GabyThe unusual device looks like a wallet trimmed with chains, feathers, and tassels. The concept smartphone is meant to open new revenue streams for fashion houses (Prada, Louis Vuitton) and tech giants (Apple, Samsung). It’s compact and convenient enough to fit easily in your handbag.
A smartphone designed to mimic a handbag
The conceptual device, the Honor V Purse, was unveiled at the IFA 2023 technology exhibition in Berlin. It represents the brand’s thinnest foldable smartphone, with always-on live displays. The gadget can function as a wallet or a handbag. It has shoulder straps and design settings you can change at the push of a button.
Honor says the handbag-style gadget offers endless possibilities for self-expression and a more eco-friendly lifestyle. The company sees it as a starting point for transforming smartphones into something beyond social and communication tools. However, there are currently no plans to release it to the public.
The innovative smartphone weighs 231 grams and is 9 mm thick and unfolds outward, so the always-on display faces out. At the top there is a clasp to keep it closed, a camera, and hooks for a variety of interchangeable shoulder straps, including an option made of synthetic leather.
The combination of fashion and innovative technologies
As the Daily Mail noted, the screen remains on at all times. Owners can choose from a variety of screen styles created by leading fashion houses, including Burberry. They will be offered accessories like chains, tassels, and feathers that sway on the screen and follow the phone’s movements.
Users can coordinate these live displays with their outfits. The Honor design team says modern, discerning consumers want new ways to express themselves and showcase their individuality. The company believes this bold concept could shape the future of fashion and technology.
Honor adds that the portable device could appeal to environmentally conscious consumers worried about the waste of fast fashion. The interchangeable display lets users change their style for each outing—even during an event—without buying a new bag. Honor also says the hinge is rated to open and close more than 400,000 times.
In the next development stage, Honor plans to invite designers from around the world to create original pieces that reflect current trends. They will be able to work with the interface to make the phone’s sensors animated and interactive.
Executive Director George Zhao says the Honor V Purse demonstrates how the company is exploring sustainable solutions that could boost creativity and shape tomorrow’s lifestyles.
Zhao calls the smartphone a new, universal, revolutionary concept unlike anything created before and says it will pave the way for the future of fashion and technology.
Perhaps the future lies with such complex smartphones
Putting the display on the outside is risky because current flexible screens are still relatively soft and fragile. Honor’s former parent company, Huawei, used external displays on early foldable phones but later moved them inside for protection.
Industry analyst Paolo Pescatore says Honor has bold, ambitious plans to become a leader in the sector. These moves into foldable devices are a statement of intent to be seen as a reliable, viable player.
For now, consumers still prioritize reliability and durability, so demand for experimental devices is limited. An industry analyst says it could be many years before concepts like this become practical. In the meantime, the concept helps generate buzz around the Honor brand.
