Forget the Galaxy Z Fold, new folding phone suddenly looks more appealing

The Honor Magic VS gets a European launch price and comes with a spec that outsmarts the Galaxy Z Fold 4 in some areas

Honor Magic VS folding phone
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)

With the best folding phones getting better and better with each iteration, it's no longer just Samsung that sits top of the stack with the Galaxy Z Fold 4 - as this new Android competitor shows.

At Mobile World Congress 2023, the giant European mobile technology show, Honor revealed its Magic VS for international markets. What makes it suddenly look more appealing following my preview of the device in late 2022? Lots of storage and a slightly lower price point than its key competitor.

If you've been eyeing-up a new Galaxy Z Fold 4, or following rumours of the Z Fold 5, then you'll know just how pricey such handsets are. The Honor Magic VS's asking price isn't cheap, mind, at €1599 with 512GB storage, but that's positioned with more storage and at a lower on-sale starting price by comparison. 

That's a key thing for large-scale foldable phones, which are typically so much pricier than the best phones on the market today. Scale being important, because the Magic VS is a massive 7.9-inches on the diagonal when it's unfolded. That's bigger than the Samsung Galaxy Z 4, so if you want more screen real-estate then Honor's got the goods right here.

Honor Magic VS folding phone

(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)

The Magic VS's exterior screen is really close to the typical best phones you can buy today, too, at 6.45-inches across. So even if you're using the Honor in its folded position, it still delivers on scale.

Inside you get the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1+ processor, which while it's a half-step behind the Gen 2 upgrade, I don't think there's such a generational jump that you'll be disappointed.

And with Honor running full Google Play Services, there's no compromise with software like you'll find with some of the China-only foldables. Win-win.

I've been using the Honor Magic VS at MWC23 and will be bringing my more thorough assessment of this more affordable foldable in the near future. Sure, it's not cheap, but it's a step towards making foldable tech at least a little more accessible for all. I'm assuming others will follow suit.

Mike Lowe
Tech Editor

Mike is the Tech Editor and AV Editor at T3.com. He's been writing about consumer technology for 15 and, as a phones expert, has seen hundreds of handsets over the years – swathes of Android devices, a smattering of iPhones, and a batch of Windows Phone products (remember those?). But that's not all, as a tech aficionado his beat for T3 also covers tablets, laptops, gaming, home cinema, TVs, speakers and more – there's barely a stone unturned that he's not had a hand on. Previously the Reviews Editor at Pocket-lint for a 10 years, he's also provided work for publications such as Wired, The Guardian, Metro, and more. In addition to his tech knowledge, Mike is also a flights and travel expert, having travelled the globe extensively. You'll likely find him setting up a new mobile phone, critiquing the next MacBook, all while planning his next getaway... or cycling somewhere.