Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 launched with one clear design goal in mind: to be among the slimmest book-style foldables on the market. At 8.9mm thick, it managed to tie with OPPO’s Find N5 for that title – or so it seemed.
Then, right before Samsung’s big Unpacked 2025 event, Honor unveiled its Magic V5. The company boldly claimed it had edged past Samsung with a 0.1mm advantage, landing at just 8.8mm thick. That put it, technically, in the lead for the “world’s thinnest foldable” crown. Or, at least, that’s how the numbers appeared on paper.
Key Takeaways:
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 measures 8.9mm thick.
- Honor Magic V5 officially claims 8.8mm thickness.
- Real-world tests by Ice Universe show the Galaxy Z Fold7 appears thinner.
- Honor’s 8.8mm figure excludes protective screen layers and the camera bump.
- Standard industry measurements typically exclude only the camera bump.
Real-world comparisons suggest the Galaxy Z Fold7 might actually be thinner after all—despite what those official specs say. And this isn’t just speculation.
Noted tech leaker Ice Universe posted a video on X, stacking the two phones side by side with a flat card laid across them. The card tilted upwards toward the Honor Magic V5. When light pressure was applied on the Magic side, the card actually lifted off the Samsung. Oddly enough, the reverse didn’t happen.
To make the point even clearer, they tried placing a ping-pong ball on the card. No matter where they started the ball—or which side the phones were on—it always rolled toward the Galaxy Z Fold7. Every time. Which, realistically, shouldn’t happen if the Honor were actually thinner.
So, what’s going on here?
It turns out the discrepancy stems from how Honor is defining its measurements. According to the company’s global landing page, that 8.8mm figure doesn’t account for the protective screen layers on either the inner or outer display. Nor does it include the camera bump. Now, it’s fairly standard across the industry to leave out the bump, but skipping over the protective films? That’s definitely not the norm.
By contrast, Samsung’s 8.9mm thickness includes those very layers—giving a more complete, and arguably more honest, sense of the phone’s dimensions.
So while Honor technically posted a thinner figure, it’s looking like Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold7 might be the true slim champion. It’s subtle, but when you’re in a race this close, those details matter.
And let’s be honest: the pursuit of that “world’s thinnest” badge isn’t just about engineering. It’s a marketing goldmine. But if you’re trimming numbers by omitting essential parts of the phone, it starts to feel a little like playing with the scoreboard.
Samsung, for its part, appears to have stuck to the conventional playbook—at least in how it measured the Fold7. And that’s something.
FAQs:
Q1: What is the official thickness of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7?
A1: The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 has an official thickness of 8.9mm when folded.
Q2: How does Honor measure the Magic V5’s thickness?
A2: Honor’s stated measurement of 8.8mm excludes the inner and outer protective screen films, as well as the raised camera portion.
Q3: Why are real-world tests showing the Galaxy Z Fold7 to be thinner?
A3: Because Honor’s 8.8mm claim leaves out elements like screen protection layers, which are normally included. That skews the comparison. Samsung’s figure, by contrast, reflects the full build.
Q4: Is it common for smartphone manufacturers to exclude parts from thickness measurements?
A4: It’s common practice to exclude the camera bump, but leaving out screen protective layers isn’t typical and might be seen as bending the rules a bit.
