Chinese hardware brand Honor has announced a slimmer foldable phone, a bid to out-design Samsung Electronics days before it launches its own new foldable devices.

The phone, called the Magic V5, measures as thin as 8.8mm when folded shut, making it one of the slimmest foldable devices ever to hit the market. (Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold6, announced last year, is 12.1mm when folded.) With the latest models, the form factor has nearly reached the thinness of conventional smartphones — even while offering a tablet-sized inner display for improved multitasking and more immersive video consumption.

The tech industry’s biggest players, including Google and Huawei Technologies, have been experimenting with foldable designs for years, even though they have yet to gain traction among mainstream consumers. Samsung is planning to introduce the Galaxy Z Fold7 on 9 July, while Apple is planning to release its first folding iPhone as soon as 2026, according to reports. The new Honor device will first roll out in China and other non-US markets.

The Chinese company said it expects Apple’s eventual entry to drive overall market growth and accelerate development of the category. “We welcome Apple’s participation and are not afraid to compete directly with them,” it said.

The Magic V5 comes in white, black, gold and brown, but the 8.8mm thickness rating is only available on the white model. The rest of the colours come in at 9mm when shut and 4.2mm when open. (The slimmer white version comes in at 4.1mm when opened up.) The other specifications are the same regardless of the colour.

The external display used when the phone is closed measures 6.4 inches, while the inner display is 7.95 inches. Those are about the same sizes as the screens on the current Magic V3 model.

Both support a refresh rate as high as 120Hz — a specification that has become requisite on premium devices. The crease in the display — a persistent design challenge for foldables — is more subtle here than on some other models, including Honor’s previous attempts. But it’s still visible when the display is turned off.

Challenges

In designing the Magic V5, Honor had to overcome challenges related to battery size, hinge strength and water and dust resistance, a spokesman said. The battery uses silicon carbon technology, which allowed the company to pack greater energy density into a battery module that measures 2.3mm thick. Honor also said its AI-assisted manufacturing process helped make assembly more efficient, and that the Magic V5’s steel hinge allows “for a tighter body”.

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The Magic V5 otherwise has high-end hardware features, including Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, a triple-lens rear camera system, and more robust dust and water resistance compared with rival offerings. The phone is also quick to recharge, supporting 66W wired charging and 50W wireless speeds. A model for China with 1TB of storage will have a larger, 6 100mAh battery pack compared to the 5 820mAh system offered in other markets like the UK. (Those versions will have 512GB of space.)

Samsung is also likely to tout engineering improvements in the face of design challenges. The Galaxy Z Fold series has typically had narrow proportions that make the screen feel cramped for people with large hands. But similar to Google’s Pixel 9 Pro Fold, Samsung’s next foldable should offer a user experience when closed that’s more akin to using a regular phone. But it’s possible that even with Samsung’s design enhancements, Honor’s Magic V5 could hold onto the world’s thinnest foldable claim. — Chris Welch, (c) 2025 Bloomberg LP