Honor Magic V6 review: the most complete Fold smartphone

Harriet Collins • August 30, 2026 17:15

The Honor Magic V6 is Honor’s Fold-format smartphone. While it applies the established formula with care, it aims to stand apart from the competition by being as complete as possible. Here is our review.

“Fold”-format smartphones are now firmly established in the market and have found their audience. Yet their owners generally have to accept a few compromises to enjoy these folding devices. Manufacturers tend to scale back either the camera hardware or battery life to accommodate this very particular form factor. Honor’s Magic V6, however, intends to make no compromises.

The Chinese brand wants to deliver the most complete Fold on the market. It includes all the familiar hallmarks of the format-two displays, refined styling and a powerful processor-but the Magic V6 refuses to cut corners on photography, partly inherited from the excellent Magic8 Pro, or endurance, thanks to its 6,660 mAh battery. These are promising claims, but does it deliver? Let’s find out.

Price and availability

The Honor Magic V6 is available from today, starting at €2,299. That is expensive, even by folding smartphone standards. The V6 is being hit hard by the RAM shortage, which is pushing prices upwards and ultimately leaving consumers worse off.

Honor Magic V6
Dimensions	156.7 x 145.6 x 4.1 mm
Weight	219 grams
Displays	Outer: 6.71-inch LTPO OLED 2420 x 1080 pixels 1-120 Hz 6000 nits (HDR peak) Inner: 7.95-inch LTPO OLED 2352 x 2172 pixels 1-120 Hz 5000 nits
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
RAM	12/16 GB
Storage	256/512 GB 1 TB
OS	Android 16/MagicOS 10
Camera sensors	50-megapixel wide-angle sensor (f/1.6) 50-megapixel ultra-wide-angle sensor (f/2.2) 64-megapixel telephoto sensor (f/2.5) X3 optical zoom
Selfie sensor	2x 20 megapixels
Biometrics	Side-mounted fingerprint sensor
Battery	6660 mAh, 80 W fast charging
IP certification	IP 68, 69
Colours	Black, white, pink, red

The most stylish smartphone on the market

Design is the first major success of the Honor Magic V6. The Chinese brand clearly understands that an ultra-premium smartphone cannot simply settle for generic looks, so it has gone all out. The handset comes in four colours: white, black, gold and red. Every version receives a distinctive rear finish, including a subtly textured coating on the gold model. The red version we tested is unquestionably the most successful, with its deep, almost purple shade and faux-leather finish that is pleasing both visually and to the touch. Better still, the supplied case follows the same design approach, so fitting it does not conceal this attractive device. It may be a small detail, but it matters.

The Honor Magic V6 has an impeccably finished chassis that is, above all, extremely slim: 4.1 mm when open and 8.7 mm when closed. You do, however, have to contend with the Magic8 Pro-derived camera module, a real beast that protrudes several millimetres from the frame. This is not inherently a flaw, but it does compromise the ergonomics by creating an imbalance. On several occasions, the phone nearly slipped from our hands. The module accounts for a considerable share of the device’s 219 grams. Caution is therefore advised, although it remains pleasant to hold.

Honor has not reinvented the format. There is still a 6.9-inch outer display that could easily belong to a conventional smartphone. Its defining feature is its exceptionally narrow bezels, measuring just 1.18 mm. It makes an immediate impression, but more importantly, it is comfortable in everyday use.

Inside sits a 7.9-inch screen in the usual square-like format. It is useful for work and multitasking, though less ideal for watching videos, where unsightly black bars appear, or for gaming, as not every title adapts to this aspect ratio. The crease remains noticeable, but it is very discreet and only becomes visible under certain reflections.

The chassis as a whole is very well executed. We particularly like the hinge, which feels genuinely robust, the pleasant flat aluminium edges, and the ever-reliable integrated fingerprint reader. The V6 is also rated IP68 and IP69, meaning it withstands dust, water and high-pressure jets. Beyond all that, there is something genuinely enjoyable about picking up the handset and unfolding it to work on its larger panel. Its slimness is another real advantage. Far from being a gimmick, it gives the V6 the thickness of a standard smartphone, so it does not distort your pockets. Honor has delivered a high-end result here.

Honor Magic V6 displays, performance and battery life

Design is one thing; technical credentials are another. Honor excels here too, starting with the displays. The V6 offers two high-quality OLED panels that are, crucially, perfectly calibrated. Colours are faithfully reproduced, while users can select their preferred colour profile in the settings: natural, normal or pro. Brightness is also excellent, reaching a 6,000-nit HDR peak on the outer screen and 5,000 nits on the inner display. This is especially welcome when working or watching a series with the device unfolded, whether in a park, on a bench or at a café terrace. Honor has also done a fine job of reducing the inner screen’s reflectivity, limiting unwanted reflections. The only downside is that the panel’s texture readily attracts fingerprints. It may irritate neat freaks like us, but it is something you get used to. One final point: the inner display supports styluses, although Honor does not include one in the box. That is good news for anyone who likes taking notes or sketching on the go.

Performance is strong too, although some compromises have been made. The Magic V6 uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 processor, currently the most powerful on the market. However, the device’s slim profile has led the brand to limit its performance, as our benchmarks show that it is less powerful than “classic” models equipped with the same SoC.

In practice, users will barely notice this shortfall. The V6 is a capable device, quickly launching demanding apps and managing several at once-an important quality for a foldable. Every game runs flawlessly at maximum settings and 60 frames per second. It does get warm, naturally, but the V6’s faux-leather texture ensures that the heat never feels unpleasant beneath your fingers. It is a very convincing performance.

Battery life has always been the Fold format’s Achilles’ heel. Honor has tackled the issue head-on with a 6,660 mAh battery. It is a joy to finally have a foldable with battery life worthy of the name. Using our V6 in a typical manner-80% on the outer display and the rest of the time on the inner screen for content consumption-we found that 65 to 70% charge remained by bedtime. Naturally, this result can vary depending on usage. With the inner screen used 50% of the time, the remaining charge falls to between 55 and 65%, which is still excellent. As a result, the V6 easily lasts two consecutive days, unlike the Galaxy Z Fold 7 we usually use.

Finally, there is the camera system. This is the other weakness commonly associated with Fold devices that Honor is attempting to address. To do so, it has largely adopted the Magic8 Pro’s module, only omitting the 200-megapixel telephoto lens. The V6 uses the following sensors:

50 MP wide-angle sensor (f/1.6)
50 MP ultra-wide-angle sensor (f/2.2)
64 MP telephoto sensor (f/2.4)

Images from the wide-angle camera are excellent, with colour and contrast handled perfectly. Whether shooting close-up or at a distance, indoors or outdoors, we are delighted with the Honor phone’s results. Only Night mode is somewhat underwhelming.

The same conclusion applies to the ultra-wide-angle camera. In this respect, the V6 is comparable to the Magic8 Pro.

The 64 MP telephoto is the only sensor not inherited from the brand’s previous flagship, but it performs very well. Its high-quality x3 optical zoom also enables x10 shots without any obvious loss of quality. Maximum digital zoom reaches x100. While AI still tries to rescue the result, this degree of magnification remains a gimmick and is of limited use. Here again, our reservation concerns Night mode.

Technically, then, the Magic V6 is the most fully featured phone in the Fold segment, despite the concessions made to performance. It is excellent work from Honor.

Why invest in a Magic V6?

The Magic V6 does not reinvent the wheel. Honor takes a format already used in earlier iterations and addresses its shortcomings-namely battery life and camera performance. It then adds a touch of elegance through flawless design. The outcome is the most accomplished Fold smartphone on the market.

The software also contributes to this. Naturally, it runs Android 16 with MagicOS 10, Honor’s interface, which has again been improved for the foldable format. You can open three apps simultaneously and pin them, as on rival devices. It is perfect for writing an email with your notes open while watching a football match. Floating windows are also available if you prefer. Everything is straightforward and practical to use, with the brand taking care to remove any friction. We like it. One last detail: the taskbar adapts by displaying open applications. Honor also promises six years of software and security updates.

As a result, the Magic V6 is unquestionably the most accomplished foldable smartphone we have tested. Its exorbitant price can certainly be criticised, but all manufacturers will unfortunately be raising the bill. In a sense, that puts it on an equal footing with upcoming folding products. It is aimed first and foremost at folding smartphone enthusiasts tired of sacrificing camera quality, or at those who want to work all day without running out of battery. It is a new benchmark to follow, and perhaps the ultimate representative of a segment that will be profoundly shaken up by the forthcoming Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide and iPhone Fold, both of which will champion the “passport” format.

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Honor Magic V6

20000

8.6

Design

9.5/10

Displays

9.0/10

Camera

8.5/10

Battery life

8.0/10

Performance