In addition to the impressive-looking Honor Magic V2 getting its international launch announcement, Honor additionally unveiled a brand new idea telephone at IFA 2023 – the Honor V Purse. For those who suppose the identify is a bit of unusual, let me clarify. It is a foldable telephone that’s designed to be worn or carried like a handbag, or bag, full with customisable straps. So really, the identify is not that unusual in any respect.
The V Purse affords a really totally different design to the Magic V2, in a lot as its display screen wraps across the exterior, fairly than the within. This show is all the time on, and provides you the chance to point out off any variety of totally different designs and patterns on its outer-facing screens. Honor suggests this would possibly help you match your telephone’s show to outfits or events, with on-screen equipment and digital materials that can even react to the touch and motion.
This extends to matching bodily interchangeable straps to your private type, hooking onto the hinge and permitting you to carry the V Purse in your hand or put on it over your shoulder. Designs vary from gold chains to pearls to vegan leather-based, finishing what Honor is dubbing a “phy-gital” vogue assertion.
Bringing the enjoyable again
It is undoubtedly refreshing to see a smartphone model having a little bit of enjoyable with expertise once more, in a market that has type of stopped doing that. Bear in mind telephones just like the LG Crystal with its see-through quantity pad or the Nokia N-Gage that attempted to mix the options of a telephone with a handheld recreation system. Had been they everybody’s cup of tea? In all probability not. However they did get folks speaking, and exploring new methods of taking a look at and interacting with tech is all the time welcome.
Nevertheless, it is honest to notice that the Honor V Purse is not precisely all new. Eager telephone followers would possibly spot a fairly shut resemblance right here to the Huawei Mate X, in addition to the Mate XS and the Mate XS 2 that adopted it – a model that was Honor’s dad or mum firm, earlier than they parted methods in 2020 within the fallout from Huawei’s US ban.
For these not acquainted, it is a foldable format that works a bit in a different way to one thing just like the V2, in that the display screen folds outwards, and is just on one facet – with a vegan leather-based end on the opposite. You press a button to launch the display screen, and within the V Purse that button cleverly feels extra like a clasp – additional leaning into the bag-based idea.
In fact, the fashion-focused execution right here provides a distinct angle to the format, however Honor has pushed to take this design one step additional too. One of many few specs we do know in regards to the V Purse is that it’s an extremely slim 9mm when closed, in comparison with 11.1mm on the Mate XS 2 – bringing the foldable telephone one other step nearer to being simply as handy in dimension as a standard telephone.
In the meanwhile, there aren’t any different specs for the V Purse – not unusual in an idea after all – however having managed to really get my palms on it away from the present ground, what do I believe?
Making telephones wearable
As an idea, the enchantment is completely there. My telephone isn’t in my bag and infrequently in my hand, so having one thing that has a bit of bit extra aptitude to it than your common handset is fascinating. I purchase telephone covers that I discover aesthetically pleasing, so having the ability to do this with the entire telephone – to vary the type with the clicking of a button, and principally flip it right into a wearable – definitely has enchantment.
The sustainability angle that Honor raised within the V Purse announcement would not land in fairly the identical manner for me. Whereas I can fortunately go away the home with simply my telephone for fast errands – because of digital funds utilizing the likes of Apple Pay and Google Pockets – the V Purse will not change the necessity for an actual bag the vast majority of the time. The concept of it tackling the impression of quick vogue by lowering the necessity for a wardrobe full of baggage looks like a little bit of a stretch.
The V Purse is unashamedly enjoyable – and it is okay that that is sort of the start and finish of it. Working your finger alongside the display screen to work together with the varied bag designs stopped folks of their tracks once I was utilizing it, a lot in order that I think about it could be fairly the dialog starter when out and about. It is also fairly limitless, with the chance for everybody from the smallest artists to the largest vogue manufacturers to provide distinctive designs to grace the V Purse’s screens.
The one query mark that continues to be is sturdiness. With a display screen on the surface, on a telephone that is made to be worn and never stored away in a bag or pocket, you have to marvel how lengthy that display screen shall be trying as sensible because it does proper now.
Honor says the hinge is sweet for 400,000 folds, however I should be certain it’ll survive just a few bumps, a few drops and a margharita spillage or two earlier than I sling it over my shoulder on an evening out. Up till now, Honor hasn’t been eager to fork out for official IP scores on its different merchandise, however that looks like it could be fairly vital right here.
Contemplating the excitement the Honor V Purse prompted on the present, wearable telephones is clearly a subject that has obtained folks speaking. If it will probably show the V Purse’s sturdiness is as strong because the idea, then possibly, simply possibly, Honor is on to one thing.