Honor Magic V4 Foldable Review: The Slimmest Book-Style Foldable

The Honor Magic V4 has 7,000+ reviews on JD.com with a 4.4/5 rating at ¥8,999 ($1,248). Users praise the incredible thinness, large inner display, and flagship performance. Common complaints include crease visibility, camera quality compared to slab flagships, and software optimization gaps. Conclusion: 💰 Premium Pick — the best book-style foldable for users who prioritize thinness and display size above all else.

Introduction

Honor has been pushing the boundaries of foldable phone design, and the Magic V4 represents its most ambitious effort yet. At just 9.2mm folded and 4.7mm unfolded, it’s the thinnest book-style foldable on the market — even thinner than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Huawei Mate XT. Despite the slim profile, it packs a Snapdragon 8 Gen 4, a large 7.92-inch inner display, and a capable triple camera system.

Priced at ¥8,999, it competes with the Huawei Mate XT, Oppo Find N5, and Xiaomi MIX Fold 5. Our assessment draws from 7,000+ JD.com reviews, foldable durability testing, and long-term use evaluation.

Specifications

Spec	Honor Magic V4	Huawei Mate XT	Oppo Find N5	Xiaomi MIX Fold 5
Price	¥8,999 ($1,248)	¥13,999 ($1,942)	¥7,999 ($1,109)	¥8,999 ($1,248)
SoC	Snapdragon 8 Gen 4	Kirin 9100	Snapdragon 8 Gen 4	Snapdragon 8 Gen 4
Inner Display	7.92” OLED 2K 120Hz	7.85” OLED 2K 120Hz	7.82” OLED 2K 120Hz	8.03” OLED 2K 120Hz
Outer Display	6.43” OLED 1.5K 120Hz	6.4” OLED 1.5K 120Hz	6.4” OLED 1.5K 120Hz	6.56” OLED 1.5K 120Hz
Cameras	50MP + 50MP UW + 8MP tele	50MP + 12MP UW + 48MP tele	50MP + 48MP UW + 50MP tele	50MP + 13MP UW + 50MP tele
Battery	5,600mAh	5,350mAh	5,500mAh	4,800mAh
Charging	66W wired / 50W wireless	66W wired / 50W wireless	100W wired / 50W wireless	67W wired / 50W wireless
Thickness (folded)	9.2mm	9.3mm	10.2mm	10.4mm
Weight	229g	239g	245g	255g
JD Rating	4.4/5	4.5/5	4.4/5	4.3/5

Design and Build Quality

The Magic V4 is an engineering marvel. At 9.2mm folded and 229g, it’s thinner and lighter than many non-foldable flagship phones. When unfolded, the 4.7mm thinness is staggering — it feels more like a tablet than a phone. The hinge uses Honor’s latest “Super Steel” mechanism rated for 500,000 folds, with improved dust resistance.

The build quality is excellent, with a polished metal frame and textured glass back. The IPX8 water resistance (submersible up to 1.5m for 30 minutes) is a first for Honor foldables. The crease on the inner display is visible at angles but less pronounced than the Samsung Z Fold 6. Honor claims the inner display uses “NanoCrystal” anti-scratch technology, though users still report micro-scratches over time. The outer 6.43-inch display is fully functional as a regular phone, with a 20:9 aspect ratio that’s comfortable for one-handed use.

“The thinness is unbelievable. When folded, it’s thinner than my iPhone in a case. The water resistance gives me confidence to use it in rain. The crease is visible in direct light but you stop noticing it after a day.” — JD.com user

Performance

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 handles everything smoothly, and MagicOS 9 includes foldable-specific optimizations for multitasking. You can run three apps simultaneously on the inner display, with adjustable window sizes. The split-screen experience is excellent on the 7.92-inch display.

Gaming on the inner display is immersive — Genshin Impact at high settings fills the large screen beautifully. The 5,600mAh battery delivers a full day of moderate use, which is impressive for a foldable. 66W wired charging fills it in about 45 minutes, and 50W wireless charging is supported. The thermal design is clever — heat spreads across the larger unfolded surface area, keeping temperatures lower than conventional phones during gaming.

“Multitasking on the big screen is a game-changer for my work. I can have WeChat, a document, and a browser all open at once. The split-screen experience is smooth and well-optimized.” — JD.com user

Camera Quality

The triple camera system (50MP main + 50MP ultrawide + 8MP telephoto) is capable but not flagship-class. The main sensor takes good photos with natural colors, but it doesn’t match the quality of slab flagships at similar prices. The 8MP telephoto with only 2.5x optical zoom is the weakest link — more zoom range would be expected at this price.

Where the foldable form factor helps is the ability to use the main camera for selfies (by folding the phone and using the outer display as a viewfinder). This produces significantly better selfie quality than the under-display inner camera. Night mode is adequate but not exceptional. Video recording maxes out at 4K/60fps with fair stabilization.

“Camera is fine but not worth ¥8,999 by itself. You’re paying for the foldable form factor. The main camera takes good photos but the zoom is disappointing. Selfies with the rear camera and outer display preview are great though.” — JD.com user

User Reviews by Theme

Design & Portability

“Thinner than my regular phone when folded. This is the first foldable I can comfortably use one-handed. The outer display is actually usable, not just for notifications.” — JD.com user 💡 The thin profile and portability are the most praised features.

Display

“The inner display is gorgeous. Watching movies and reading on this screen is a joy. The crease is there but you get used to it quickly.” — JD.com user 💡 Display quality, especially the large inner screen, receives high marks.

Durability

“IPX8 water resistance gives me peace of mind. The hinge feels solid after two months of use. No screen issues so far. I’m careful with it but it doesn’t feel fragile.” — JD.com user 💡 Improved durability vs previous foldables is noted and appreciated.

Camera

“Camera is the biggest compromise. At ¥8,999, I expected better zoom and low-light performance. The main camera is good but the zoom telephoto is disappointing.” — JD.com user 💡 Camera quality is the most common criticism, particularly the weak telephoto.

Purchase Recommendations

💰 Premium Pick: The Honor Magic V4 is for early adopters and tech enthusiasts who want the absolute thinnest book-style foldable. If portability and display size are your priorities and you have the budget, this is the best foldable available.

✅ Worth Buying: Consider the Oppo Find N5 if you want a more compact foldable with a better aspect ratio and faster charging. The Xiaomi MIX Fold 5 offers a larger inner display and better cameras for the same price.

⚠️ Budget Warning: Skip the Magic V4 if camera quality is your priority — the zoom lens is inadequate for a near-¥9,000 phone. Also consider whether a foldable is truly necessary for your use case, as slab flagships offer better cameras for half the price.

Pros & Cons

✅ Pros	❌ Cons
Incredibly thin and light (9.2mm folded, 229g)	8MP telephoto zoom is disappointing
Gorgeous 7.92-inch inner display	Crease still visible on inner display
IPX8 water resistance for foldable	Camera doesn’t match ¥9,000 slab flagships
Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 flagship performance	MagicOS can have foldable-specific bugs
Excellent multitasking on large display	Limited app optimization for foldable aspect ratios
5,600mAh battery with wireless charging	Expensive at ¥8,999

FAQ

Q1: How durable is the Magic V4’s inner display? Honor rates the hinge for 500,000 folds and uses improved screen protection. Real-world durability is good but the inner display is still more fragile than a regular phone screen. Honor includes a one-time free screen replacement within the first year. Users report micro-scratches after 3-6 months.

Q2: Is the Magic V4’s camera really that much worse than a slab flagship? The main camera is decent but not great for a ¥9,000 device. The zoom telephoto is the biggest compromise — an 8MP sensor with 2.5x optical zoom is mid-range spec. For the same money, a Xiaomi 15 Ultra or vivo X200 Ultra offers significantly better photography.

Q3: Does the outer display work as a regular phone? Yes, the 6.43-inch outer display has a 20:9 aspect ratio, similar to a regular phone. You can use it for all tasks without unfolding. The display is bright and responsive, with good color accuracy. Most users report using the outer display 60-70% of the time.

Q4: How is the crease compared to other foldables? The crease is less pronounced than the Samsung Z Fold 6 but more visible than the Huawei Mate XT. You notice it at certain angles and in bright light, but it’s not distracting during regular use. Most users stop noticing it after a few days.

Q5: Does the phone support Google services? Yes, Honor supports Google Play Services. Google apps work normally on both displays. The foldable experience with Google apps is well-optimized, with apps adapting to the inner screen size.