Chinese Electronics Company Honor Unveils New Foldable Phone Magic V3
A Chinese smartphone company provoked Samsung Electronics.
On the 5th (local time) at the German consumer electronics exhibition (IFA), Chinese electronics company Honor held a new product launch event. The presentation screen, which changed content every few seconds, featured the phrase "industry best."
George Zhao, CEO, announced that their product is "more durable than the Apple iPhone" and "thinner than the Samsung Galaxy." He then targeted Samsung Electronics, saying, "(Samsung is) too heavy and too thick. It’s 13.4mm thick. This year, it has improved a bit, becoming thinner at 12.1mm."
A video of a smartphone being put through a washing machine at the new product launch event of the Chinese electronics company Honor. [Image source=Honor Facebook]
The smartphone Honor announced that day was the foldable phone "Magic V3," which they claim is "the thinnest in the world." After launching it in China last July, they are now expanding its availability worldwide. When folded, its thickness is 9.2mm, thinner than its predecessor (9.9mm), and nearly 3mm thinner than Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy Z Fold6 (12.1mm), which was released last July.
In a recent promotional material, Honor wrote on the surface of their foldable phone, "Sorry to Galaxy Z Fold users," adding, "You must be feeling betrayed seeing the Magic V3, which is thinner, lighter, and more durable."
Regarding the U.S. company Apple, Honor targeted it based on "weight." Despite being a foldable device with a folding display, the Magic V3 reportedly weighs the same as the bar-shaped iPhone 15 Pro Max. Honor stated that the new product weighs 226g. They also claimed the battery lasts about 50% longer than the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
They directly addressed the durability controversy, which had been considered a weakness. Honor’s previous model, the Magic V2, was thin but faced criticism for poor durability, as the screen could be damaged after folding a certain number of times. Zhao said, "I understand there are concerns about the stability of Honor products," and released a video showing the Magic V3 being put through a washing machine. The key point was that it remained intact after 15 minutes in the washing machine. He also mentioned that after folding it 10,000 times, the crease depth of the Magic V3 was only 78μm, comparing it to the Galaxy Z Fold6’s 217μm. On stage, he even threw the Magic V3 onto the floor to demonstrate its durability.
Meanwhile, according to market research firm Counterpoint Research, Honor surpassed Samsung for the first time in the Western European market in foldable phone market share in the second quarter of this year. Honor’s global foldable phone shipments in Q2 this year increased by 455% compared to a year ago, driven by the Magic V2.
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