Honor Magic V5 vs. Huawei Mate X3: A Deep Dive into Foldable Flagships
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For most users, the Honor Magic V5 emerges as the superior choice. Its Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset delivers demonstrably faster performance and improved efficiency, while the brighter display enhances outdoor visibility. Though the Mate X3 boasts impressive endurance, the V5’s faster charging and overall refinement make it the more compelling package.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Honor Magic V5 | Huawei Mate X3 |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 800 / 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, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41 |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 5, 8, 28, 38, 41, 77, 78 SA/NSA | - |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G | HSPA, LTE |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / CDMA2000 / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE |
| - | CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2025, July 02 | 2023, March 23 |
| Status | Available. Released 2025, July 02 | Available. Released 2023, April 08 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | - | Glass front, glass back or eco leather back, aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | Unfolded: 156.8 x 145.9 x 4.1 mm or 4.2 mmFolded: 156.8 x 74.3 x 8.8 mm or 9.0 mm | Unfolded: 156.9 x 141.5 x 5.3 mmFolded: 156.9 x 72.4 x 11.1 mm |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time)· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 217 g or 222 g (7.65 oz) | 239 g or 241 g (8.43 oz) |
| - | IPX8 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Honor Super Armored Inner Screen, Mohs level 4 | Kunlun Glass (cover display only) |
| Resolution | 2172 x 2352 pixels (~403 ppi density) | 2224 x 2496 pixels (~426 ppi density) |
| Size | 7.95 inches, 203.2 cm2 (~88.8% screen-to-body ratio) | 7.85 inches, 197.5 cm2 (~88.9% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Foldable LTPO AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, 5000 nits (peak) | Foldable OLED, 1B colors, 120Hz |
| - | Cover display: OLED, 120Hz, 6.4 inches, 1080 x 2504 pixels | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (2x4.32 GHz Oryon V2 Phoenix L + 6x3.53 GHz Oryon V2 Phoenix M) | Octa-core (1x3.19 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.75 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8750-AB Snapdragon 8 Elite (3 nm) | Qualcomm SM8475 Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 4G (4 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 830 | Adreno 730 |
| OS | Android 15, upgradable to Android 16, MagicOS 10, up to 7 major Android upgrades | HarmonyOS 3.1 (China), EMUI 13.1 (Europe), no Google Play Services |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | Nano Memory (uses shared SIM slot) |
| Internal | 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM, 1TB 16GB RAM | 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM |
| - | UFS | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Laser AF, LED flash, HDR, panorama | Laser AF, color spectrum sensor, LED flash, panorama, HDR |
| Triple | 50 MP, f/1.6, 23mm (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS 64 MP, f/2.5, 70mm (periscope telephoto), 1/2.0", 0.7µm, 3x optical zoom 50 MP, f/2.0, 13mm, 122˚ (ultrawide), AF | 50 MP, f/1.8, 23mm (wide), PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/3.4, 125mm (periscope telephoto), PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom 13 MP, f/2.2, 13mm (ultrawide), AF |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps (10-bit), 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS, OIS | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR, panorama |
| Single | 20 MP, f/2.2, (wide) Cover camera: 20 MP, f/2.2, (wide) | 8 MP, f/2.4, (wide) Cover camera: 8 MP, f/2.4, (wide) |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | - | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 6.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD | 5.2, A2DP, LE |
| Infrared port | Yes | Yes |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a) | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (B1I+B1c+B2a), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG, Display Port 1.2 | USB Type-C 3.1, DisplayPort 1.2, 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/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, altimeter |
| - | BDS Satellite Message | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 66W wired 50W wireless 5W reverse wired | 66W wired 50W wireless 7.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Market-dependent versions:· Si/C Li-Ion 5820 mAh - International model· Si/C Li-Ion 6100 mAh - China model | Market-dependent versions:· Li-Po 4800 mAh (Global)· Si/C Li-Ion 5060 mAh (China only) |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, Ivory White, Dawn Gold, Reddish Brown | Black, White, Violet, Dark Green, Gold |
| Models | MBH-N49, MHG-AN00, MBH-AN10 | ALT-AL00, ALT-L29 |
| Price | € 1,429.00 / $ 149.00 / £ 1,396.63 | About 1500 EUR |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 81h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | - | -26.3 LUFS (Good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 993592 (v9) GeekBench: 4283 (v5.5), 4512 (v6) GFXBench: 41fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
| EU LABEL | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery | 49:48h endurance, 1200 cycles | - |
| Energy | Class B | - |
| Free fall | Class C (70 falls) | - |
| Repairability | Class B | - |
Honor Magic V5
- Significantly faster processor with Snapdragon 8 Elite
- Brighter display for better outdoor visibility
- Faster charging speeds (66W wired, 50W wireless)
- More efficient 3nm chipset
- Shorter reported battery endurance rating
- Limited details on camera specifications
Huawei Mate X3
- Impressive battery endurance rating (81h)
- Potentially superior image processing (based on Huawei’s history)
- Minimal crease design (known strength)
- Competitive charging speeds
- Older Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset
- Dimmer display compared to the V5
- Slower reverse wireless charging
Display Comparison
The Honor Magic V5’s display shines with a measured peak brightness of 1296 nits, significantly outperforming the Huawei Mate X3’s 926 nits. This translates to superior visibility in direct sunlight. While both feature infinite (nominal) contrast ratios, the V5’s higher brightness is a tangible advantage. Details regarding panel technology (LTPO) and refresh rates are missing for both, but given the flagship positioning, both likely employ adaptive refresh rate technology for power efficiency. The Mate X3’s design, with its minimal crease, is a known strength, but the V5’s brighter panel offers a more usable outdoor experience.
Camera Comparison
Both devices are listed as having 'Photo / Video' capabilities, but specific details are lacking. Without sensor size, aperture, or image processing details, a direct comparison is difficult. However, given Huawei’s historical strength in mobile photography, the Mate X3 likely prioritizes image processing and computational photography. The V5’s newer chipset *could* offer advantages in image signal processing (ISP) speed and AI-powered features, but this remains speculative without further information. The absence of details on secondary cameras (ultrawide, telephoto) further limits a meaningful comparison.
Performance
The core difference lies in the chipsets. The Honor Magic V5 is powered by the Qualcomm SM8750-AB Snapdragon 8 Elite (3nm), featuring a custom Oryon V2 Phoenix CPU configuration (2x4.32 GHz + 6x3.53 GHz). This represents a significant leap over the Huawei Mate X3’s Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (4nm). The 3nm process node of the Snapdragon 8 Elite offers superior power efficiency and thermal performance, reducing throttling during sustained workloads. The Oryon cores are designed for higher single-core and multi-core performance, making the V5 noticeably faster in demanding tasks like video editing and gaming. The Mate X3’s Cortex-X2 based CPU is still capable, but falls behind in both raw speed and efficiency.
Battery Life
The Huawei Mate X3 claims an endurance rating of 81 hours, a substantial figure. However, this is an older endurance rating methodology. The Honor Magic V5, with 49:48h endurance, also demonstrates strong battery life, and its active use score of 12:20h provides a more practical measure. The V5’s 66W wired and 50W wireless charging are competitive, while the Mate X3 offers the same 66W wired and 50W wireless, but a slower 7.5W reverse wireless charging. The Snapdragon 8 Elite’s efficiency likely contributes to comparable real-world battery performance despite the Mate X3’s higher endurance rating, and the V5’s faster charging speeds are a significant convenience factor.
Buying Guide
Buy the Honor Magic V5 if you prioritize raw performance, a brighter and more vibrant display, and the latest in mobile technology. It’s ideal for power users, gamers, and those who demand the best possible experience. Buy the Huawei Mate X3 if extended battery life is your absolute top priority, and you’re willing to trade some processing power for it. It’s a strong contender for users who frequently travel or rely heavily on their phone throughout the day without easy access to charging.