HONOR’s IFA keynote was mainly about the Magic V3. With its folding smartphone, the global brand was deliberately looking to compete with Samsung and the recently launched Galaxy Z Fold 6.
The global technology brand showed more than just the Magic V3 at the IFA Berlin 2024, Germany, on Thursday.
Contrary to expectations, the Magic V3 did not play a role. Instead, the company did have the HONOR MagicPad 2 and the HONOR MagicBook Art 14 with a magnetic camera, and an HONOR Watch 5 in its luggage.
The HONOR Magic V3 is a new foldable that is particularly impressive due to its ultra-slim design. Despite the super-thin construction, HONOR has managed to accommodate a particularly large battery, a powerful camera with a periscope sensor and a faster chip.
The HONOR Magic V3 is aimed at technology enthusiasts who do not want to make any compromises when it comes to a foldable device.
“AI is fundamentally reshaping our industry, enriching and creating new experiences that delight consumers all around the world, every day. Our role as a smart device provider gives us incredible access to consumers.
“Combined with our expertise in devices, it informs our AI roadmap, allowing us to create better and more secure AI experiences that best meet their needs. Through all our new flagship devices, we hope to deliver human-centric AI experiences that consumers will find truly magical,” said HONOR CEO, George Zhao.
The CEO also announced a collaboration with Google to integrate features based on Google Cloud AI models and APIs into HONOR devices.
“Through Google Cloud, our partners can tap into world-class AI capabilities for a diverse range of sophisticated AI applications,” said Matt Waldbusser, consumer AI director of Google.
“We are excited to partner with HONOR, with whom we share a common understanding on the importance of prioritising user privacy, to build new synergy between on-device and cloud AI, playing to our respective strengths.”
HONOR Magic V3
Continuing to push the boundaries of foldable devices, HONOR introduced the all-new HONOR Magic V3, the world's thinnest inward foldable phone with enhanced durability, battery, display and AI experience, to global consumers. With a sleek folded thickness of 9.2mm and feather light body weighing just 226g, the HONOR Magic V3 rivals the slimness and weight of a flagship bar phone, ensuring utmost portability for users.
This feat is accomplished through the meticulous application of 19 innovative materials and 114 microstructures, propelling foldable devices into a new era of precision and slimness. Featuring a dome-shaped octagonal camera module, the HONOR Magic V3 seamlessly combines the architectural beauty of dome structures with technological innovations.
This camera module showcases a diamond cut, adding an element of elegance and sleekness to the device’s overall appearance. Adding to its durability, the HONOR Magic V3 incorporates a Special Fiber into its body material, enhancing impact resistance by 40 times compared to other flagship bar phones while reducing the back cover's thickness by 40%. Moreover, featuring the proprietary HONOR Super Steel Hinge, the device can withstand up to 500,000 folding cycles and has attained the prestigious SGS Durability Certification.
Fortified with the HONOR Super Armored Inner Screen and HONOR Anti-scratch NanoCrystal Shield, the HONOR Magic V3 is crafted to endure the rigors of daily use. Equipped with a 6.43-inch external display and a 7.92-inch internal foldable screen, the HONOR Magic V3 delivers an immersive dual-use experience, offering an enjoyable visual journey to users.
Dedicated to prioritising user well-being and comfort, this device incorporates a range of innovative eye-comfort features, such as the world’s first AI Defocus Display technology, 4320Hz Risk-free PWM Dimming, Dynamic Dimming, Circadian Night Display and Natural Tone Display.
In addition, the HONOR Magic V3 is packed with an advanced 5150mAh Third-generation Silicon-carbon Battery, supported by the lightning-fast 66W Wired and 50W Wireless HONOR SuperCharge, ensuring users an uninterrupted and stress-free mobile experience. Featuring the innovative HONOR Falcon Camera System which encompasses a 50MP Periscope Telephoto Camera, a 50MP Main Camera, and a 40MP Ultra-wide Camera, the device promises unparalleled imaging quality and versatility for users seeking stunning smartphone photography.
The HONOR Magic V3 unfolds a new AI-enhanced future, offering a host of intelligent features, powered by the Snapdragon® 8 Gen 3 Mobile Platform, the titan of on-device intelligence, premium-tier performance, and power efficiency.
Marquee capabilities include Magic Portal on Foldable, along with on-device AI-enabled photography features like HONOR AI Motion Sensing, and the HONOR AI Portrait Engine. Collaborating with Google Cloud, HONOR enriches a range of productivity features supported by Google Cloud AI models and APIs to empower users to improve overall efficiency, including HONOR AI Eraser, Face to Face Translation, and HONOR Notes tools. These deliver on HONOR’s promise of a new era of AI-enabled versatility and productivity, catering to the evolving demands of business and professional users, while offering an enhanced and secure experience on HONOR devices.
HONOR MagicBook Art 14
Elegantly, The HONOR MagicBook Art 14 represents a groundbreaking leap in the laptop industry, transforming conventional laptop experience by infusing human-centric innovation with robust capabilities.
Showcasing the Vine-leaf Curves Design and Satin Enamel Spraying Technology, this laptop is a marvel of lightweight engineering, incorporating cutting-edge platform-level AI features alongside robust hardware and software solutions, ensuring unmatched productivity and user experience.
Translating the lightweight and slim characteristics synonymous with smartphones to laptops, HONOR is introducing the lightest and slimmest AI PC to the market. The HONOR MagicBook Art 14 showcases the pioneering Topology Lightweight Structure, weighing just 1kg and measuring a slim thickness of 10mm.
Boasting an alloy body crafted from magnesium and a keyboard constructed with titanium, this laptop epitomises a perfect balance of lightweight design and durability. Integrating an industry-leading Modular Camera Design, the laptop features a detachable magnetic configuration that enhances privacy and adaptability, delivering a wider and immersive visual journey.
The HONOR MagicBook Art 14 features a captivating 14.6-inch HONOR FullView Touch Display boasting a crystal-clear 3.1K resolution. With an outstanding 97% screen-to-body ratio, the largest among 14-inch laptops, it guarantees an immersive and enriching viewing experience.
Demonstrating HONOR’s commitment to users’ well-being, the display is equipped with the industry's foremost eye protection technologies, such as 4320 High-frequency PWM Dimming, Dynamic Dimming technology, and E-book Mode, ensuring a comfortable and safe viewing experience.
In collaboration with Microsoft, the HONOR MagicBook Art 14 offers users access to the advanced Copilot features, including Intelligent Email Management, Data insight and visualisation, and Real-time Transcription and Summarisation, elevating productivity and efficiency.
Further enhancing power efficiency, the laptop features AI-driven OS Turbo 3.0, optimising power consumption by analysing user behaviour and adjusting performance strategies precisely, guaranteeing a powerful yet reliable laptop experience.
Driven by HONOR’s Spatial Audio Technology and AI computing power, the HONOR MagicBook Art 14 redefines audio excellence. This technology combines Spatial Reconstruction and Sound Quality Equalization to create a lifelike audio environment.
Coupled with advanced AI algorithms, the Bidirectional-enhanced microphone design ensures superior sound capture and noise reduction in any conditions, perfect for scenarios like group meetings and interviews, enabling users to enjoy an elevated communication and collaboration experience.
Powered by the high-performance Intel® Core™ Ultra 7 Processor 155H, the HONOR MagicBook Art 14 adopts heterogeneous cores, featuring six performance cores, eight efficient cores, and two low-power efficient cores that can turbo boost the device to 4.8GHz, allowing the laptop to handle demanding tasks while delivering excellent battery-saving multitasking performance efficiently. It showcases a twofold enhancement in GPU performance and a 70% boost in AI performance, making it a reliable choice for users seeking high-performance laptop experiences.
Adding to its versatility, the laptop comes with multiple ports including Thunderbolt 4, USB-C, USB-A, HDMI, and a 3.5mm headphone/Mic jack, enhancing overall convenience and ensuring a seamless user experience. Moreover, housing a Heterogenous battery design, the HONOR MagicBook Art 14 Series improves space utilisation by 30% while offering a robust 60Wh capacity that extends battery life for users.
HONOR MagicPad2
The HONOR MagicPad2 stands out with its impressively slim design, boasting an ultra-thin 5.8mm body and weighing just 555g, making it the ideal companion for on-the-go use. It features a 12.3-inch HONOR Eye Comfort Display with a 144hz Screen refresh rate, creating a visually stunning experience with enhanced smoothness and responsiveness across various content.
Additionally, holding dual TÜV certifications, the tablet ensures optimal eye care through advanced innovations such as AI Defocus Display, 4320Hz high-frequency PWM dimming, Circadian Night Display, and Dynamic Dimming functionalities.
Paired with a large amplitude eight-speaker system with IMAX-enhanced certification, the HONOR MagicPad2 immerses users in cinematic audio-visual feasts any time, anywhere on Disney+. By incorporating HONOR Spatial Audio Technology, the tablet features a widened sound field of 25%compared to its forerunner, enriching the audio experience for all users.
The HONOR MagicPad 2 is powered by the Snapdragon® 8s Gen 3 Mobile Platform, for premium experiences, including powerful on-device generative AI and hyper realistic gaming. The massive 10050mAh battery serves as a powerful backup for work and entertainment, complemented by 66W fast charging technology for rapid charging and efficient power consumption, giving users peace of mind.
The HONOR MagicPad2 runs on the new MagicOS 8.0, which is based on user intent-based recognition and possesses powerful AI capabilities, bringing users an unprecedented intelligent magical experience. The Magic Portal feature can predict interaction needs and recognize intentions in advance, allowing users to generate schedules or more tasks with just a long press and drag. From voice to text to handwriting beautification and formula recognition capabilities, the AI-driven office tools further enhance the HONOR MagicPad 2’s productivity, empowering users to achieve more in their daily endeavours.
HONOR Watch 5
HONOR also introduced the HONOR Watch 5, a blend of modern technology and sleek design. Weighing 35g, it measures only 11mm in thickness, making it lightweight and comfortable for all-day wear. The 1.85-inch AMOLED color display with a resolution of 390x450 pixels and 340 PPI supports full-screen touch operation, providing a vivid visual experience.
The HONOR Watch 5 features a Silicon-carbon battery, offering an impressive 15-day battery life with its 480mAh capacity. Powered by Turbo X AI Power Management, it ensures efficient energy use. This watch also tracks essential health metrics, including heart rate and SpO2 levels, helping users monitor their well-being in real-time.
Inspired by the wonders of natural landscape, the HONOR Magic V3 is available in three colours – reddish brown, green and black – while the HONOR MagicPad2has two colour options – moonlight white and black.The devices don’t come cheap. The starting price for the Magic V3 is €1999 (R39.000), and the MagicPad 2 starts at €599.
The Star