Premium Foldable Phone Launches in South Africa; HONOR Sets September 1 Rollout With Retai

HONOR Magic V6 Lands in South Africa on September 1 at R39,999, Backed by Carrier Financing and a Roster of Local Ambassadors

HONOR South Africa introduced its Magic V6 foldable smartphone at The Venue in Melrose Arch, marking the company’s push into the ultra-premium device segment and setting a firm commercial rollout timeline across multiple retail partners.

The Magic V6 is the centrepiece. It carries a 6,660mAh Silicon-carbon battery, currently the largest capacity integrated into a foldable smartphone, with 80W wired and 66W wireless charging via HONOR SuperCharge technology. That combination directly targets the power-management problem that has dogged foldable devices since their introduction. Processing is handled by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Mobile Platform, built for the multitasking and productivity workflows the foldable form factor demands.

Mechanical reliability gets equal engineering attention. The device’s HONOR Super Steel Hinge is rated for 500,000 folds, a specification designed to answer the durability questions that have slowed foldable adoption. HONOR Anti-scratch Nano Crystal Shield covers the surfaces, and IP68 and IP69 ratings extend the device’s operational range across wet and dusty environments. The 7.95-inch inner display includes Fast Flex functionality, allowing rapid transitions between folded and unfolded states to trigger split-screen AI assistance.

Cross-platform connectivity is a practical differentiator. Through HONOR Connect and HONOR Share, the Magic V6 is engineered to work across Apple’s ecosystem, supporting file transfers, notification synchronisation, and device switching between iPhone, Mac, AirPods, and Apple Watch. Quick Share extends that compatibility to Android devices, reducing friction in mixed-device workflows.

HONOR SA CEO Fred Zhou was direct about the target market. “The HONOR Magic V6 is our most premium device and designed for the high-end market, including business, tech, lifestyle and sport industry leaders, Captains and CEOs,” Zhou said. The company anchored that positioning to a new brand slogan, “Dare to Be,” and assembled an ambassador roster to match: Sheldon Tatchell, CEO of Legends Barber; actress and executive producer Connie Ferguson; Former Miss South Africa 2024 Mia LeRoux; cricket captain Temba Bavuma; soccer captain Ronwen Williams; and 100-metre record holder Akani Simbine.

Meanwhile, the launch extended well beyond a single device. The HONOR Pad 20 tablet arrives September 8, exclusively through Vodacom, at R11,999, bundled with a keyboard, stylus pen, and HONOR Mouse. Its 12.1-inch 3K display and 6.29mm profile (weighing roughly 525 grams) position it for portable work, study, and content creation. The MagicBook X14 2026 laptop launches the same day at R16,499 through Vodacom, Telkom, and Cell C, pairing a 14-inch Full View Eye Comfort display with an Intel Core Ultra 3 Processor 304, a 60Wh battery rated for up to 13 hours of simulated real-world use, and 65W fast charging. Buyers receive a backpack and HONOR Mouse.

The Magic V6 itself goes on sale September 1. Financing runs at R1,599 per month over 36 months through Vodacom and Cell C, and each purchase includes an HONOR Watch 6.

The event also saw the debut of the HONOR Robot Phone, described as the world’s first robotic smartphone. It integrates a 4-degree-of-freedom mechanical system built around the HONOR Titanium Agile Gimbal, developed through 60 manufacturing processes and incorporating more than 100 precision components backed by over 100 patents. HONOR indicated that imaging technologies developed through its Cinematic Imaging Partnership with ARRI will continue to evolve in the forthcoming HONOR Magic9 Series, leaving open the question of how that pipeline translates into the next generation of devices reaching South African shelves.

Full launch details are available at https://www.glamour.co.za/lifestyle/honor-unveils-south-african-sports-and-business-leaders-as-new-ambassadors-for-the-ultra-premium-magic-v6-foldable-device-6e57795f-4f8f-4428-bdbd-889f2952d60a.