Technologies

Honor Magic Vs Review: An Impressive First Try That Almost Rivals Samsung

The Magic Vs foldable phone still needs to improve before it can surpass the Galaxy Z Fold series. But it’s a commendable start.

Samsung finally has a new rival in the foldable phone ring: The Magic Vs foldable from Honor, formerly owned by Huawei. Honor revealed in September that it would bring its Honor Vs to international markets after a China release. This week, it showed off its book-style foldable flagship designed for a global audience at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

I had the chance to test the Honor Magic Vs a few days before its launch. I was impressed with the device’s slick hardware, which is lightweight but also allowed the two halves of the phone to fold flat against each other without a gap. The Galaxy Z Fold 4, its biggest rival, still has a wedge-shaped gap when closed even in its newest iteration.

Beyond the standout features, the Honor Magic Vs packs all the specs you’d expect from a 2023 flagship phone into a slick package. That includes a large battery (5,000 mAh), fast charging (66 watts), a powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen Plus 1 processor, and three years of OS upgrades as well as five years of security patches. The only knock I could give in terms of specs is that it lacks the newer Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip found in the Galaxy S23 line and OnePlus 11.

Honor Magic Vs

Like

Lightweight for a foldable
Fantastic battery life
Fast charging

Don’t Like

Software doesn’t take nearly enough advantage of the fold
No official IP rating
Crease could be less obvious
Less software updates than Galaxy Z Fold 4

However, it’s not perfect. The crease is more visible and discernible to the touch than other book-style foldables I’ve tested, such as the Oppo Find N and the Huawei Mate XS 2. The phone also lacks wireless charging and an official IP rating for water- and dust-resistance. By comparison, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 has an IPX8 rating for water-resistance.

That said, the Magic Vs starting price undercuts the Galaxy Z Fold 4 by 200 euros, and you also get more storage for that lower price. The Magic Vs starts at 1,599 euros for 12GB RAM and 512GB storage. By comparison, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 starts at 1,799 euros for 12GB RAM and 256GB of storage. There are no current plans for a US release, although the company said a UK launch is expected in June.

Honor wants the Vs to be a first-class phone first, and a tablet second. The inner screen has a 90Hz display, while the cover screen has a 120Hz display.

Sareena Dayaram/CNET

Honor Magic Vs outer display is the focus

The Magic Vs’ headline feature is its bendable display. Like the Galaxy Z Fold 4, it has a cover screen and an interior screen. The outer screen measures 6.45 inches diagonally, while the inner display is 7.9 inches. I found both crisp, responsive and bright, and each screen also folds into the other with no discernible gap.

Unlike Samsung, Honor chose to equip the cover screen of its book-style foldable with superior specs. For example, it has better brightness (1,200 nits vs. 800 nits) and a higher refresh rate (120Hz vs. the inner screen’s 90Hz). For reference, the Magic Vs’ inner screen is a step below the 120Hz capability of the Galaxy Z Fold 4.

Considering this is a foldable phone, I found Honor’s choice to be counterintuitive at first. However, it seems Honor wants this device to be a phone first, and a tablet second. I think this decision helped prolong the battery life of the Honor Magic Vs — which, by the way, was fantastic. (More on that below.)

Honor Magic Vs inner display has an obvious crease

Honor says the Magic Vs has a creaseless display, but that didn’t turn out to be true. You can see and feel the inner display’s crease from various angles. It was immediately noticeable as soon as I opened the phone. I didn’t have to search for it as I have with other foldable phones, such as the Oppo Find N or the Huawei Mate XS 2.

Despite the crease, watching movies and flipping through pictures is fun and immersive. While it didn’t bother me much, such a large crease may be a deal-breaker for some. But it’s a compromise that fans of foldables may just have to learn to live with for now. Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 4 still has a crease, though it’s less noticeable than in the past. But Huawei’s Mate XS 2, which has a wraparound-style foldable phone design with one screen, is basically creaseless.

Key to the folding nature of this phone is the hinge. The company said the hinge is crafted with an aerospace grade polymeric material and has fewer components in its supporting structure (just four compared to 94). This helps make the hinge lighter and potentially more durable. Honor claims the hinge can withstand up to 400,000 folds, which means you can expect maybe 10 years of use out of it if you assume 100 folds per day. CNET hasn’t been able to independently verify that claim.

Honor Magic Vs camera

The Honor Magic Vs has three rear cameras, consisting of a 54-megapixel main camera, 50-megapixel ultrawide camera, and an 8-megapixel telephoto camera capable of 3x optical zoom. There’s also a 16-megapixel selfie camera, which is one less front-facing camera than the pricier Galaxy Z Fold 4.

Overall, I was happy with photo clarity, dynamic range, shutter speed and the versatility of the camera. Whether I was in bright, dim or even dark lighting environments, the camera captured crisp, vibrant and accurate photos in a variety of lighting scenarios. That said, this isn’t the best camera. It doesn’t measure up to the iPhone 14 Pro Max for instance, which tends to offer better low light photography. But I guess that’s OK (sort of) since you’re really paying for that fancy display, not the camera module.

hong kong buildings — This photo was taken through a window. The Honor Vs managed to capture a color accurate image with solid dynamic range.

Sareena Dayaram/CNET

zoomed into building — 10x zoom example.

Sareena Dayaram/CNET

zoomed into building windows — 30x zoom example. This image is relatively lacking in image noise considering how far the camera was zoomed in.

Sareena Dayaram/CNET

a bar with red chairs — This setting was a tricky one to capture since the indoor environment was dim and there was bright light pouring through the windows. Despite this challenge, the camera captured a sharp image with crisp details indoors. Notice the detailing on the wooden floor and the bar seats.

Sareena Dayaram/CNET

womans legs and feet — The camera does a good job capturing the environment inside the window as well as outside.

Sareena Dayaram/CNET

scones on a plate — Notice the sharp detailing of the plate and the contrasts in this photo. It was taken indoors.

Sareena Dayaram/CNET

crosswalk in hong kong — I took this photo in a moving taxi and think it did a good job capturing motion.

Sareena Dayaram/CNET

Honor Magic Vs battery performance

With a 5,000-mAh battery, the Honor Magic Vs has the largest battery of any commercially sold foldable phone. Non-foldable phones, such as the Galaxy S22 Ultra and the Galaxy S23 Ultra, have the same battery capacity.

The Magic Vs made it through most days of testing on a single charge with medium use. I didn’t need to bother charging at the end of the day since I usually had more than 20% remaining. But I charged overnight anyway out of habit.

When I ran a battery endurance test where I watched YouTube videos, scrolled through my Instagram feed, played Genshin Impact and took a 5-minute WhatAapp video call on the cover screen. The battery went from 100% to 86% in those 45 minutes.

The Magic Vs comes with a bundled 66-watt charger, which Honor says will completely replenish a dead battery within 46 minutes. Based on my experience, that claim was true, which means the Magic Vs outshines the Galaxy Z Fold 4 in this department.

The Magic Vs runs on 2022’s Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1. In my short time with this phone, the device performed without a hitch whether it was powering multiple apps, running games, streaming YouTube videos or even just switching between apps.

folding phone propped up in a laptop-like position — The Magic Vs propped up in a laptop-like position.

Sareena Dayaram/CNET

Honor Magic Vs software

The Magic Vs runs Android 13 and Honor’s MagicOS. I’m a fan of MagicOS’ split-screen multi-tasking system, which includes a slide-over menu that you trigger by swiping and holding from the sides. You can multitask with up to four applications, and there’s a split screen mode as well as floating windows. You can also move apps around and resize their windows.

It’s a shame the software doesn’t take enough advantage of the phone’s folding design. I would have loved to see something like Samsung’s Flex mode on the Magic Vs. Even though I could use the phone when it was half-folded and prop it up like a laptop, none of the apps I used, even native ones, that were tailored for that experience. The Galaxy Z Fold 4’s Flex Mode software capabilities let you use the screen when it’s folded at a 90-degree angle.

With the Magic Vs’ slender hardware, solid cameras, fabulous battery life and intuitive multitasking features, Honor has created a solid rival to the Galaxy Z Fold 4. But it’s still tough to recommend the Magic Vs over the Galaxy Z Fold 4 for several reasons: There’s no IP rating, the crease is more visible, its software doesn’t really take advantage of the folding screen and Honor provides fewer software updates than Samsung. Honor made a solid first effort overall, though, and I’m so glad Samsung has more competition.

For more details on how the Magic Vs and the Galaxy Z Fold 4 compare, take a look at CNET’s specs chart below.

Honor Magic Vs specs vs. Galaxy Z Fold 4

	Honor Magic Vs	Galaxy Z Fold 4 5G
Display size, resolution, refresh rate	Internal: 7.9 inches, 90Hz (2,272×1,984 pixels) External: 6.45 inches, 120Hz (2,560×1,080 pixels)	Internal: 7.6 inches (2,176×1,812 pixels) External: 6.2 inches HD+ (2,316×904 pixels)
Pixel density	Internal: 381 ppi External: 431 ppi	TBC
Dimensions (Millimeters)	Folded: 160.3×72.6×12. 9 mm; Unfolded: 160.3×141.5×6.1 mm	Folded: 67.1×155.1×15.8 mm (Hinge) ~ 14.2mm (Sagging); Unfolded: 130.1×155.1×6.3 mm
Weight (Ounces, Grams)	9.23 oz, 261g (orange); 9.42 oz, 267g (black & cyan)	9.27 oz; 263g
Mobile software	Android 13	Android 13
Camera	54-megapixel (main), 50-megapixel (ultrawide), 8-megapixel (telephoto with 3x optical zoom)	50-megapixel (main), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (telephoto)
Front-facing camera	16-megapixels	4-megapixel (under display), 10-megapixel (front cover)
Video capture	4K	4K
Processor	Snapdragon 8 Gen Plus 1	Snapdragon 8 Gen Plus 1
Storage/RAM	12GB + 512GB	12GB +256GB/512GB/1TB
Expandable storage	None	None
Battery/Charger	5,000 mAh	4,400mAh
Fingerprint sensor	Side	Side
Connector	USB-C	USB-C
Headphone jack	None	None
Special features	Foldable phone, 3x optical zoom, 66-watt bundled fast-charger	Foldable phone, 30x optical, 30x space zoom, IPX8, 25-watt fast-charging (no in-box charger)
Price(USD)	$1,695 (coverted)	$1,800 (256 GB)
Price (GBP)	£1,420 (converted)	£1,649 (256GB)
Price (Euros)	1,599 euros (12GB RAM + 512GB)	1,799 euros (256GB)

Technologies

The Duskbloods Is New FromSoftware Gaming Action Coming to Switch 2 in 2026

Talk about a surprise for the new Switch.

FromSoftware had a big day with the Switch 2 Direct. The company revealed a new game called The Duskbloods and confirmed that its smash-hit action RPG Elden Ring is coming to the new console, which launches on June 5 for $450.

The Duskbloods is exclusive to the Switch 2, which was a surprise announcement during the Switch 2 Direct. According to FromSoftware, the game is a player vs. player vs. enemy, or PvPvE, online multiplayer game similar to the developer’s upcoming Elden Ring: Nightreign.

Players will be part of the Bloodsworn, which is a group that has «transcended human strength thanks to their special blood.» Each individual will be playing against each other as well as taking on other foes.

The game features some mainstays for FromSoftware games, with a gothic tone and a focus on gore, like its popular Bloodborne game for the PS4. It does appear that characters have a few more abilities than seen in previous games from the cult developer.

The Duskbloods will release sometime in It will be released in 2026.

The Switch 2 will launch on June 5 and preorders will start on April 9 at retailers. The new console will feature plenty of third-party support, with major games like Borderlands 4, Madden and Civilization 7 coming from other publishers.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Thursday, April 3

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for April 3.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword has two similar clues, 5-Across and 6-Across. They both play off the same idea — using the first part of two words to make one, all food-related. I didn’t get that at first, so I struggled with those two clues. Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

The Mini Crossword is just one of many games in the Times’ games collection. If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get at those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Hit the ___ (go to bed)
Answer: SACK

5A clue: Misleading name for a sub/shish kebab restaurant?
Answer: SUSHI

6A clue: Misleading name for a taco/pasta restaurant?
Answer: TAPAS

7A clue: Certain sports bets
Answer: OVERS

8A clue: Cooped (up)
Answer: PENT

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Almost *too* sophisticated and charming
Answer: SUAVE

2D clue: Upscale Colorado skiing destination
Answer: ASPEN

3D clue: Word after bar or pie
Answer: CHART

4D clue: Smooch
Answer: KISS

5D clue: Word on an eight-sided traffic sign
Answer: STOP

How to play more Mini Crosswords

The New York Times Games section offers a large number of online games, but only some of them are free for all to play. You can play the current day’s Mini Crossword for free, but you’ll need a subscription to the Times Games section to play older puzzles from the archives.

Technologies

Nintendo Switch 2: Everything We Know About the Console, New Games, Release Date

The $450 console will get Mario Kart World at launch, 4K gaming when docked, Switch 2 Edition game enhancements and new mouse controls.

The Nintendo Switch 2 console’s biggest reveal yet arrived Wednesday morning as part of the company’s Nintendo Direct event. This teed up a day of Switch 2 reveals that include its June 5 release date, a $450 price, its specs, and its initial game lineup that extends from launch into 2026.

The console will be further buoyed by having Mario Kart World as a launch title, which will go on sale in either a $500 bundle with the Switch 2 or on its own for $80 — making the open-world racing game one of Nintendo’s most expensive yet. Other games announced, such as Donkey Kong Bananza, are being priced around $70, which matches the cost of 2023’s The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. That Zelda game and Breath of the Wild are among the original Switch titles that will get enhanced Nintendo Switch 2 Edition upgrades, a premium upgrade allowing players to get new features, modes and graphical enhancements that take advantage of the newer system’s capabilities.

Here are the top highlights from Nintendo’s console event, all of the games we’ve heard about so far (including new titles, Nintendo Switch 2 Edition titles and GameCube games coming to Nintendo Switch Online) and all of our coverage so far. You can also check out our Nintendo Switch 2 live blog for even more updates about the Switch 2 as we learn them.

Nintendo Switch 2 console

The Nintendo Switch 2’s specs saw a noticeable technical bump over the Switch. The Nintendo Switch 2 has a 7.9-inch, 1080p resolution LCD that supports a 120Hz refresh rate — matching what we now see on most Android phones. When the Switch 2 is docked, compatible games can run in 4K resolution. The new dock also includes a cooling fan.

The Switch 2 comes with 256GB of internal storage, and the new Switch 2 Game Cards will load games faster. For digital libraries, however, the Switch 2 will only work with microSD Express cards, which are different from the microSD cards that are compatible with the prior Nintendo Switch. Nintendo will have a Software Transfer feature available to help move games and data from the original Switch to the Switch 2.

The new Joy-Con for the controllers will support mouse controls, and a new C button will be part of a new GameChat communication feature that allows both voice and video chat. There’s also a Nintendo Switch 2 Camera, allowing players to see each other.

The Switch 2 also adds a second USB-C port to the top of the system, which Nintendo says can help connect its new camera accessory or charge the console when playing in tabletop mode. Nintendo also revealed a new Switch 2 Pro Controller with the C button and customizable GL and GR buttons on the back.

Following the presentation, Nintendo unveiled the system’s price of $450 in the US. It will also sell the Switch 2 bundled with a digital version of Mario Kart World for $500.

Mario Kart World

Mario Kart World removes its traditional boundaries and lets drivers roam freely across an entire world of race courses. The game will get its own Nintendo Direct later this month, where we’ll see additional details, but we already know it’ll include traditional races and a Free Roam mode, much like in the Forza Horizon series.

Getting the game bundled for an extra $50 on the cost of the Switch 2 might be the move if you are interested in the game, because Nintendo announced on its website that standalone copies of Mario Kart World will cost $80.

Joy-Con 2 C button and GameChat

Nintendo’s rolling out its new C button across several new Switch 2 controllers. The button will be used for the new GameChat communication features without a headset. The button will be used alongside a microphone on the console itself, which Nintendo says can be used whether it’s docked to a TV or in handheld mode.

In its teaser video, Nintendo promises the microphone will be able to cancel out loud background noises. GameChat will also work with a Nintendo Switch 2 Camera, allowing video chat and various camera-based game modes in supported titles. GameChat will be free at launch through March 31, 2026.

Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games upgrade titles

The Nintendo Switch 2 will play three types of games: original Switch games, Switch 2 games and Switch 2 Edition games that will receive substantial enhancements. For many of these Switch 2 Edition games, you’ll need to buy an upgrade pack if you own the original for Switch. Many of them will get more than just enhanced graphics in the upgrade; for example, Super Mario Party Jamboree will get new games that support the new Joy-Cons’ mouse controls, audio recognition and video camera gameplay options through the Switch 2 Camera.

Other Nintendo Switch games that are getting Switch 2 Edition options include The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild, The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Metroid Prime 4 Beyond and Pokemon Legends: Z-A. Enhancements vary: The Zelda games will start working with a companion phone app for maps and sending schematics to friends, while Kirby will get a new story that’s exclusive to the Switch 2 Edition. On the third-party side, Civilization 7 will get mouse controls.

Nintendo did not announce what upgrade packs will cost. However, some Switch games will get free updates that will improve performance or enhance features when playing them on the Switch 2. The Switch games getting these updates include:

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is a new game set in the world of Zelda that tells the story that leads into The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. This appears to be similar to how Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity told the story of a war that led to the events of Breath of the Wild. The teaser shows Zelda discovering that she’s arrived in the past of Hyrule, and the game will expand on how she gets involved in the corresponding Imprisonment War.

Nintendo Switch 2 games

Several other first- and third-party games were spotlighted during the Switch 2 Direct. These include Donkey Bananza, one of the first 3D platforming games featuring DK since 1999’s Donkey Kong 64. Kirby will also return to the racing genre in Kirby Air Riders, which comes more than 20 years after the GameCube racer Kirby’s Air Ride. DragXDrive will use mouse controls to control a futuristic wheelchair basketball game in which players will simulate push and pull motions to control their character.

An onslaught of Switch 2 third-party games were quickly shuffled through during the Direct, which I list below. An unnamed James Bond game is in development at Hitman studio IO Interactive, as is a darker title from Elden Ring creator FromSoftware called The Duskbloods, which will be exclusive to the Switch 2.

The full list of announced Nintendo Switch 2 games includes:

Borderlands 4
Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster
Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition
Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion
Deltarune
Donkey Kong Bananza
Drag x Drive
EA Sports FC
EA Sports Madden NFL
Elden Ring Tarnished Edition
Enter the Gungeon 2
Fast Fusion
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade
Fortnite
Hades 2
Hitman World of Assassination — Signature Edition
Hogwarts Legacy
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment
Kirby Air Riders
Kirby and the Forgotten Land — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition and Star-Crossed World
Kunitsu-Gai: Path of the Goddess
Mario Kart World
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
NBA 2K
Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour
Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening Complete Edition
Pokemon Legends: Z-A — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
Project 007
Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
Sid Meier’s Civilization 7 — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
Split Fiction
Star Wars Outlaws
Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions
Street Fighter 6
Super Mario Party Jamboree — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition and Jamboree TV
Survival Kids
The Duskbloods
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 and 4
WWE 2K
Yakuza 0 Definitive Edition

Among these titles, you can see the full list of June 5 Switch 2 launch day games here.

Nintendo GameCube library coming to Switch 2

The Nintendo Switch Online game library will add GameCube games to the Switch 2. On launch day, these games will initially include The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, SoulCalibur 2 and F-Zero GX, with each game getting enhanced graphics. Online multiplayer will also be added to certain titles. Super Mario Sunshine, Super Mario Strikers and Luigi’s Mansion are among the games set to arrive later. At launch, Nintendo will also sell a GameCube controller, which will be wireless and include a C button for GameChat.