Short version: both are premium, both are fast, but they don’t win in the same ways. After a deeper dive into design, software, multitasking, performance, cameras, and battery, I’ve got a clear favorite—and a few surprises along the way.
Design, Feel, and Everyday Ergonomics
On the desk, both look flagship. In the hand, the differences show up fast:
- Edges & comfort: Magic V5’s softly chamfered sides feel gentler than the Fold 7’s sharper, boxier rails. If you text or note for hours, you’ll notice.
- Speakers: Samsung places both speakers on the same long edge; it’s easy to block them in landscape gaming. Honor splits speakers on opposite sides, so you’re less likely to muffle both at once.
- Hinge: Samsung’s hinge is sturdier in “hover” positions; it’ll hold angles the Honor sometimes won’t.
- Thickness: Folded, the gap is tiny (Fold 7 ~8.9 mm; V5 ~9.0 mm), but the V5’s camera bump is noticeably thicker.
- Fingerprint reader: Honor’s slightly raised side button unlocks on touch; Samsung’s needs a firm press. Small thing, big quality-of-life gain.
Software & Customization (Out of the Box)
- Builds: Fold 7 ships with One UI 8 on Android 16. Magic V5 runs MagicOS 9 on Android 15 (update expected).
- Home customization: Both do large folders and widgets (Honor calls them Cards). MagicOS lets you freely resize large folders; Samsung’s are fixed sizes unless you dive into Good Lock modules.
- Fun touches: MagicOS offers baked-in page transition effects (I’m partial to the 3D “Box” flip). Samsung can match or beat this with Good Lock—but that means extra installs and tinkering.
- Consistency: Front/inner layouts can be separate on Samsung. Honor mirrors them by default (I actually prefer that).
Multitasking: Where the V5 Pulls Ahead
All three-pane multitasking isn’t created equal.
- Two-app split: Easy on both.
- Three apps at once:
- Honor Magic V5: Drag a third app to the side and you get a clean three-column layout. Tap to “promote” any column to full width, then bounce between them—fast and predictable.
- Galaxy Z Fold 7: It can do tri-pane, but the method is fussy (a 90/10 split plus a side drag, sometimes buried behind a tiny “Edit” step). It works, but feels inconsistent and far less discoverable.
If your day is browser + docs + chat, the V5’s tri-pane workflow is simply better.
Displays & Brightness
Honor touts “5000-nit peak”—that’s for HDR highlights. In real outdoor use, both are very viewable; sometimes the Fold 7 even looks brighter. What clearly helps the Honor: an anti-reflective inner screen that cuts glare and makes content pop in bright environments.
Performance & Thermal Behavior
Both use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Elite (on these units).
- Synthetic tests: Near a tie. Honor typically edges the Fold by a hair in single/multi-core and sustained runs; Samsung often runs a bit cooler.
- Creator test (PowerDirector):
- Clip reformat: V5 finished first (by a few seconds).
- Auto-subtitles: Fold 7 won by ~4 seconds.
- 4K export: Honor Magic V5 pulled over a minute ahead, suggesting the Fold 7 throttles harder under long, heavy load.
Bottom line: both are snappy, but if you do long exports (or other sustained heavy work), the V5 feels more relentless.
Cameras: Spec Sheets vs. Shots
- Main take: If you don’t manually switch the Fold 7 to 50MP/200MP modes, its 12MP ultrawide and 10.8MP 3x can’t consistently hang with Honor’s 50MP main/ultrawide and 64MP zoom in point-and-shoot comparisons.
- Daylight: Honor tends to deliver punchier color and better fine detail at medium zoom.
- Telephoto: At 10x and beyond, the V5 generally keeps things cleaner and less blotchy.
- Night: Mixed. Fold often looks truer to the scene; Honor can push color brighter. Portrait mode at night favored Samsung in my samples (cleaner subject separation).
- Video: Samsung looks a touch sharper and more saturated; Honor leans richer for photos.
If you just shoot auto and zoom a lot, the V5 feels more forgiving. Power users can wring more from Samsung by forcing high-res modes—but those files get big.
Stylus, Battery, and Odds & Ends
- Stylus: Honor supports a Bluetooth stylus on both outer and inner screens (great for notes/sketches). No remote shutter function found. Fold 7’s inner screen stylus story remains… complicated.
- Battery: Anecdotally, the V5’s larger pack (shown as ~5820 mAh) is a beast. I’m regularly getting two days with moderate-to-heavy use. Fold 7’s 4400 mAh is fine, but not on this level.
- Connectivity (US): Honor’s carrier support is limited; T-Mobile and MVNOs work. Verizon/AT&T said no to my IMEIs. Samsung, of course, is broadly supported with warranty/service to match.
Verdict: Which One Would I Carry?
If you live where Honor service is thin and carrier support matters, Samsung is the safe bet—and One UI’s ecosystem and AI suite are excellent. But judged purely as a daily driver for comfort, tri-pane multitasking, stylus flexibility, long 4K exports, and battery endurance, the Honor Magic V5 is the better tool for how I actually work.
I still want Samsung to bring higher-res secondary sensors and fix tri-pane multitasking consistency. Until then, the V5 feels like the more modern, creator-friendly foldable—so it’s the one I reach for first.