OnePlus Open vs HONOR Magic V2

Some truly compelling foldable smartphones launched in the last year or so. The two that we are going to talk about in this article are considered to be some of the best. We’ll compare the OnePlus Open vs HONOR Magic V2. Both of these are available in global markets, and they are actually quite different. They are not only different design-wise, but in a number of other ways, which should make things interesting.

Do note that both of these smartphones are book-style foldable, but they have different approaches to design, cameras, software, and so on. We’ll first list their specifications, and then we’ll talk about various other aspects of these phones. Their designs will be in huge focus, and then we’ll jump over to displays, performance, battery life, cameras, and audio performance. Let’s get to it, shall we?

Specs

OnePlus Open & HONOR Magic V2, respectively

– Screen size (main):
7.82-inch LTPO 3 AMOLED display (120Hz, Dolby Vision, 2,800 nits)
7.92-inch Foldable LTPO OLED (120Hz, HDR10+, IMAX Enhanced, 1,600 nits)
– Screen Size (cover):
6.31-inch LTPO3 OLED (120Hz, 2,800 nits)
6.43-inch LTPO OLED (120Hz, 2,500 nits)
– Display resolution (main):
2268 x 2440
2156 x 2344
– Display resolution (cover):
2484 x 1116
2376 x 1060
– SoC:
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
– RAM:
16GB (LPDDR5X)
16GB (LPDDR5X)
– Storage:
512GB (UFS 4.0)
256GB/512GB/1TB (UFS 4.0)
– Rear cameras:
48MP (wide, f/1.7 aperture, multi-directional PDAF, OIS), 48MP (ultrawide, 114-degree FoV), 64MP (periscope telephoto, 3x optical zoom, 6x “in-sensor” zoom, macro)
50MP (wide, f/1.9 aperture, PDAF, OIS, Laser AF), 50MP (ultrawide), 20MP (telephoto, 2.5x optical zoom, OIS, PDAF)
– Front cameras:
20MP (main display, f/2.2 aperture), 32MP (cover display, f/2.4 aperture)
16MP (wide, f/2.2 aperture)
– Battery:
4,805mAh
5,000mAh
– Charging:
67W wired, 5W reverse wired (charger included)
66W wired, 5W reverse wired (charger included)
– Dimensions (unfolded):
153.4 x 143.1 x 5.8mm
156.7 x 145.4 x 4.7-4.8mm
– Dimensions (folded):
153.4 x 73.3 x 11.7mm
156.7 x 74.1 x 9.9-10.1mm
– Weight:
239/245 grams
231/237 grams
– Connectivity:
5G, LTE, NFC, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 5.3
– Security:
Side-facing fingerprint scanner
– OS:
Android 13 with ColorOS (upgradable)
Android 13 with MagicOS 7.2
– Price:
$1,699
€1,999
– Buy:
OnePlus Open (Best Buy)
HONOR Magic V2 (HONOR)

OnePlus Open vs HONOR Magic V2: Design

Both of these smartphones are book-style foldable, but they are quite different. The OnePlus Open has flat sides with chamfered edges, while the HONOR Magic V2 uses way more curves on the sides. The HONOR Magic V2 is also a bit thinner in both folded and unfolded forms, even though not by much. Those curves on the side do make it seem even thinner than it actually is, though.

The OnePlus Open is 5.8mm thick when folded, and 11.7mm when unfolded. The HONOR Magic V2 measures 4.7-4.8mm when folded, and 9.9-10.1mm when unfolded. It all depends on what variant we’re talking about, a vegan leather model, or a glass model. The vegan leather variant of the Magic V2 is a bit thinner. The OnePlus Open’s vegan leather model comes in a black color, while the glass model is green-colored. The same goes for Magic V2’s black model, while the glass variant is purple-colored.

Both smartphones have a centered display camera hole on the cover display. Both of them have a fingerprint scanner inside the power/lock key, and both have a great hinge. The opening and closing of both smartphones are very satisfying, and both offer that proper ‘click’ when they lock in place.

They have very different camera setups, in general

If we flip them around, you’ll notice that their camera setups are quite different. The OnePlus Open has a huge camera oreo on the back, which is centered. That camera island also protrudes on the back quite a bit and is a good anchor for your index finger, when you’re holding the device. The Magic V2 has a much smaller camera island, and it sits in the top-left corner of the back. Both phones include three cameras on the back. Both devices also have thin bezels around both their main and cover displays.

Do note that only the OnePlus Open offers an IPX4 rating for splash resistance. The HONOR Magic V2 does not come with such a rating. Both phones feel great to hold and use, while they are also very similar in terms of weight. They do feel different to use, though, due to different design choices. There’s no clear winner here, though, it all depends on what your preferences are.

OnePlus Open vs HONOR Magic V2: Display

The OnePlus Open features a 7.82-inch 2268 x 2440 main display. That is a foldable LTPO3 AMOLED panel that can project up to 1 billion colors. Dolby Vision is supported here, and the panel goes up to 120Hz. The peak brightness of this display is 2,800 nits. The cover display measures 6.31 inches and has a resolution of 2484 x 1116. That is an LTPO3 OLED panel that can also project up to 1 billion colors and has Dolby Vision support. Its refresh rate also goes up to 120Hz, and it has the same max brightness as the main panel. Ceramic Guard is protecting the cover panel on the OnePlus Open.

The HONOR Magic V2, on the other hand, has a 7.92-inch 2156 x 2344 foldable LTPO OLED main display. That panel projects up to 1 billion colors too, and its refresh rate goes up to 120Hz. It supports HDR10+ content too, and it is ‘IMAX Enhanced’. This display has a peak brightness of 1,600 nits. The cover display, on the flip side, measures 6.43 inches, and it has a resolution of 2376 x 1060. This is an LTPO OLED display which can project up to 1 billion colors. It supports HDR10+ content, and its refresh rate also goes up to 120Hz. It has a peak brightness of 2,500 nits, and it’s protected by the Nanocrystal Glass 2.0.

In terms of actual display quality for real-life usage, all four of these panels are outstanding. They’re bright, vivid, and have great viewing angles. The blacks are deep, and neither main panel felt too plasticky during usage, not at all. The crease is also well-hidden on both main displays, and the touch response is great on all four panels. Truth be said, you’ll be good to go regardless of what phone you choose… as far as the display is concerned.

OnePlus Open vs HONOR Magic V2: Performance

The OnePlus Open is fueled by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, while it also includes 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 flash storage. The HONOR Magic V2 comes with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 as well, along with 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 flash storage. They’re on the same playing field in terms of specifications. Does that translate to actual usage on both devices? Well, yes, it does.

Both of these phones offer great performance. We’ve enjoyed using both, though I have to say that the software on the OnePlus Open has been more enjoyable to use. It has more features for the foldable aspect of the phone, and better ones, to be quite honest. It also works better with some apps when it comes to folding/unfolding the display. MagicOS on the HONOR Magic V2 is very fluid and works great in general, but some changes are needed, and also better multitasking as a whole.

Both software iterations were very fluid, though. Multitasking was a breeze, and that goes for everything you’ll use these devices for in day-to-day use. Even when it comes to gaming both phones did a really good job, so no worries there.

OnePlus Open vs HONOR Magic V2: Battery

What about their batteries? The OnePlus Open has a 4,805mAh unit, while the HONOR Magic V2 includes a 5,000mAh battery. HONOR actually used a silicon-carbon battery for the Magic V2. Both battery capacities are good enough in theory, does that translate to actual usage, though? Well, yes, the battery life was very good on both smartphones, at least that was the case for us, for our usage.

We were able to cross the 7-7.5-hour screen-on-time mark on the OnePlus Open a number of times. Truth be said, during that usage, gaming wasn’t really a part of the equation, but we were not sparing the phone. When it comes to the HONOR Magic V2, the battery life was also very good, though not as good as on the OnePlus Open. getting to 7 hours of screen-on-time is doable, though, as the Magic V2 is not trailing far behind in the battery life department. All in all, chances are you’ll be happy with the battery life on both devices.

When it comes to charging, they can both charge really fast. The OnePlus Open supports 67W wired and 5W reverse wired charging. The HONOR Magic V2 supports 66W wired, and 5W reverse wired charging. Both phones charge well under an hour, and both of them ship with chargers in the box, unlike some other high-end smartphones these days. Neither phone supports wireless charging, though.

OnePlus Open vs HONOR Magic V2: Cameras

The OnePlus Open has a 48-megapixel main camera, a 48-megapixel ultrawide unit (114-degree FoV), and a 64-megapixel periscope telephoto camera (3x optical zoom, 6x ‘in-sensor’ zoom) on the back. The HONOR Magic V2, on the other hand, includes a 50-megapixel main camera, a 50-megapixel ultrawide unit, and a 20-megapixel telephoto camera (2.5x optical zoom).

These two smartphones provide entirely different pictures. The OnePlus Open tries to keep things closer to real life while keeping the shadows a bit darker and making images a bit more contrasty. The colors on the images the OnePlus Open provides are outstanding. The HONOR Magic V2 does tend to brighten up images in low light quite a bit, and the colors end up being more playful in general. Images from the Magic V2 also tend to look a bit more processed in comparison.

During the daytime, both smartphones do a great job. The images end up looking sharp, and detailed, and even the HDR performance is great from both smartphones. We did prefer the performance of the OnePlus Open, though, generally speaking. That goes for all three cameras on the back, though the HONOR Magic V2’s camera performance is not bad at all. It’s just a level below what the OnePlus Open has to offer.

Audio

There are stereo speakers included on both of these smartphones. The speakers on the HONOR Magic V2 ended up being a bit louder, but the difference is not that big at all. The sound coming from both smartphones was well-balanced, and the distortion was next to non-existent.

You won’t get an audio jack on either of these two smartphones, though. You can always utilize their Type-C ports for wired audio connections. If you prefer to go wireless, however, both smartphones do support Bluetooth 5.3.