Chinese smartphone maker Honor has its PR machine on overdrive for the release of its major new handset, the Honor Magic V3. The new phone is being released at the forthcoming IFA consumer technology show in Berlin, which runs from the 6th to the 10th of September.

Described by Honor as the world’s thinnest inward-foldable phone, the Honor Magic V3 will also feature three new cloud-based AI features, developed in partnership with Google Cloud.

Honor Magic V3 new AI features

  • The AI Eraser for removing unwanted objects from your photos.
  • Face to Face Translation, which offers real-time translation during conversations.
  • Honor Notes Multi-language Live Translation, which translate notes and documents on the phone into multiple languages.
  • Honor has also shared more details of the new AI-based Magic Portal, whereby the Magic V3 makes ‘tailored recommendations’ to the user via two floating apps.
  • In addition, Honor has announced new AI-based eye-tracking technology for its smartphones. It claims this is an industry first, enabling users to open notifications and apps simply by looking at the screen. We assume this will also be a big selling point of the Honor Magic V3 and it will be interesting to see how it works with the cameras and other photography features.

Honor Magic V3: breaking records and breaking granite

In what is turning out to be anything but a low-key launch, Honor has announced the Magic V3 has already worked its way into the Guinness Book of Records – albeit indirectly.

Honor Magic V3 cards
Bryan Berg carefully mounts the new phone – such a card

US card-stacking king Bryan Berg, who’s well-known worldwide for building unfeasibly tall houses of cards, successfully constructed a 54-story card tower with the ‘sleek and lightweight’ Magic V3 perched on top.

The Iggy Pop-lookalike now holds the record for the tallest card tower built in eight hours and you can watch a video of his feat below.

Last week, Honor released a YouTube video short purporting to prove the durability of the Magic V3’s specially developed second-generation ‘Super Steel’ hinge material by subjecting it to some punishment from a hydraulic press machine.

The Super Steel withstood a force of 1,150kg under the machine, proving more resistant to the machine’s pressure than granite. You can see the YouTube short here.

While we are waiting for the official release of the Honor Magic V3, check out our review of the Honor 200 Pro, which has many virtues, plus our review of the Honor Magic 6 Pro.