Porsche Design Honor Magic V2 RSR review: The ultra-thin foldable gets turbocharged

The biggest hurdle to using a foldable daily is the size; even though current-gen products are lighter than their predecessors, they're still significantly heavier and bulkier than regular phones. Honor addressed this issue with the Magic V2; the foldable weighs the same as the Galaxy S24 Ultra, and at 9.9mm when folded, it is just as thick as a normal phone.

The svelte design of the Magic V2 gives it a huge advantage over its rivals, and having used the device for a month now, I can confidently say that most of the time, it doesn't even feel like a foldable. Honor is leveraging the design once again to create the ultimate version of the Magic V2, the Porsche Design Magic V2 RSR.

This version of the Magic V2 was made in collaboration with Porsche Design, and while the fundamentals are unchanged, there are plenty of small tweaks that give the Magic V2 RSR its unique character. The key design trait is the flyline camera module that looks rather distinctive; there's a large glass panel that shows off the camera modules to a greater extent than the standard variant, and the frame around the housing is made out of titanium.

The regular Magic V2 looks good in its own right, but the V2 RSR has a bolder aesthetic thanks to the larger camera housing. There are other design flourishes; the flyline extends down the back — creating a wedge down the middle — and it's meant to evoke similarities to the bonnet of a Porsche 911.

Honor is selling the foldable in a single color option, Agate Grey. Obviously, there's a Porsche homage here as well, with the metallic grey color featured in the brand's sports cars. The color looks great, and the matte texture is very different to the frosted glass finish that you get with the standard model.

You get a custom case in the package as well as a stylus, and the latter is particularly useful as it works on both the inner and outer screens. There's no way to tuck the stylus inside the Magic V2 RSR — the phone just isn't large enough — but the fact that you get the stylus in the box is a nifty addition.

The stylus has good pressure sensitivity and lets you take notes even when the screen is off, just like Samsung's phones. Other additions include custom icons based on Porsche's cars, backgrounds, and sound effects. Overall, there is a lot to like on the design front, and if you've had your eye on the Magic V2, you should consider getting this model.

While I like the design changes, the large camera module at the back means the phone is very wobbly when on a table; attaching the case mitigates this to an extent, and I recommend using it.

Otherwise, the Porsche Design Magic V2 RSR is identical to the standard model. You get the same great hinge that's made out of titanium, and it has a smooth articulation and stays open at various angles, and the camera interface splits into two, giving you the ability to take interesting shots.

My favorite use case of the Magic V2 RSR is the Hover mode that basically turns the foldable into the costliest clock in the world. Just leave the inner screen unfolded at an angle, and you'll get a large clock once the screen switches off — similar to StandBy mode in iOS 17. It's a pretty great feature, and I used it all the time.

The best part of the Magic V2 RSR is the screens; you get a 6.43-inch outer screen along with a huge 7.92-inch inner screen, and most of the time, I just used the outer screen to get back to messages and read emails. The inner screen is ideal to read, and the thinness of the foldable makes a big difference in this area — it's just a smidgen heavier than my Kindle Oasis while offering a larger screen. If you're planning on reading books, the ebook mode turns the screen monochrome.

Both screens have 120Hz refresh, excellent color vibrancy, and are among the brightest in this category. What's particularly interesting is that Honor is collaborating with Gameloft to enable 120fps gaming in Asphalt 9: Legends; the feature isn't live as of writing, and is set to be available starting February 19. I'll update this post in a week to share more on how it holds up in this area.

Switching over to the hardware, the Magic V2 RSR uses the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 as the standard model, and while I would have liked to see the 8 Gen 3, Qualcomm's older silicon still has a lot to offer. What's great about the Magic V2 RSR is that it's sold in a single configuration with 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, so there are absolutely no issues here.

The battery is another area where Honor absolutely does a great job; the Magic V2 RSR has a 5000mAh unit that lasts over a day with ease, and even with heavy use, I didn't have to charge the foldable before the end of the day. The 66W charging tech means a full charge takes a smidgen over an hour.

Honor hasn't changed the cameras either, so you get the same 50MP main camera, 50MP wide-angle lens, and 20MP zoom lens with 2.5x optical zoom. I would have liked a few tweaks around the camera UI — similar to what you get on the Hasselblad-based OnePlus 12 — but the interface is identical to the standard model.

That said, you get terrific photos in any situation, and the Magic V2 RSR is right up there with the likes of the Pixel Fold and OnePlus Open. Shots tend to be overly saturated at times, but they look great nevertheless, and the foldable does a brilliant job in low-light scenarios as well.

Coming to the software, the Magic V2 RSR suffers from the same issues as the standard model; it runs Android 13 out of the box, there aren't many foldable-focused features available, and the interface is in need of an overhaul. Other than that, it's decent enough to use, and I have no issues in this regard.

Honor hasn't shared what the Magic V2 RSR will be available for — that information is set to be revealed at Mobile World Congress. That said, the phone retails for 15,999 RMB in China, or the equivalent of $2,225. Considering the standard version of the Magic V2 costs €1,999 ($2,132) in global markets, it's safe to assume that the V2 RSR will be closer to €2,299 ($2,475) once it starts hitting shelves outside China.

That's a lot of money, but you're also getting what is arguably one of the best foldables today. The Magic V2 is a great phone in and of itself, and the Porsche Design additions take it to the next level.