HONOR Magic V5
A smartphone that’s the right size at last… and it’s about time.
I’ve been saying it for weeks, months and years… in the age of the mobile-first ubiquity, the rise of smartphone OEMs telling us that their devices are powerful enough to suitably replace a laptop… and even the existence of “man bags” (female handbags and gender-neutral satchels of all sizes are also available), we need larger smartphones and they need to be big enough to edit a document on or watch content in full glorious technicolour.
Launched last month in China and this month in the UK and across Europe, the HONOR Magic V5 is something of a personal watershed evolution for someone who regularly wants to be able to work on planes, but wants to do so with just a slimline Bluetooth keyboard and a device that doesn’t require a haul upwards to the cabin locker to pry a laptop out of the bag.
So, for me, it’s the right size (smartphone), at last.
Now calling itself as a “global AI device ecosystem company”, Honor (stylised as HONOR) is the company’s thinnest and lightest inward-folding smartphone to date. It ships with a 6,100mAh silicon-carbon battery with 25% silicon content. The device itself is billed as the HONOR Magic V5 16GB+ 516GB folding smartphone and is priced at £1,699.99 from August 2025.
Of course, there is AI on board… and the agentic YOYO assistant introduces new AI features to help users make the most of the large screens.
What’s inside YOYO AI?
Let’s dive straight into YOYO AI, this set of functionalities is designed to aid what Honor calls “decision making and action execution”, which means it can initiate actions such as making telephone calls, sending messages or triggering functions within the phone, or those housed in external systems and services.
Capable of handling complex multi-step actions, YOYO can adjust its actions based on how a dynamic user use case environment might be playing out. You could ask it to compare prices, control smart home devices, create presentations, schedule meetings and manage email based on preferences.
The Magic V5 also includes AI Call Translation feature, powered by the company’s own on-device call translation large model.
“By processing everything locally on the device, it ensures complete privacy, with no audio data sent externally, providing enhanced security and maintaining call confidentiality. This real-time translation feature enables smooth phone conversations between users who speak different languages, with only one party needing to use an HONOR device. Both users can hear the translation in real time, making communication effortless. This on-device feature currently supports six languages – English, Chinese, French, German, Italian and Spanish,” notes the company.
The Honor Magic V5 has an 8.8mm body and weighs 217g. It’s centre offers what has been defined as an “almost crease-free fold” and it has IP58 and IP59 ratings for dust and water resistance. A carbon fibre reinforced inner display panel and anti-scratch “NanoCrystal Shield” on the outer screen keeps it looking pretty.
Unhinged about hinges?
Users worried about how many times they might be able to open and close a device like this (and whether it might ultimately break) can make note of the HONOR Super Steel Hinge, which has an impressive tensile strength of 2300MPa, strengthening the device while enabling smooth folding action.
“Built to enhance productivity, the large 7.95-inch inner screen offers plenty of space for multitasking, providing a smooth and immersive experience, while the 6.43-inch outer screen provides convenient access to essential functions on the go,” noted Honor, in its launch statement. “To complement its battery technology, the HONOR Magic V5 supports 66W Wired and 50W Wireless HONOR SuperCharge, offering fast and versatile charging solutions to keep users powered up throughout the day.”
In line with the company’s recent non-folding devices, Honor has packed a 64MP Periscope Telephoto Camera into this device. It’s what its makers claim makes it a “professional-grade photography experience”, but you’re perhaps unlikely to see Single Lens Reflex converts dropping their beloved cameras in favour of one of these. Its a 50MP wide camera and a 50MP ultra-wide camera… and it comes with AI image processing.
Specifications & RAM-ifications
Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite, the HONOR Magic V5 runs on a a 3nm chip and supports a range of 5G bands among all foldable phones. It comes in Ivory White, Black, Dawn Gold and Reddish Brown.
Dimensions – unfolded: 4.1mm, folded: 8.8mm. Photo resolution is up to 3840*5120 pixels and (as you might expect) there’s an OLED display with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz. With the resolution at 2352*2172 pixels, the device offers 1.07 billion colours, because that’s how many we need these days. RAM and ROM capacities are 16GB+512GB.
Overall look & feel
Overall then, is this the answer to mobile working headaches for the foreseeable?
Well, casual users will no doubt enjoy the large screen, the AI options, the camera, the fairly meaty speaker, the “show off” foldable factor (this form factor of phones is far from the norm as we speak… and they’re not exactly cheap throwaway items) and the undeniably powerful battery life and general function set.
Most reviews of this device will concentrate on whether it’s the “thinnest” foldable around and whether or not the camera bump makes it bulky in your pocket. That’s of no interest to me, what I want is the size, the work functionality options (Google Doc on and offline works fine of course) and the overall processor performance i.e. is it as usable as a kind of very small PC basically?
On top of those questions, my point isn’t whether it’s the thinnest foldable, it’s whether or not its a big enough foldable and the answer is yes, it absolutely is. The large 7.95-inch inner screen could be 9-inches for me, but that would be nitpicking; just shy of 8-inches is plenty and 10-inches would probably be too big.
As stated at the start, it’s about time… and the HONOR Magic V5 has a clock too.
