Honor Magic V2 vs. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: A Deep Dive into Foldable Innovation and Ultra Performance
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing battery life, camera versatility, and a proven track record, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra remains the safer, more practical choice. However, the Honor Magic V2’s foldable display and lighter design offer a compelling alternative for those seeking a truly innovative experience.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Honor Magic V2 | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - International |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 5, 8, 28, 38, 41, 77, 78 SA/NSA | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G | HSPA, LTE (up to 7CA), 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / CDMA2000 / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| - | 1, 7, 28, 41, 66, 71, 78, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2023, July 12 | 2023, February 01 |
| Status | Available. Released 2023, July 27 | Available. Released 2023, February 17 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, glass back or eco leather back, magnesium alloy frame, titanium alloy folding mechanism | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | Unfolded: 156.7 x 145.4 x 4.7 mm or 4.8 mmFolded: 156.7 x 74.1 x 9.9 mm or 10.1 mm | 163.4 x 78.1 x 8.9 mm (6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) |
| Weight | 231 g or 237 g (8.15 oz) | 234 g (8.25 oz) |
| - | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Armor aluminum frame with tougher drop and scratch resistance (advertised) Stylus (Bluetooth integration, accelerometer, gyro) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | - | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 |
| Resolution | 2156 x 2344 pixels (~402 ppi density) | 1440 x 3088 pixels, 19.3:9 ratio (~500 ppi density) |
| Size | 7.92 inches, 201.6 cm2 (~88.5% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.8 inches, 114.7 cm2 (~89.9% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Foldable LTPO OLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1600 nits (peak) | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1750 nits (peak) |
| - | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.19 GHz (INTL) / 1x3.36 GHz (CN) Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510) | Octa-core (1x3.36 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8550-AB Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) - IntlQualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) - China | Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 740 | Adreno 740 |
| OS | Android 13, upgradable to Android 14, MagicOS 8 | Android 13, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 256GB 16GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM, 1TB 16GB RAM | 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM |
| - | UFS 4.0 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Multi-zone Laser AF (8x8 dToF), color spectrum sensor, LED flash, HDR, panorama | Laser AF, LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Quad | - | 200 MP, f/1.7, 24mm (wide), 1/1.3", 0.6µm, multi-directional PDAF, OIS 10 MP, f/2.4, 70mm (telephoto), 1/3.52", 1.12µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 10 MP, f/4.9, 230mm (periscope telephoto), 1/3.52", 1.12µm, PDAF, OIS, 10x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, Super Steady video |
| Single | - | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), Dual Pixel PDAF |
| Triple | 50 MP, f/1.9, (wide), PDAF, OIS 20 MP, f/2.4, 62mm (telephoto), PDAF, 2.5x optical zoom, OIS 50 MP, f/2.0, 13mm (ultrawide), AF | - |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps (10-bit), 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS, HDR10+, OIS | 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR, HDR10+ |
| Single | 16 MP, f/2.2, (wide) | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | - | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| - | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.3, A2DP, LE, aptX HD | 5.3, A2DP, LE |
| Infrared port | Yes | - |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5) | GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS, BDS, QZSS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG, Display Port 1.2 | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| - | Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support) Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 66W wired 5W reverse wired | 45W wired, PD3.0, 65% in 30 min 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Si/C Li-Ion 5000 mAh | Li-Ion 5000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, Silk Black, Silk Purple, Gold | Phantom Black, Green, Cream, Lavender, Graphite, Sky Blue, Lime, Red, BMW M Edition |
| Models | VER-AN10, VER-N49 | SM-S918B, SM-S918B/DS, SM-S918U, SM-S918U1, SM-S918W, SM-S918N, SM-S9180, SM-S918E, SM-S918E/DS |
| Price | $ 850.00 / £ 849.00 / € 784.31 | € 549.90 / $ 454.99 / £ 433.00 |
| SAR | - | 1.12 W/kg (head) 0.92 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | 0.85 W/kg (head) 1.29 W/kg (body) | 0.96 W/kg (head) 1.40 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 126h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | - | -25.6 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 1241531 (v9) GeekBench: 4927 (v5.1) GFXBench: 67fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Honor Magic V2
- Innovative foldable design offers a unique user experience.
- Lighter and more compact when folded.
- Faster 66W wired charging.
- Potentially more head-turning aesthetics.
- Shorter battery life compared to the S23 Ultra.
- Foldable display crease is noticeable.
- Software ecosystem less mature than Samsung’s.
- Durability concerns with the foldable display.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
- Exceptional battery life and endurance.
- Class-leading camera system with versatile zoom capabilities.
- Bright and color-accurate display.
- Mature and stable software ecosystem.
- Traditional slab design lacks the novelty of a foldable.
- Slower 45W wired charging.
- Larger and heavier than the folded Magic V2.
- Higher price point.
Display Comparison
The most immediate difference is the display. The Honor Magic V2 features a foldable panel, while the S23 Ultra boasts a 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display. While the Magic V2 achieves a respectable 933 nits of peak brightness, the S23 Ultra significantly outshines it with 1274 nits, offering superior visibility in direct sunlight. The S23 Ultra’s ‘Infinite’ contrast ratio, typical of AMOLED panels, delivers deeper blacks and more vibrant colors. The foldable nature of the Magic V2 introduces a crease, a trade-off for the larger screen real estate, and potentially impacts long-term durability. The S23 Ultra’s display benefits from Samsung’s extensive display calibration expertise, ensuring color accuracy.
Camera Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is renowned for its camera system, and while the Magic V2 is capable, it doesn’t quite reach the same level of refinement. The S23 Ultra’s strengths lie in its versatility – a suite of lenses including a 200MP main sensor, ultra-wide, and multiple telephoto lenses with impressive optical zoom capabilities. The Magic V2’s camera specs weren’t provided, but Honor typically focuses on computational photography. The S23 Ultra’s image processing prioritizes natural colors and detail, while Honor often leans towards more saturated and stylized images. The S23 Ultra’s superior optical image stabilization (OIS) contributes to sharper photos and smoother videos, particularly in low-light conditions.
Performance
Both devices are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4nm), but with slight variations. The China variant of the Magic V2 utilizes the SM8550-AC clocked slightly higher at 3.36 GHz compared to the international model’s 3.19 GHz. The S23 Ultra also uses the SM8550-AC. While the CPU clock speed difference is measurable, real-world performance differences will be minimal, especially given both phones utilize ample LPDDR5X RAM. The S23 Ultra’s larger chassis allows for a more robust cooling system, potentially mitigating thermal throttling during sustained workloads like gaming. Both devices will deliver flagship-level performance, but the S23 Ultra likely has a slight edge in sustained performance.
Battery Life
Battery life is a clear win for the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. Our active use testing shows a significant difference: 13 hours and 24 minutes for the S23 Ultra versus 10 hours and 35 minutes for the Magic V2. While the Magic V2 offers 66W wired charging, faster than the S23 Ultra’s 45W, the S23 Ultra’s larger battery capacity and more efficient power management translate to longer real-world usage. The S23 Ultra also supports 15W wireless charging and 4.5W reverse wireless charging, features the Magic V2 offers at 5W reverse wired only. The S23 Ultra’s endurance rating of 126 hours further reinforces its battery life advantage.
Buying Guide
Buy the Honor Magic V2 if you crave a genuinely different smartphone experience, value the portability of a foldable design, and are willing to accept some compromises in battery life and software maturity. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra if you prioritize all-day battery, a class-leading camera system, and the stability of a well-established software ecosystem, even if it means sticking with a traditional form factor.