When you’re searching for a tablet-style foldable cellphone, and do not fancy going with the dear Samsung option, there are two choices that stand out above the remainder.
The Honor Magic VS launched in China late final 12 months, earlier than making its international debut at MWC 2023.
It wasn’t the one flagship foldable to launch on the present, although, Tecno stunned us with a really enticing different carrying an interesting price ticket.
So, which one do you have to get? Be part of us as we check out the professionals and cons of every.
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Tecno
Tecno Phantom V Fold
We’re extraordinarily impressed with the Phantom V Fold, not solely does it carry out nicely and look nice, however it does in order one of many most cost-effective tablet-style foldables in the marketplace right now.
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Honor
Honor Magic Vs
Honor’s foldable flagship has highly effective internals and two large, vibrant shows. It folds flush too, providing a really totally different expertise to the Galaxy Z Fold.
Worth and availability
- Tecno Phantom V Fold: 12+256GB ~€1,050 / 12+512GB ~€1,150
- Launching in India first, with different markets to observe
- Honor Magic VS: 8+256GB €1,249 / 12+256GB €1,399 / 12+512GB €1,700
- Launched in China first, with a global rollout in Q1 2023
Each of those smartphones considerably undercut the market chief on pricing, which is a bit a part of their enchantment. Nonetheless, Tecno has probably the most aggressive pricing, with the Phantom V Fold coming in at round €350 lower than the Magic VS for the 12GB mannequin with 256GB of storage.
There’s extra to the story, although, as we’re not precisely positive which international locations will be capable to get their fingers on the budget-friendly Tecno gadget. It’s going to be launching in India, initially, and it stays to be seen which different international locations will discover this gadget on their cabinets.
The Honor Magic VS, however, might be touchdown shortly in European international locations similar to Germany and the UK, in addition to some areas in Latin America. So far as we are able to inform, neither gadget is more likely to launch in the US.
Design
- Tecno Phantom V Fold: 299 grams
- Folded: 159.4 x 71.95 x 14.15 mm
- Unfolded: 159.4 x 140.4 x 6.9 mm
- Colors: Black and white choices, recycled plastic again
- Honor Magic VS: 261 grams
- Folded: 160.3 x 72.6 x 12.9 mm
- Unfolded: 160.3 x 141.5 x 6.1 mm
- Colors: Cyan or Black, glass again
Each of those telephones share comparable dimensions whereas folded and unfolded, by no means quite a lot of millimetres aside. Nonetheless, the Magic VS is just a little lighter, and once we’re coping with foldable telephones, any saving in weight is a welcome one.
The Phantom V Fold has a definite look, it has a recycled plastic again with a grippy and strange texture. The Magic VS takes a extra customary method, with a shiny glass-backed design.
Each telephones supply two color variants for his or her international launch, the V Fold is available in both black or white, whereas the Magic VS is available in cyan or black.
The Phantom has a big round digital camera array on its rear and the Magic VS has an oblong array on its left-hand facet. Each fashions have a fairly vital digital camera bump, however the Phantom’s is centrally positioned, which suggests much less rocking in your desk when the cellphone is folded.
Elsewhere, the designs are fairly comparable. Each have a fingerprint reader on the ability button on the right-hand facet of the cellphone, and each have speaker grilles on the highest and backside of the gadget (when folded),
The one noticeable distinction is that Honor’s quantity rocker is separated to the higher portion of the cellphone, whereas the Phantom’s quantity rocker is positioned subsequent to the fingerprint reader. This does not make a lot distinction when the telephones are folded, however when unfolded, it signifies that the Magic VS’s quantity controls flip over to the left facet.
Show and audio system
- Tecno Phantom V Fold:
- Outer: 6.42-inch 120Hz LTPO AMOLED 1080 x 2550
- Interior: 7.85-inch 120Hz LTPO AMOLED 2296 x 2000
- Honor Magic VS:
- Outer: 6.45-inch 120Hz AMOLED 1080 x 2560
- Interior: 7.9-inch 90Hz AMOLED panel 2272 x 1984
The Honor Magic VS and Phantom V Fold have similar-sized shows each in and out, and so they share very comparable resolutions, too.
The V Fold has a 120Hz refresh rate on each panels, however the Magic VS solely has 120Hz on its outer show, with the inside show maxing out at 90Hz. In apply, each supply very clean scrolling and really feel very responsive, however the Tecno gadget has a particular edge.
The Magic VS has a brightness output of 1200 nits on its outer show, however the foldable display can solely attain 800 nits. Which means that it is nice indoors, however in vibrant daylight, the inside show will be arduous to make use of because of the floor reflections of the folding display.
The Phantom V Fold has a brightness of 1100 nits on each panels, so the outer show is barely dimmer, however the inside display is considerably brighter. In real-world circumstances, you are unlikely to note the distinction between 1100 and 1200 nits, so we would say that Tecno has the extra interesting display configuration general.
Neither cellphone comes with a stylus within the field, however Honor has made it identified that the gadget helps stylus enter, whereas Tecno has but to say something on the topic.
It is also price noting that the Tecno hinge doesn’t permit to be used at variable angles, as a substitute springing the display to at all times be utterly folded or unfolded. The Magic VS can be utilized at numerous angles, although its software program does not benefit from this function in addition to it might.
Efficiency and software program
- Tecno Phantom V Fold:
- Dimenisty 9000+
- As much as 12GB RAM and 512GB storage
- HiOS 13 Fold (based mostly on Android 13)
- Honor Magic VS:
- Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1
- As much as 12GB RAM and 512GB storage
- MagicOS 7.1 based mostly on Android 13
Each of those foldables run on 2022 flagship processors, the V Fold makes use of MediaTek’s Dimensity 9000+ and the Magic VS goes for Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1. There are newer, speedier, variations of every chip obtainable now, however these had been the quickest smartphone SoCs cash might purchase a number of brief months in the past, and so they’re nonetheless extraordinarily succesful right now.
Pocket-lint
This implies you’ll be able to count on snappy day-to-day utilization in addition to the flexibility to max out the settings in your favorite Android games, regardless of which gadget you select.
Each telephones run proprietary working methods which can be based mostly on Android 13. Every choice has its personal quirks, however for probably the most half, we discovered them to be secure, dependable and straightforward to make use of. The multitasking choices for the primary show are very comparable throughout each gadgets, and it really works fairly nicely.
The Honor OS does not have an app drawer, which will be arduous to get used to and it lacks a “flex mode” that may absolutely utilise a half-folded display. The Phantom does not have a flex mode both, however that is forgivable for the reason that display is not designed for use at such angles.
The Phantom V Fold has an Apple / Xiaomi model notification shade, the place fast settings are separated out and accessed with a swipe down from the precise. It additionally has no Google Uncover feed, which is a function that we missed from inventory Android.
In both case, the quirks are simple to stay with, however we would say each choices are just a little behind Samsung when it comes to performance.
Cameras
- Tecno Phantom V Fold:
- Rear: 50MP major, 50MP 2x telephoto, 13MP ultra-wide
- Entrance: 32MP entrance display digital camera, 16MP inside digital camera
- Honor Magic VS:
- Rear: 50MP major, 8MP 3x telephoto, 50MP ultra-wide/macro
- Entrance: 2x 16MP selfie cameras
We have not had the prospect to correctly take a look at the Magic VS’s cameras but, however we have spent a very good period of time with the Phantom V Fold.
From trying on the specs, the outcomes needs to be fairly comparable. Each telephones have a 50MP main digital camera, together with a 50MP secondary digital camera.
The Phantom V Fold has a 50MP decision on its 2x telephoto/portrait lens, whereas the Magic VS has a 50MP ultra-wide/macro digital camera. As for which is preferable, that every one depends upon the kind of photographs you wish to take.
In fact, each telephones have a 3rd rear digital camera, too, however they’ve a dramatic dip in decision and thus much less element of their photographs. The V Fold has a 13MP ultra-wide and the Magic VS has an 8MP 3x telephoto.
Relating to selfie snaps, each telephones have inside and exterior hole-punch cameras, in addition to the flexibility to make use of the primary digital camera for self-shooting. The Tecno has a transparent benefit with a whopping 32MP decision on its front-screen digital camera, whereas the Honor gadget has a 16MP snapper on every show.
In cell images, picture processing performs a giant half in how nicely your photographs end up, and we discovered that the Phantom V Fold lags behind the larger manufacturers on this regard. It is potential that the Honor might do a greater job with fewer megapixels, however we have to do extra testing to seek out out – and we’ll replace this text once we do.
Verdict
Each the Honor Magic VS and Tecno Phantom V Fold are enticing and extra reasonably priced alternate options to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4.
We predict that the Phantom V Fold is probably the most compelling of the 2 choices, primarily owing to its lower cost and its brighter, sooner, folding show.
Nonetheless, it could be tougher to buy, relying on the place it launches, which might be a giant hurdle to beat.
Plus, the Magic VS has benefits of its personal. It is lighter, which is a giant deal for these chunky telephones, and it may be used at variable angles – though the software program might do extra to utilise this function. Possibly we’ll see that in future firmware.
In the end, each of those telephones are good choices if you would like a tablet-style foldable, and which specs matter probably the most is totally as much as you and your wants.
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