The OnePlus Open looks exciting but has plenty of tough competition, including the Honor Magic V2, which has just had its European launch in Lipzeig, Germany. Let’s compare the two.
Foldables are no longer a developing product on the mobile phone scene, with many manufacturers now in on the game. Honor has been a key part of it for a couple of years and, now, it’s being joined by OnePlus. The question is, how does the third-generation Magic V2 fare against OnePlus’ initial entry to the foldable market?
We’ve spent a lot of time with both the OnePlus Open and Honor Magic V2, and here are some of the key differences between the two top-end foldables.
The Magic V2 is thinner and lighter
When it comes to foldable phone launches, many brands are quick to tout how thin and light their devices are, being keen to show how much screen they are squeezing into such a small form factor. But, the OnePlus Open doesn’t match up to its Honor rival in that department.
The new OnePlus Open measures 5.8mm when unfolded and 245g. Make no mistake, that’s still good going, especially for a device sporting a 7.82-inch display on the inside. But, the Honor Magic V2 manages a positive negligible 231g and is 4.7mm thin. If the weight and thickness are one of the top selling points for you when considering these fancy foldables, it has to be Honor.
The OnePlus Open has camera lenses custom-made for foldables
The OnePlus Open positively slaps you in the face with camera features and specifications, all the while touting that its system has been custom-developed for a foldable.
First off, it sees the debut of Sony’s new LYT-T808 image sensor on a foldable, which uses something called “Pixel Stacked” technology to enhance light intake and storage. That’s being used as the 48MP main sensor, alongside 64MP periscope telephoto (6x) and 48MP ultra-wide cameras. You’ll also find a 20MP sensor within the main display and a 32MP camera atop the cover screen.
Honor, by comparison, still offers some strong specs. The Magic V2 has a 50MP main, 20MP telephoto (2.5x) and 50MP ultra-wide. However, in testing, it lagged behind what was delivered by the OnePlus Open, particularly once light levels began to drop. The upgraded periscope lens from OnePlus also delivers much better quality zoom shots at higher levels of zoom than the Magic V2’s fixed 2.5x telephoto too.
Honor offers a larger battery
In the Magic V2, Honor manages to plonk a hefty 5,000mAh inside, and in a clever fashion. The device features two super-thin cells, ensuring the devices can be kept thin and have even weight distribution.
The OnePlus Open sports something slightly smaller at 4,805mAh. The difference isn’t huge, so it isn’t really a dealbreaker unless you’re all about getting as much juice out of your phone as possible, and there’s only a 1W difference in charge speeds at 66W and 67W respectively.
OnePlus has put a focus on multitasking
Almost every demo of a large foldable phone will show users taking advantage of the larger display on the inside to use multiple apps. But, it remains far from a seamless experience on most devices.
As such, OnePlus is putting a big focus on fixing this with the Open. It’s calling it Open Canvas and allows more freedom than ever in terms of resizing windows as well as shifting focus between apps. You can also save up to nine multi-app presets for swift access. More desktop-like features like a taskbar, a “Recent” folder and simple moving of files are all present here too.
Many of these features aren’t necessarily new to the foldable markets but it’s the user interface and smooth experience that the OnePlus Open with its implementation that our reviewer, mobile editor Lewis Painter, rates so highly.
Honor, on the other hand, offers the rather standard split-screen experience we’ve also seen from Samsung and Google, with nothing unique in terms of foldable software features to bring to the table.
The OnePlus Open is cheaper than the Honor Magic V2
Finally, with the European reveal of the Honor Magic V2, we now know that the OnePlus Open is the more affordable option of the two, coming in at £1,599. The Honor Magic V2, on the other hand, costs £300 more than its predecessor at £1,699, making it £100 more expensive.
The OnePlus Open is readily available to buy now, while the Honor Magic V2 can be bought directly from Honor now ahead of release at retailers on 2 February 2024.
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We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
