The news: Chinese smartphone manufacturer Honor unveiled the Magic V2, billed as the “thinnest and lightest” foldable phone, at Berlin’s IFA show, showing that smartphone innovation is continuing in the foldable space.

Next generation foldable: The Honor Magic V2 weighs just 231 grams, less than ordinary premium smartphones such as Apple’s iPhone 14 Pro Max (240 grams), the Google Pixel Fold (283 grams), and the Samsung S23 Ultra (233 grams).

• The Magic V2, which will start at 8,999 yuan ($1,235), is also the slimmest foldable smartphone at 4.7mm and 9.9mm (closed). 
• By comparison, Samsung’s flagship Galaxy Z Fold 4 weighs 263 grams. The depth measures 6.3mm and 14.2mm in open and closed states, respectively.
• Honor’s device is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset and features 120Hz displays.
• The key innovation that allowed for the ultra-slim build is a new generation of Silicon-Carbon-Dual-Battery that can pack more energy in a denser form factor.

Honor’s international expansion: The handset maker, a subsidiary of Huawei, is aiming to release its foldable flagship in Europe, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific—notable emerging smartphone regions that aren’t subject to geopolitical device embargoes.

Key takeaway: Despite the smartphone market’s continued decline due to a lack of innovation, up and coming smartphone companies are betting big on foldables as the next transition point.

• While foldable smartphones accounted for just 1.2% of the total smartphone market in 2022, per IDC, the sector is expected to grow 44% this year.
• Chinese smartphone manufacturers like Honor are challenging the status quo with innovative design and competitive pricing.

Honor Magic V2 (Source: Honor)