Honor Magic V3 review: The thinnest foldable phone on the German market

The Honor Magic V3 remains the top dog in the foldable smartphone space. It impresses with its impressive combination of thinness, performance, and camera quality. After several weeks of intensive use, it's clear that this device impresses not only in terms of its hardware specifications, but also in everyday use. Below you'll find our detailed review, including the new features of Magic OS 9.0.

Honor's foldable phone was launched in China on July 12, 2024. It was then sold worldwide on September 5, 2024. Compared to the Previous model Magic V2 It represents a significant development. The Honor Magic V3 scores points over its predecessor primarily through its lower weight, water resistance, brighter display, improved camera, larger battery and support for wireless charging.

The Android 15-based Software update to Magic OS 9.0 version was first distributed for the Honor Magic V19 in Europe and China on December 2024, 3. The rollout initially began in limited markets and expanded worldwide on February 5, 2025. The hardware and software innovations make the Magic V3 one of the most advanced options on the foldable device market.

tl;dr (conclusion) on the Honor Magic V3: One of the best foldable smartphones on the market

The Honor Magic V3 is an impressive foldable phone that sets new standards in many areas. The combination of an ultra-thin design, high-quality workmanship, excellent displays, and a powerful camera makes it one of the best foldable smartphones on the market. It dominates in hardware innovation, but lags behind competitors from Google and Samsung in ecosystem integration and app optimization. Currently priced at approx. €1.385,00 (including 19% VAT) The Magic V3 is not a bargain, but its price is roughly on par with the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold (approx. €1375,00 including 19% VAT) with better hardware equipment.

Anyone looking for a foldable smartphone that's barely distinguishable from a standard flagship device in everyday use, but offers the advantages of a large internal display, should definitely consider the Honor Magic V3. It impressively demonstrates how far foldable technology has already progressed and what the future of smartphones could look like. With the Magic V3, Honor is forcing Samsung, Google, and others to radically rethink their approach. This race proWe all fit – even if the Magic V3 is of course not the perfect Holy Grail.

Strengths and weaknesses of the Honor Magic V3 at a glance

✅ Advantages:

• The thinnest design of all foldables currently available in Germany (9,2 mm when folded)
• Excellent displays with barely visible fold lines
• High quality manufacturing
• Waterproof according to IPX8
• Powerful flagship hardware (Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, 12 GB LPDDR5 RAM and 512 GB UFS 4.0 storage)
• Good cameras, especially good telephoto camera
• Fast wired (66 watts) and wireless charging (50 watts)

⛔️ Disadvantages:

• Software not quite at the level of the competition
• Limitations of multitasking
• Heat development during intensive use
• Battery life with intensive use of the internal display could be better

Design of the Honor Magic V3: One step ahead of the competition

The first thing that strikes you about the Honor Magic V3 is its exceptional thinness. Measuring just 9,2 mm when folded and an unbelievable 4,4 mm when unfolded, and weighing just 226 grams, it remains the thinnest and lightest foldable phone on the German market.. Worldwide, however, it is only in second place, as the Oppo Find N2, which is only available in China, is only 5 millimeters thick when unfolded without the camera bump. If you compare the Honor Foldable with the Samsung Galaxy ZFold 6 (13,4 mm folded / 239 g) and the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold (11,2 mm folded / 247 g), they seem like relics of a bygone era. When folded, the Magic V3 doesn't feel like a typical foldable in the hand, but rather like a regular flagship smartphone.

The new hinge, with Honor's stated 500.000 opening cycles, guarantees long-term stability, which we can confirm in our testing. It closes flush and allows for a complete fold without a gap—a detail that's not only aesthetically pleasing but also keeps dust and dirt out.. The However, the opening resistance of 1,3 Newton meters requires opening with a fingernail. However, the titanium spring mechanism can even withstand a fall from a height of 1,5 meters.

Workmanship of the Honor Magic V3: Flawless

The device's craftsmanship leaves nothing to be desired. The matte black glass back gives the Magic V3 a sophisticated look and a high-quality feel. The device is also available in leather look and in green and reddish brown. The slightly rounded edges provide a pleasant feel, but can occasionally lead to unwanted interruptions in contact with the external display when used one-handed.

In contrast to its predecessor, the Magic V2, the V3 is now also waterproof according to IPX8, which makes it much more suitable for everyday use and puts it on par with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6. The external display is also equipped with Gorilla Glass Victus 3 with anti-reflective coating. A matching protective case and protective films for all displays are included in the delivery – a welcome extra, as special cases and films for foldables are often more expensive and harder to find in stores.

Displays of the Honor Magic V3: Twice as good

The Honor Magic V3 features two excellent displays: a 6,43-inch AMOLED exterior display (2376 × 1060 pixels) and an impressive 7,92-inch foldable AMOLED interior display (2344 × 2156 pixels). Both support a 120 Hz refresh rate and offer excellent brightness (5000 nits peak brightness) and vibrant colors (1,07 billion colors and DCI-P3 wide color gamut). Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support are also onboard, ensuring a great video playback experience. Honor has also implemented some innovative features for visual comfort. PWM dimming technology with up to 4.320 Hz for the external display and 3.840 Hz for the internal display reduces eye strain during extended use. An AI-assisted "Defocus Eyecare" function and a special e-book mode for more comfortable reading are other thoughtful additions.

Particularly praiseworthy is that the fold line in the inner display is barely noticeable when unfolded thanks to nano-imprint lithography – a problem that many other foldables struggle with.. The external display is also wider and more usable than, for example, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, which makes everyday use much more pleasant when folded.The app optimization on the large internal display is critical: YouTube, for example, limits full-screen usage to 50% of the screen, and Instagram Stories are cropped asymmetrically. Honor's "Smart Aspect Ratio" algorithm attempts to remedy this by artificially stretching 16:9 content, but this often leads to distortion in sports videos. To fix this, you can hold down the YouTube icon and close the app.

Performance and battery of the Honor Magic V3: Flagship hardware with slight limitations

Under the hood is the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, supported by 12 GB LPDDR5 RAM and 512 GB UFS 4.0 internal storage. This combination ensures smooth performance in everyday tasks and even in demanding applications. In benchmarks (Antutu v10: 1.522.225 points, Geekbench 6: 2230 single, 7200 multi), the Magic V3 is on par with other flagship devices, although it throttles slightly more under load than conventional smartphones, which is a typical challenge for the slim form factor of foldables.During intensive use, the device may become noticeably warm, especially around the camera module. However, this doesn't affect everyday use and is only noticeable during longer gaming sessions or video recordings.

The 5.150 mAh battery is impressively large considering its slim design. Battery life proves to be solid, if not outstanding, in everyday use. With average use, a full charge easily lasts a full day, although using the large internal display consumes more power, as expected. In our test, the battery lasted 8 hours 19 minutes while streaming YouTube and using the internal display, and 6 hours 48 minutes while gaming with the 120 Hz feature enabled. Those who need even more endurance from their Magic V3 should access the new battery optimization in the battery menu. With fast wired and wireless charging, the Magic V3 is also quickly ready for use again.The 66W SuperCharge function charges the foldable phone from 41 to 0% in 100 minutes, while 50W wireless charging takes about 55 minutes.

Honor Magic V3 camera: surprisingly good results

Honor has not commented on the camera equipment of the Magic V3.proThe round triple camera system consists of:

• 50 MP main camera with f/1.6 aperture and optical image stabilizer

• 40 MP ultra-wide-angle camera with f/2.2 aperture and autofocus

• 50MP periscope telephoto camera with f/3.0 aperture and 3.5x optical zoom

The photo quality is impressive and better than many other foldables. The main camera, in particular, which is equipped with up to 100x zoom, delivers razor-sharp images with balanced color reproduction in daylight. The images appear natural without being oversaturated, yet still convey sufficient dynamic range. Compared to its predecessor, the Magic V2, the color tone is slightly warmer, which is particularly flattering for portrait shots. Under controlled conditions, the main camera delivers a dynamic range of 14,3 EV (DxOMark equivalent), surpassing the Galaxy Z Fold 6 (13,8 EV).

The telephoto camera is also a real highlight, offering a significant leap in quality over the previous model. Even at 3,5x zoom, it delivers detailed shots that are impressive even compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 6. The Magic V3 also performs well in low-light conditions. The main camera delivers good results at night, outperforming the Galaxy Z Fold 6.

All cameras can record videos in 4K at 60 FPS, and the special night mode for videos works just as well as comparable features from other manufacturers. Both displays also feature a 20 MP front-facing camera.

Honor Magic V3 software: Light and shadow with the new Magic OS 9.0

The Magic V3 now runs Magic OS 9.0, which is based on Android 15. The new features include optimized AI functions such as real-time translation and the "Magic Portal" for easy content extraction, a slightly redesigned user interface with smoother animations, and practical convenience features such as QR codes for hotspots and the new "Super Dynamic Display" display mode. Improved AI noise cancellation also ensures clearer calls, even in noisy environments. Furthermore, the system applications have been improved, for example with new camera functions and optimized notes. The update also slightly improves the stability and battery life of the device. Overall, the new MagicOS 9.0 feels smoother than its predecessor, MagicOS 8.0.1, which is based on Android 14.

The Magic V3's user interface is attractive and functional and offers some useful features such as the Magic Capsule, which provides contextual information. The software is also fast and responsive, but in some areas doesn't seem as sophisticated and polished as, for example, Samsung's One UI. Especially in the area of ​​multitasking and when using the large internal display, some features offered by the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 or the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold are missing. Support for split-screen applications and floating windows is available, but not as comprehensively implemented as in competitors. Furthermore, multitasking latency occurs when switching between more than five apps.

Comparison with other foldables

In direct comparison with the Samsung Galaxy ZFold 6 The Honor Magic V3 scores points primarily with its slimmer design, larger and more usable external display, and better camera quality. When it comes to software, however, Samsung has the edge.

Compared to the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold The Magic V3 also offers a slimmer design and more powerful hardware, while the Pixel scores with its excellent software support and AI features.

Price and update policy of the Honor Magic V3