Foldable smartphones have historically faced a trade-off: a larger, flexible display and complex hinge mechanism often meant less space for the battery – a limitation keenly felt during extended use.
Honor is aiming to address this challenge with the Magic V6, unveiled today at MWC 2026 in Barcelona.
6,660 mAh and Still 8.75mm Thin
The Magic V6 boasts a 6,660 mAh battery and Honor promises up to 24 hours of uninterrupted use in unfolded mode. The Chinese manufacturer claims this is the largest battery ever incorporated into a foldable smartphone.
Achieving this required new battery cell technology. Honor has developed its fifth-generation silicon-carbon technology in collaboration with ATL – the same battery partner used by Tesla for its electric vehicles. The result is a battery cell only 0.15 mm thick with a silicon content of 25 percent.
By comparison, conventional lithium-ion batteries typically contain less than five percent silicon. The higher the proportion, the more energy per volume, but this places corresponding demands on production and durability, as silicon expands more than graphite during charging.
Despite its large battery, the Magic V6 is only 8.75 mm thin when folded, still placing it among the thinnest foldable phones on the market. Honor states this required a complete redesign of the internal structure, with speakers, modules, and components relocated to accommodate the larger battery.
Both IP68 and IP69
Only a few foldable smartphones are currently IP68 certified. The Magic V6 goes a step further with IP69 certification, which covers resistance to water under high pressure – relevant in situations beyond accidental drops in a sink.
Achieving both certifications is impressive for a foldable smartphone, where the hinge is a natural weak point in the construction. Honor states the hinge is sealed with a special nano-coating that is 10 times more drop-resistant and 15 times more scratch-resistant than conventional coatings.
The hinge is also made of steel with a strength of 2,800 MPa – a level the manufacturer compares to materials used in the aerospace industry – and has been tested for 500,000 folds, equivalent to almost ten years of daily use with 130 openings and closings per day, according to the Chinese manufacturer.
Two Screens, Up to 6,000 Nits
The foldable screen measures 7.95 inches, the outer screen 6.52 inches. Both are LTPO 2.0 panels with an adaptive refresh rate from 1 to 120 Hz and a maximum brightness of 5,000 and 6,000 nits respectively for HDR content.
Both screens use 4,320 Hz PWM dimming to reduce eye strain during prolonged use, and an anti-reflective coating based on silicon nitride reduces the reflection rate to 1.5 percent.
According to Honor, the visible crease on the inner screen has been reduced by 44 percent in depth compared to the previous model, certified by testing organization SGS.
Under the screen is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, and Google Gemini is integrated into the software. The Magic V6 can function as a secondary screen for Apple users, as it supports direct file sharing with Apple products via Apple’s AirDrop.
Price and Availability
Honor Magic V6 is planned to launch in the second half of 2026 in select markets. Price, colors, and availability in the Nordics have not yet been confirmed.
(b. 1973): Editor-in-Chief L&B Home. Peter has worked for Ljud & Bild since 2012. He has been active as a technology journalist in many media outlets since 1998, including as editor-in-chief of the gadget magazine GEAR and as a journalist for the newspapers PC World and Privat Computer. Peter writes about mobile phones and other portable devices as well as about technological innovation, including 5G, electric mobility and smart homes.
