Honor Kicks Off IFA With Foldables Galore, Including One That Doubles As A Purse

At IFA 2023 in Berlin, Honor took the wraps off two new foldable phones, only one of which you'll be able to purchase: the Honor Magic V2. The company boasts some key improvements with this device, highlighting notable elements ranging from its high-capacity battery and incredibly durable hinge all the way to its software-level traits, including one that enables users to keep their work and personal (digital) lives separate from each other.

Joining that foldable is a concept that underscores the unique form factor inherent to these devices — in this case, a concept that combines a folding smartphone with a purse. The device is decked out in luxurious elements, including components on the hinge that enable interchangeable straps and chains to be attached. Were such a device ever made a purchasable reality, you'd be able to sling it over your shoulder and not have it look out of place with your finest formal wear.

The Honor Magic V2 features a foldable hinge that scales vertically up the phone, which itself sports a number of improvements over previous offerings. The company emphasizes the phone's compact nature at 9.9 mm thick and 231 grams (about 8 ounces) in weight. Key features include the use of Honor's Super Light Titanium Hinge, which can handle beyond 400,000 opening and closing sessions. If you crunch the numbers, that works out to a hinge lifespan of around a decade, assuming you fold the phone 100 times per day.

Chris Burns

The Magic V2 brings a 10% boost in antenna area, the company's own Bionic VC cooling system, up to a 5,000 mAh battery, and a triple-camera module sporting 50-megapixel main and ultra-wide cameras alongside a 20-megapixel telephoto camera. There are some quality-of-life improvements on the software side of things, too.

Chris Burns/SlashGear

One of the more interesting inclusions is the Parallel Space feature, which allows users to essentially sandbox their work content from their personal content. While that's not unique on its own — Galaxy users have long been able to do something similar with Secure Folder — the foldable form factor means that the dual instances of apps can be used at the same time. 

Our primary gadgets follow us everywhere we go, including in formal situations. That reality has slowly given rise to gadgets that combine expected functionality with classy, even luxurious forms. Smartwatches are arguably the primary market for this kind of device, but that hasn't stopped phone manufacturers from dabbling with their handsets. Thus enters Honor's V Purse, a concept product that transforms a foldable smartphone into a slim "handbag" similar to that of a clutch or wristlet.

Chris Burns/SlashGear

Though the concept is a tad silly — and make no mistake, this isn't something you can buy at this point in time — the idea does serve to showcase the foldable form factor that, despite having been around for a few years now, still feels novel. Speaking about the unusual design, Honor CEO George Zhao said, "With our phone-to-purse concept brought to life through the HONOR V Purse, we are exploring sustainable solutions that leverage emerging foldable technology to empower creativity and shape tomorrow's lifestyle." 

Chris Burns/SlashGear

The concept was designed to be a fashion statement, and as such, the user could swap out the strap with a different accessory, such as a chain or string of pearls. Honor also says users could change the design featured on the always-on display to color coordinate with their outfits. Though this concept will likely never be turned into an actual product you can buy, the company has said that it is making its API available to devs who will be able to utilize the foldable's hardware to bring about unique use cases.