hoangbre@gmail.com
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 launch date is tipped to be less than three weeks away, but it’s going to be beaten to the punch by another foldable which could put a dampener on Samsung’s announcement.
Chinese smartphone maker Honor has announced when it will officially launch its next foldable, confirming that it will be the “world’s thinnest foldable smartphone”.
The Honor Magic V5 will be introduced in China on July 2, and looks set to wrestle the thinnest foldable crown back from Oppo, which had taken it from Honor and the Magic V3 with the arrival of the Oppo Find N5 earlier this year.
Considering the Find N5 is just 8.9mm when folded and a super svelte 4.2mm unfolded (ignoring the camera bump), the Honor Magic V5 looks set to be a particularly slick piece of hardware.
It means when folded, the Magic V5 isn’t going to be that much thicker than the Galaxy S25 Ultra (8.2mm) or the iPhone 16 Pro Max (8.3mm) – and neither of those phones fold.
| Phone | Folded | Unfolded |
|---|---|---|
| Oppo Find N5 (2025) | 8.9mm | 4.2mm |
| Honor Magic V3 (2024) | 9.2mm | 4.35mm |
| Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold (2024) | 10.5mm | 5.1mm |
| OnePlus Open (2023) | 11.7mm | 5.8mm |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 (2024) | 12.1mm | 5.6mm |
As the table above shows, its current Z Fold 6 is considerably thicker than rival foldables from Oppo, Honor and Google – so there’s a lot of work for Samsung to do if it wants the Z Fold 7’s hardware to compete here.
The good news for Samsung fans is rumors suggest the Galaxy Z Fold 7 will be considerably thinner than the Fold 6, as Samsung continues to tease its next foldable, but there are conflicting reports on just how thin it will be.
Usually reliable leaker Universe Ice has suggested the Galaxy Z Fold 7 might be as thin as 3.9mm when unfolded – which would really give the Magic V5 a run for its money – but a more recent report from SamMobile suggest Samsung’s foldable will be 4.54mm unfolded and 9mm folded. This is very similar to an Android Headlines report from February, giving more weight to this sizing.
Still, at 9mm folded it would be considerable improvement over the Z Fold 6, but it could still have fans looking enviously at other foldables.
Thinness envy
Honor says “the Magic V5 is designed to directly challenge the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7”, and along with this bold statement, the Chinese manufacturer gave us our first look at the slender profile of the Magic V5.
I was seriously impressed by the Magic V3 after spending an extended period of time with it, and it did make me disappointed that my Pixel 9 Pro Fold was noticeably chunkier.
With the Magic V5 set to be even slimmer, I fully expect a phone which is supremely pocketable and comfortable in the hand. And that’s exactly what you should expect from a phone with a price tag as lofty as today’s foldables.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 will likely come with its own sizable asking price, and when I part with quite so much money I want to know I’m getting something special.
Samsung has teased us by saying it’s lining up an ‘Ultra’ branded foldable this year, which could well be the Z Fold 7, and while that should mean excellent power and cameras, it could also mean a higher price tag.
While a more expensive foldable isn’t necessarily a bad thing, if we get the scenario where Samsung increases the price but doesn’t refine the design to beat, or even match, the Honor and Oppo competition, it will take some of the shine off the Z Fold 7’s introduction.
The thinnest foldable in the US?
According to reliable leaker Evan Blass, Samsung will unveil the Galaxy Z Fold 7 on July 9, just seven days after the Honor Magic V5 is announced in China.
But even if the Galaxy Z Fold 7 isn’t as thin as the Honor Magic V5, the latter is unlikely to be available to buy in the US, as previous Honor devices haven’t launched here. And with the Oppo Find N5 also not available in the US, it leaves American foldable phone fans with a limited choice.
It means that for the US, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 may be the thinnest foldable phone available. While that will be some comfort for buyers, there could be that nagging voice reminding you there’s something more slender out there in the world.
Either way, it looks like we won’t have to wait much longer to find out if Honor and Samsung will introduce us to some of the best foldable phones of 2025.
