The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the Honor Magic V5 are part of a new wave of foldables that push the boundaries of how thin, light, and powerful a foldable phone can be.
Both arrive with top-tier specs, large folding displays, and premium builds, but each takes a slightly different approach to the foldable concept. The differences may seem minor at first glance, but for anyone looking to spend nearly $2,000 on a phone, those small details matter.
Let’s break it down.
1. Design and Build
Samsung’s Z Fold 7 takes its usual book-style design and slims it down even further. Folded, it’s just 8.9mm thick; impressively close to the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s 8.2mm.
Unfolded, the Fold 7 is only 4.2mm, making it the thinnest foldable Samsung has ever made. Also, the phone is incredibly light at 215 grams. There’s an aluminum frame, Gorilla Glass Victus Ceramic 2 on the front and back, and a flexible interior screen protected by a new titanium plate layer.
Honor’s Magic V5 goes even slimmer, at least on paper. The Ivory White model of the foldable is just 8.8mm when folded and 4.1mm unfolded. This is technically slimmer than Samsung’s Fold 7. However, other color variants of the V5 are slightly thicker at 9.0mm. At 217g or 222g, depending on finish, it’s also a touch heavier.
Both phones feel light for their size and come with side-mounted fingerprint sensors, IP ratings for water and dust resistance (IP48 for Samsung, IP58/IP59 for Honor), and stylus support. However, Samsung has dropped S Pen compatibility due to space constraints in its thinner frame.
2. Displays
Samsung has upgraded the cover screen to 6.5 inches with a 21:9 aspect ratio, making it look and feel more like a traditional smartphone when folded. The inner display is now a full 8 inches, matching the iPad mini in size. Both screens are AMOLED panels with a 120Hz refresh rate and HDR10+ support.
Honor’s Magic V5 flaunts a 6.43-inch cover display and a 7.95-inch inner screen. Both are LTPO OLEDs with 120Hz refresh rates and have a much brighter peak brightness at 5000 nits, compared to Samsung’s 2600 nits.
The Fold 7 also has a new 10MP ultrawide camera on the main screen. It comes in place of the under-display pixel cluster seen on older models. On the flip side, the crease on the Z Fold 7 is still visible in certain lighting. Honor’s crease is no less noticeable, but its “Super Armored” inner screen may offer better scratch resistance.
3. Cameras
The Galaxy Z Fold 7 finally gets the flagship camera treatment. It features a 200MP main camera, the same sensor as the S25 Ultra. It’s joined by a 12MP ultrawide and a 10MP 3x telephoto lens. Likewise, both the inner and outer screen has 10MP cameras. The camera setup supports 8K video and up to 960fps slow motion.
Honor doesn’t chase megapixel numbers, but instead offers a more balanced setup. The V5 has a 50MP main camera, a 50MP ultrawide, and a 64MP periscope telephoto with 3x optical zoom. It also supports 4K video and includes laser autofocus.
Despite Samsung’s 200MP sensor, the Z Fold 7 lacks a periscope lens, likely due to the device’s thin profile. That limits optical zoom. Honor, on the other hand, manages to include one, giving it a slight edge in versatility.
4. Performance and Software
Both phones are powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, with Honor using the AB variant and Samsung the AC variant. The differences between the two chips are minimal, but Samsung’s version may be slightly better optimized for heat and performance. Both use the same Adreno 830 GPU.
Samsung ships the Z Fold 7 with Android 16 and promises seven years of software support. It runs One UI 8, which integrates deeply with Google’s Gemini AI. That includes features like Gemini Live and an improved Circle to Search that works in games and multitasking.
Honor ships the V5 with Android 15 under MagicOS 9. It also includes Circle to Search but doesn’t yet match Samsung’s AI integration or long-term software guarantees.
5. Battery and Charging
Despite its slim body, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 houses a 4,400mAh battery. Samsung claims it can deliver 24 hours of video playback. Charging speeds are relatively modest: 25W wired, 15W wireless, and 4.5W reverse.
Honor’s Magic V5 outpaces it with a much larger 5,820mAh battery. It supports 66W wired charging, 50W wireless charging, and 5W reverse wired charging. That’s a clear step up, especially for power users.
6. Pricing and Availability
Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 starts at $1,999.99 in the US and £1,799 in the UK. It’s available in three standard colors—Blue Shadow, Silver Shadow, Jet Black—and one exclusive Mint color from Samsung’s online store.
Honor hasn’t confirmed pricing for global markets yet, but based on Chinese pricing and past models, it’s likely to undercut Samsung by a few hundred dollars. It will launch globally in Black, Dawn Gold, Reddish Brown, and Ivory White.
7. Final Thoughts
Both the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the Honor Magic V5 are among the best foldable phones you can buy in 2025. This year, Samsung has made its most significant update yet to its foldable lineup since its introduction. Meanwhile, Honor focuses on offering better hardware overall, with a larger battery and a periscope lens.
If you’re already in the Samsung ecosystem or want the longest Android support window available, the Z Fold 7 makes more sense. But if you’re looking for better battery life, brighter screens, and a slightly lower price, the Honor Magic V5 is hard to ignore.
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