HONOR starts global launch of its Galaxy Z Fold 7 competitor

In the past, foldable phones sought to become thinner, lighter, and more durable without sacrificing battery life. The problem is that improving one area usually means sacrificing something else. HONOR believes it has found a way around that tradeoff with the new Magic V6, and the phone is beginning to roll out globally.

Announced for the Chinese market earlier this year, the HONOR Magic V6 arrives as the company’s latest flagship foldable and comes with an ultra-slim design, surprisingly large battery, flagship-grade durability, and deeper integration with Apple’s ecosystem.

The first thing that strikes the eye is the hardware. The white model weighs about 219g and is only 8.75mm thick when folded and 4.0mm when unfolded. This is closer to the feel of traditional smartphones than the bulky foldables that ruled the category just a few years ago.

Making a foldable thin is one thing. Making it durable is another. To tackle long-standing concerns around foldable reliability, HONOR has built the Magic V6 around its new Super Steel Hinge, which the company says offers a tensile strength of 2,800MPa. An AI-assisted bionic cushioning system complements the hinge, helping to absorb impacts and distribute force better during drops and daily use.

The inner screen is ultra-thin, flexible glass to minimize the appearance of creasing, and the outer display is protected by HONOR’s NanoCrystal Shield coating with up to 5,600 protective layers. The device is also IP68 and IP69 rated for dust and water resistance, which is still fairly rare in the foldable space.

The displays themselves are just as ambitious. The device features a 6.52-inch cover display and a 7.95-inch foldable inner panel, both with adaptive refresh rates from 1Hz to 120Hz. The outer display tops out at 6,000 nits of brightness, while the inner screen maxes out at 5,000 nits. HONOR claims that its advanced eye-comfort features and 4320Hz PWM dimming should make long viewing sessions easier on the eyes.

Perhaps the most intriguing part is what’s packed inside it. HONOR has managed to squeeze a massive 6,660mAh silicon-carbon battery into the device, which it claims is the largest battery ever used in a foldable smartphone. The company says the higher silicon content and improved energy density mean users get significantly more endurance without the added bulk. The phone also supports 80W wired charging, 66W wireless charging, and wireless reverse charging.

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset runs everything, backed up by LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.1 storage. HONOR says the Vulkan-based graphics system allows smooth 120fps gaming on the big inner display, helping the Magic V6 to compete with other foldables and traditional flagship phones.

The camera system follows the flagship formula as well. It has a 50MP main camera, a 64MP periscope telephoto camera with a large sensor and CIPA-rated stabilization, and a 50MP ultra-wide shooter. On the software side, HONOR is betting big on AI, with features like AI Color Engine, Magic Color 2.0, AI Image to Video 2.0, and other image-enhancing features targeted at content creators.

AI plays a significant role in MagicOS 10 as well. HONOR has natively built in several AI agents into the system, including tools for settings management, photo organization, contextual suggestions, and productivity workflows. The company is also adding features such as Fast Flex and PC-level Multi-Flex, which allow users to run multiple apps at the same time and utilize the foldable’s larger display.

HONOR has also been making leaps and bounds in terms of ecosystem compatibility. Most smartphone brands are more than willing to be exclusive to their own devices, but the Magic V6 is designed to work with iPhones, Macs, AirPods, and even Apple Watch devices using HONOR Share. File transfer, notification sharing, and cross-platform workflows are possible. With Quick Share support, sending files between Android and compatible Apple devices is pain-free.

Google’s Gemini AI is deeply embedded in the experience, too. Gemini is accessible via text, voice, images, or screen sharing, and buyers will get a three-month free Google AI Pro subscription. That also includes access to advanced Gemini features, Veo-powered video generation, Flow AI filmmaking tools, NotebookLM, and 5TB of cloud storage.

The HONOR Magic V6 will come in white, black, red, and gold and will be launched in Singapore and Malaysia initially. Prices in Malaysia start at RM7699 (roughly $1,918). HONOR also confirmed that the foldable will launch in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and other international markets soon.