Foldable Flagship Face-Off: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 vs Honor Magic V5

Foldable smartphones have come a long way from their bulky beginnings to become sleeker, more pocket-friendly devices. Today, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 from Samsung and the Honor Magic V5 go head to head in a race for thinness, build quality, performance, and feature sets. Both seek to redefine the standards for tablet-style foldables, putting minor differences under the microscope to sway buying decisions.

Summary Table

Design and Ergonomics

Dimensions and Slimness
Honor claims the title of “world’s slimmest foldable,” particularly in its Ivory White version. When folded, the Honor Magic V5 measures 156.8 × 74.3 × 8.8 mm just one millimetre thinner than the Galaxy Z Fold 7, which is 158.4 × 72.8 × 8.99 mm. Other color variants of the Magic V5 are approximately 9 mm thick. In unfolded (tablet) form, the Magic V5 is 156.8 × 145.9 × 4.1 or 4.2 mm, while the Z Fold 7 is 158.4 × 143.2 × 4.2 mm. In practice, Honor gains modest benefits in compactness.

Weight and Balance
Samsung maintains a slight advantage in weight: the Galaxy Z Fold 7 weighs around 215 g, whereas the Magic V5 is about 217 g. Even a two-gram difference can influence handling. Additionally, Honor’s larger camera bump creates a top-heavy feel in landscape grip, potentially leading to finger slippage or lens smudging. Samsung’s more balanced distribution aids in one-handed comfort, though both rest securely on flat surfaces face-up.

Build Quality and Hinge
Both phones exhibit sturdy, flex-resistant chassis and smooth hinges with a satisfying resistance. The Fold 7 features a more angular finish, while the Magic V5 accentuates rounded corners. The one drawback identified on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is its side buttons (volume and power), which offer less tactile feedback. Overall build quality remains excellent on both models.

Displays

Main (Folded-Out) Display

• Galaxy Z Fold 7: 8.0-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X, QXGA+ (2,184 × 1,968), 120 Hz refresh rate.

• Honor Magic V5: 7.95-inch OLED, 2,352 × 2,172 resolution.

Both deliver sharp detail, vibrant colors, rich contrast, and smooth motion. Honor offers slightly higher resolution and density around 403 ppi vs Samsung’s 368 ppi but the difference is subtle.

Cover/External Display

• Galaxy Z Fold 7: 6.5-inch FHD (2,520 × 1,080), 120 Hz.

• Honor Magic V5: 6.43-inch OLED (2,376 × 1,060).

Brightness and Visibility
Honor boasts a peak brightness of around 5,000 nits, almost double the Z Fold 7’s 2,600 nits. This makes Honor easier to use under very bright sunlight. Crease visibility is minimal on both, but Samsung’s fold line is shallower and smoother to the touch.

Performance and Software Features

Hardware
Both devices are powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Elite 8 with the Adreno 830 GPU. Day-to-day use – multitasking, switching apps, casual games – is seamless on both models.

Thermals and Sustained Performance
Neither device offers perfect thermal management under heavy graphics-intensive loads like Genshin Impact or Wuthering Waves. The Honor’s performance can be throttled in its standard mode. Samsung also shows inconsistent performance and temperature control, though Honkai: Star Rail remains manageable on both.

Multitasking

• Galaxy Z Fold 7: Supports up to eight open app windows on the main display, with flexible resizing and positioning.

• Honor Magic V5: Offers a Triple Split Screen (three apps simultaneously), which is useful for workflows like browsing plus content plus chat. However, some games are locked to fixed window sizes, limiting flexibility.

AI and Software Additions on Magic V5
Honor’s MagicOS 9.0 includes several AI-driven features:

• Image to Video: Uses Google’s Veo 2 AI to turn any gallery photo into a five-second clip.

• AI Deepfake Detection: Enhances video call security.

• AI Eraser 2.0: Removes unwanted subjects or reflections via two accessible shortcuts.
  These features are interesting but mostly ornamental—Samsung is positioned as better for everyday user experience due to its mature ecosystem.

Camera Capabilities

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7

• Rear triple camera: 200 MP main, 12 MP ultrawide, 10 MP telephoto. Offers high-resolution detail, rich dynamic range, and natural bokeh in daylight. Drawbacks include shutter lag, slight oversaturation, and middling telephoto quality.

Honor Magic V5

• Rear triple camera: 50 MP ultrawide, 50 MP wide, 64 MP periscope telephoto. Produces sharp, color-accurate images with good low-light performance. However, aggressive AI tuning and slow shutter speeds can detract. Three color profile options—Natural, Vibrant, Authentic—allow mood adjustment.

Overall, each phone excels in certain environments, resulting in broadly comparable imaging performance.

Battery and Charging

• Galaxy Z Fold 7: 4,400 mAh battery lasts around 10 hours under mixed usage (social media, music, video, light gaming). Supports 25 W wired charging; full charge in about 90 minutes.

• Honor Magic V5: 5,820 mAh battery lasts approximately 13 hours under the same load. Supports 66 W fast charging; reaches full charge in roughly one hour with provided charger.

Honor clearly delivers better endurance and significantly faster charging.

Pricing and Availability

• Galaxy Z Fold 7 (12 GB + 256 GB): S $2,698. Storage upgrades: up to S $2,878 (512 GB), or S $3,328 (1 TB). The removal of the S-Pen and higher price compared to predecessor (S $2,548) reduce its value proposition.

• Honor Magic V5 (32 GB + 512 GB): S $2,199 in Singapore. Availability is limited to China, Singapore, and Malaysia.

Overall, Honor offers stronger battery and charging performance at a lower price, while Samsung trades off value for a more polished experience and multitasking flexibility.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Which device is slimmer?

A. Honor Magic V5 is marginally slimmer when folded (8.8 mm vs 8.99 mm) and slightly narrower and shorter when unfolded.

2. Which phone handles heat and performance better?

A. Both models share the same chipset and show thermal constraints under heavy gaming. The Magic V5 may throttle first, while the Z Fold 7 shows more inconsistent heat management.

3. Which foldable offers better multitasking?

A. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 supports up to eight resizable app windows. The Magic V5 has a Triple Split Screen but limits some games to fixed windows.

4. How do their cameras compare?

A. Samsung delivers high-resolution results with natural bokeh but has slight lag and oversaturation issues. Honor provides color-accurate, sharp photos with flexible modes, albeit with aggressive AI tuning and slower shutter speeds.

5. Which has superior battery life and charging?

A. Honor Magic V5 wins with a 5,820 mAh battery and 66 W fast charging—lasting around 13 hours and fully charging in about an hour. The Z Fold 7’s 4,400 mAh battery lasts about 10 hours and charges in about 90 minutes at 25 W.

6. Are there unique software features on Honor?

A. Yes. MagicOS 9.0 includes AI Image to Video, AI deepfake detection, and an enhanced AI Eraser. These are intriguing, though not essential, enhancements.

7. Value comparison?

A. Honor offers better battery, faster charging, and lower price, but limited availability. Samsung provides a more refined experience, global reach, and broader multitasking capabilities, though at a higher cost.

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