Latest rumored specs for 5G Honor Magic V foldable; Huawei Mate X2 Collector's Edition goes on sale

Next month, former Huawei sub-brand Honor, now an up-and-coming smartphone manufacturer in its own right, is expected to introduce its first foldable handset. The Honor Magic V folds in a similar fashion as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3. In other words, there is an external "cover screen" and when the device is opened like a book, a tablet-sized screen is revealed.

Tipster Digital Chat Station, who hangs out on China's Weibo (via Android Authority) recently got credit for leaking Qualcomm's new naming standard for its Snapdragon AP chips. Now, Digital Chat Station has posted specs for a prototype version of the Honor Magic V.

The external "cover screen" will feature a centered hole-punch selfie snapper and a slightly curved display on the right side. The internal tablet-sized screen (reportedly 8-inches with a 2200 x 2480 resolution according to a previous rumor) will sport a hole-punch camera in the upper right corner.

One of the screens will redraw 90 times each second (90Hz refresh rate) while the other updates 120 times a second (120Hz). Under the hood is the Snapdragon 8 Gen. 1 manufactured by Samsung using its 4nm process node. Keep in mind that the only reason that Honor can use a 5G supporting Snapdragon chip is that the company was sold by Huawei to a consortium for a little over $15 billion.

While Huawei can still offer 5G by using any homegrown Kirin 9000 5G components it has hoarded, the company had to power its P50 photography-focused models this year with a special 4G version of the Snapdragon 888 chipset.

Once its divorce from Huawei was made official, Honor no longer had to abide by the U.S. restrictions against Huawei which had banned it from accessing its U.S. supply chain including Google Mobile Services (GMS). Splitting from Huawei also allowed Honor to receive cutting-edge chips made by foundries that produce them using U.S. technology, something that Huawei is not allowed to do.

Digital Chat Station adds that the Magic V will sport a 50MP primary rear sensor. The battery will charge at a zippy 66W, and Android 12 will be pre-installed. Honor recently released a video teaser showing how much the design resembles that of the Galaxy Z Fold 3. The external screen will weigh in at 6.5-inches according to a prior rumor.

Once Honor gives its first foldable a suitable unveiling, we should have all of the specs, pricing, and availability for you.

Meanwhile, Honor's former corporate parent, Huawei, has successfully launched three foldable variants over the last two years including the Mate X, Mate XS, and the Mate X2. Now available in China (via Vmall) is the Mate X2 Collector's Edition. What makes this a device for the discriminating Huawei collector on your block is the leather back.

The phone is available in black, white, and red, which of course reminds us of this joke. What's black and white and red all over? No, not a newspaper but the Mate X2 Collector's Edition.

The Mate X2 Collector's Edition is priced at CNY 19,699 which, based on current forex rates, converts to $3,090/€2,734. Not that you'll find this phone staring at you through your carrier's plate glass display window in the U.S. asking you to take it home; Huawei is still mobile public enemy number one in the states.

Huawei stuffs the Mate X2 Collector's Edition with 12GB of memory and 512GB of storage. To make the external display more durable, the manufacturer is using nano-crystalline enforced glass material. The internal 8-inch display carries an FHD+ resolution with a 90Hz refresh rate. A homegrown Kirin 9000 5G chipset is under the hood while a 50MP primary camera tops the quad-camera system on the foldable's back.

HarmonyOS 2 is pre-installed and the handset is powered by a 4500mAh capacity battery that charges at 55W.