September 17, 2024, 8:15 am | Read time: 4 minutes
Honor, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, presented its Magic V3 foldable smartphone at IFA 2024. TECHBOOK was there.
As expected, the main focus of Honor’s IFA keynote was on the Magic V3. With its foldable smartphone, the manufacturer is deliberately seeking to compete with Samsung and the recently launched Galaxy Z Fold 6. But what does Honor’s new device offer?
Honor Magic V3 presented at the IFA 2024
The Chinese manufacturer initially introduced the Magic V3 to its domestic market back in July. Having entered the foldable market in 2022 with the Honor Magic V, the company has now reached its third generation and firmly established itself. At IFA 2024, the focus was on the global launch. The Honor Magic V3’s housing immediately stands out. At 9.2 mm when folded and 4.35 mm when unfolded, it is quite thin. With this design, Honor breaks its previous year’s record for the thinnest foldable. Moreover, it has a lightweight design, tipping the scales at just 226 grams.
Constructed from glass and aluminum, the housing boasts an IPX8 certification. As is usual with foldable smartphones, the device has two screens. The inner display has a diagonal of 7.92 inches with a resolution of 2,344 x 2,156 pixels. It also supports dynamic refresh rates of up to 120 Hz. A split-screen function is included to divide the expansive inner display into two separate screens. On the other hand, the cover display is 6.43 inches in size and offers a resolution of 2,376 x 1,060 pixels.
Despite the thin casing, the performance is also absolutely impressive. The foldable smartphone comes with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and offers space for a 5,150 mAh battery. The charging speed is specified as 66 W via cable and 50 W via wireless charging. It also has 12 GB of RAM and 512 GB of internal memory. Furthermore, the device supports dual SIM functionality.
The Honor Magic V3 comes with an improved triple camera
The camera has also taken a leap forward. The arrangement on the back with the octagon-shaped frame is reminiscent of the Magic 6 Pro, and this is probably intentional. The triple camera includes a 50 MP main camera with a large aperture of f/1.6. There is also a 50 MP telephoto camera and a 40 MP ultra-wide-angle camera.
The telephoto camera offers a 3.5x zoom function, another significant improvement on the Magic V2 (2.5x). The selfie camera has 20 megapixels. The camera, in particular, will also use its own AI to recognize the right moment for a good photo from video recordings, for example.
Price and availability of the Honor Magic V3
The Honor Magic V3 comes with Android 14 and the MagicOS 8.0.1 user interface. The device will also be available globally in the colors reddish-brown, green, and black. The Honor Magic V3’s launch price was also unveiled at IFA: the foldable smartphone will retail for 1999 euros.
Samsung marketing gag
The presentation frequently drew comparisons to the two major competitors, Samsung and Apple. This is particularly obvious in the case of Samsung, as the manufacturer also has a broad base in the foldable business.
Just over a week ago, Honor executed a clever PR stunt. Honor commissioned the artist Graham Short to engrave a Magic V3. This minuscule engraving serves as a tongue-in-cheek apology to Samsung users. It begins as follows: “We’re sorry. We know you were looking forward to buying a phone that folds in half and fits in your pocket. You were promised the future, a technological wonder, a world of limitless multitasking and performance. And now, you might be looking at the new HONOR Magic V3 and feeling somewhat… shortchanged.” In total, the text comprises more than 160 words.
Incidentally, this is not the first time Honor has taken a shot at its South Korean competitor’s foldables. There were also a few side jabs at the IFA event – including some aimed at Apple.
Buying guide The 13 best smartphones under 150 euros at a glance
Foldable Surprising details about Apple’s foldable iPad have emerged
Nitro Blaze 7 Acer shows its first handheld console at IFA
What else Honor showed at IFA 2024
Honor showed even more than the Magic V3 at IFA. Contrary to expectations, the Magic Vs3 did not play a role. Instead, the company had the Honor MagicPad 2 and the Honor MagicBook Art 14 with magnetic camera in its luggage. In particular, the company seized the opportunity to take a jab at Apple for its continued lack of iPhone screen mirroring capabilities.