A new contender is about to shake things up in South Africa’s flagship smartphone space – and it’s not who you might expect. The Honor Magic V5, officially unveiled in China, has claimed the title of the world’s thinnest foldable phone. At just 8.8mm folded and a feather-light 217 grams, this AI-powered masterpiece is scheduled to land in South Africa this October. Honor has confirmed that the 512GB version of the Honor Magic V5 will be available locally, positioning it as a serious alternative to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 and a fresh face among the country’s premium handset options.
But this isn’t just about sleek design. The Honor Magic V5 is loaded with future-forward features, including the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, a robust 5820mAh silicon-carbon battery, and dual OLED displays boasting 120Hz refresh rates and peak brightness up to 5000 nits. On the creative front, the phone’s triple-lens camera system is supported by AI-enhanced editing, stabilisation and smart filters — all seamlessly integrated into MagicOS 9 with the help of Honor’s intuitive YOYO AI assistant.
At Evercomm, we work closely with a dynamic mix of leading mobile brands — and the Honor Magic V5 shows exactly why. It doesn’t try to outshine Oppo or Samsung, but rather adds another dimension to what’s possible. Where Oppo’s Find X8 Ultra leads in mobile photography, crowned by DXOMARK as 2025’s top camera phone, Honor’s Magic V5 offers a different kind of creativity. Its foldable design, massive battery life, and AI-powered productivity make it a content creator’s mobile studio.
Likewise, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 remains a benchmark in this category, but the Honor Magic V5 narrows the gap by offering a thinner body, a more durable build, and a longer-lasting battery. There’s no rivalry here — just innovation in parallel. It’s exciting to see these three brands, all part of the Evercomm family, push one another forward and offer real value to South African consumers who now have more choice than ever before.
When comparing the Honor Magic V5 to Apple’s iPhone 15 or even the anticipated iPhone 16 lineup, the contrasts are as much philosophical as they are technical. Apple continues to perfect its walled-garden ecosystem, but Honor is choosing openness — across Android, iOS, Windows, macOS and HarmonyOS. With features like HONOR Share and AI-driven file handling, the Magic V5 bridges platforms rather than locking users into one.
With up to 16GB of RAM, dual ultra-bright screens and a built-in AI assistant that understands how people work, the Honor Magic V5 turns multitasking into something intuitive and immediate. Whether you’re editing a video, taking a client call, or simply reading and replying across apps, it keeps up without friction. It’s the kind of fluidity that Apple devices don’t always prioritise — and for some users, that makes all the difference.
The Honor Magic V5 is not just a device — it’s part of a much larger brand strategy. Honor has seen over 600% growth in South Africa since 2023 and has ambitious plans to become one of the country’s top three phone brands by 2028. With pricing expected to undercut Samsung’s Z Fold 7 and early availability in premium configurations, the Magic V5 is well-positioned to be a breakthrough product.
As foldables continue to shift from niche to mainstream, the Honor Magic V5 proves that style, performance, and openness can co-exist in one pocket-sized powerhouse. For South Africans looking for a flagship that goes further, works harder, and folds thinner — this might just be the one.
