WTF?! It’s a long-standing problem in the phone industry: designs that change so little with each new model that they’re almost indistinguishable from their predecessors. However, Honor’s new concept phone is a little different, although it’s unclear how popular the handbag-style device would be.
Chinese tech giant Honor, a spin-off of heavily sanctioned Huawei, unveiled its foldable Honor Magic V2 at IFA 2023 a few hours ago. The presentation also included a look at a concept device dubbed the Honor V Purse, which features some unconventional design cues.
The V-Wallet is an outward-folding case that resembles the original Huawei Mate or handbag.
The highlight is that the bag uses the outward-facing always-on display. It can be used to represent various handbag designs including chains, feathers and tassels that move realistically as the phone moves. Honor claims to have worked with various fashion designers and artists to contribute different themes for the V wallet. Others can add their own designs once Honor opens the API in the future.
The fragile, foldable portion of the screen on the outside of a phone that users sling over their shoulders will always pose a problem. Even Huawei has started to adopt the standard practice of screens that fold from the inside, just like the Galaxy Z Fold and Pixel Fold series.
There is no information about what specifications the Honor V wallet might contain. This is just a concept after all, so the chances of it ever making it into a real product are probably pretty slim.
The main device presented by Honor, the foldable Magic V2, was launched in China in the summer. The company confirmed its international launch during IFA 2023. The thinnest version is just 9.9mm thick when folded and weighs just 231 grams, less than an iPhone 14 Pro Max.