Although not new to the foldable market, Honor has just launched its first clamshell folding phone, the Magic V Flip. Meanwhile, its former parent company Huawei has already released three flip phones, the latest being the Huawei Pocket 2. Both phones bring a stylish touch to the foldable trend, but which one is better? Let’s dive into a head-to-head comparison.
1. Design and Display
Both the phones come in a now-familiar clamshell design with a large, foldable main display. The Honor Magic V Flip features a 6.8-inch foldable LTPO OLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, HDR and Dolby Vision support, and a peak brightness of 3000 nits.
The Huawei Pocket 2, on the other hand, has a slightly larger 6.94-inch LTPO OLED screen with the same 120Hz refresh rate but a lower peak brightness of 2200 nits. However, both displays are bright enough to ensure good outdoor visibility.
The cover screens, however, set these phones apart. The Honor Magic V Flip has a large 4-inch edge-to-edge screen with features carried over from the main screen, including a 120Hz LTPO refresh rate, Dolby Vision, and HDR certification.
In contrast, the Huawei Pocket 2 has a small 1.15-inch cover screen below the camera module. While it allows you to check notifications, you need to flip open the phone for things such as to reply to messages. The Magic V Flip’s cover screen is large enough to handle most tasks without opening the phone.
When folded, both phones are incredibly thin, with the Honor Magic V Flip having a slight edge at 14.9mm compared to the Huawei Pocket 2’s 15.3mm. The Magic V Flip is also lighter, weighing 193g compared to the Pocket 2’s 199g. Both phones use an aluminum frame and offer a dual SIM slot, but neither has expandable storage.
2. Performance and Battery
For performance, the Honor Magic V Flip features the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, an older but still high-end processor. Huawei has not officially disclosed the processor details for the Pocket 2, but it is believed to use the Kirin 9000S chip, similar to the one in the Mate 60 Pro.
Both devices offer memory options of 12GB and 16GB RAM, and up to 1TB of storage. The Honor Magic V Flip has a slightly larger 4800mAh battery compared to the Pocket 2’s 4520mAh battery.
They support 66W fast wired charging. However, the Pocket 2 offers additional features such as 40W wireless charging and 5W reverse wireless charging, which are not available on the Honor Magic V Flip.
3. Cameras
The camera department is often a key differentiator in smartphones, and these foldable phones are no exception. The Huawei Pocket 2 features a quad rear camera system with a 50MP main sensor, an 8MP telephoto lens, a 12MP ultrawide lens, and a 2MP spectral lens. The main and telephoto lenses have OIS support, delivering good-quality photos in most lighting conditions.
In contrast, the Honor Magic V Flip has just two rear cameras: a 50MP main camera with OIS and a 12MP ultrawide lens. Front-facing cameras are equally important for selfies and video calls. The Huawei Pocket 2 has a 10.7MP punch-hole selfie camera, while the Honor Magic V Flip has a higher resolution 50MP wide-angle lens.
4. Software
One of the biggest differences between the two phones is their operating systems. The Huawei Pocket 2 runs on Huawei’s HarmonyOS, an alternative operating system developed in-house.
While HarmonyOS offers a smooth and user-friendly experience, it still lacks native access to popular Google apps and services like the Play Store, YouTube, and Gmail. This can be a deal-breaker for users who rely heavily on these services.
The Honor Magic V Flip, on the other hand, runs on Android 14-based MagicOS 8 with Google Mobile Services (GMS) pre-installed. So users have full access to the Google Play Store and all the apps and services they’re familiar with. It’s an advantage for Honor, especially in markets outside of China where Google services are widely used.
5. Price and Availability
The Honor Magic V Flip undercuts the Huawei Pocket 2 in terms of price. It starts at CNY 4,999 (~$689) for the base 8GB + 256GB variant, whereas the Huawei Pocket 2 starts at CNY 7,499 (~$1,044) for the base 256GB model. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the pricing:
- Honor Magic V Flip:
- 8GB + 256GB: CNY 4,999 (~$689)
- 12GB + 512GB: CNY 5,499 (~$758)
- 12GB + 1TB: CNY 5,999 (~$827)
- 16GB + 1TB (Limited Edition): CNY 6,999 (~$965)
- Huawei Pocket 2:
- 12GB + 256GB: 7,499 Yuan (~ $1,044)
- 12GB + 512GB: 7,999 Yuan (~ $1,113)
- 12GB + 1TB: 8,999 Yuan (~ $1,252)
Note that both these devices are currently only available in China.
6. Conclusion
The Honor Magic V Flip is a compelling competitor to the Huawei Pocket 2, particularly when considering the significant price difference.
It offers a larger cover display, possibly better performance with the Snapdragon processor, a high-resolution selfie camera, and a slightly larger battery. However, the Huawei Pocket 2 retains some advantages with its telephoto lens and wireless charging capabilities.
Additionally, users who prefer the Android ecosystem will find the Honor Magic V Flip more appealing, while those who have experience with HarmonyOS or prioritize features like wireless charging might lean towards the Huawei Pocket 2. Ultimately, the choice between these two phones depends on individual priorities and budget.
