Honor’s Foldable Magic V2 Challenges Apple iPhones in China

In the rapidly evolving Chinese smartphone market, Honor’s latest foldable device, the Magic V2, has emerged as a formidable competitor to Apple’s iPhones, CNBC News reports.

Launched on July 12 with a starting price of 8,999 yuan ($1,245), the Magic V2 has quickly climbed the ranks on JD.com’s “hot sales” smartphone list, vying for the top three spots alongside the iPhones.

Despite officially beginning sales on Thursday, the Magic V2 witnessed overwhelming pre-sale demand, causing delivery times for new orders to extend until mid-September.

This impressive performance has propelled the 9,999-yuan model of the Magic V2 to the second spot in JD.com’s smartphone sales rankings, with the 7,799-yuan iPhone 14 Pro leading the pack and the iPhone 13 securing third place.

One of the Magic V2’s standout features is its exceptional thinness, folding up to a mere 9.9 millimeters, which is almost as thin as the iPhone 14’s 7.85 millimeters without a case.

Despite its slim profile, the Magic V2 manages to maintain a “reasonable battery life,” making it a compelling choice for consumers, according to Ethan Qi, associate director at Counterpoint Research.

Honor claims that the Magic V2’s battery is only 2.72 millimeters thick, delivering about 14 hours of uninterrupted video watching on the phone’s unfolded large screen. Comparatively, the iPhone 14 offers approximately 20-30 hours of video playback on a single battery charge, depending on the model.

The strong pre-sales figures for the Magic V2 in China indicate the resilience of the premium smartphone segment, auguring well for the growth of foldable devices in the country, as pointed out by Ethan Qi.

While Honor sells its products internationally, specific plans for the Magic V2’s international market are yet to be revealed.

In China, the company has made its presence felt on major e-commerce platforms, including Douyin (China’s TikTok version), which has become a popular channel for selling products through livestreams.

As of Thursday morning, Honor had already sold over 10,000 units of the Magic V2 on Douyin alone.

Meanwhile, Samsung is gearing up to launch “slimmer and lighter” foldable smartphones at an event on July 26, further intensifying the competition in the foldable phone market.