Daily Authority: 📱 Hands-on with this Galaxy Z Fold 4 rival

☕ Hey all! We’ve got leftover pizza from last night, so lunch is going to be fantastic. In today’s edition, we go hands-on with the brand-new HONOR Magic Vs foldable. Check out our thoughts below.

Honor’s global foldable ambition

HONOR announced the Magic Vs foldable phone in China yesterday (November 23), offering a Galaxy Fold-style form factor much like the previous generation Magic V foldable. But what’s it like to actually use? AA Executive Editor Kris Carlon recently posted his hands-on impressions.

Favorable comparisons (on paper)

• Kris noted that the Magic Vs is slightly lighter and much thinner than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4.
• He also said the HONOR foldable was actually thinner and lighter than the HUAWEI Mate X2.
• “The more you use it the more you notice the lack of overall bulk usually associated with foldables.”
• A big reason for the comparatively svelte design is that so-called gearless hinge.
• HONOR claimed that the original Magic V hinge had 92 components and that this new hinge only consists of four parts.
• The hinge is rated for 400,000 opens, but the company is mum on rated figures for the display itself.
• Otherwise, the Magic Vs is equipped with a Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 SoC, 5,000mAh battery, and 66W wired charging.
• There’s no wireless charging or significant IP rating here though, unlike Samsung’s foldables.
• One nice surprise is an optional stylus, but there’s nowhere to store it (just like the Z Fold series).

Worth considering?

• Kris tentatively says you should probably focus on the HONOR Magic Vs if you’ve been missing HUAWEI on a global stage.
• But it’s still too early to give a definitive verdict for the foldable right now.
• For one, we simply haven’t spent enough time with the device.
• We weren’t able to talk about the software either as the global software wasn’t finished yet.
• And we all know that software is key for a great foldable experience.
• HONOR has confirmed a global launch in Q1 2023, but we don’t know anything else.
• For what it’s worth, the device starts at ~$1,049 in China. That’s really cheap.
• The Z Fold 4 retails for ~$1,900 in the market.
• Even a ~$200 to ~$300 increase in Europe would still be cheaper than the Galaxy Z Fold 4.

The rare global foldable

• We’re just glad to see a non-Samsung foldable phone launch in global markets.
• Huawei and Motorola are the only other brands to offer foldables outside China.
• Meanwhile, OPPO, vivo, and Xiaomi have all launched China-only devices.
• This has allowed Samsung to streak ahead in global markets.
• In fact, you could definitely argue that the company is now playing it too safe with its foldables.
• So we’re definitely looking forward to more competition in this space. A rising tide lifts all boats, and all that.

Roundup

📨 Google Messages is finally giving us the power to react however we want (Android Authority).

📷 Poll: Do you own a mobile tripod for your smartphone? (Android Authority).

🎨 Wallpaper Wednesday: Another Wednesday, another article featuring reader-submitted and Team AA wallpapers (Android Authority).

🔎 Feds likely to challenge Microsoft’s $69bn Activision takeover: Three sources say the FTC is likely to file a lawsuit to halt the deal (Politico).

📱 Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 3 is now getting stable Android 13 update: The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is getting in on the action too (Android Authority).

🚗 Mercedes locks faster acceleration behind a $1,200 annual paywall: And you thought BMW’s heated seat subscription was silly? (The Verge).

📸 Poll results: You prefer stock Pixel 7 Pro shots to a photographer’s edits (Android Authority).

🚀 UK surgeon named world’s first astronaut with a disability: No word on John McFall’s first flight, but he’ll enter a 12-month training program next spring (Engadget).

🎒 This is the best backpack I’ve ever owned (Android Authority).

🍿 What is the greatest film trilogy of all time? (AskReddit).

Thursday Thing

If you’ve ever had ramen before, you’ll know that it comes with a broth. But a lot of it is frequently left behind by diners. Fortunately, SoraNews 24 reports that this leftover broth is being used to power a train in Japan’s Miyazaki Prefecture. This isn’t your typical train though, but rather a small open-air train consisting of two cars that are used for scenic tours. That’s still a pretty innovative way to repurpose ramen broth.

As for how it all works, the leftover broth from restaurant meals is filtered and combined with biodiesel made from old tempura cooking oil. In fact, Nishida Logistics, the company behind the innovation, also uses this ramen-based fuel in half its fleet of 170 trucks.

Have a great day!
Hadlee Simons, Editor