Chinese technology brand Honor has unveiled the Honor V Purse, a foldable concept phone that was designed to look like a handbag and features fixtures that allow straps and chains to be attached to it.
Honor V Purse was one of two phones showcased by Honor at IFA 2023 in Berlin, one of the world’s biggest trade fairs for consumer electronics.
The conceptual device is a dual-screen smartphone that can be opened like a book. Its screens form the outer part of the device and are attached by a concealed interior hinge, resulting in an outward-folding screen with an always-on display that can be changed to give the phone a different look.
The device measures nine millimeters thick when folded and is fitted with clips that allow chains, straps and handles to be attached to it, meaning the Honor V Purse can be carried and worn like a handbag.
“The Honor V Purse is a new, unique and revolutionary concept,” an Honor spokesperson told Dezeen. “It is unlike anything that has been seen before. We believe it is the smartphone of the future, and that it will pave the way for the future of fashion and technology.”
“The concept phone is also compatible with a choice of interchangeable straps and chains, which clip onto the hinge to allow the smartphone to be worn effortlessly over one’s shoulder like an ordinary purse or handbag, enabling it to become the new ‘it’ bag of the future,” said Honor.
“As the fashion industry transcends the physical world into a more digital space, technology is enabling unlimited possibilities for style and self-expression,” the brand continued.
The outward-facing screen can be customised with a collection of always-on displays that aim to mimic elements of handbags, such as charm-decorated chains, fabric and feathers that move and sway with the device.
A number of the displays were created by Chinese visual artist Xiao Hui Wang and contemporary artist Yunuene Esparza.
“The Honor V Purse concept is an exploration of how new technologies and ideas can fundamentally change our day-to-day interactions,” said an Honor spokesperson.
“In this small way, the Honor V Purse can help environmentally conscious consumers to cut down on their consumption of fast fashion, and more importantly, it helps the fashion world embrace new technologies in order to encourage consumers to buy less, and use for longer.”
The V Purse was unveiled alongside the Honor Magic V2, a foldable dual-screen smartphone that measures 9.9 millimeters when folded and which the brand has dubbed “the world’s thinnest foldable phone”.
Although already launched in China, the unveiling announced the device’s European launch. Much like the concept phone, Honor V Purse, the Honor Magic V2 has two screens with a hinge at its center that allows for the phone to fold into itself like a book.
When unfolded, the phone measures 4.7 millimeters thick and both of its screens can be used simultaneously as though one large screen.
Earlier this year, Nokia partnered with iFixit to launch a new smartphone that comes with replaceable parts and toolkits that allows customers to repair their own devices.
In 2o19 Microsoft released the Surface Duo, a dual-screen Android phone that can also be opened like the Honor Magic V2.
Images are courtesy of Honor.
