Paul Jones / Android Authority
TL;DR
- A Twitter consumer has proven that the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is thinner than the HONOR Magic V5.
- It seems each HONOR and OPPO measure their foldables with out the protecting internal display screen movie.
- A better take a look at product pages additionally reveals that some manufacturers don’t embody these layers when weighing their foldables.
HONOR launched the Magic V5 in China earlier this month, and the corporate claimed that the white model was the world’s thinnest foldable cellphone at 8.8mm. Nonetheless, latest occasions have introduced this declare into query.
Veteran leaker Ice Universe made a sequence of Twitter posts evaluating the HONOR Magic V5 to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7. The posts strongly counsel that the Samsung foldable is marginally thinner than the supposed world’s thinnest foldable. Ice Universe used a paper card, a ball, and a measuring device to disclose that the Galaxy cellphone is seemingly slimmer.
There is no such thing as a correct measuring device, however we are able to nonetheless draw a rigorous conclusion: Galaxy Z Fold7 is the thinnest folding cell phone on this planet.
I switched the positions of two cellphones in the course of the take a look at, and the outcomes remained the identical, which confirmed that the components of… pic.twitter.com/irlNgKOtH0
It seems HONOR’s web site lists a curious measurement methodology, because it measures its foldable telephones with out the internal and outer protecting display screen movies. That’s a questionable measurement methodology, as customers aren’t meant to take away the internal movie on foldable telephones. This layer is successfully a everlasting a part of the cellphone, which ought to solely be eliminated by restore brokers. We additionally checked HONOR’s earlier foldable listings, and the corporate used this measuring methodology way back to the Magic V2. The corporate claimed on the time that the Magic V2 was the thinnest book-style foldable cellphone, coming in at beneath a centimeter thick (9.9mm).
We requested HONOR for touch upon the Twitter consumer’s claims:
The general thickness doesn’t embody the internal and outer display screen protecting movies and the raised a part of the digicam. This measuring methodology isn’t distinctive to HONOR.
HONOR additionally despatched us photos (seen under) which it briefly posted on-line. These photos present that the folded system measures 8.8mm. Nonetheless, the corporate confirmed to Android Authority that it eliminated the outer protecting movie for these photos and measurements. That’s an comprehensible caveat as, not like the internal movie, clients can take away the outer movie within the first place. The corporate added that there was “no want” to take away the internal movie for these folded measurements.
This does make us surprise why HONOR’s web site claims that the 8.8mm measurement excludes protecting movies on each screens. In any case, if HONOR achieved an 8.8mm thickness whereas together with these layers, it will be an achievement value shouting about. It’s additionally value noting that we don’t get a take a look at the internal display screen in these photos to substantiate that the protecting movie was intact, so we have now to take HONOR’s phrase for that.
What about different producers?
Paul Jones / Android Authority
Our ears pricked up when HONOR instructed us it wasn’t the one one utilizing this measurement methodology. After scouring product listings, we found that OPPO excludes the display screen protector for its OPPO Discover N5 (seen above). This foldable is meant to be 8.93mm thick.
We requested Samsung the way it measures foldable telephones, and we’re nonetheless ready for a solution. Nonetheless, the corporate’s Newsroom web site notes the next:
Thickness of Galaxy Z Fold 7 when folded measured from high to backside of the glasses of Galaxy Z Fold 7.
I’m guessing the corporate is measuring the folded Galaxy Z Fold 7 from the duvet display screen to the rear glass cowl. We’ve requested Samsung to make clear this assertion.
In the meantime, Google’s Pixel 9 Professional Fold product itemizing merely states that the cellphone’s measurement “doesn’t embody digicam bump.” This means that Google consists of the display screen protectors in its measurements.
How does Xiaomi measure its foldable telephones? Right here’s what the corporate instructed us:
Xiaomi follows (the) trade commonplace on how thickness of foldable units are measured.
The massive downside with this response is that there doesn’t appear to be a single trade commonplace for measuring foldable telephones. We requested the corporate to make clear its response, but it surely didn’t come again to us.
We additionally requested HUAWEI about its methodology of measuring foldable telephones, but it surely didn’t get again to us. Nonetheless, the HUAWEI Mate X6 product web page notes that the “folded thickness doesn’t embody the looks of the digicam module.” Lastly, we requested vivo about their methodology of measuring foldable cellphone thickness, however we’re nonetheless ready for a solution.
It doesn’t finish with foldable cellphone thickness
Hadlee Simons / Android Authority
Questionable measurement strategies aren’t restricted to thickness, both. A better take a look at varied product pages reveals that just a few producers are additionally bending the reality relating to the burden of their foldables.
The HONOR Magic V5 product itemizing confirms that the white mannequin’s 217-gram weight was achieved with out together with the internal protecting movie. The OPPO Discover N5 superb print additionally exhibits that its 229-gram weight didn’t embody the internal display screen protector.
In the meantime, the vivo X Fold 5 (217 grams) and HUAWEI Mate X6 (239 grams) product pages reveal that these foldables had been weighed with out the internal or outer protecting movies. Once more, we are able to perceive excluding the outer movie, however the internal movie isn’t user-removable. Samsung and Google’s product listings don’t specify these particulars.
Why is all of this an enormous deal, although?
C. Scott Brown / Android Authority
You may surprise why we care about 0.1mm or a equally minuscule disparity. Nonetheless, this may be the distinction between a smartphone maker claiming it has the world’s thinnest foldable cellphone and… not. In any case, HONOR’s declare that the V5 is the world’s thinnest foldable cellphone hinges on a ~0.1mm distinction.
Utilizing a measurement methodology that probably flatters your personal system is a questionable advertising tactic. It might permit manufacturers to make a declare they in any other case may not have the ability to make with a extra standard measurement methodology. In HONOR’s case, the corporate instructed us its measurement holds up even when the internal display screen movie is included. Nonetheless, that solely raises extra questions on why it doesn’t keep on with the extra standard measurement methodology within the first place.
In any occasion, it’s clear that some foldable cellphone makers are taking part in quick and free when measuring their units. HONOR and OPPO’s measurement strategies, specifically, warrant a small pinch of salt. In the meantime, Xiaomi’s response additionally makes me skeptical about their measurement strategies. This problem will probably solely return to the highlight when Apple ultimately releases its rumored foldable iPhone.
This isn’t the primary time we’ve seen questionable ways from smartphone manufacturers within the title of selling. Some ways over time embody benchmark dishonest, selling pointless metrics (e.g. 100x zoom), and “smartphone digicam samples” taken by DSLR cameras. Nonetheless, this newest tactic dangers additional eroding consumer belief in smartphone producer claims.
