During a media interview after the launch event of the Honor 200 series on May 27th, Honor CEO Zhao Ming once again discussed the upcoming Honor small foldable device. He mentioned that some brands have abandoned the path of small foldable devices because they have not fully showcased the unique characteristics and advantages of small foldables.
When asked by the media about many manufacturers giving up on small foldable products this year, Honor was questioned about its perspective on the positioning of small foldable products.
Zhao Ming pointed out, "What unique features can still be explored with the Flip? How can we present more distinctive value? I believe that many times it's a lack of imagination, not just insufficient value exploration."
Emphasizing the need for a unique value proposition, Zhao Ming stated, "In many areas, Honor does things differently from others. You will find more and more people following us. This time, in developing solutions for the Flip, we are also thinking and conceptualizing along these lines."
As early as the 2024 MWC World Mobile Communications Conference held in February this year, Zhao Ming revealed that Honor is preparing for the release of the Flip foldable phone, which is now in its final stages internally.
Subsequently, during a group interview after the Honor Spring Flagship New Product Launch on March 18, the media once again asked about the Flip. This time, Zhao Ming confirmed once again that the Flip foldable phone is set to be released. This news briefly topped the digital hot search list, indicating the high level of interest in this new product.
On May 13, some media outlets exclusively exposed information from the Honor supply chain, causing widespread discussion with the hashtag #HonorWillReleaseLargestExternalScreenFlipFold. It is reported that the biggest highlight of Honor's first Flip foldable phone is that it will be equipped with the largest external screen in the industry's history, significantly enhancing the screen's utility. A week later, a blogger leaked images of the external screen shell of the Honor Flip, showing only the frame, further confirming the core configuration of the large external screen for the Flip foldable phone.
From the perspective of past products, the external screen has always been one of the unique identifiers of small foldable phones. However, the external screen sizes of almost all small foldable phones on the market are too small. Coupled with poor software adaptation, this leads to very low actual utilization by users. The larger role they play is more decorative, with very poor practicality.
Speculative Image of Honor's Small Foldable Appearance
The core significance of the Honor Flip small foldable having the industry's largest external screen is to make the external screen truly usable. Images circulating online show that the size of the external screen of the Honor Flip small foldable is almost half the size of the entire body, making it the largest among known small foldables, far surpassing existing products. With a larger screen size, the external screen can accommodate more software, increasing its practicality.
Although there is no exact information available yet, we speculate that the Honor Flip small foldable will leverage this largest external screen to not only introduce numerous revolutionary new features but also provide a wide range of third-party compatible software.
For example, commonly used apps like WeChat, Weibo, TikTok, Alipay, and Amap. Without a doubt, its interaction mode is also expected to innovate, making the external screen truly become the "second main screen" of the phone, addressing the pain point of the low practical value of the external screen in previous small foldable phones.
Comparison Chart of Thin Foldable Phones
What's more important is that in the past, many users scoffed at small foldable phones due to poor battery life, obvious creases, insufficient hinge strength, and susceptibility to damage. Honor, however, incorporates cutting-edge technologies such as Qinghai battery tech, high-strength panel glass tech, and excellent hinge design tech into their Honor Flip foldable phone, addressing long-standing user pain points and issues.
It's not hard to guess that the Honor Flip foldable phone will bring more surprises in terms of thickness, while also balancing slimness, battery life, and durability, potentially changing the inherent perception of small foldable phones as "beautiful but fragile" devices. As for the final product pricing, it's no surprise that Honor is poised to kick off a new wave of popularization for small foldable phones.
Honor Mini Fold Naming Speculation Chart
According to data from the authoritative data agency IDC, driven by the Honor Magic V2 and other foldable screen family products, Honor's foldable phone market share saw the highest year-on-year increase of 675.4% last year. Given the achievements and performance Honor has made in the large foldable phone arena, we have reason to believe that the Honor Flip Mini Fold will be the strongest mini foldable phone in the industry, completely overturning everyone's perception of mini folds.
From official hints and various leaks, it appears that the Honor Flip Mini Fold will be officially released in the near future. At that time, it will face direct competition with competitors like the Huawei Pocket 2. Who will come out on top remains to be seen.
