Amidst the wave of technology and fashion in the mobile phone industry, Honor has taken a significant step forward.

Last night (June 13), Honor held a "fashion" launch event at the West Bund Dome Art Center in Shanghai, officially introducing the much-anticipated small foldable screen phone—the Honor Magic V Flip.

At this launch event, not only was the avant-garde design of its small foldable screen phone showcased, but also its color schemes of Camellia White, Champagne Pink, and Iris Black, all of which demonstrate Honor's profound understanding of fashion. A star-studded fashion show further brought the application scenarios of the small foldable screen to life, vividly exhibiting the fashion sense brought by technology.

Of course, for consumers, the most "fashionable" aspect is undoubtedly the starting price of as low as 4999 yuan. After all, since the foldable screen market was pioneered, compared to any other manufacturer's small foldable screens, the price of the Honor Magic V Flip is indeed very "affordable".

In a conversation with Honor CEO Zhao Ming, "New Position" gained a glimpse into the strategic thinking behind the Honor Magic V Flip. Zhao Ming revealed that the pricing strategy of the Honor Magic V Flip is not only to break the high price barrier in the foldable screen market but also to promote the popularization of foldable screen technology, allowing more consumers to enjoy the convenience of technology. He humorously said, "We hope that consumers can fold freely and experience diverse choices."

At the same time, Zhao Ming also mentioned that in the past, the performance of small foldable screen phones in the market has not been satisfactory, mainly due to the underutilized potential of the external screen. The launch of the Honor Magic V Flip is based on a profound insight into this pain point, achieving a comprehensive breakthrough in the product by optimizing the user experience of the external screen. He metaphorically compared it to, "Finding that crucial thread, and everything will be solved."

01. The External Screen Becomes the Main Screen, Eliminating "Three Harms" with One Screen

Frankly speaking, Honor's newly launched phone this time has exceeded the expectations of most people.

As Honor's masterpiece in the field of small foldable screens this year, the Magic V Flip continues the brand's fashion gene in its design. With three color schemes of Camellia White, Champagne Pink, and Iris Black, coupled with a limited-edition collaboration with fashion designer Jimmy Choo, Honor once again proves its profound skills in the integration of technology and fashion. The Honor Oasis eye-caring screen technology on the inner screen and the hundreds of fashion themes on the external screen further elevate the aesthetic of technology to a new level.

The only imperfection is that as Honor's first attempt in the field of small foldable screens, the Magic V Flip's core configuration is not outstanding. For example, in terms of chip configuration, the Magic V Flip chose the first-generation Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ chip, which seems slightly conservative in terms of performance.

However, this is not difficult to understand. In the view of "New Position," Honor's decision is actually based on a profound insight into the target consumer group. Honor knows that its main user group does not pursue extreme phone performance but values the product's design, portability, and daily usage experience. Meanwhile, considering cost control and heat dissipation issues, this chip configuration is undoubtedly a wise choice after weighing the pros and cons.

However, flaws aside, the biggest innovation of the Magic V Flip lies in its redefinition of the external screen of small foldable screen phones.

It breaks the traditional limitation of the external screen being used only as an information display window, upgrading it to the main screen, endowing it with richer functions and a more convenient interactive experience. Users can complete daily operations such as answering phone calls, replying to messages, and taking quick photos on the external screen, greatly enhancing usage convenience. This innovation is undoubtedly Honor's precise grasp and breakthrough in addressing the pain points of small foldable screen phones.

And while upgrading the external screen, it also solves the previous issues of battery life and stability in small foldable screens: the former relies on the built-in 4800mAh battery, coupled with 66W super-fast charging, greatly alleviating users' battery life anxiety, especially when using the low-power-consuming external screen frequently; the latter breaks through key technologies, using a new Honor Luban hinge, making the phone more stable when half-folded.

Of course, to achieve comprehensive functionality on this external screen, Honor has also invested a lot of research and development resources, working closely with third-party developers to complete the adaptation of hundreds of applications. To fully demonstrate the advantages of the full-screen display, Honor even has different adaptation methods for over 100 apps in future development.

02. Honor Closely Aligns with Fashion Labels

According to Zhao Ming's post-conference interview, the Magic V Flip needs to sell at least one million units to achieve breakeven. Under the current backdrop of the overall cooling of the small foldable screen market, this goal appears particularly daunting.

vivo and OPPO, as two giants in the domestic mobile phone industry, have recently announced their decision to abandon the small foldable screen product line. vivo silently abandoned updates to its small foldable product line while introducing the X Fold 3 series, a decision driven by the market's direct feedback on the acceptance of small foldable screens.

Manufacturers' indifference to small foldable screens partly stems from their lower profit margins and limited sales. The pricing of small foldable screens is generally lower than that of large foldable screens, and their audience is narrower, with a lower repurchase rate than large foldable screens.

Therefore, against this backdrop, Honor's persistence is particularly commendable. But it also makes us wonder what considerations led Honor to launch the Magic V Flip small foldable phone despite the risk of losses? What is its core competitiveness? Will Honor's attempt encourage other manufacturers to follow suit and jointly promote the development and popularization of small foldable screen phones?

In fact, in the view of "New Position," Honor's actions today have actually laid the groundwork for its long-term strategy.

As early as the launch of the Honor 30 series of phones in 2020, Honor CEO Zhao Ming clearly stated that Honor has always been committed to creating a technology fashion brand for young people. Honor hopes to be closely tied to fashion, and small foldable screens are the perfect carrier for this strategy.

According to a report by iResearch, since last year, there has been a significant change in the consumer group for foldable screen phones, with a large influx of new consumers. This includes not only a large number of traditionally perceived male business users but also many female users. Compared to 2022, female users' acceptance of foldable screen phones has gradually increased by 9%.

Honor's choice not only satisfies the needs of consumers pursuing fashion and individuality but also gains a foothold in the female market.

On the other hand, this small foldable screen strategy also coincides with the current trend of diversification in the mobile phone market. Last year, the market focused on imaging technology, while this year it exhibits a combination of imaging and diversified technologies. vivo focuses on imaging and battery life, OPPO continues to innovate in imaging and AI, and Honor has chosen the path of imaging and fashion. This differentiated competition strategy adds unique charm to each brand's characteristics.

Of course, in addition to fashion strategic considerations, Honor's choice of small foldable screens is also largely due to technological maturity.

Honor's technological advantages in screen display, hinge design, software adaptation, and a profound insight into user needs have provided a solid foundation for the launch of the Magic V Flip. The addition of the Magic V Flip has also completed Honor's layout in the high-end market, achieving comprehensive coverage from small screens to large screens and from straight screens to foldable screens.

Admittedly, Honor's strategy is not without risks, and the market capacity and growth potential of small foldable screens remain unknown. Whether the Honor Magic V Flip can stand out in the market depends not only on its product strength but also on whether Honor can achieve breakthroughs in cutting-edge technologies such as AI.

Currently, AI technology is becoming a new high ground in the competition for smartphones, from Apple's iPhone AI to domestic manufacturers' end-side large models. The application of AI technology has become the key to enhancing user experience and creating product differentiation. Currently, smartphone manufacturers such as Huawei, Xiaomi, Honor, OPPO, and vivo have all released flagship products equipped with end-side large models.

Honor's Magic Large Model is an important attempt in the field of AI. It can be seen that in small foldable screens, especially the external screen, where many applications and controls are limited, the support of AI makes many previously unimaginable applications very smooth, and the entire interaction is very natural.

Another bonus is that after the conference, Zhao Ming told the media that Honor will soon launch a groundbreaking AI innovation, truly building up anticipation.

03. Conclusion

Interestingly, at the communication meeting, Zhao Ming said that he now uses a small foldable phone for running and exercise and a large foldable phone for work and travel, hardly using a straight-screen phone anymore.

Although this statement may be premature, standing at the intersection of technology and fashion, Honor has demonstrated its keen insight into market trends. Facing fierce market competition and ever-changing consumer demand, Honor still needs to continuously delve into technological innovation, user experience, and brand building to ensure its competitiveness in the ever-evolving market.

After all, the future market will test manufacturers' comprehensive capabilities even more. Honor has indeed tied itself closely to fashion, making it one of its strategies for differentiated competition. However, with the evolution of technology and the refinement of consumer preferences, the mobile phone industry will continue to develop in a more personalized and segmented direction.

Small foldable screens are just a small step, and sustained strategic success is a big step.

* The title image and images in the article are sourced from the internet.