What you need to know

• At MWC Shanghai, Honor announced that the “world’s thinnest” foldable, the Magic V5, will launch on July 2 in China.
• The device is said to bring the company’s intelligent AI software and rival Samsung’s Fold 7 as a “compelling alternative.”
• Honor unveiled its major shift into AI at MWC in March, known as the “Alpha AI Plan,” for human-centric software.

Honor is preparing to turn some heads with its next foldable launch that claims it sits atop the thin hill.

In a press release, Honor announced during MWC Shanghai that its next-generation foldable, the Magic V5, is on deck for a launch on July 2 in China. The company says it plans for the Magic V5 to continue the legacies left behind by the V2 and V3 devices. As you might’ve guessed, Honor is staking its claim that the newest phone is the world’s thinnest (foldable) device.

In Honor’s keynote at the event, it stated that it has implemented a suite of AI technology features. As such, Honor says these features will drive the Magic V5’s capabilities up to near PC-like levels. More information on these features will likely surface a little closer to launch.

However, Honor is shying away from the market, as it looks at direct competition with Samsung.

The post calls out Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 7, labeling its upcoming Magic V5 as a “compelling alternative.” Honor says its foldable leans on “cutting-edge design aspects, performance, and portability.”

Human-centric AI

While we await the Magic V5, Honor’s recently started down its Alpha AI path, which saw the company invent ~$10 billion. During MWC in March, Honor announced Alpha AI Plan, a three-step strategy that highlights intelligent phones, AI ecosystem, and AGI (Artificial General Intelligence). Honor said it wants to facilitate devices with human-centric AI to maximize our potential.

The intelligent AI software Honor plans for its Magic V5 foldable likely leverages the company’s R&D with its Alpha AI Plan. Honor’s Magic series is also the first area it already foresaw as the origin for this intelligent AI future.

Additionally, the Magic V3 was 12.1mm when it launched in 2024, combating the Galaxy Z Fold 6. Honor says this next iteration will be the world’s thinnest yet, and we won’t have long to wait to see just how much thinner we go.

Baseus is slowly but steadily building momentum globally — the brand makes some of my favorite charging accessories. I use its retractable 100W USB-C cable to charge my daily driver, and it’s the only cable I have on my desk. The Blade 2 is a sleek power bank with good charging potential, and the new Nomos charging station is an easy recommendation thanks to its integrated Qi 2 charging pad.

While Baseus is no stranger to power banks, its latest are easily its best yet. The PicoGo Magnetic series is aimed at travel, and it contains the thinnest power banks I’ve used yet. Baseus has two models available; a 5,000mAh power bank that’s just 7.6mm thick, and a 10,000mAh model. The 5,000mAh power bank costs just $26 on Amazon, and it’s understandable why it is one of the best-selling power banks on the retailer over the last few months.

The 10,000mAh model is even more interesting, and it comes in at $39 on Amazon. Both power banks have magnetic connectors as standard, and the 10,000mAh model gets Qi 2 integration, giving it an edge in this regard. I’ve been using both the 5,000mAh and 10,000mAh PicoGo power banks over the course of the last two months, and I like them so much that they’re now my go-to choice in everyday use.

Let’s start with the 5,000mAh PicoGo, as its ultra-thin design allows it to be portable like no other power bank. It’s thinner than most phones, and at 107g, it is the lightest power bank I used. Baseus sent the grey and pink models, and both designs have aluminum shells that are built to last.

The design is elegant thanks to smoothly curved sides, and the power bank has strong magnets. It had no issues staying connected to my iPhone 16 Pro Max, and even wiggling the phone vigorously didn’t dislodge the power bank. There’s an LED indicator at the back that shows remaining battery level, and you get a USB-C port at the bottom that lets you charge a secondary device.

It charges at 15W via MagSafe and 20W with the USB-C port, but as the power budget is 20W, that’s what you get in total when charging two devices simultaneously. And because of the energy transfer, you get about 2,800mAh of usable power out of the 5,000mAh model — that’s in line with every other power bank I tested recently.

While the 5,000mAh model isn’t enough to charge an Android phone fully — it managed to deliver up to 50% to my Vivo X200 Pro — it is a great choice if you’re out and about and need a sleek power bank that doesn’t add much heft or bulk to your phone. Combine that with the great design and build quality, and attractive color options, and it is about as straightforward a recommendation as I can make with any charging tech.

If you need more power, then the PicoGo 10,000mAh model is a better choice. It has the same design as its smaller sibling, but it’s thicker at 12.7mm, and weighs 221g. It’s still a manageable heft and size, and the added bonus is that you get Qi 2 charging, going up to 15W. The 10,000mAh model has the same great set of magnets, and although it is heavier, it manages to stay attached to any phone with a magnetic case.

It has the same design, you can pick it up in the same color options, and it also gets a USB-C port, this time going up to 27W over the PD standard. The only difference between the two models is that the 10,000mAh variant gets Qi 2, and it has double the battery size.

It even has a similar charging efficiency, so you’ll get around 5,600mAh to 5,700mAh of usable power — more than enough to charge most phones fully. While I tend to use bigger power banks, I found the 5,000mAh model to be better-suited to my needs, and even though it doesn’t have enough power to fully charge a phone, it gets most devices to at least 60%, and that’s enough to last a good chunk of the day.

Given the ultra-thin design and lightweight body, I’d suggest getting the 5,000mAh model; it’s just convenient to be able to charge your phone if it’s running low. And if you need Qi 2, the 10,000mAh PicoGo is a good option to consider. Basically, these are the two best power banks around if you need a thin-and-light design and reliable power delivery.