I spent two weeks with the Galaxy Z Fold 5 killer. Here's what I found.

May 2024 · 9 minute read
The first foldable phone prototype was unveiled back in 2018, more than six years ago. The Chinese Royole FlexPai was just a curiosity to show flexible display technology and its potential application in mobile tech.


I remember seeing the prototype, which left me with mixed feelings. It was awe-inspiring and almost looked like something taken from a science-fiction movie, but at the same time it was crude, squeaky, and unpolished.


The big guys quickly picked up on this (well, mainly Samsung), and soon after the FlexPai debut, we had the first Galaxy Fold. I'll skip the rest of the history lesson and get straight to the point. Have foldables evolved in the past six years to the point where they are ready to become our daily drivers? And if so, then at what cost?


The Galaxy Z Fold 5 killer


This heading might sound a bit clickbaity, but if we try to be objective about it, our contender wipes the floor with the Galaxy Z Fold 5. It's thinner, lighter, it closes completely, its crease is less pronounced, it has a bigger battery, a better cover screen, and faster charging.
Yes, I'm talking about the Honor Magic V2, and before you guys shrug off this article as irrelevant, don't forget that the company that started it all was Chinese. Like it or not, these companies are much more aggressive with innovation and development than Samsung and Apple combined. At least when it comes to foldable phones.
So, is the Honor Magic V2 polished enough to put all conventional non-folding phones to rest?


Foldable phones are now as thin and light as normal phones

The Honor Magic V2 looks and feels like a normal non-folding phone


One of the main drawbacks and a thing people have consistently complained about when it comes to foldable phones is the physical aspect of the phone. Pretty much all foldables are very heavy and also pretty thick.


Even the Galaxy Z Fold 5, the best Samsung could do, is 13.5mm thick and weighs more than 250 grams. Not exactly pocket friendly. But even back in 2018, when Royole introduced the FlexPai, I was sure it was a matter of time for engineers to get there. And they have.


The Honor Magic V2 is just 9.9mm when folded, and it weighs 231 grams, one gram lighter than the Galaxy S24 Ultra. It feels like a conventional phone. A big one, for sure, but still not foldable.


In my two weeks of testing, I gave the folded phone to a couple of my friends, and they failed to make out that it's foldable. They eventually got it, but the first impression was a pretty strong indicator that engineers had succeeded.


So, future foldables will most likely be as light and thin as normal phones. It turns out this doesn't matter all that much.


A workout for your hands


Let's talk about the huge elephant in the room. In order to use the big inner screen, you have to unfold the phone. And let me tell you, this is never easy. It hasn't been easy since Gen 1 foldables, and it's getting even harder with thinner models.


When you're on the move or you need one of your hands free, it's near to impossible to unfold the Magic V2 (and pretty much any other foldable). The magnetic lock on those phones is just too strong, and you have to pry it open by inserting your fingernail or, in the best-case scenario, the tip of your fingers between the two folded sides. Not only can this damage the soft display, but it also hurts your fingers after 50 repetitions.


Making the phone out of glossy, polished metal doesn't help the situation in the slightest. I know there are cases and covers that alleviate the issue to some extent, but it's super annoying.


It's so annoying that after a day or two, I caught myself being reluctant to open the phone and just preferring to do what I had to on the cover screen.


Now, to be honest, there are cases where you can and will use the phone unfolded. Let's say you're on a plane, or in bed decompressing after a long week, or waiting for someone, or at a work-related event or meeting where you need to actually do some work on your phone. These are all very plausible scenarios, and any foldable phone has a real advantage over conventional phones.


The thing is, mobile phones are called "mobile" for a reason, and we use them on the go at least half the time. Any additional physical action that's required in order to use your phone is a compromise.


There are workarounds, of course. You could spring-load the hinge and add a release mechanism. Some of the flip phones of old had similar systems, and even the Huawei Mate Xs series uses one.


Such a system would help with the initial separation of the sides; just an inch or so would make things so much easier. But there are better alternatives (from a user experience point of view), and I'll get to them in a minute. Let's now talk about these inner displays and the real-life functionality of foldable phones.


I've always wanted a square screen!


Okay, it's sarcasm, I admit. Let's talk about the bad things first.


Watching any kind of video content on these square-ish 8-inch screens is pointless. You end up using a small fraction of the screen, often even smaller than the cover screen.

Another annoying thing is the crease. Videos have moving images in them (duh!) and this creates refraction issues that accentuate the crease. I tried to watch House of Cards on the unfolded Magic V2, but I ended up closing the phone and using the cover screen (which is amazing, by the way).


Texting on the inner screen is also very weird. You can split the keyboard so it's more comfortable for your thumbs, but then the position of the letter changes, and you have to think before you type. It's not ideal because when you type on the cover screen, the space between the letter and their position is different. Conventional. This constant switching between the two messes with your brain, and it's very annoying.


You can opt for a full-sized unsplit keyboard, but the letters in the center are unreachable in this case.


Time to exonerate foldable phones! There is a lot of amazing stuff you can do with them. For starters, browsing the internet is pure joy. You get more information, and it looks good, too. Shopping, reading articles, reviews, or anything really, is great on a foldable.


Using navigation services is also much better on a bigger screen, no matter the strange aspect ratio. You just get more information and more context, and when you're trying to go from point A to point B, every additional street name around helps with orientation, even if the route has been set.


Multitasking and anything work related, where you need to copy-paste things, move things between apps, type a message while checking out something else—it's all a breeze. The annoying switcharoo between apps is almost gone. There are still limitations. You can use two or three apps simultaneously, but even at this level, foldables are much better than regular phones.


Gaming is also pretty spectacular on a foldable. Unlike videos, most mobile games have optimized the resolution to fit the squarish screen, and yeah, sometimes it's just smoke and mirrors, extrapolation, and no real or useful game information, but it looks good and is much more immersive.

Reading books on an 8-inch screen is also a completely different experience. The Magic V2 can't compete with e-ink display devices, such as Kindle readers, but it obliterates normal phones if you want to read a book and not carry separate device with you.


Now, you can make a case for using the main camera for selfies and video calls. You can do that; it's kind of uncomfortable, so it's neither a big bonus nor a drawback, just a potential use case I feel I need to mention.


Wait, I need to pay how much, exactly? What if it breaks? I forgot to clip my fingernails!


Ah, the price. It's just like in the real estate market. We're waiting like forever for prices to fall. The Honor Magic V2 costs 2000 euros, or the equivalent of two iPhone 15 Pros. The warranty on these things is a bit sketchy, too. Granted, these titanium hinges won't budge, but water, dust, and sand can damage your precious foldable, as well as your fingernails!
Yep, forgetting to trim your fingernails short could result in permanent marks on your flexible screen. Folding the phone requires for your to push with your thumb in the center of the display and pull with your hands. You can teach yourself to use the frame but the all of my friends and colleagues fold these phones intuitively by pushing at the center. You need a lighter touch and constant awareness that you should clean the screen of dust or any debris before closing your foldable.


But it is so cool! I want one! Foldable phone alternatives


There are alternatives that can give you the wow factor and tackle most of the issues. Rollable phones. Now, before you reach for the X and leave, hear me out.


First and foremost, a rollable phone would cure the folding-unfolding compromise. You can unroll and extend the display by clicking a button. One-handed operation.


Second, the phone can extend automatically, depending on the content. The Motorola Rizr concept I played with at MWC 2023 demonstrated this concept.


Rollable phones come with their own set of issues, but in my opinion, they are a much more elegant solution to the need for a bigger screen on a phone.


Pros and Cons of foldable phones summarized:

Pros:


Cons:


Final Thoughts


I've switched back to my iPhone 13 mini now and put the Honor Magic V2 in the drawer. This phone is an important step in the evolution of foldable phones. It's a stepping stone. Foldable phones don't have to be thicker and heavier than normal phones anymore.


The thing is, the way we use our phones is much more important. Folding and unfolding a phone is a conceptual thing. You should consider the pros and cons and decide for yourselves whether you need one.


For me personally, a foldable doesn't make much sense. When I'm at home, I can use a regular tablet, a TV, or a gaming console; I don't need an all-in-one device. At work, I do most of the things on my laptop; it's just much more efficient to use a hardware keyboard and a mouse. For everything else, a normal phone is more than enough.


I'm sure there are people who would make the most of a foldable, and it will be perfect for their lifestyle, but I'm not convinced they are the majority. And the sales figures prove my point. At least for now.

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