Folding phones have always come with a silent compromise. We’ve been told you can have a big screen that fits in your pocket, but it’ll be thick, a little clunky, and you should probably handle it with care. But what if a phone could shatter that compromise? What if it could be thinner than your everyday smartphone and tough enough to defy expectations?
Enter the Honor Magic V5. When I first heard it was the world’s thinnest folding phone, I was skeptical. Thinner usually means more fragile, especially when a complex hinge is involved. But then I saw something crazy: people hanging weights off its hinge. Not just a little weight, but enough to make you wince. This isn’t just another foldable; it’s a statement.
A New Era of Design: Defying Physics and Doubts
The first time you hold the Honor Magic V5, your brain has to catch up. Unfolded, it’s a mind-bending 4.1mm thin. Folded, it’s just 8.8mm, putting it squarely in the territory of traditional “slab” phones like the iPhone. It’s a science fiction movie prop made real.
This incredible thinness immediately brings up the question of foldable phone durability. Honor seems to have anticipated this and decided to tackle it head-on. The video I watched showed the phone withstanding over 50 pounds of force pulling directly on its folding phone hinge.
The hinge not only survived but could even flex slightly beyond 180 degrees before snapping back to a perfectly flat, secure close. When shut, there’s practically no gap—just a clean, tight sandwich of glass and metal. This is the kind of engineering that builds confidence in the entire foldable category.
The Two-in-One Experience, Perfected
Honor nailed the core promise of a book-style foldable: a phone that effortlessly becomes a tablet. But unlike its thicker predecessors, the Magic V5 feels completely natural in both forms.
A Flawless Phone Experience
When closed, the 6.43-inch cover display is your command center. It’s spacious, vibrant, and feels just like a premium smartphone. You completely forget you’re holding a foldable device, which is perhaps the highest compliment you can give it. You’re not compromising usability for that big screen in your pocket.
Your Tablet in a Pocket
Open it up, and you’re greeted by a stunning 7.95-inch OLED display. This is where the magic happens. The folding phone crease, a long-time distraction on other devices, has practically vanished. On a bright, colorful image, it simply melts away.
It creates an immersive canvas that no slab phone can replicate, making it feel more like you’re touching the image itself rather than a layer of glass. This lightweight foldable phone truly delivers on the dream of carrying a tablet with you everywhere.
Powerhouse Performance in a Slim Profile
You’d be forgiven for thinking Honor must have cut corners on the inside to achieve this design. You’d be wrong. This premium foldable device is packed with flagship-level hardware.
The Honor Magic V5 specs include the powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, a generous 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage. This ensures that everything from daily tasks to heavy-duty gaming runs without a hitch. Even more impressive is the battery. Honor managed to fit a high-density 5000 mAh silicon-carbon battery inside this ultra-slim frame, easily lasting a full day. When you do need to top up, it supports 66W wired SuperCharge.
Another standout feature is the inclusion of stylus support on both the inner and outer screens. This makes the Magic V5 a productivity powerhouse, perfect for note-takers and artists who want a versatile creative tool.
A Camera System That Keeps Up
The large circular camera module on the back isn’t just for show. The Magic V5 camera system is incredibly versatile, offering a full range of optical zoom options from ultra-wide to telephoto. This means you’re getting crisp, detailed shots without relying on digital cropping.
I was particularly impressed by the AI-powered software features. AI Portrait mode delivers professional-looking shots, and “Magic Retouch” lets you seamlessly remove unwanted objects from your photos with a simple circle. The video quality is equally strong, shooting smooth 4K at 60fps with lightning-fast autofocus that locks onto subjects instantly.
Smart Software That Ties It All Together
A great device needs great software, and the Magic V5 delivers. The global version comes with Google apps and the Play Store right out of the box. Honor’s “Multiflex” feature takes full advantage of the large inner display, allowing for seamless multitasking on foldable screens with up to three apps running simultaneously.
One of the most underrated features is Honor Share. This clever software enables effortless, bi-directional file transfers between the phone and iOS, macOS, and Windows devices. It’s a small touch that removes a major pain point for users living in a multi-device ecosystem.
The Verdict: Is This the Best Foldable Phone of 2025?
The Honor Magic V5 feels like a massive leap forward. It answers the biggest criticisms of foldable phones with elegant solutions. It’s thin and light enough to make you forget it’s a foldable, yet its performance and surprisingly robust hinge prove it’s ready for the real world.
This device proves that “thin” no longer has to mean “fragile.” It challenges the very definition of what a next-gen folding phone can be. If you’ve been waiting on the sidelines for foldables to mature, the Honor Magic V5 might just be the one to finally convince you to make the jump. It’s not just a great foldable; it’s a great phone, period.
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