China’s new foldable smartphone is becoming as popular as Apple’s iPhone

On July 12, Honor launched its Magic V2 for 8,999 yuan ($1,245), spun off from Huawei.

Without a case, the device is about as thin as an iPhone – 9.9 millimeters versus 7.85 millimeters.

A blog post teases that Samsung will release “slimmer and lighter” foldables on July 26.

On JD.com’s “hot sales” smartphone rankings, the Honor Magic V2 foldable competes with Apple iPhone models.

On July 12, Honor launched its Magic V2 for 8,999 yuan ($1,245), spun off from Huawei.

Thursday marked the official start of sales. JD.com’s app, a popular platform for buying electronics in China, says pre-sale demand has pushed delivery times to mid-September.

According to JD.com smartphone sales as of Thursday morning, the Magic V2’s 9,999-yuan model ranked second, while the Apple iPhone 14 Pro ranked first. Third place went to the iPhone 13.

Honor’s new device folds up to be nearly as thin as an iPhone – 9.9 millimeters versus 7.85 millimeters for the 14′. When folded, the Magic V2 is about three-eighths of an inch thick.

Despite its thinness, the foldable phone had a “reasonable battery life,” according to Ethan Qi, associate director at Counterpoint Research. From my perspective, the phone’s biggest highlights are its thinnest body (9.9mm) and lightest weight (231g).

The Magic V2’s battery is just 2.72 millimeters thick and can support about 14 hours of video watching on its unfolded large screen. On a single battery charge, the iPhone 14 can watch video for about 20-30 hours, depending on the model.

“The Magic V2’s pre-sales figures in China are a positive indicator and demonstrate the resilience of the premium segment,” said Qi.

The premium segment is not very big, but it’s the one everyone wants to dominate.”