I’ve been utilizing the smartphone for several weeks, and now I’m convening with the team at Honor to talk about its latest foldable advancements.
The previous year’s Honor Magic V5 was an exceptional improvement over the V3 in every respect, but it was ultimately eclipsed by Samsung’s impressive Galaxy Z Fold 7. Consequently, this year, Honor is taking the initiative and unveiling the Magic V6 at MWC 2026, and although the phone won’t officially debut until sometime in Q2, I have had the opportunity to test an early version of the hardware for the last few weeks.
Along with my personal impressions of Honor’s newest foldable wonder, I also had the chance to interview Hope Cao, the Senior Product Expert for the Magic V6 at Honor. A small group comprising just myself and two other journalists engaged Cao for an entire hour, posing every question we could think of regarding what sets the Magic V6 apart and how the company intends to surpass Samsung in its own arena this year.
The list is rather extensive. Honor provides superior displays compared to Samsung’s devices, a bigger capacity battery that is also slimmer and charges more quickly, enhanced camera hardware within a more compact camera island, the first foldable to offer an IP69 water and dust resistance rating, improved haptic motors, intriguing integrations with Apple products, and numerous other software enhancements.
More robust hardware
Once again, Honor is challenging the boundaries of what can be included in an ultra-slim foldable phone. The company claims the Magic V6’s white color variant is the world’s thinnest foldable ever, measuring merely 4mm when unfolded and 8.75mm when folded. For context, the iPhone 17 Pro Max is 8.75mm thick, while the recently announced Galaxy S26 Ultra is 7.9mm, making this feel just like a regular smartphone in your pocket.
The other color variants (including the gold model I possess) are slightly thicker, but I find it difficult to discern the difference with my calipers. For me, the real achievement here is that the camera island on the rear is about half the thickness of that on the Magic V5. This was accomplished while simultaneously reinforcing the structure, achieving an IP69 water and dust resistance rating, and an even sturdier hinge than before. To date, only a handful of flagship phones from OnePlus and Honor have reached this rating.
“Addressing the issue of hinges being susceptible to failure,” Cao stated, “the V6 employs 2800MPa Honor Super Steel to strengthen the mechanical core, which is nearly twice the durability of Samsung’s material.” It boasts the same 500,000 lifetime folds rating as the Galaxy Z Fold 7, yet the tougher hinge, improved water resistance, and other factors indicate this one should endure even longer over time.
Displays hold immense significance for me, but not for the same reasons as some others. While the Magic V6’s display enhancements elevate all the expected metrics (peak brightness, refresh rate, etc.), it also revolutionizes by achieving a higher PWM rate than ever and adding a new anti-reflective layer. These are also genuinely true 10-bit displays, so there’s no unpleasant temporal dithering in play, either.
“Honor continues to excel in eye comfort technology, consistently pushing the limits of technical capability,” Cao shared with me, and this is indeed true, particularly with these two new technologies enhancing everything that already makes Honor displays exceptional. If I were to choose any phone that is good for my eyesight, it would undoubtedly be this one, rather than Samsung’s. It also features full stylus support on both screens (a first for foldables), although I lack a compatible stylus to test with.
Having an anti-reflective layer means the device is easier to see in bright conditions, something I’ve praised Samsung for on the Galaxy S24 and S25, and that technology can finally be found on a folding phone. The new anti-reflective layer is also reported to be 33% more durable against drops and features a 44% reduced curvature depth for the crease on the inner screen. Furthermore, it presents properly uniform bezels on the outer screen this time, which should assist those of us with OCD.
Honor claims it employed a blend of engineering expertise and AI simulation to help reach these new standards, including extensive testing and development of even better battery technology. Honor began utilizing electric car battery technology in its smartphones a few years ago, and now the company has increased the silicon content in its batteries to 25%, up from 15% in the Magic V5, providing the global model with a 6,660mAh battery.
Cao informed me that Honor aimed “to further push the boundaries of battery capacity,” thus they “collaborated with ATL to introduce a new generation of silicon-carbon battery technology.” This not only resulted in a higher-capacity battery but also one that is even slimmer.
While that’s