Introduction
The Magic V2, which was once a popular in the office due to its thin profile (among other features), has now been replaced. The Honor Magic V3 is going worldwide. Making greater advances in pocket-ability while also setting durability benchmarks and upgrading the camera system. When the V2 first came, it was the tiniest of its type, and the V3 is now the thinnest as well. Measuring only 4.4mm in tablet mode or 9.3mm when masquerading as a bar phone.
It has also become lighter, at 226g, with the addition of a wireless charging coil and an increase in battery capacity – are Honor engineers or miracle workers? Rhetoric aside. The weight and size reductions are due, at least in part, to superior materials. Honor says that the Magic V3’s panels and construction are very durable. They even forced us to abuse a device to see where it broke. There’s also an IPX8 rating, which exceeds the standard’s basic standards.
Cameras on foldables typically fall behind industry-leading efforts on ‘regular’ smartphones, and the Magic V3 is no exception. Nonetheless, this latest generation significantly improves the zoom camera. Reducing the amount of trade-offs required to have 300 square centimeters of screen estate in your pocket rather than only 100 or so.
According to the specifications pages, the Magic V3’s displays should be rather good. Even if the only noticeable upgrade is maximum brightness – more on that later. Sure enough, a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 handles the computations, and half a terabyte (on the international edition) seems like enough of storage. Before we go any further, here are some of the major specifications.
Honor Magic V3 Unboxing
The Magic V3 comes in a real full-size black box with a complete set of accessories – a quality product with appropriate packaging. The supplied protective solution is very attractive. The soft-feeling fake leather snap-on rear cover may be used as a stand owing to the swing-out octagonal camera ring. There’s also a frame-like component to connect to the cover section. Which has adhesive strips to keep it in place. In addition, a 66W power converter and a USB-A-to-C cable are included to complete the link.
Design, build quality, handling
The Magic V3’s design considerations concentrate around making it as tiny and lightweight as possible. Resembling a high-end conventional phone when folded. Honor has succeeded, with the device measuring 9.2mm thick and weighing 226g. When in phone mode, the V3 is quite broad and thin. Its gently curved panel edges and rounded over frames contribute to the sense of thinness, but it is also actually narrow.
When the gadget is turned into tablet mode. It continues to wow – or is it even more remarkable in this form? Honor lists the thickness as 4.35mm. However there are presumably asterisks because our calipers show a little more (as does the total thickness). However, we were quite shocked at how near we were to their numbers. According to the promotional website, there was significant research and development into materials science for the Magic V3.
The business was so confident in the phone’s design that they supplied us two handsets. One to assess and one to put in a washing machine, among other ‘tests’. You can see what happened to the poor creature. In terms of water resistance, the V3 has an IPX8 rating. Which is becoming increasingly popular, especially among foldables. The Honor, on the other hand, is reported to be capable of withstanding submersion 1m deeper than the standard’s 1.5m minimum, or 2.5m, for up to 30 minutes.
It’s not the iPhone’s 6m submersion rating, but where is the iPhone’s hinge that requires insulation? According to Honor’s press materials. The phone’s back panel is made of Special Fiber, making it up to 40 times more impact-resistant than the iPhone 15 Pro Max and 40% thinner. The SGS has rated the Super Steel Hinge for half a million folding cycles. Again, that is the hinge, not the display that is hinged to it.
Honor says that it is also the industry’s tiniest hinge, measuring 2.84mm thick. The cover display is further protected by an anti-scratch NanoCrystal shield. That is a lot of names. Finally, we have the Super Armored Inner Screen. The folding panel’s layers are said to include a silicone gel component that hardens within milliseconds after contact, making the phone more impact resistant than existing gel-less foldables.
It all seems weird, but the surviving beaten-up unit testifies that there must be something going on here. Honor does not label the frame material, although it is aluminum, but not exclusive enough to merit a moniker. The fingerprint reader is located on the side of the power key. It’s a capacitive approach that, in our experience, unlocks quickly and reliably, without discriminating against lefties. However, it is not an under-display sensor, and we prefer the ultrasonic readers (plural) on the vivo X Fold3 Pro.
Extra-bright cover display, inner one not quite as much
When compared to the previous model, the Magic V3’s fundamental display stats don’t alter much: diagonals and resolutions remain the same, a 120Hz refresh rate is sufficient, and a billion colors are available. That is not to argue that there aren’t any improvements – in addition to those discussed on the preceding page. Starting with the foldable internal display, we get a 7.92-diagonal and a 2,156×2,344px resolution, with a pixel density of 402ppi.
Honor claims up to 1,600nits on this one, however as is customary, the manufacturer’s statistics are for their own testing procedures, while in our setup, we achieved slightly less than 1,100nits in adaptive brightness mode, with the tablet positioned in bright ambient settings. When you use the slider manually, it might subtract 500 nits. While we would say that 1,079nits is plenty, it is also true that the competition is capable of pushing more nits – much more nits in certain circumstances.
But, given that the Magic V3 wants to be perceived as a typical bar phone in certain aspects, its cover display is where it can put out some significant brightness levels. In adaptive brightness mode, the 6.43-inch panel with a 1,060×2,376px resolution outperformed all of its competitors, shining over 2,100nits.
Honor also allows over 800nits when you manually adjust the brightness, which is a class-leading result. The minimum brightness on both screens is roughly 2nits, and both enable high frequency PWM dimming (4,320Hz on the cover, 3,840Hz on the internal display), so you should be OK at the other end of the brightness spectrum as well.
Refresh rate
Both Magic V3 panels feature refresh rates of up to 120Hz and are LTPO. Unlike the V2, which only gave us 120Hz and 60Hz readings (with the occasional 90Hz), the Android tool also gave us 1Hz. However, there are no 24Hz, 48Hz, or similar frequencies. The 1Hz capability allows the full-screen Always-on Display functionality available on the cover screen. That one is really always on, whereas the internal display just has a ‘tap to show’ option.
The foldable panel does have a true always-on mode, but it is not full-screen. Of course, there are the normal settings that allow you to cap things at 60Hz or leave the majority of the frame rate choices to the phone – both High and Dynamic will reach 120Hz, although Dynamic may restrict things to 90Hz in circumstances when High would be OK with 120Hz. As we saw with the V2, the V3 will also support high frame rate gaming, but not for every title that we know is capable of exceeding 60fps.
Streaming and HDR
The Magic V3 supports all major HDR formats, including Dolby Vision and HDR10+. It also has Widevine L1 certification to play back high-resolution DRM-protected material. Netflix does, in fact, offer HDR10 and Dolby Vision at full HD quality on the Magic V3. The Magic V3 will improve its own photographs in its gallery app, but it does not currently support the Ultra HDR standard in Google Photos or Chrome.
AI Defocus Display
Honor has tried to counteract transient myopia (temporary nearsightedness) by using on-device AI algorithms to generate a controlled defocus effect, which reduces the negative effects of continuous looking at a screen from a close distance. Our grasp of the mechanics of this recently discovered disease is limited, but their study data indicates that it is effective. It is a toggle in the display settings (Defocus Eyecare), which is turned off by default.
Honor Magic V3 battery life
The Magic V3’s battery capacity has been increased to 5,150mAh, which is basically negligible but nonetheless pleasant. It doesn’t have as much capacity as the vivo X Fold3 Pro’s 5,700mAh powerpack, but it’s still more than many of the competitors. We’ll be honest: we’re not impressed with the Magic V3’s Active Use Score on its internal display. The statistics put it on par with the previous generation in three out of four tests, with game longevity falling somewhat. Aside from the V2, rival devices perform better in terms of endurance.
Charging speed
The Magic V3 comes with a 66W Honor SuperCharge adaptor, which is consistent with previous Magic Vs. Using that one for testing, we got a high of about 53W in the early phases of the process. We timed the Magic V3 to 100% and achieved 46 minutes, which is somewhat faster than the previous generation and largely confirms what Honor states in its marketing materials. The battery indicator showed 82% at the half-hour point, which is an improvement above the V2’s performance.
The Magic V3 is in the midst of a densely packed group of big foldables that require around 40 to 50 minutes to fully charge. The Galaxy Z Fold6 is a remarkable anomaly, requiring twice the time. The inclusion of wireless charging to the Magic V3 is a particularly astounding engineering accomplishment; the Magic V2 did not have it, and this one does, while also being slimmer. It supports up to 50W of power when used with compatible Honor accessories.
Speaker test
In essence, the Magic V3’s speaker technology is carried over from its predecessor. There are two speakers, both located on the same side of the device – top (when folded) or left (when unfolded and held in portrait). One of the speakers also outputs via a slit above the display, functioning as an earpiece for voice calls.
When the Magic is held vertically, the top speaker (the earpiece one) is given the right channel, which is unique; most other manufactures default to the left, and we’re not sure why. In any case, both speakers output the opposite channel’s music, but at a decreased level. In our testing, the Magic V3 scored ‘Average’ for loudness, which is a rather low result and one notch lower than the previous iteration. It lacks the Galaxy’s low-end power, but it doesn’t seem as wimpy as the stats indicate.
Magic OS 8.0.1 over Android 14, some AI bits included
The Magic V3 runs Android 14 with a proprietary overlay of Magic OS 8.0.1 on top. The Magic6 Pro has a similar software configuration, and the V3 looks and behaves similarly. Before you open it up to experience its folding display. The looks are sleek and polished, the animations are attractive and nicely timed, and the functionality is smooth–no complaints.
Even if the selfie cameras aren’t actually pill-shaped, the iOS-like pill-shaped Magic Capsule notification is still present – it’s helpful for things like timers, background music, and video playing. Large folders and cards – another term for the widgets that you may add to in-house apps, represented by a bar under the app icon – are neat little items that you won’t find everywhere.
We’d like to note out that one of our long-standing complaints about Magic OS has been resolved, and long-pressing an app icon now brings up the ‘App Info’ button, eliminating the need to navigate through the settings menu. There are several AI-based capabilities, such as the Magic Portal capability, which allows you to long-press on a picture and a bar appears on the side with pre-selected applications and activities, such as searching, emailing, and making a note about the highlighted object.
For example, you could look up any item you see featured on a purchasing website like eBay. The front-facing camera may also be utilized for air motions, a feature that was already available on the previous model. The face-to-face translation capability is a new addition to the V3 that was enabled thanks to a Google donation. There are ten languages to translate between, and the greatest thing is that you may utilize both screens, so the other side has their own display.
It works best with the phone put on a table, the hinge folded halfway, and the cover screen facing away from the other person. According to them, the procedure takes place on the Google Cloud, but any personally identifiable information is removed. Naturally, the large screen provides much more space for work and pleasure. Magic OS offers an excellent multi-window system, with straightforward operations and both horizontal and vertical splits with a rather broad ratio adjustment range (rather than simply 50/50), as well as floating windows.
Benchmarks
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 powers the Magic V3, which comes as no surprise. The worldwide edition has only one memory configuration available: 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, but the Chinese model has three options: 12GB/256GB, 16GB/512GB, and 16GB/1TB. The high-end Qualcomm processor for 2024 is a known performer, and it works as predicted on the Magic V3.
There are tiny variations between the current crop of foldables employing it, and the Magic has a little advantage in 3DMark, performs well in GeekBench, and is only so-so in Antutu. Performance stability under prolonged load improved over the Magic V2, which is a positive outcome given the additional thickness reduction. The performance graph in the CPU Throttling test is more consistent now, and it outperforms the Galaxy Z Fold6, albeit not as well as the X Fold3 Pro. The 3DMark Wild Life stress test result, which is in the mid-50s, is about as average as it gets for flagships.
Major telephoto upgrade, a bit of a sidestep with the ultrawide
When it comes to camera technology, the Magic V3 does not rest on its laurels and introduces a few noticeable modifications. The telephoto is the most substantial change, the ultrawide is… different, the’selfie’ cameras have received a minor bump, and, well, maybe the primary camera is new, but we didn’t know enough about the previous one to say for sure.
Starting with the most significant change, the telephoto camera now has a genuine 50MP sensor in lieu of the previous model’s 20MP one, resulting in 12.5MP images rather than the basic 5MP ones of the V2. Not only that, but the V3 has a periscope lens with a 90mm equivalent focal length, allowing for 3.5x zoom vs the previous folding Magic’s 2.5x. It also has a relatively good close-focusing capacity, with a minimum subject distance of around 27 cm.
The Magic V3 uses a 40MP sensor for its ultrawide camera, as opposed to the V2’s 50MP. The lens is not as wide as on the previous generation, and the aperture is not as huge – the EXIF reads 16mm and f/2.2, compared to the V2’s 13mm f/2.0 lenses. It still has AF, no changes there.The main camera is currently set to be based on the Sony IMX 906, which has a 1/1.56″ sensor – an acceptable size for the space-constrained environment and is the industry’s thinnest large-size foldable.
This camera employs a SMA (Shape Memory Actuator) to change focus and correct for shake (it also includes OIS). The lens is now brighter at f/1.6, compared to the V3’s f/1.9. The punch hole cameras in each display have been improved from the 16MP sensors of the previous generation to new 20MP imagers, but we don’t expect revolutionary quality improvements; also, it’s foldable, so selfies should be taken using the back cameras.
The phone does allow you to bring up the camera interface on the cover screen for selfies or just show a live feed from the sensor for your subjects while leaving the controls on the big display for you. A split screen view with a filmstrip on the side is also available, which might be useful when filming from above or waist level.
The company’s relationship with Harcourt Paris photo studio, which began with the Honor 200 Pro, continues here. Technically, all images shot in Portrait mode are Harcourt-enhanced, but you don’t have to utilize the studio’s characteristic monochrome profile (Harcourt Classic) or the somber Harcourt Colour option; instead, the more general Harcourt Vibrant profile is enabled by default.
Camera
We obtained some fantastic images using the Magic V3’s primary camera. The detail is wonderfully drawn, and the textures are clearly defined without being too crisp. There may be small hints of jaggies along slanted lines, but the Magic handles moire better than most other iterations of the balcony curtains. We don’t observe any noise either. Global characteristics are also aesthetically pleasing. The white balance is typically consistent, and the colors have a pleasant pop to them.
Additionally, the dynamic range is outstanding. The two extra shooting profiles adjust various image properties to differing degrees. The changes between shooting in ‘Natural’ mode and the default ‘Vibrant’ option aren’t really evident, although there’s definitely a little less saturation. ‘Authentic’, on the other hand, increases the contrast and saturation; this does result in a more emotive appearance, so it’s nice to have an easy choice for it if that’s your thing.
The full-resolution option provides no significant benefits, however it is available if desired. People images are also decent on the V3’s primary camera, though face detail is not always shown as clearly as we would like. Perhaps Honor made an intentional decision to disguise some skin defects by default, even when we turned off all improvements. It wasn’t very good at accurately adjusting exposures for the subject in tough backlit scenarios, and touching on the face didn’t help either.
And even when we got it to expose for the face, it lacked the HDR expertise to avoid blowing out the bright sections of the picture. That anomaly was present at all zoom settings, as well as in Portrait mode. The 2x zoom level is useful if you want to get that 50-ish mm focal length framing right out of the phone, and everything looks decent overall. Pixel-level detail isn’t outstanding, but it’s sufficient for casual use.
We had an even shakier experience at 2x in Photo and Portrait mode in low light, and we’d generally avoid using that zoom level for backlit images. In a better light, the results are acceptable. The zoom camera has a far higher resolution than the previous generation, and the Magic V3 produces substantially better photographs. For the most part, we received pretty crisp images with well-rendered detail and minimal (but extremely fine) grain.
There was the occasional drop in sharpness, such as in the pretend-castle scene and a few other pictures – not enough to cause concern, but it happened many times, so it’s worth mentioning. Our hypotheses revolve around OIS action flaws and rather sluggish sensor readout, while some processing difficulties are not out of the question, as full-res 50MP images in these identical scenarios turned out crisp. The 50MP images look to have a bit more detail, and we didn’t notice any sharpness issues.
If you take a conventional shot and find it lacking, repeat in full-resolution mode. Alternatively, wait for Honor to work out the processing in the default resolution. For people photographs, it’s essential to frame your subjects with enough of light and prevent backlighting. The ultrawide may be a minor degradation from the previous generation, but it still produces fantastic results – even if 10MP is less than 12.5MP.
The fact is that this new camera has a smaller field of vision, so things balance out and you receive roughly the same pixel-level information as before. Colors and dynamic range are also unquestionably impressive. Because of the decreased contrast, full-resolution 40MP photos may appear washed out. We aren’t necessarily witnessing an increase in resolved detail.
The Magic V3 also employs its ultrawide camera for close-up shooting, whether it’s in auto switching macro mode, which switches from the main camera to the ultrawide, or in Super Macro, which is a distinct option in the More panel. The Super Macro mode offers three zoom settings, all of which are taken in ultrawide. The auto macro at 1x yields the same results as the Super Macro at 1x, while the 0.6x Super Macro photographs are just in the ultrawide camera’s ordinary native field of vision, which is the same as the Photo mode’s 0.6x. Then there’s the 2x Super Macro, which seems excessive.
Selfies
Because the Magic V3 looks so much like a regular phone when folded, you might not hesitate to take a selfie with the cover camera. The images aren’t horrible; they’re just a touch soft overall, and you don’t get 20MP of detail, which is understandable given that it’s most likely a Quad Bayer sensor performing the recording. Skin tones are great, however saturation might be improved overall. The dynamic range is nice.
But once you realize you have a foldable, you’ll be enjoying rear camera selfies with the cover screen serving as a live viewfinder, even if it takes a few more steps to get there. You’ll get more detail, brighter colors, and natural backdrop separation, as well as autofocus for close-up images, because why not. However, backlit situations continue to cause problems with the Magic.
You may also choose ultrawide for greater coverage or strange perspectives. The image quality in selfies is not as good as it is in general photography, with stronger contrast, a smaller dynamic range, and different detail rendition. You can even capture selfies at 3.5x, though we suppose this is more useful for faraway photos from a window sill on a street corner – with the hinge at exactly the right angle, pre-framed for reels and so on.
Low-light photo quality
The Magic V3’s primary camera performs admirably in low-light conditions, if not quite up to real industry-leading flagship standards. What’s less than ideal, but by no means horrible or troublesome, is how it produces detail – there’s a little too much sharpness and a watercolor-like look in darker images or in the shadows of brighter landscapes. The rest is difficult to blame.
Exposures are nicely matched, with excellent highlight preservation and shadow development. Colors maintain a pleasant degree of vibrancy, and the auto white balance handled varied outside illumination flawlessly. Remember, these are the results from the full-auto. Photo mode – Night mode made no difference in our experience. The photographs don’t stand up to pixel-level examination at 2x zoom, but they appear decent at fit-to-screen magnification, for what it’s worth.
Telephoto camera (3.5x)
The telephoto lens does not disappoint either. It also exposes well, with a small tendency for retaining highlights over increasing shadows. The colors stay realistic and have a lovely pop. Detail is decent to very good in all regions except the darkest ones, when objects get a touch mushy.
Ultrawide camera
The ultrawide’s low-light performance is slightly shakier, with less consistent color rendering in terms of white balance and saturation. Dynamic range is fairly good, with a robust shadow increase that may show weakness in the dark parts while also producing a lot more appealing overall effect than gloomy shadows. Now, brilliant ‘neon’ signage in relatively gloomy environments are not its strong suit, but it performs admirably in its context.
Video recording
The Magic V3’s three rear cameras can record video up to 4K60, but the in-display’selfie’ units can only capture 4K30 (or 1080p60, depending on your perspective). The default codec is h.264, but you can switch to h.265 by flicking a toggle in the settings; it claims a 35% reduction in file size. Stabilization is accessible in all settings and always active. The menu also includes HDR10+ recording. The Magic V3’s primary camera takes excellent 4K30 movies.
It exposes well, producing high contrast and a wide dynamic range. The white balance is precise, and the colors are vibrant without being too saturated. The detail is also excellent, as the movie depicts random textures in a rather organic manner. Despite the fact that global attributes stay intact, the 60fps option softens everything. The telephoto and ultrawide lenses perform less well, with the ultrawide producing the least appealing footage.
Contrast is higher than desired on both, especially on the ultrawide. The telephoto has adequate detail in 4K30 (but not in 4K60), whilst the ultrawide is already iffy in 4K30 and worsens in 60fps mode. The primary camera’s stabilization is great, and the ultrawide’s walking motion has been thoroughly worked out; they both pan smoothly and stay planted when you’re simply pointing the phone at anything.
The telephoto falls closer into the ‘good’ category; the footage still has some waviness and shakes, but it’s steady. The primary camera produces acceptable performance in low light, with high dynamic range and color rendering, as well as enough detail. The telephoto is also acceptable, but the ultrawide suffers from a variety of issues. However, the competition is not significantly better in the dark; in fact, the Magic may have a slight advantage.
Competition
The Magic V3 is a brand-new entrant into the worldwide foldables competition, competing with other new bendy tablets, some older ones, and several giant flat-screen cellphones that it challenges in some fashion. We’ve accepted the Galaxy Z Folds as the de facto standard in the big foldables category. The Fold6 is only a month old, but it doesn’t offer a lot of clear advantages over the Magic V3, unless you include the Samsung logo or dive into specifics.
Sure, it has better speakers and a little longer battery life, and you can get a S Pen cover for it. Perhaps you have a use case for its DeX functionality, and you can reason your way into believing that 7 years of upgrades is a significant benefit. However, the Magic has a better construction and feel in the hand, is likely to be more durable, and is undeniably more compact. The Honor is at least as excellent a camera phone, with a few minor hitches (tiny and possibly transient).
With far faster charging, the battery life disadvantage is mitigated, and it’s possible that the Honors screens are superior. We’re heavily leaning towards Magic here. The second main foreign moniker is the vivo X Fold3 Pro, which may be found outside of China but may not be available everywhere the Honor is marketed. The vivo’s rather restricted availability is also excellent news for the Magic, because the X Fold3 Pro has several big benefits.
Like a better camera phone and considerably greater durability, as well as two under-display ultrasonic fingerprint sensors that we really like. The OnePlus Open is a more commonly accessible choice, however it is now considered outdated. That may be beneficial since it saves you money, but it runs on last year’s Snapdragon, which is awful for… bragging rights.
The Open’s second drawback is that it lacks wireless charging and is not as water resistant as the Magic. Honor is pleased to have created a huge foldable that feels like a regular phone while in phone mode, but it also produces conventional phones without a tablet inside. The Magic6 Pro’s standout feature is its telescopic camera, but it’s also a more capable camera phone overall. Well, that, and the fact that you could obtain two Magic6 Pros for the price of one Magic V3.
Verdict
The Magic V3 is simple to like, especially for those who have been repeatedly frustrated by the Samsung Z Folds’ brick-like form factor (thick and thin). Indeed, one of the Magic’s main selling points is that you can forget it’s a folding phone and use it like a standard bar phone while still having the convenience of a huge screen in your pocket. The Magic boasts a class-leading cover display to assist convey the aforementioned point.
The internal one, while not very brilliant, has little to be embarrassed of. It doesn’t hurt that Honor has gone to tremendous efforts to ensure that everything is properly safeguarded. What we may consider a weakness is the battery life when using the internal display; however, if you spend most of your time on the cover, the V3 is as excellent as the others, making it a moot issue.
The camera blunders that we witnessed are another source of concern, but they may be minor and/or only require a firmware update to be addressed. Overall, the Magic V3 is an excellent choice if you’re seeking for a tablet that fits in phone-sized pockets.
