carbon battery (largest EVER in a foldable)
- 66 W wired + 50 W wireless charging, plus compatibility with over 230 EV wireless charging systems (yes — including cars)
That battery number is not a typo. It even edges out Vivo’s monster X Fold5 Pro — and absolutely embarrasses Samsung’s Z Fold 7 (4,400 mAh).
Camera System — This Might Be the Real Mic-Drop
Honor is putting all its marketing weight behind the telephoto setup this year… and for good reason.
- 64 MP Periscope telephoto lens (not a standard telephoto like Samsung or Google)
- Up to 100× zoom with shockingly crisp detail
- Night-mode zooming demos were legitimately impressive
- Telephoto macro mode — letting you get crazy close on tiny subjects using the zoom lens (think Oppo Find N3 style)
- Supported by YOYO AI + cloud-based enhancements + Elite ISP
Translation: this might be the first foldable that genuinely replaces a flagship cameraphone without excuses.
Smarter AI & Ecosystem Support
Honor’s “YOYO AI” is getting a major upgrade in V5 — promising contextual writing assistance, cross-device syncing, and photo/video enhancement features that feel a lot like Galaxy AI… but baked into MagicOS instead.
Plus: Honor claims the V5 supports the most 5G bands of any foldable, meaning Western carrier compatibility (T-Mobile/AT&T) should finally be realistic — assuming the global release lands as expected.
Final Take – Should Samsung Be Worried?
In a word: Yes.
The Honor Magic V5 doesn’t just show up thinner — it shows up better:
| Spec | Honor Magic V5 | Galaxy Z Fold 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery | 6,100 mAh (silicon-carbon) | 4,400 mAh |
| Thickness (unfolded) | 4.1 mm | ~5.8 mm |
| Telephoto | 64 MP periscope (100×) | 3× 10 MP telephoto |
| Charging | 66 W / 50 W wireless | 25 W / 15 W wireless |
| Weight | 217 g | ~239 g |
| Chip | Snapdragon 8 Elite | Snapdragon 8 Elite |
If Honor launches this globally with Google services and US 5G support, Samsung’s Z Fold lineup is in serious trouble for the first time since 2019.
Are you ready to jump ship? Or sticking with Team Samsung?
Drop a comment under the video — and if you want to compare it to Vivo’s new beast, check out the X Fold5 specs video here next.