The Honor Magic V5 Is So Thin, It Makes Your iPhone Look Bloated

HONOR has officially launched its latest flagship foldable — the Magic V5 — in the UK, and it’s not playing around. At just 8.8mm thick when folded, this is now the thinnest inward-folding smartphone (the Ivory White colorway) on the planet. It’s a big swing at Samsung, and it lands with confidence, combining sharp design, AI brains, and serious hardware chops.

Following up on the impressive Magic V3, which pushed HONOR into the elite foldable conversation, the V5 doesn’t just refine — it redefines. You’re looking at a thinner body, better battery, tougher screen, smarter AI, and the kind of finish that screams premium without blinking twice.

HONOR isn’t folding under pressure — it’s folding better

The Magic V5 weighs in at just 217g and is wrapped in a sleek frame that houses a massive 5820mAh silicon-carbon battery. That’s right — while other foldables compromise on battery life, HONOR crammed in more juice without bulking up the chassis. It’s a clever blend of AI-optimized engineering and aggressive battery chemistry that makes this possible.

On performance, the V5 flexes with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile Platform, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage. There’s enough firepower here to handle whatever your day throws at it — multitasking, AI-driven features, and ultra-fast app switching feel seamless.

And it’s tougher too. With IP58/IP59 dust and water resistance, a scratch-resistant NanoCrystal Shield, and a Carbon Fibre Reinforced Inner Display, the Magic V5 doesn’t just look clean — it stays clean.

Camera tech that’s actually smart

Photography on foldables usually feels like an afterthought. Not here. The V5 packs HONOR’s AI Falcon Camera System, with a:

• 64MP Ultra Sensing Periscope Telephoto
• 50MP Ultra-Light Sensitive Main Camera
• 50MP Ultra-Wide Camera

The AI Image Engine brings in features like AI Super Zoom, AI Enhanced Portrait, and Motion Sensing Capture — tools that actually make a difference when snapping in low light or trying to catch action on the go.

A foldable for people who get stuff done

The 7.95-inch inner display and 6.43-inch cover screen both support stylus input. Pair that with Multi-Flex Mode (supporting up to three apps at once) and the V5 becomes a serious mobile workstation.

But the real kicker? The MagicOS 9.0 experience now includes Google Gemini — yes, Gemini is built in. That means smart assistance on demand, from writing help to Gemini Live for real-time camera and screen sharing. Double-tap the back of the phone to launch it instantly.

Throw in HONOR Notes with AI summarisation and formatting, plus real-time transcription and translation tools, and you’ve got a foldable that goes toe-to-toe with your laptop.

Next-gen creative tools, built in

HONOR’s partnership with Google also fuels a full creative suite:

• AI Image to Video (powered by Veo) turns your photos into animated video stories.
• AI Cutout, Eraser, Outpainting, and Upscale make editing a joke.
• AI Call Translation and Text Translation let you communicate in six languages, no cloud dependency required.

Cross-platform play, the way it should be

The new HONOR Share supports fast file transfers (up to 60MB/s) across Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows. Device cloning from iPhones is seamless — contacts, photos, calendars, and more come with you.

This isn’t a walled garden. It’s a bridge between ecosystems.

Price and Availability

The HONOR Magic V5 launches in the UK today at £1,699.99, with early shoppers scoring exclusive gifts via honor.com/uk. It'll be available through EE, O2, Three, Vodafone, Tesco Mobile, Argos, Currys, Amazon, and Very starting August 29.

Color options include Ivory White, Black, and Dawn Gold.

HONOR Magic V5 Specs

This isn’t just another foldable — it’s HONOR saying they’re not playing catch-up anymore. The Magic V5 is thin, smart, and built like a flagship. Samsung should be watching closely.

Our Magic V5 review will go live in the coming week, so keep an eye out.