Honor Magic V3 (left) and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 (right)
Design: The fierce “weight loss” battle
In the “weight loss” race of folding phones, the Honor Magic V3 is currently leading with a thickness of only 4.35mm when opened and 9.2mm when folded, giving the feeling of holding like a phone. regular bar. Meanwhile, the Galaxy Z Fold 6, despite improvements, is still quite thick at 12.1mm when folded and 5.6mm when opened.
Honor Magic V3 (left) is much thinner than Z Fold 6 (right) when folded
Even when opened, Honor’s folding phone is significantly thinner than its rival Samsung
Samsung’s square design may feel powerful, but it’s not really ergonomically optimal when compared to the comfort that the Magic V3 brings. This difference is not just a number but also creates a huge step forward in experience. With a weight of 226 grams, the Honor Magic V3 is almost equivalent to the iPhone 15 Pro Max (221 grams), providing a much more comfortable grip than the Galaxy Z Fold 6, which weighs 239 grams.
Magic V3’s thin and light design is especially useful when you need to put it in your pants or shirt pocket. While the Galaxy Z Fold 6 sometimes feels bulky and heavy, the Magic V3 fits neatly in the pocket without causing discomfort. This makes it easy for users to carry and use the device for long periods of time without tiring their hands.
Both devices are water resistant according to IP standards. However, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 meets the IP48 standard with better dust resistance than the Magic V3’s IPX8.
Screen: When size speaks
Both devices have high-quality displays, but there are notable differences in size and experience. Honor Magic V3 is equipped with an external screen as large as 6.43 inches, 20:9 ratio, significantly more spacious than the 6.2-inch screen of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 with 23.1:9 ratio. This brings a noticeable difference when using the device in the folded state: the Magic V3’s screen is not too narrow, making the experience of typing, browsing the web and using applications smoother. In contrast, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 has a rather long and narrow outer screen, making it difficult to type on the keyboard or multitask in this space.
The Honor Magic V3 (left) has a larger and wider external screen than the Z Fold 6 (right)
In terms of display quality, both are sharp, detailed and have high brightness. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 has a slightly higher maximum brightness, but both display well in sunlight. A 120Hz refresh rate is applied to both screens of both devices, providing a smooth experience.
Regarding the internal screen, the Honor Magic V3 has a different aspect ratio and a larger 7.92-inch internal screen, while the Galaxy Z Fold 6 has a 7.6-inch internal screen. The resolution of Magic V3 is also slightly better (2156 x 2344 pixels) reaching a pixel density of 402 ppi compared to 374 ppi of Z Fold 6 (1856 x 2160 pixels). Magic V3’s larger internal screen provides more spacious display space, making viewing content more eye-catching. Movies, documents or charts all become more intuitive and easier to follow thanks to the large display area.
The Magic V3’s internal screen (left) is larger than the Z Fold 6 (right)
Another notable point is that the fold on the main screen of the Honor Magic V3 is much smaller than the Galaxy Z Fold 6. This makes the touching experience smoother and does not cause discomfort when looking at the screen. image. With the Galaxy Z Fold 6, the crease in the middle of the screen is still quite obvious, sometimes interrupting the content viewing or touch operation experience.
The fold on the screen of the Magic V3 (left) is less obvious than the fold on the Z Fold 6 (right)
Both devices are equipped with stereo speakers, but the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is louder and sounds a bit clearer, possibly due to the design allowing for larger speakers. The Magic V3 places both speakers on the left, creating an unbalanced sound experience when the device is turned on.
Performance and Software: Both use Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 but there are still differences
Both Honor Magic V3 and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 are equipped with Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, Qualcomm’s most powerful chip currently. Galaxy Z Fold 6 uses a version specifically tweaked for the Galaxy line. Both come with 12GB of LPDDR5x RAM. Regarding internal memory, Magic V3 only has a 512GB option, but has a more competitive price than the 256GB version of the Galaxy Z Fold 6.
General performance test results show that the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is slightly better, possibly due to the thinner design of the Magic V3 leading to performance degradation due to heat and the individual tuning of the Snapdragon chip on the Z Fold 6. However, in daily use, both devices perform smoothly and smoothly.
In terms of software, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 uses the One UI interface based on Android 14, while the Honor Magic V3 uses MagicOS on the same Android platform. Both have distinct features. Galaxy Z Fold 6 integrates Galaxy AI, while Honor Magic V3 has similar features and is collaborating with Google. The usage experience is quite similar, with split-screen features, stylus support and good multitasking capabilities on a large screen.
Camera: Periscope lens goes head to head with traditional telephoto lens
Both devices have similar camera systems with a 50MP wide-angle camera, super wide-angle camera (40MP on Magic V3 and 12MP on Fold 6) and telephoto camera. The biggest difference lies in the telephoto camera: Magic V3 uses a 50MP periscope lens with 3.5x optical zoom, while Z Fold 6 uses a traditional 10MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom.
Comparing actual photos shows that photos taken from the main cameras of both devices are quite similar in detail, dynamic range and exposure. The difference lies in color tones: Magic V3 produces warmer images, while Z Fold 6 produces images with cooler tones. In low light, the Z Fold 6 produces brighter but often softer photos, while the Magic V3 retains better contrast and detail, although some people may find the photos a bit too sharp.
Magic V3’s 3.5x periscope zoom camera offers a clear advantage over the Z Fold 6’s 3x zoom, giving more detailed images and better dynamic range. The ultra-wide-angle cameras of both cameras produce equivalent photos, with a slight advantage in detail belonging to the Magic V3 thanks to its higher resolution.
Below are some photos taken from the cameras of Honor Magic V3 and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, in order from super wide-angle camera, main camera to telephoto camera.
Battery life and charging: The difference is clear
Honor Magic V3 is equipped with a 5,150mAh silicon-carbon battery, while Galaxy Z Fold 6 has a 4,400mAh battery. Practical experience shows that Magic V3 is superior in battery life when browsing the web and watching videos. However, the Z Fold 6 has a slight advantage when it comes to gaming, perhaps because it is thicker and has better heat management.
Regarding charging capabilities, Magic V3 supports 66W wired fast charging and 50W wireless charging, while Z Fold 6 only supports 25W wired charging and 15W wireless charging. Obviously, Magic V3 is superior in charging speed.
Conclusion: Which folding phone is worth your investment?
Honor Magic V3 brings innovation with a thin and light design, large battery, fast charging and an impressive periscope camera system. Meanwhile, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 maintains its form with strong performance, optimal software and Samsung’s signature durability.
If you want a thin and light folding phone, long battery life and a comfortably large screen, the Honor Magic V3 is the top choice. But if you need a comprehensive device that supports a strong ecosystem, consider the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6.