Samsung recently introduced the Galaxy Z Fold7 at its Unpacked 2025 event. The phone measures just 4.2mm when unfolded and 8.9mm when folded, making it one of the thinnest book-style foldables in the world. And now, after some real-world testing and a viral comparison video from Ice Universe, it’s becoming clear that the Z Fold7 is likely the actual thinnest foldable on the market, not the HONOR Magic V5 as previously claimed.
It’s also the lightest foldable available right now, weighing just 215 grams. But how did HONOR manage to claim it had the world’s thinnest foldable? Well, to sum it up, they lied. Let’s take a look at what really happened.
Before Samsung took the stage with the Z Fold7, HONOR announced the Magic V5, boasting that it was the world’s thinnest foldable. On paper, the difference seemed minimal. HONOR said the Magic V5 was 8.8mm when folded, while Samsung listed the Z Fold7 at 8.9mm. Just a 0.1mm difference, but enough for HONOR to grab the headlines and troll Samsung on social media for being “thicker.”
But there was a catch. Actually, there were several.
If you check the fine print on HONOR’s global product page, it openly admits that its 8.8mm thickness does not include the inner and outer screen protective layers, and also excludes the raised part of the camera. While it’s fairly common to omit the camera bump in these measurements, skipping the protective layers that come pre-applied with the device is highly unusual, and in fact, misleading.
Shortly after the Z Fold7 was launched, reliable tipster Ice Universe shared a video on X (formerly Twitter), comparing the two phones side by side. Using a flat card and a ping-pong ball, he demonstrated that the Z Fold7 is actually thinner than the Magic V5.
When placing the card across both devices, the card tilted toward the Z Fold7, clearly meaning the HONOR device was thicker. And no matter how he flipped or positioned the phones, the ping-pong ball always rolled toward the thinner Fold7.
HONOR’s Magic V5 is Actually 0.16mm Thicker than the Z Fold7
Ice Universe also used a precision scale to measure actual thickness. The results were quite shocking honestly. According to his tests:
- HONOR Magic V5 (folded): 8.95mm
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 (folded): 8.79mm
So, not only is the Galaxy Z Fold7 NOT thicker, it’s actually 0.16mm thinner than the Magic V5 in real-world use. That’s not a small difference when you consider that HONOR based its entire marketing pitch on a 0.1mm edge that doesn’t even exist in reality.
And it’s not just thickness; the weight claims were also false.
HONOR Lied About the Weight Too?
HONOR advertised that the white version of the Magic V5 weighs 217 grams, and that other colors weigh 222 grams. But once again, Ice Universe measured it using a scale, and the white Magic V5 actually weighed 224 grams, even heavier than the heavier variant HONOR claimed.
In contrast, the Galaxy Z Fold7 weighed exactly 218 grams, which is 3 grams heavier than Samsung’s claim but not as far off as HONOR’s claim vs. reality. That makes the Z Fold7 not just the thinnest, but also the lightest book-style foldable available today.
Even if you give HONOR the benefit of the doubt and subtract a few grams to account for manufacturing variations, there is still a noticeable delta between the advertised and actual weight. They do have it written in the fineprint that the weight does not include the inner protective film though.
HONOR’s Social Media Troll Campaign Backfired
What makes this even more disappointing is that HONOR didn’t just quietly share its numbers but it actively mocked Samsung online, posting comparison graphics that exaggerated the Z Fold7’s thickness. They even photoshopped images to make Samsung’s phone look visibly chunkier. That’s a honor-less move when your own phone turns out to be heavier and thicker in reality.
And it’s worth noting that the Magic V5 isn’t even available globally, while Samsung’s Z Fold7 is available worldwide.
HONOR’s Long History of Misleading Claims
Sadly, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen something like this. HONOR’s former parent company, Huawei, has a long track record of misleading claims, from the infamous “fake moon shot” controversy to claiming they had ditched Android while still using the Android codebase under the hood to claiming that the Pura 80 Ultra has 10X optical zoom when it’s just a digital crop.
It seems like some of that strategy is still alive today.
To Be Fair…
Of course, the HONOR Magic V5 still has its strengths. It comes with a larger 5,820mAh battery (global model) and a much better telephoto camera than what Samsung offers on the Z Fold7, which only has a 4,400mAh battery and a tiny zoom lens. But those are specs that should be marketed fairly, and not buried under false claims about thickness and weight.
You Can’t Photoshop the Reality, Honor
In the race to be the thinnest and lightest foldable in the world, HONOR tried to cheat its way to the top. But thanks to the work of Ice Universe and others, the truth is out. The Galaxy Z Fold7 is thinner, lighter, and better crafted than HONOR gave it credit for. Brands will always compete, but deliberate misinformation and lying crosses the line.
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