Honor shares Magic V2 design story as sales open in China

Honor's Magic V2 foldable has just launched in China and the company shared the rather interesting design story behind the device. The centerpiece element of the design process is portability and it shows. The handset is considerably thinner and lighter than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 (10.1 mm vs. 13.4 mm when unfolded and 231 g vs. 253 g). Honor argues that according to their market research, consumers have portability at top of their priority list.

Let's start with the innovative hinge design. It uses titanium elements, which boast higher rigidity, lower weight and anti-corrosion properties. The shaft cover is made of titanium, making it 150% tougher and 42% lighter at the same time.

When it comes to the hinge's main body, though, it's made of a special kind of steel used for tunnel boring applications. It strikes the perfect balance between durability and thinness, shaving off a few millimeters. This particular steel is 25% thinner and 20% stronger than the aluminum previously used for this application.

What's more, Honor redesigned the hinge's support structure and thanks to the steel and titanium combo, it allowed the company to reduce the depth of fold marks on the screen by 47%. A new brake caliper damping structure ensures smooth and stable travel.

Honor has come up with a tiny micro lock component the size of a rice grain that prevents misalignments, which in turn have the potential to make more fold marks after prolonged usage. Redesigned tiny screws are also used to put all the components together.

Lastly, the hinge earns certification from SGS, ensuring that the mechanism can withstand 400,000 folds. That makes up to 100 folds per day for 10 years. Not too shabby.

Another breakthrough design choice resides within the display. The foldable panel uses a three-in-one display driver component that saves up space. Honor then used that space to fit an impressive by foldables' standards 5,000 mAh battery. The battery itself is also special. It's a silicon-carbon battery pack with improved energy density.

The Magic V2 definitely seems impressive on paper and having visited the labs where it was tested and played with it for a short we can confirm it really includes the best technologies the maker currently has at its disposal. We can't wait for the global version to launch so we can put it through its paces and really see what it can do.