It looks like HONOR has been toying with the idea of taking smartphone personalisation to another level. Showcased during the brand’s IFA 2023 keynote is the new HONOR V Purse concept, which is a foldable smartphone that can be carried around like a, well, purse. But that’s not all, as it also features a unique Always On Display (AOD) gimmick that animates and reacts based on motion.
The HONOR V Purse itself sports the rarer outwards folding design – a form factor that’s last seen on the Huawei Mate Xs 2. It’s also very thin when compared to most foldables and bar-shaped handsets, coming in at 9mm thick when folded. Apart from that, the device is shown to feature a triple camera setup, and has a strap attachment that snaps on the “grip” section on its back. Based on the provided promotional materials, you can swap the leather strap to different types based on your personal preference.
Then we have the major highlight of the foldable smartphone: it’s AOD gimmick. What makes this feature special when compared to the more common AOD styles is that it actually reacts to user input, motion, and the environment that the HONOR V Purse is in. The magic behind this is actually nothing new, as it relies on the onboard touchscreen, accelerometer and ambient light sensors – all of which are already available on most smartphones. What’s more, the AOD feature takes up the entirety of the device’s screen and also in full colour, which makes us wonder how much battery life does it consume on the regular.
Unfortunately, HONOR did not provide any hardware specifications for the V Purse so details such as chipset, battery capacity and so on are anyone’s guess. This is understandable as the phone is merely a concept, and it may not enter mass production at all. Interestingly, the promo video did note that the foldable smartphone supports 5G connectivity.
Even though we won’t be seeing the V Purse hitting markets anytime soon, there’s a chance that we’ll see its advanced AOD gimmick live on in future HONOR products instead. According to the company, it is planning on opening up the device’s AOD platform to creators, developers and designers around the world, enabling them to create their own designs.
Apart from showcasing its latest concept, HONOR also showed off its Magic V2 foldable smartphone (shown above) during the event. The device’s specifications, memory configurations and colour options are exactly the same as its Chinese release, so there’s actually nothing new to report. Despite its global unveiling, the company has actually yet to reveal the Magic V2’s pricing and availability.
(Source: HONOR newsroom)
