When the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 was seeing more rumors and leaks coming out, there was a point when we heard that it could be the thinnest foldable in the world. However, rumors of the Honor Magic V5 soon usurped that, and next thing we knew, that was going to be the thinnest foldable. It launched, and true to its claims, took the crown, at 8.8mm.
However, now that both devices have gotten into the hands of some tech personalities, some basic testing seems to suggest that Honor might have found some way to bend the rules and get a measurement that's thinner than the device actually seems in the hand. The methods are hardly scientific, but it is possible that the Z Fold 7 is truly the thinnest.
Why Does the Z Fold 7's 8.9mm Seem Thinner Than the Magic V5's 8.8mm?
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the Honor Magic V5 launched about a week apart from one another, so in the grand scheme of things, they're perfect to pit against each other. The current focus for foldable OEMs is the thickness of the devices they make, so for the last few years, there's been a race to the “world's thinnest foldable” each year. This year was no different, and the Z Fold 7 just barely missed taking the Magic V5's crown.
One thing that Honor didn't heavily publicize was that only one colorway of its new foldable, the Ivory White option, actually hits the 8.8mm mark and sets a record.
- Ivory White: 8.8mm
- Black, Dawn Gold, Reddish Brown: 9.0mm
The other colorways measure at 9.0mm, just like the Z Fold 7 (and the Oppo Find N5 for that matter). However, some basic testing from Ice Universe on X shows that the Ivory White colorway seems to be a tad thicker than the Z Fold 7. But that shouldn't be so, right?
From the video, you can see that a flat object bridging across the two devices turns down towards the Z Fold 7, and can be lifted slightly by applying pressure to the higher platform, which seems to be the Magic V5 in this experiment. The little ball test suggests the same thing: that the Z Fold 7's 8.9mm thickness could somehow be thinner than whatever the Honor Magic V5's true thickness is.
The Answer Could Lie in the Screen Protector
There seems to be a sneaky answer to why this is the case. In Honor's testing, it made sure that all conditions were optimal for it to hit the best possible thickness measurement. One way it did that was by measuring the device without the pre-applied screen protector. However, when you receive the device as a consumer, that screen protector is applied (and it isn't recommended to remove it).
This Testing Isn't Perfect, But It Does Present a Big Marketing Opportunity for Samsung
Obviously, the testing conducted by Ice Universe provides us with a good indication of what the situation might be with the two devices. It isn't perfect testing, though. A micrometer will allow for more precise measurements and a more definitive conclusion than physics experiments.
| Folded Thickness (mm) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 | 8.9 |
| Honor Magic V5 | 8.8 |
| Oppo Find N5 | 8.9 |
| Vivo X Fold 5 | 9.2 |
However, if the retail version of the Z Fold 7 is thinner than the retail version of the Honor Magic V5, it gives Samsung a very unique marketing angle. After all, Samsung is a company that enjoys teasing the competition, especially Apple.
