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The recently released Magic V5 from Honor made news globally, known as the world's thinnest foldable phone. Released in China on July 2, the device brings a massive engineering accomplishment, yet there are severe limitations around that statement, and an up-close inspection of the device shows that the statement has major flaws. Read further to know about the Honor Magic V5 marketing strategy and the reality of the phone.
Honor Magic V5: Design and build
Honor boasts that the Magic V5 is only 8.8mm thick in folding mode, edging out other competitors such as the Oppo Find N5 (8.9mm). This ultra-slim figure refers only to the Ivory White model, though: other colours with either fiber or vegan leather textured covering are instead 9mm thick. What is more important is that these measurements do not include the camera bump which sticks out so visibly it is thicker than the half of any part of the smartphone. The design decision that has the consequence is that in realistic applications, the Magic V5 can seem thicker than advertised by Honor, particularly in the context of competitors whose thickness specs bundle the camera module between the thickness and the screen.
Honor Magic V5: Camera
The Magic V5 can be forgiven having a camera bump in that it has a triple-lens camera system of a 50MP wide camera, 50MP ultra-wide camera, and 64MP periscope telephoto lens. These top-level optics and high-end sensors require that module size, which compromises the phone in terms of thinness. As one Reddit user put it, “Let me know when they begin to factor in the camera bump when determining the phone's thickness. Claiming it's the slimmest phone while having a camera protrusion that is nearly half the phone’s size and significantly thicker is just misleading. It feels like they're underestimating my intelligence”.
Honor Magic V5: Display and durability
The Magic V5 has a 7.9-inch LTPO OLED inner display and a 6.43-inch outer display with a refresh rate of 120Hz so that the picture is smooth. At 217g (Ivory White), the phone is also the lightest of all foldables, together with the Vivo X Fold 5. The build quality is enhanced with Honor Super Steel Hinge and high-quality scratch-resistant material as well as the device is rated IP58/IP59 on dust and water resistance.
Honor Magic V5: Performance and AI
Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite, the Magic V5 will have two packages to offer: 16 GB RAM+ 512 GB/ 1 TB memory, and 5,820mAh/6,100mAh battery depending on the version. Honor also presents YOYO AI, which is capable of performing such operations as preparing presentations, ordering cabs, and accessing live cameras through simple speech instructions.
|
Claim |
Misleading Flaw / Reality |
|
World’s thinnest foldable phone at 8.8mm |
Thickness of 8.8mm applies only to the Ivory White variant; other colours are 9mm thick due to different finishes. |
|
8.8mm thickness includes entire phone |
Thickness measurement excludes the large protruding camera bump, which is thicker than either half of the phone itself. |
|
Thinner than Oppo Find N5 (8.9mm) |
The 0.1mm difference is imperceptible in daily use; the slight curve gives a marginally thinner feel but not a significant advantage. |
|
Lightest foldable at 217g |
Only the Ivory White model weighs 217g; other variants weigh 222g due to materials used. |
|
Slim design with advanced camera system |
The camera bump is very large and chunky, making the phone feel bulkier despite the slim body. |
|
Marketing rounds thickness down to 8.8mm |
Actual thickness is closer to 8.9mm; rounding down is a marketing tactic to claim the “world’s thinnest” title. |
|
Folded thickness includes all components |
Protective films and camera bumps are excluded from thickness claims, which can mislead consumers . |
Honor Magic V5: Marketing vs. Reality
Although the Honor Magic V5 is an impressive piece of technology, being the thinnest phone in the world is only true when you overlook the camera unit and these days, only when it is produced in Ivory White. The large camera bump in the phone makes it chunkier in the hand, a compromise recognised by the users, given the high quality of the photographs it allows taking. Because the market trend toward foldable smartphones is still fresh, device makers need to think about how they can gain an edge without having to resort to exaggerated marketing tactics.
Disclaimer: The information regarding the gadgets/devices listed in the table and article has been sourced from various secondary sources. For detailed product specifications, please refer to the brand sources.