Since the arrival of the first foldables, whenever someone asks me my opinion on the future (or won’t) of such a device, I always give the same answer: the day when foldables don’t “punish” the all-around closed. phone use, I think they can start to be a real alternative for most people. The good news for users and brands alike is that this moment is coming and the Honor Magic V2 is the biggest proof of that.

Technical page of Honor Magic V2

The experience of a traditional phone using a closed foldable phone

I invite you to take a look at the picture I have attached to these lines. At first glance it looks like a normal phone, right? Well, the closed screen of the Honor Magic V2, a foldable phone. Introduces the 20:9 format for the first time. It does this at the expense of being, yes, a not very tall phone (145.4mm compared to the 160.3mm the Honor Magic Vs had).

In contrast, it is slightly wider (74.1 mm versus 72.9 mm of the previous generation), a more balanced view. Being logically the same height as the unfolded screen, this small reduction isn’t noticeable when using it, and I think it’s worth it if we get that balance when closing it.

It could perfectly be a traditional phone and not only because of the design of the outer screen, but also technology that includes. According to Honor, the diagonal is 6.43 inches and with the promise of reaching a 91.2% pre-use. The resolution, as with all folds, is a bit odd: 2376 × 1060 pixels translates to a pixel density of 402 ppi.

This LTPO type OLED has two key points: 2,500 nits maximum peak and 3840Hz PWM Dimming. These 2500 nits from the external screen are very noticeable in bright environments where the panel is not damaged at all. High PMW Dimming Rate refers to how panel flicker is reduced to reduce eye strain: the higher this value, the less fatigue.

Thin and extremely light

After the folded look, the next thing you notice when you pick up the phone is how “thin” it is: 9.9mm, according to Honor’s data. thinnest fold ever. We are approaching a point where it is no longer possible to slim down the phone without removing the USB-C port.

Thinner but also lighter: 231g according to official data, which is less than other high-end conventional-format phones. Most of the journalists who participated during our testing carried foldable personal phones from different brands (Xiaomi, Samsung, and even Pixel), and they all agreed. how light it was to take it.

For me, who isn’t a big fan of screens with curved edges, it was also surprising that this didn’t punish the experience. It has a curvature, yes, but very discreet. In fact, it is very comfortable in the hand both when folded and unfolded.

The experience as a folding phone is also very positive

If the closed mobile experience is very good, the open mobile experience is not far behind. The crease is barely noticeable Ostensibly, yes with a gentle touch, but without distraction. It folds perfectly when folded and remains fully folded with no gaps between the two parts of the phone.

gives in hand solid feel and the hinge seems to work perfectly. By the way, it is a hinge with a titanium alloy coating, which in theory makes it stronger and lighter.

All this, of course, if we take into account that we are talking about a device that we took out of the box and had to test longer to see if the fold loosened or how it resists folding in general. From Honor, as with previous generations, they reassure 400,000 times phone without suffering from problems.

Two pending issues: the edges of the inner screen and the one-handed opening. The sides aren’t overly large, but it contrasts with the premium design of the rest of the device. It’s a minor and secondary thing, all said, but I imagine we’ll see it reduced in future generations. Opening with one hand is something I’d like to see anyway and feels comfortable to me, but I realize it’s complicated without sacrificing stability and durability.

We have (almost) flashhip experience on paper but in a folding model

In addition to everything we’ve discussed, we have a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 as the “heart” of the V2 (the first folding phone model with this processor), guiding cameras, and other details like its own evolving chip. According to official data, it also launches technology with coverage in areas with low signal and a 5000 mAh battery with 66W fast charging.

Surely the term ‘lithium-ion’ sounds familiar to you. It is the technology that has been used in the vast majority of phones, tablets and smart watches for years. Honor wanted to risk and bet on a more advanced solution, the silicon-carbon battery a priori. higher energy density in a smaller size.

This battery likewise aims to have relatively low degradation. Silicon-carbon batteries operate stably at very low voltages (they don’t need a lot of voltage to power them), thus powering the phone more efficiently.

Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time to consider these aspects in our first contact with the terminal, but it is remarkable that Honor does everything about this phone. as if it was a flagship “rod” type. The job of fine-tuning all components is not easy and therefore valuable.

With all that said, we still need to test the stylus (curiously, Honor says it has a 0.42ms latency and works on both screens) and software, which will be available depending on the manufacturer when the model arrives in stores. , was not final in our test unit and was one of the unfinished works of Vs.

Honor Magic V2 is probably the most complete foldable ever

While there are many aspects of the Honor Magic V2 that need to be evaluated until the review, the truth is that otherwise we found it to be a very interesting phone, with high-end specs, a very well-balanced design (probably most I’ve seen to date) and overall excellent A mobile phone, which could be a “bar” phone, only to be foldable. And this is very good news for both Honor and the folding market in general.

Without seeing what Samsung has to offer in a few days and trying everything we have to try on this model, I dare say at least on design and paper. best foldable phone we’ve tested.

Unfortunately, we don’t know the price or when it will arrive in Spain as it is only available in China for now. It’s time to wait, but it seems like it’s only a matter of time when you see Honor’s strategy and the company’s future plans.

Folding phones are getting closer to traditional phones and that’s just the beginning

In addition to testing the Honor Magic V2, we were able to chat for a while with Honor CTO Samuel Deng. in his own words, folding phones are now 90% level of a traditional smartphone experience. The remaining 10%? In details such as water resistance (V2 is splash proof), among other things.

To close this 10% gap and foldable and traditional phones are equalAt least two years of research and development are needed, Deng says, and logically the cost would be higher. It says “doable,” but the real question is whether it’s worth it in terms of cost.

Reaching this 90% was not easy, and of course, it wasn’t cheap either. They had to redesign almost the entire phone’s interior and components (they cite more than 210 technological innovations among the hinge, antenna, cooling and more) and have had to adapt both their design processes and manufacturing and testing processes. They built machines for this from scratch… but I’ll give you more detailed information on this in a future article.

What can we expect from the next generation of folds? Will USB-C be a limitation when it comes to further reducing the thickness of these phones? Deng is clear on this: the next generation will be even thinner and may still have USB-C, but looking to the future, he does not rule out that the port will disappear and charging will become wireless, which opens the door. less thickness.. At least for Honor folding phones, They’re not just the future, they’re the present and they are here to stay.

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on Xataka | The year is 2023 and I still don’t want a foldable phone. these are my reasons